Welcome to the 281st episode of a view from the easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, the artists join the forest in their prints and find comfort in the imperfections of the Teirée by hand wool.
Do you want to participate? Discover our Submission directives And share a bit on your studio with us through us This form! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio.
How long have you been working in this space?
I have been working in my current studio since 2017. When I moved for the first time, everything was neat and with a lot of empty space, which were filled slowly but surely.
Describe an average day in your studio.
Although the specific weather varies, I start working in my studio after my morning coffee. I try to do all the things boring, like paying bills, before rewarding myself by immersing myself in my materials. I am naturally inclined to work on many projects both because this is how my brain works. I always like that I work with diligence on my doctorate – half -made projects. Similar to the way some artists scribble to find a new inspiration, my ideas come to me while playing with my equipment. Playful curiosity is the most favorable force for my work. I experience colors, textures and remains to develop techniques that are new to me or to modify traditional methods. Thanks to this process, I create small “sketches” or samples that I then develop in larger works. I do not listen to anything except the birds and the wind outside my window, but I keep a vast library of art history and the reference books of textile art.
How does space affect your work?
I am lucky to have a large workspace, especially compared to my previous studio. This increase in size is reflected in the size of my works, while their scale widens alongside the studio. There is a subtropical garden outside which can be seen through my large windows and glass doors. Giant mangoes inspired an outdoor series entitled Treesand branches, vineyards and birds of birds inspired my Niche series.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
When the pandemic started in 2020, I started to experiment with bougainvillea flowers outside my studio by painting with flowers and leaves.
At the same time, I co -founded the Fiber Artists Miami Association (FAMA), alongside two other artists. Our mission is to move forward and educate on the art of fibers as a form of contemporary art. Surprisingly, we now have nearly 300 members, and we regularly organize workshops, conferences and group exhibitions in museums and other institutions.
What do you like in your studio?
My favorite thing about my studio is that it is messy but colorful, like a tornado of flowers. I love my main field of work, which consists of four offices and assembled tables. They are scratched, altered and practical.
What do you want to be different?
Sometimes I want my studio to be physically closer to the other artists in my community so that I can have space to interact with them. The exchange of ideas and techniques is very important for me, and I would like to do it daily, not only during workshops and FAMA events.
What is your favorite local museum?
I always recommend the Perez Art Museum Miami Downtown.
What is your favorite artistic equipment with which to work with?
I work with soft and malleable materials such as wire, wire and fabric. My favorite equipment is the merino wool shaded by hand from my country of origin from Uruguay. Unlike the industrial product wire, each skein is different, and you can perceive the human hand that has done so. Wool has a long history and a cultural impact in Uruguay, so working with this always makes me feel connected to my country of birth.
How long have you been working in this space?
Fifteen years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I have a seasonal studio that I created in May to November. The wall tent is 10 to 12 feet, large enough to have a four -eight work table and located behind the house on the edge of the woods. This studio allows me to work outside using the forest as a support where I often have several projects in the field during the season. The audio component is migratory birds, chainsaws, the construction of neighbors and occasional shots. Of course, there is the noise of seasonal lawn tools. Without a routine defined to work outside, I can often spend the night with a fire and the stars.
How does space affect your work?
From Covid, I worked regularly in and around the tent. I came back to my favorite engraving method: direct contact with the object I print, often using my hands or a glass brayer to create the image. There is an intimacy with the material that I print using my hands that I do not get with the press. Place the paper directly on the floor for end weeks bind the forest to paper.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
My main studio is at the Arts and Industry Building in Florence, Massachusetts. At the bottom of the road in another Old Mill building is Zea Mays Print Studio that I recently joined after losing access to my neighbor's screen printing studio. The Amherst and Northampton communities actively support the arts.
What do you like in your studio?
It is outside on the edge of the woods. Most of the time, there are just birds and wind.
What do you want to be different?
Nothing.
What is your favorite local museum?
Clark Art Institute.
What is your favorite artistic equipment with which to work with?
Books, paper, ink.
