A Day in the Home Studio of Artist Cristina Salas

In this studio visit, we meet Cristina Salas, an Ecuadorian-born artist who now lives and works in Brooklyn. She has a home studio, filled with light, the sounds of city birds, and the soft smell of autumn coming through the open window. As she paints, writes, and knits, Cristina moves through her day with a calm rhythm shaped by family life and creative practice.

In our conversation, Cristina talks openly about her path from studying fine art in Italy, France, and Spain to creating mosaic murals and pollinator gardens across different countries. She shares how her mornings begin with writing and how she finds inspiration in nature, especially in the plants and animals of the Ecuadorian Andes. Her daughters often keep her company, along with the trees outside her windows, pigeons, and the occasional bee or fly.

Cristina also tells us about her dream of a bigger studio filled with sunlight, a garden, and space for the community to come together to make art. Through her words, we glimpse a life rooted in creativity, care, and the small wonders of everyday moments.

I am originally from Quito, Ecuador, B. 1985. I studied fine art at the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze, Italy, from 2004 to 2007, before moving to Paris for one year to study drawing at Ateliers Beaux Arts, Glacière, France. I hold a masters in Art Production from Universidad Politècnica de Valencia, Spain, 2010. I moved back to Quito and started working with mosaic murals, fibre art garden dolls with live plantings. Between 2011 and 2012, I participated in three art residencies: Liceo de Chesnoy in France, First Art Foundation in Puerto Rico, and Latin American Art with FONCA in Mexico. In 2013, I participated in an art workshop for Liceo Internacional School and became a teaching artist of ceramics and drawing at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

In 2018, I graduated with a Master’s in Architecture from Louisiana State University, United States. I moved to New York to work for Dameron Architecture, where we collaborated with clients to create mosaic installations, including Carroll Hall, an event space in Bushwick. Thanks to the support of Chashama, I had my first solo show in Manhattan in 2022. In 2023, I was awarded The Folly Tree Arboretum Dancing Tree Award and made Dancing Muñeca a pollinator garden in their field. In March 2024, I installed “Muñeca del Mar”, a pollinator garden commissioned by Arte Fits in Dorado, Puerto Rico. In September 2024, I was chosen by the community of Clearwater, Florida, to create a mosaic installation, which was finalised in February 2025. I currently work in Brooklyn as a full-time artist with a studio practice at home.

1.  Can you describe your typical studio day and creative process?

Every day has its own rhythm and personality. But my most consistent routine for the past month has been to have breakfast with my family, then each one starts their day, and I remain at home writing the three morning pages that Julia Cameron recommends in her book The Artist’s Way. I took a long break this year from art and social media, and this book is helping me to get back to making art. Then I go for a run or do yoga. I get ready, and then I start painting.

My ideal day is when I can paint for at least 4 hours, but it doesn’t always happen because there are many other things to take care of. In the afternoon, I go pick up my daughters, and we are together until they go to bed. At night, I might read or maybe knit, it depends. I also try to dedicate Mondays and Fridays to emails and more administrative stuff, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to creation. In my creative process, I try to follow three stages: #1, idea generation and concept development. This is when I research and conduct quick studies to get a general idea of what I will create. #2: Producing the concept, this is when I focus on making as much as possible. #3: Editing this is when I put things together, write, maybe repeat something and so on.

2.   What is the primary inspiration behind your current body of work?

Ecological stories of plants and animals in the Ecuadorian Andes region.

3. What is your favourite memory or incident from your studio?

I was so impressed by an Aster flower that sprouted at my fire scape this Summer. It has given me so much strength. I have been following all of her changes and visitors; she has given me company.

4. Do you have any studio assistants, or do visitors, such as pets or children, often accompany you?

My kids are often around. The trees from the windows, pigeons, birds, bees, right now I have a few flies, and during the summer we had a few wasps.

5. How would you describe a dream studio for yourself?

I live in a place where I’m really close to home, so I don’t like commuting too much. This is one reason I work from my apartment. Then I wish other artists were around. I imagine being part of a whole building of artists who care and support each other. I also imagine a big studio where I can display all of my works and paint several paintings at the same time. I dream of having everything out so I don’t lose time cleaning up. It is a studio with a lot of natural light and access to the outdoors. With a lovely garden with trees and flowers. I see a kiln to make ceramics.

I like to have different rooms for different activities, like a cosy space to write and draw, a messy space to paint and make ceramics and a place to engage with the community. I wish there were a room facing the street where people could come in and participate in an art workshop or exhibition. Next to it is a nice library where people can hang out, read books, and maybe get a coffee and sweets. Perhaps this is a whole neighbourhood where there is art everywhere, and everyone can make art.

6. What does your studio smell of right now?

The window is open and there is a fresh smell of autumn.

7. If you could set up your studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Uff, that is a tricky question, mainly because I have a family and I prioritise their comfort. But if I had to choose three places, I’d choose New York, somewhere in the north of France, or Quito, Ecuador.

8. Can you discuss any ongoing projects or plans for your work?   

I’m working on painting vignettes about Ecological stories of plants and animals in the Ecuadorian Andes region. But I don’t want to give too many details yet because, for now, it is a secret project.

9. How do you organise your space?

The studio has two tables. One is for my husband and the other is for me. Sometimes I use his desk because it is always clean, and mine is very messy. Then I have a box with paints that I bring to the living room, and I paint over a canvas stretched to a wood panel and over the dining table. When I’m don,e I roll it and I start another painting. I have boxes of wool and fibre materials, and I take them out when I need them.

10. What is your favourite corner in the studio?

I like the corner in the living room where I have a monkey light, and I can stretch my legs when I’m writing or knitting.

Cristina’s studio feels calm and alive at the same time. It’s part of her home in Brooklyn, so it carries a sense of warmth and everyday comfort. The space feels open and full of natural light, with the window letting in the crisp smell of autumn.

There’s a quiet buzz from the outside world—trees moving, birds passing by, and sometimes bees or flies finding their way in. Inside, the studio is a mix of order and gentle chaos: paints, brushes, wool, and fabric tucked into boxes, canvases in progress, and a corner where she writes or knits under a soft light. It feels like a space where art happens naturally, surrounded by family life and the small rhythms of the day.

Visit our website to explore the virtual studio spaces of other artists. To be featured on our website, remember to apply for this month’s call for art.

Read more about Christina on her Website and Instagram.

Arts to Hearts Project is a global media, publishing, and education company for
Artists & Creatives, where an international audience will see your work of art, patrons, collectors, gallerists, and fellow artists. Access exclusive publishing opportunities and over 1,000 resources to grow your career and connect with like-minded creatives worldwide. Click here to learn about our open calls.