Welcome to the 265th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists paint a mural in their tattoo studio and pledge loyalty to oil paint.
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.

How long have you been working in this space?
Fourteen and a half years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
During the week, my studio time begins when I’m home from my day job. I have my space set up so that I can get right back into the latest painting, though I tend to work on several at a time. I rotate through so that I can think about solutions to one while I work on another. My studio has always been in my home. This has worked quite well for me so that I can still be a part of family life and have a presence even while working. My children knew they were always welcome. It also serves the purpose of being visible while not working and studio time more easily fits into my schedule with no drive time! I will always be listening to a podcast about science, art, or politics or listening to music and singing out loud — my husband swears he doesn’t mind.

How does the space affect your work?
I need a space that feels cozy and that has natural light, even though I spend many hours in the studio after dark. I like to have lots of art around me, as well as plants and books to inspire. But most importantly, I need my supplies right at hand.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
There are quite a few artists in my small college town. Over the years, I have gotten to know many and have participated in many art groups, tours, and exhibitions. Bloomington has a great monthly Gallery Walk and I am part of a wonderfully supportive crit group.
What do you love about your studio?
I love that it’s full of my favorite things but also full of potential. There’s evidence of where I’ve been and hints of where I’m going.

What do you wish were different?
I would love to have more space and would especially love higher ceilings in order to work on large pieces.
What is your favorite local museum?
Eskenazi Museum of Art.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I love to draw and have recently been experimenting with gouache, but my one true love is oil paint.

How long have you been working in this space?
Two years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I typically work between 2pm and 7pm doing one to four tattoos. The studio shares a playlist or a Spotify jam between us, but sometimes I also listen to audiobooks and podcasts in my headphones when I have longer, tedious sessions.
How does the space affect your work?
I’m doing something permanent, painful, and costly for my clients, so I like to make sure they are comfortable and at ease. I get a lot of first-timers so it’s important to me that my studio is not intimidating to them. I attract more clients by having a space that feels just as much like home to them as it does to me.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I’m pretty friendly with the nail salon next door. We do trades sometimes and they are so good about taking our packages when we’re not in.

What do you love about your studio?
I love our murals that I painted with @pami.pokes.
What do you wish were different?
Maybe that it were wider with a few more windows.
What is your favorite local museum?
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Skin and ink.