A View From the Easel
“I love the creaky floorboards and how they hold the memories of artists before me.”
Welcome to the 301st installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists hold glass up to the light and use cyanotype to meditate on the shifting blues of the sky.
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.
Elaine Nguyen, San Francisco, California
How long have you been working in this space?
One year.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I work chaotically, on several pieces at a time — on the floor, the walls, tables, in the hallway where I'm not supposed to be, and in the sinks. Some days I show up and sit, and other days are filled with running back and forth, washing off cyanotypes in the sink, and having many more exposures in the hallway sun at the same time. It’s a dance, going from one task to another and back again to resting and spending time in a space. The routine is just being there as often as I can and making space to rest while also showing up.
How does the space affect your work?
The space has completely shaped my work, from the size of creatures that I call bugs or dreams to the imprints of the floor left on the work as it was drying. I enjoy the evidence of the studio left behind on the artwork, like the lines on the floorboards.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I'm located at Root Division, a gallery, studio space, and arts education hub. There is this stillness about the space despite having so many artists occupy it. I like being able to peek into another artist's studio and seeing how much can change in a day, and taking walks around the gallery after hours. I love being able to teach a class and have my students' work in the youth gallery below.
What do you love about your studio?
I love the creaky floorboards and how they hold the memories of artists before me. The walls were pristine when I arrived, but the floors held the history of the building, an old sewing factory to artist studios with their paint spills and hammer marks. There’s this window to the hall, and peering in after I've closed up makes me feel like the works become alive at night without me there.
What do you wish were different?
I wish it were enormous. My work tends to become to scale of my studio spaces and living, and having a studio in San Francisco has forced me to scale down significantly. At the same time, if I had everything I longed for in a studio, it would have prevented me from making the work I have made.
What is your favorite local museum?
My favorite local museum is the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I'm deeply moved by the shifting blues of the sky and the passage of time. I’ve been lucky to discover that working with cyanotypes lends itself well to both fascinations. I chase to memorialize moments, but like the fog moving in, they morph again before they are fully formed. There is an easiness in the medium’s allowance for me to make and repeat, which feels closest to the transformation I’m captivated by.
Patrick Lears, Margate, United Kingdom
How long have you been working in this space?
Four years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
My studio is in my home, so it's an easy commute. I spend the first few hours every day looking after my mind and body, have one strong cup of coffee, and then I am off to begin work at 11am. I work across sculpture and painting (for me, they both inform each other) and usually develop several things at once, though I'm apt to stick with one medium at a time. Working with paint, glass, paper, and clay, things get messy very quickly, so I get some order in place with materials and tidying before I can really move into something. I do listen to music — there is a show on BBC radio, Night Tracks, that is an eclectic mix of contemporary and classical that keeps me sort of low-level intrigued and chugging along. I try to stay off social media (mostly unsuccessfully) until later. I am usually done at about 5pm, thinking ahead to what I can do the following day. Some of that happens as a jolt at 3 in the morning!
How does the space affect your work?
It's great having the studio at home, as I can slip back in when time allows, and my garden is a small oasis. I feel completely at ease and happy there. However, the fridge is alarmingly close and I can be distracted by things that need doing elsewhere in the house. If I am stuck or waiting for something to dry, I can take a break and walk by the sea.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
Margate has a thriving and vibrant arts community that I can connect to very easily if I want. It is varied and there is a nice DIY vibe about it — the community is very supportive. Galleries and cultural spots are all within walking distance, which is so great, especially after life and work in London. I am about to embark on an artist-led mentoring program called Turps. I am looking forward to dialogue, feedback, and all of those interactions that can make you feel connected after long stretches of alone time in the studio.
What do you love about your studio?
The northern light is fantastic. The wood floors are also helpful when you are on your feet a lot. I can mess it up knowing that I am responsible for maintaining it. I can go for walks on the beach and even in the summer I can find beaches that are virtually empty — heaven. There is heat! Very useful when you live by the North Sea.
What do you wish were different?
It is nowhere near big enough (is it ever?). I could do with more storage and viewing space. I have a nice window on one side, but come December, things get very dark in this part of the world. I end up taking the glass works outside just to see how they really look.
What is your favorite local museum?
Turner Contemporary is great with a solid program of international and community-led exhibitions. I am also a big fan of the non-profit Quench Gallery, a project space for new and emerging work.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Currently it's glass and water-based media, though this could change!
