Welcome to the 310th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists turn floors into paintings and discarded items into works of art.

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.

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Karl Mckoy, New York, New York

How long have you been working in this space?

Eight years. It’s where I live.

Describe an average day in your studio.

I begin my studio work in the quiet of daybreak. I work on multiple pieces at a time as a way to avoid procrastination and the fear of making mistakes. Music or audiobooks are essential soundscapes and sources of inspiration for me. The mixed-media work is experimental, mostly relying on processes that often reveal themselves the day after drying.

How does the space affect your work?

At the moment, the intimate nature of my space connected to my kitchen leads to small, intimate pieces. The whole area provides both food for the soul and mind.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I have been in the past, but mainly through my community’s shared interest in the art of communal gardening.

What do you love about your studio?

Its quiet intimacy.

What do you wish were different?

Could do with a large area or dirty space for paint splashing and larger fabrications.

What is your favorite local museum?

The Whitney Museum, as I combine visits with a walk along the New York High Line.

What is your favorite art material to work with?

Most salvaged and found raw materials. I see them as jewels, even when others see them as waste.

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Allyn Boley, Bloomington, Indiana

How long have you been working in this space?

In Bloomington since June 2020, in my studio space since May 2023.

Describe an average day in your studio.

My studio projects take a lot of time, and I do tend to have several pieces in progress at once. This strategy works for me; when I feel the need to take space from one, I return to another with new eyes and fresh energy. I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks to push my thinking through upcoming work — part of my brain is usually several steps ahead. Then I gravitate toward music for quiet when I realize I’m overthinking.

How does the space affect your work?

I do most of my administrative studio work from home (applications, web editing, etc.) and save my studio space for artmaking. For many years I worked exclusively from my living room — I often still do for smaller projects — but my studio offers fewer distractions and less cat hair. It’s pretty private up in my studio, but I love knowing I’m in the center of town and can step outside anytime to walk around the Bloomington Square or down the B-Line.

How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?

I love my local arts community and am so grateful to the Bloomington Arts Commission for providing exhibition space, community programs, and funding opportunities to emerging and mid-career artists. There are openings around town every first Friday for Bloomington Gallery Walk, and since it’s a university town, there are also public lectures happening across disciplines all the time. A lot of local artists are engaged in fascinating interdisciplinary humanities conversations, and I really love that. I am always learning.

What do you love about your studio?

I love my floor! Since I work within a mixed-use office space, my lease requires me to protect the carpet. So, I figured, why not install a temporary floor mural? I painted a seven-by-14-foot raw duck canvas to cover my 163-square-foot studio floor, which I then covered with a clear garage mat. The project took about four months — I held off on moving my desk in until it was finished. It’s so much more fun than the sterile office carpet!

What do you wish were different?

I do feel that I’m beginning to outgrow my little studio, though I don’t have plans to expand anytime soon. In April, I’m booked for a solo show at the John Waldron Arts Center here in Bloomington, which will feature 63 charcoal drawings and two interactive installation pieces. I am not sure where to put it all in the meantime! Eventually, I will be looking for more wall space.

What is your favorite local museum?

There is currently a sculpture exhibition on view at Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. Making time to be immersed in nature is vital to my process, and I spend a lot of time there. Many of the critters and textures in my work are inspired by moments at Griffy. By way of interior spaces, I do love to see what’s going on at the Waldron Arts Center; sometimes they have a handful of shows happening at once.

What is your favorite art material to work with?

This is a tough question, because I like to switch things up frequently. By way of painting, I am now almost exclusively an acrylic painter, though trained in oil and watercolor. By way of drawing, I love charcoal, soft pastel, colored pencil, and Micron pen. One of these days I may play with mixed-media drawing again — that is something I used to do but haven’t explored much in the past decade. I also love taking pictures and do so every day.