Where We Work: Art Studios in Brooklyn, Berkeley, and Los Angeles

Dozens of artists find and share art studio spaces every week on Listings Project. These artists are the lifeblood of our communities, keeping us connected to and engaged with the things that matter most. In our Where We Work series, we showcase some of these art studios.

A Painter’s Studio in Brooklyn

Photo by Stefania Salles Bruins

Stefania Salles Bruins is a painter working from her art studio in Brooklyn. You can also find her on Instagram.

“Typically I’ll head out to my studio after breakfast at home - I can only make it to the studio on weekends. The studio is a 20-minute bike ride from home. Once I get there, I lie on my hammock for 10-15 minutes, acclimatizing my eyes to the indoor lighting and preparing. Before heading over I usually know what pieces I want to work on, but I like spending the first few minutes looking around at my work in progress to decide what to work on first. From there, it’s just squeezing paint onto my palette and painting! I take breaks probably every 30-60 minutes - resting on the hammock for a few minutes. I prefer to paint standing and the breaks help recharge as well as rest my eyes and look at the painting from a distance. I close off the day by again surveying the pieces in progress and figuring out my next studio day.” - Stefania Salles Bruins

A Garage Art Studio in Berkeley

Photo by Neil Freese

Neil Freese is a graphic designer and multidisciplinary artist working out of his art studio in Berkeley. You can also find him on Instagram.

“I'm fortunate to have studio space in my garage, so I can seamlessly move back and forth between various creative projects. My pottery wheel is also in my garage, so when I want to throw I just open the garage door and get to work. It's a great setup for me, because I get to talk to people about pottery as they walk by on the street.  

I'll typically spend an hour or two at the pottery wheel or glazing pots, a few hours working at my computer, and at various times in the day I'll make progress on a printmaking or multimedia project. As a creator I'm like a bumblebee — I land on a lot of flowers. I'm often working on several projects, in various mediums, across multiple lines of inquiry at once.” - Neil Freese

A Designated “Art Desk” in Los Angeles

Photo by Sarah Dzida

Sarah Dzida is a UX consultant, writer, and visual artist working from her “art desk” in Los Angeles. You can also find her on Instagram.

“I'm generally working at my consulting desk for most of the day. But if I want to practice calligraphy, write in my journal, dabble in painting, then I switch over to my art desk. It's kind of interesting how just switching desks can lighten my mood and give me a creative boost throughout the day.

I'd never set up an "art space" before. But when I lived in NYC, I subletted an art studio with two others via the Listing Project. It was amazing how much it mattered to have an art space. So when I found myself in the pandemic, I pulled out all these art supplies I'd collected but never used and made them very available on my art desk. I've never done so much art in the last 15 months as I have because of it.” - Sarah Dzida

Feature Photo by Neil Freese