Welcome to the 296th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists prepare to say goodbye to their current studio and draw on the earth tones of an upbringing spent in the Southwest.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.Janet Van Fleet, Barre, VermontHow long have you been working in this space?Twenty-five years.Describe an average day in your studio.I usually work from 9am until 3 or 4pm. I work in series, and on more than one thing at a time, often modifying pieces that I’m not altogether happy with by scavenging old work for good parts. I like silence, so I don’t listen to anything but the sound of the drill or the sander.How does the space affect your work?I’ve produced a lot of work in this studio over 25 years, and it’s getting pretty crowded with old work and materials. But I have arranged the room so that there’s a display/sitting space on one side and a working bench/storage space on the other, and that seems to be a good use of the space that has served well for many years.How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?My studio is at Studio Place Arts (SPA), a three-story brick building in Barre, Vermont, that’s an art center with four exhibition spaces/galleries, a classroom, and 12 artist studios, so there’s much collegiality and lots of interesting work to see and discuss.What do you love about your studio?It’s comfortable and familiar and nestled in a space with other artists.What do you wish were different?I wish I had more room, but I’ve already got one of the biggest studios in the building — and the only one with a couch. I guess I could ditch the furniture, but you’ve got to have bread AND roses …What is your favorite local museum?There is none. SPA is it (though not really a museum).What is your favorite art material to work with?Many years ago, I used to be an oil painter, but now I make constructions with found natural and manufactured materials, primarily wood and metal (I avoid plastic). But there’s the additional question of color. I grew up in New Mexico, and I think those umber, sienna, black, and cream earth tones have lodged themselves in some emotional brain region (as they say that smells do).Danqi Qian, Bushwick, BrooklynHow long have you been working in this space?Around a year.Describe an average day in your studio.I usually go in the afternoon since I work as a freelance designer during the day. I often work on several paintings at once so I can return to each with a fresh perspective. Before painting, I have a little ritual: I put on a posture corrector and a mask — it reminds me to maintain good posture and protects me from inhaling toxic fumes. These steps help shift my mindset from work mode into my painting world. Lately, I’ve been listening to audiobooks while I paint. They help me get into the zone faster than music. I used to listen to a lot of French pop like Paradis and Lewis OfMan, but I realized it makes my mind too active. Right now, I’m listening to Big Breasts and Wide Hips (Fengru Feitun) by Mo Yan.How does the space affect your work?My current studio has a large window where you can sometimes catch a beautiful sunset. It’s a really nice space that makes you want to spend time working. I like renting short-term studios in shared spaces — it makes me feel free. I can paint around others or by myself, depending on how I feel. I’m actually moving out of this studio soon. My next one is just a few minutes away, and I’ll be sharing it with three other artists. I’m really excited about it. Right now, I’m sharing my space with a showing artist who’s incredibly hardworking. Her dedication has really influenced me — making art takes both talent and a whole lot of hard work. There are days when I feel really frustrated with my work. I’ll look at my studiomate’s basket, filled with rolled-up canvases — I’m not sure if they’re finished, unfinished, or archived. But somehow, it encourages me to keep going. It reminds me to let go of perfectionism and high expectations, and just keep painting and do not give up.How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?I live 10 minutes’ walking distance from my studio, so sometimes I walk to my studio where I’d pass lots of factories and storage places. The graffiti on the walls is so interesting to look at. I sometimes go to Greenpoint Art Circle critique nights. It’s a community of visual artists where we share our creative practice and grow our connections. It’s good to hear feedback from fresh eyes.What do you love about your studio?I feel really lucky to share my studio with a showing artist who is very generous about sharing her knowledge about art. She would always give me positive feedback, which really keeps me going.What do you wish were different?Nothing 🙂 I love everything about it!What is your favorite local museum?I love the Museum of Modern Art! Especially their Surrealism gallery and the room with Matisse’s “The Swimming Pool.” One day, I’d love to create an immersive art experience like that, something that transforms an entire room. My partner’s really into photography, and we recently visited the International Center of Photography. I saw Edward Burtynsky’s work there. It was incredible and super inspiring. It happened to be the opening night, I bought his book and even got it signed, lol.What is your favorite art material to work with?I used to love working with oil pastels — the instinctive, organic connection with color really spoke to me. You can just pick them up, start painting, smudge with your fingers, and get your hands dirty. Lately, I’ve been using oil paint with Gamsol because I want to build up more layers in my work — something that’s hard to do with oil pastels since they never fully dry.