> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A View From the Easel - URL: https://hyperallergic.com/a-view-from-the-easel-317/ - Published: 2025-12-25T16:00:41.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-25T16:00:40.000Z - Description: “My wife and I are both involved in education in the arts, so we see the beginnings of artistic growth.” - Author: Lakshmi Rivera Amin - Tags: Community, A View From the Easel Welcome to the 317th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists make work alongside their daughter and draw inspiration from local museums. Want to take part? Check out our [submission guidelines](https://hyperallergic.newspackstaging.com/47316/submit-your-workspace-to-a-view-from-the-easel/?ref=hyperallergic.com) and share a bit about your studio with us through [this form](https://forms.gle/Erq7cyGEmMUxKrLe9?ref=hyperallergic.com)! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio. --- ## [Daniel McCoy Jr.](http://hechoamano.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com), Española, New Mexico ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/2025/12/IMG_2328---Daniel-McCoy.jpeg) ***How long have you been working in this space?*** Four years. ***Describe an average day in your studio.*** I wake around 5:15am. I wake up my family and animals. We leave the house around 7, and I drive 35 miles south up to Santa Fe. I return around 9:15am from dropping my Wife Topaz, who is a teacher, son Levon, and daughter Fia at three separate schools. I begin painting around 10am. Music and coffee play an important role at this time. I work until 2:30pm then repeat the process. We will usually do something for dinner, and then I will work until late into the evening. Especially if there is a time-sensitive project that I am working on. ***How does the space affect your work?*** This is a comfortable space connected to my home. The important issue is that there is beautiful scenery outside that allows a connection to nature. Throughout the day, I see the sunrise, sunset, view the mountains, and view the stars. ***How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?*** I am near Santa Fe, which has a thriving art scene with many galleries and museums to visit for historic art. I live between the Tewa Pueblos nearby and at times I get to view what my friends are creating. I visit the gallery I am represented by, Hecho a Mano, a few times each month to gather inspiration from the current shows. My wife and I are both involved in education in the arts, so we see the beginnings of artistic growth. Plus, I have the best friends a guy could ever have, and they are all artists. ***What do you love about your studio?*** It holds my favorite books, my favorite instruments, and all my ideas. What a fortunate human I am. I am very grateful. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/2025/12/IMG_2329---Daniel-McCoy.jpeg) ***What do you wish were different?*** More space, more machines, and woodworking tools. An outside area for carving. The elevation is pretty high here in the mountains and the summer sun can get pretty hot. ***What is your favorite local museum?*** SITE Santa Fe. I have had the opportunity to work with the team on various shows over the years. Very special people to me. ***What is your favorite art material to work with?*** Oil-based paints. Particularly One Shot Enamel on large surfaces. --- ## [Keri Arlotta](https://www.instagram.com/ker%5Fcreates/?ref=hyperallergic.com), Oakwood, Ohio ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/2025/12/IMG_3715---Keri-Arlotta.jpeg) ***How long have you been working in this space?*** One year. ***Describe an average day in your studio.*** A cozy, creative corner in my house is where I find myself with my easel. If I were to zoom out, you could see my four-year-old's toys surrounding my sacred corner of creativity. Her laughter and music from the bijou television above my fireplace mantle echoes amongst the walls. Beside my studio space is a large grid picture window and beyond the window, large colorful foliage illuminates colors into my zone that are so profound and beautiful. The sounds, the sights, and the peace I find here allow me to open new doors within myself. I stand, rarely sit, as I begin blending colors beside my easel. A fresh canvas awaits me and the tone of my space provides a peace within me that allows me to connect to the depths within myself. ***How does the space affect your work?*** My space is full of love and light and when I get to soak into that ambience, I am able to tap into a steady flow of creativity. ***How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?*** Oakwood is a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. Within Oakwood, large trees consume the city. It’s easy to get lost in a trail, especially in fall, as the leaves die and the colors of dying leaves captivate us. Just a few minutes down the street I am a member and frequent observer at The Contemporary Dayton. I also enjoy checking out work at The Dayton Art Institute and Rosewood Arts Centre. ***What do you love about your studio?*** I love the natural light I’m provided with in my studio. I love that the walls in my space are filled with the trials and errors of my own curiosity. I enjoy that my studio is in the heart of my home, where all the things I love gather. I'm exploring the depths of myself here while I witness my daughter explore depths of her own imagination around me. ***What do you wish were different?*** Space. I cannot stress this enough. I have a creative corner, but I often imagine what limitations the size of my studio space provides. If I had more space, maybe I could get my hands on different techniques, textures, etc. Or if I had space for a larger canvas, what could I bring to life there? ***What is your favorite local museum?*** Dayton Art Institute. ***What is your favorite art material to work with?*** Acrylics on canvas.