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A View From the Easel

“I try to only love people. However, I do really, really like the proportions of my studio.”

Lakshmi Rivera Amin

October 23, 2025 — 4 min read

Welcome to the 308th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists poke holes in their work, literally, and mark 50 years in their studio.

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.

Tony Tasset, Sawyer, Michigan

How long have you been working in this space?

Six years.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I don't really have average days. My art changes form a lot, so my routine changes according to what I'm working on. I can go for months without entering my studio or I can be working 12-hour days. Oh, who am I kidding, I rarely work more than six hours. Most of my art making happens outside my studio — reading, looking at art, and living my life. When I'm in my studio I get to work. I've been trying to stay away from podcasts, although Ezra Klein keeps pulling me back in. Mostly I blast music. The last couple of days, I've listened to Fela Kuti, John Prine, Mdua Moctar, Lucinda Williams, Mulato Astatke, and Steve Reich.

How does the space affect your work?

Actually, it's the other way around. I built the studio to fit my work.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I live near Lake Michigan, about 90 minutes from Chicago. I take walks in the woods every day. I also get my haircut at a barber run by three brothers. They don't take reservations or credit cards. They talk about deer hunting a lot and someone is usually trying to sell a boat. The topic of art hasn't come up.

The art community that I interact with mostly lives in Chicago or other parts of the country. Summer is the best time when friends come and stay for the weekend. Then there's winter, when I begin to wonder what the hell I'm doing here. But just when I'm about to turn into Jack from The Shining, flowers begin to emerge.

What do you love about your studio?

Love is an awfully serious word. I try to only love people. However, I do really, really like the proportions of my studio. I designed every inch of the space. It feels like just the right size for my ambition and ego. It's pretty big.

What do you wish were different?

I wish there were a steady stream of collectors, curators, and critics drifting through my studio. And I wish I had a team of assistants working full-time helping me keep up with the demand for my art. I would cook fantastic lunches every day and charm my visitors with my erudite and hilarious takes on art and the absurdity of existence.

What is your favorite local museum?

I would like to put in a good word for the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. It's a lovely park with good art and gardens, beautifully maintained.

What is your favorite art material to work with?

Can I say the internet? I guess it's a tool, not a material. But I can buy any material on it. It's a wonderful resource for the contemporary artist, as long as you stay away from all social media, cooking demos, porn, animals being cute, and the news.

Irene Christensen, Tenafly, New Jersey

How long have you been working in this space?

Fifty years.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I am a Norwegian living in the US for the last 50 years. I have always worked at my home in Tenafly, where I have a beautifully lit studio. I work mostly on my accordion books (about 70 books by now), my works on paper, and mixed media and oil paintings. I also keep a studio at Long Island City Art Center. I only work on my oil paintings there and see visitors. Some of my friends say I am a workaholic since I'm working or thinking about my art all the time. During the day, I paint and at night, I draw in my accordion books while listening to music or the news. I am fortunate to be able to travel often, mostly to Oslo, Norway, where I keep a small apartment.

How does the space affect your work?

My studios are my life. Being there represents freedom to enter another world where I am alone and all I love comes with me. I become another me who takes over.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I belong to NY Artists Circle, the National Arts Club, the Artists' Fellowship (with the important mission to help artists in need), and the Association of Norwegian Visual Artists. At the National Arts Club, I am an active member of the Archaeology Committee. I also keep up with Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRE), where I was in 2002. The environment in the Everglades made a great impact on me.