An Artist’s Perspective: Insights from the Studio
Title: Inside the Artist’s Studio: Creative Workspaces that Inspire
For many artists, the studio is far more than just a workspace—it’s a sanctuary, laboratory, and sanctuary for personal expression. In Hyperallergic’s “A View From the Easel” series, artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines invite us into their intimate creative environments and share how those spaces influence their work. The 278th installment of this series continues this exploration, highlighting how two distinct artists have customized their studios to foster productivity, imagination, and connection to the larger artistic community.
A Studio Decades in the Making
One artist featured has been cultivating their workspace for thirty-six years—a testament to both dedication and ownership. Not only was this studio intentionally designed and built by the artist, but it also features innovative solutions tailored to the needs of a multifaceted artistic practice. A particularly striking feature is a custom-built trap door leading to a climate-controlled storage basement, offering both vertical storage efficiency and preservation for large-scale works.
Each day usually begins around 1 PM with a deliberate process: evaluating previous work, selecting colors and brushes, and immersing in creation—accompanied by jazz, classical music, or thought-provoking podcasts. The separation of different media into dedicated zones further enhances focus. The print room contains large presses and paper supplies, while the main studio boasts lofty ceilings and ample natural light for painting and drawing.
Outside the studio, a large garden and active participation in a local artist community create a holistic lifestyle that nourishes the mind and spirit. The artist’s favorite materials include oil paints, celebrated for their richness and versatility. While the space is largely viewed as ideal, the artist jokes that more room is always appreciated—an eternal truth among creatives.
Three Years In: A Studio Filled with Light and Lists
The second artist featured has occupied their studio for three years but has already developed a deep appreciation for the space. They are part of Roswell, New Mexico’s enduring artist community, known for the Roswell Artist-in-Residence program that has shaped the town’s cultural identity since the 1960s. Though not a participant in the program, this artist highlights the strong bonds, symbiotic critiques, and mutual support that exist among local artists and residents.
Describing themselves as a list-maker, the artist structures their day through tasks and timelines, often dividing their time between active projects and “administrativia”—a name lovingly coined for the non-art tasks that accompany a creative life, from social media updates to website maintenance.
The studio itself has tile flooring, which provides freedom of movement, easy cleanup, and a layout conducive to spatial exploration. Since the walls, made from elegant stucco and wood paneling, are unsuitable for hanging fragile or large works, the artist uses the floor for layout planning and testing visual cohesion between elements. While effective, this method is often physically strenuous, and they are now seeking new lighting solutions to better support evolving needs.
Natural light floods the space through numerous windows, enhancing productivity and mood. High ceilings emphasize openness, and the artist keeps their materials visible and accessible, merging technology, research texts, and analog artwork within a single integrated space. Photography serves as their primary medium—digital, analog, or experimental fusions with pastel or collage. The artist relishes the interplay between media, where boundaries blur and new forms emerge.
Reflecting Local Art Communities
Despite differences in duration, structure, and media, both artists highlight similar needs: light, openness, storage, and above all, purpose-built comfort. They also underscore the importance of the broader creative community. One pays tribute to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, while the other praises Roswell’s Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art and cherishes the eccentric Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum.
Interestingly, both have consciously tailored their spaces to reflect their working styles. The first artist engineered a trap door for vertical storage and strives for technical ease, while the second completely restructures their floor layout depending on the piece in progress.
What These Studios Tell Us About Artistic Practice
Studios are not just backdrops to creativity; they are configurations of memory, ambition, and intentionality. Every paint-splattered surface or naturally lit corner reflects how environment shapes process.
Artists who invest in their own studio environments—whether over decades or just a few years—create ecosystems that harmonize material and mental landscapes. Through adaptable infrastructure and supportive communities, creative spaces become not merely productive, but inspired.
Whether you’re an artist beginning your journey or a seasoned creator with years of experiments behind you, your studio can reflect your evolving practice, mirror your artistic values, and ultimately become one of your greatest creative tools.
If you’d like to take part in “A View From the Easel” and showcase your unique workspace, learn more through Hyperallergic’s submission guidelines and share your story. All creative spaces, from backrooms to barns to formal workshops, are welcome.