A View From the Easel
“People really underestimate how much pacing and walking you do when making.”
Welcome to the 314th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists pace about their studios and weave painted canvases.
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.
Zeinab Diomande, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
How long have you been working in this space?
Three months.
Describe an average day in your studio.
An average day for me in the studio is playing some music to set the mood; music is super important to the things I make. I like to think about the sound of my paintings, so I generally listen to something that will guide the work. Then I get to work!
How does the space affect your work?
I used to work in the space between my bed and my wall. I have always been very crafty about space, whether I’m working in my living room or my bedroom. I now have a studio space at my school. It felt intimidating at first, but I really value having a lot of space to experiment and play more!
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I have made a mural before, and it was a great way to contribute something free to the city. I love the idea of consuming art at no cost, and I think this was the perfect way for people to see my work out in the wild, not having to own anything, and return back to it whenever they feel like it.
What do you love about your studio?
I love having my wall space a lot! I tend to work on one wall and observe all the paint marks I leave after each completed pieces, but it feels good to have a dedicated space where leaving paint marks is just a part of the process!
What do you wish were different?
I wish I had some natural light, but I can’t complain too much given where I used to work.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Philadelphia Art Museum! It has a great range of works from historical to contemporary (I like the contemporary section a lot).
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I recently got into canvas weaving so I would still say canvas, but in a way that combines painting and weaving!
Isobel Hill, Yorkshire, England
How long have you been working in this space?
Five years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
It really depends on what I am currently working on at the time. My practice spans painting, ceramics, drawing, and animation, and my working schedule with my studio really morphs and changes with the different mediums. I find myself spending stretches of time focusing only on ceramics and then painting or animation, rather than dipping into all of them at all times. For ceramics, my days normally begin earlier when firing my kiln so it can run whilst I complete other tasks. During my painting stretches, I also begin early to make the most of the natural light, and my painting days are normally quite long. I paint until the sun goes down. I am naturally more of a nighttime person, so for paper pieces and animations, I normally begin working at my desk in the afternoon and then into the night. I am always ruminating over the ideas and concepts that tie my practice together, regardless of medium. This is a constant. I am also an avid keeper of lists. I write them before I go to sleep, almost like a brain dump, so I know what needs to be done the following day and onwards.
How does the space affect your work?
The windows of the studio frame the scenes beyond them. I often find myself sitting observing the light across the landscape as it changes throughout the day and watching the dynamics of animals in the garden, and flocks of birds. Snow and rain make the studio feel cozy, and in the summer, the sunsets shining through the windows illuminate the wet paintings.
Depending on the amount of work in the studio at one time, it really dictates what can be made next. When the space is emptier, the confines of scale feel less looming and when the studio is fuller, more works on paper often come to fruition. The most important part for me is having the room to pace about a little. People really underestimate how much pacing and walking you do when making. I find myself sometimes in a constant flux of walking back and forth, back and forth, seeing if observing the painting or artwork from another angle reveals an area that requires more work, refinement, or an addition I hadn’t yet noticed it needed.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
My studio is nestled in the Yorkshire countryside. It is very quiet and far away from most things. This is what I love about it, though. There is so much mental space and time to ruminate over ideas without distraction, and there is a vast wealth of inspiration to be found wherever you look. The seasons, wildlife, and the beautiful shadows. My neighbor is an artist and potter, so we pop over to see each other every so often to share what we’ve been working on, and this means so much to me.
Further afield in Hull, there is a wonderful arts community I have had the pleasure of working with during the run of my recent solo exhibition with 87 Gallery. I have met so many inspiring people, artists, and makers here.
What do you love about your studio?
I love the surroundings, the windows, and the quiet.
What do you wish were different?
Maybe some more heat! In winter, I wear many, many fleeces under my boiler suit, two layers of gloves, a balaclava, and a beanie. As you can imagine, it’s quite the ensemble.
What is your favorite local museum?
87 Gallery, Humber Street Gallery, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Oil paint, pencil, stoneware clay, gouache, watercolor, and silkscreen print.
