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Welcome to the 302nd installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists in Upstate New York make work in their childhood bedroom and revel in the imperfections of their studio.
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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How long have you been working in this space?
Since early 2024. After years of circling sculpture from the margins, I finally carved out a space of my own — part sanctuary, part experiment. It’s where rupture meets reflection.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I usually begin late morning, after the important people — and pets — in my life have been hugged and sent into their day. The studio greets me with yesterday’s debris: clay shards, plaster clumps, metal shavings, scattered tools, half-formed thoughts in physical form. I sometimes clean; other times, I let the sediment guide me. I work on several sculptures at once — they unfold in conversation. Some days require silence, others music. The rhythm shifts, but the pull to return never does.
How does the space affect your work?
The space insists on honesty. There’s no gloss — just raw light, cracked floors, and the echo of my own movements. It’s a place that allows me to think with my hands. The imperfections of the space mirror the work: fractured, shifting, unresolved. Surrounded by trees and wildlife, ideas swell slowly, without pressure. The studio doesn’t demand a masterpiece — it invites an encounter.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
Outside my studio, the forest line marks the edge of thought. I often step out just to breathe or reset — watching deer slip between the trees or hearing the wind push against the barn walls. Woodstock has a long history of artistic unrest and revival, and I feel lucky to be among others who are making, questioning, undoing. I’m part of a small collective of artists; we work in parallel, sometimes intersecting. The broader Kingston and Hudson Valley scene simmers — it doesn’t distract, it steadies.
What do you love about your studio?
I love the light most of all, the way it slices across the floor in the morning and softens by late afternoon, catching on raw edges, casting long shadows. Sometimes it makes a sculpture look briefly complete, even when it’s not. I love that the space isn’t precious. It holds tension, contradiction, silence, mess. It lets the work unfold at its own pace. The studio doesn’t ask me to rush — it just asks me to return.
What do you wish were different?
I wish my hands wouldn’t go stiff before the plaster. And that I was a tad less clumsy. In NYC, I tend to bump into buildings; in my Woodstock studio, it’s mannequins, the bathroom wall, or the glass door leading outside. A slower leak in the roof during torrential rain would be neat, too. Still, I’m acutely aware that perfection would throw off its delicate balance. Somehow, it all works together to keep me present.
What is your favorite local museum?
Probably the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz. It’s intimate, but the exhibitions are often expansive in thought. There’s something grounding about seeing work rooted in the region while also engaging broader questions. It reminds me that art doesn’t need scale to have consequence, just presence.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
As of late, stone. There’s something elemental about working with it — slow, stubborn, and humbling. It demands patience, but it rewards attention. Each mark feels like a conversation with time itself. I still return to plaster and clay for immediacy, but stone has been calling louder these days.
Emma Gregory, Whitesboro, New York
How long have you been working in this space?
Twenty-three years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
In my studio, I often work day to night, starting early around 7am and working until dinnertime. I always have several paintings in progress at one time, so if I ever feel frustrated with one, I can easily switch to another and make the best of my time. I typically listen to a wide range of media while I paint — music and artistic podcasts and vlogs that further encourage and inspire me to work.
How does the space affect your work?
Being in my childhood bedroom, my space is limited, but I have found developing the space a part of my artistic practice. The room is filled with history, having spent the majority of my life within those walls. I feel connected to myself and that translates into my paintings and their concepts.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I love the art community in my area, particularly in Utica, the neighboring city. This past year I have made a great effort to ingrain myself more in the local art scene, submitting to many local shows, workshops, and art swaps. Munson is an incredible local museum I have always found great inspiration within. The Upstate Art Collective is a tremendous organization that puts local artists at the forefront with several artistic opportunities.
What do you love about your studio?
I love how the space is more home than work for me. This may be a difficult notion for some people, but I find having my work so close and in my personal setting helps me recognize the pleasure I derive from the process. I cannot allow myself to dread going to the studio, because I am there all the time.
What do you wish were different?
The only thing I wish were different is increasing the space to accommodate larger projects. For large-scale paintings, I often migrate outside if the weather allows or to the basement, because my bedroom is simply too small to navigate everyday living with a four-foot-long canvas sitting in the room.
What is your favorite local museum?
As I mentioned above, my favorite local museum is Munson. I love sharing highlights of the collection with my students, and find many of them do not realize the strength of their permanent collection. I was an intern at the museum within the education department back in 2022 and I greatly appreciate the dedication and strength of the staff.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
My favorite art material to work with is oil paint. I have always been fascinated with paint since I was young, finding ways to reinvent the application and process. I have begun to experiment more with texture and sculptural applications, and I am excited to immerse myself in this medium fully.
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