Welcome to the 359th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, Allan Wexler tinkers, saws, and paints in the woods of Long Island, in a studio he built himself.
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Allan Wexler, Southold, New York
How long have you been working in this space?
After living part-time on the North Fork of Long Island for decades, in 2001, we bought four acres of woods in Southold. I was trained as an architect, and so we, like most creative people, had always dreamed of designing and building a unique house and art studio. We completed the studio in 2006. We completed the house in 2009. I also have a small studio in Brooklyn.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I wake in my house and prepare coffee in my La Pavoni Espresso maker. By 9am, I commute for my one-minute walk on the well-worn path through the woods to my studio. There, Monday to Friday and often weekends, I spend the day, with time spent out for walks in the neighborhood or to the beach. I take occasional short trips back to the house for a coffee, lunch, or a bathroom break. Being in the studio, surrounded by past and current works and many yard sale collections, inspires the next work. I listen to public radio from morning until 2pm, then switch to music on Spotify for the afternoon. While I am at work, I am not consciously listening — but the ambient background sound keeps me company. When struggling, stagnant, or questioning the relevance of my work, I will change the music I have been listening to. A change from Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” to a Mozart opera will push me in a new direction and renew my energy.
