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A View From the Easel

“Rainy dreary days are good for crocheting and sunny days are good for drawing.”

Lakshmi Rivera Amin

December 12, 2024 — 4 min read

Welcome to the 263rd installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists seek out a queer art community and practice crocheting by touch and feel rather than sight.

Want to take part? Check out our submission guidelines and share a bit about your studio with us through this form! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio.

Arthur Sangster, Chicago, Illinois

How long have you been working in this space?

Three months.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I arrive at the gallery space where I rent my studio and just get to work right away, but I take breaks. I prefer to work on one piece at a time. My routine is working for 25 to 30 minutes, then taking a break for five or six minutes with stretching or reading, or getting food to eat. Sometimes, I listen to podcasts about gay/queer or art stuff.

How does the space affect your work?

I am usually the only person in the gallery space, especially if I am there late at night. I have a quiet time to focus on what I am doing, and my studio space is small but decent sized for me to do work that is between 36 by 36 feet and 4o by 40 feet.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I go to shows and associate with artists who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and I've recently been assisting a friend with their drag performance. I go to the Chicago Art Department and galleries in areas near Pilsen, where I stayed for two years with artists and people in the food industry, two of whom were SAIC students. A couple of folks I have become friends with are street artists and musicians who do experimental work and punk shows.

What do you love about your studio?

It's cozy, and sometimes I have background noise from people working or having a fun event.

What do you wish were different?

I am okay with my space, especially since the rent is doable for me. So, I cannot complain much. I am grateful for the space.

What is your favorite local museum?

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

What is your favorite art material to work with?

Oil, obviously.

Ophelia Arc, Providence, Rhode Island

How long have you been working in this space?

One and a half years.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I get into the studio at 10am every day. I’ll usually start with removing yarn from the drying stretcher and winding it up. From there, I’ll go to my digital mind map which I keep monthly. This is where I dump info I’m working with and will usually ease into everything by reading an article. From there I bounce between drawing, reading, and crocheting. If I’m doing something that doesn’t involve my undivided attention, I will typically have an artist talk or podcast on. The Art Pod, Deep Color, and the Great Women Artists podcasts have been some of my favorites lately. Audiobooks are great, but I usually try physically reading so I can practice crocheting without looking. I’ve gotten pretty good over the years. Then I log everything I’ve “consumed” into a document for later reference. I stay at the studio till 9pm and then crawl home.

How does the space affect your work?

The amount of room allows me to have a couple of different things happening at once. I usually have three components of my studio active at a time, so the ample space allows me to fluidly move between them.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

Being in my MFA at RISD, I’m super fortunate to have so many creatives within the same building. There are lots of events that allow us to intermingle, so that’s always fun.

What do you love about your studio?

The sunlight! The window is amazing and it definitely helps dictate what I do for the day. Rainy dreary days are good for crocheting and sunny days are good for drawing, but overcast is best for documentation and sketching.