Featured Ane Arzelus

Climate Crisis, Ane Arzelus, LA Council

A creative workspace is rarely just a desk, a computer and a place to stash supplies. It’s where references accumulate, ideas take shape and the rituals of making become part of the process.

For illustrator Ane Arzelus, represented by i2i Art, that process unfolds in a corner of a shared living room, surrounded by books, art materials, natural light and a few well-worn essentials. There’s order, there’s chaos—and, importantly, there’s a method to it all.

We asked Ane to show us where they work, what keeps them inspired and how their surroundings shape the way they create.

Where is your studio?

My studio is a desk tucked into a corner of the living room in the house my spouse and I rent and share with our two cats. It’s surrounded by two bookshelves filled with books, reference material, my trusty printer and other artistic supplies. The centrepiece is a weary but resilient seven-year-old Mac.

What is a must-have for your workspace?

Good natural light is the most important thing for me. As someone who works from home and probably doesn’t go outside as much as they should, being able to enjoy natural light throughout the day is incredibly important. It keeps my mood up and helps me see things properly—both literally and metaphorically, when it comes to my mental state.

Semiconductors, Ane Arzelus, NC State Alumni Magazine

How have you made your space functional for your process?

Being surrounded by shelves means I can create little piles of materials for specific projects and move them around, put them away and retrieve them when needed. I’m a bit chaotic when it comes to organization, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a method to the madness!

Tell us a bit about your computer setup.

My trusty Mac sits front and centre on the desk, plugged into a Wacom tablet that rarely works. My keyboard and mouse sit on the biggest mousepad I’ve ever seen, featuring Hokusai’s Kanagawa Wave. My spouse gave it to me after getting fed up with me using random scraps of paper as a mousepad.

Costa Rica, Ane Arzelus, re:porter magazine

What decorates your space?

I installed a small shelf behind me to display some of my work as a backdrop for video calls. It has also helped me appreciate the amount of work I actually do.

I think people who primarily work digitally don’t always have a tangible sense of all the pieces they create. Being able to see some of that work in physical form has forced me to acknowledge that I do, in fact, create quite a lot—even if it doesn’t always feel that way!

What do you do, if anything, to set the mood for work?

A mug filled with a warm beverage, my 3D-printed moon lamp for ambience, and an interesting podcast or video essay playing in the background are usually all I need to settle into illustrating.

Colour Selection, Ane Arzelus, Heart Spark Agency

What inspirational items are a must for your space?

I have several books on artistic movements that are a constant source of inspiration, particularly art nouveau and other decorative art styles. Lately, though, I’ve also been very drawn to classical Greco-Roman art and mosaics.

What, if anything, would you change about your space? Any dream setup you aspire to?

I’d love to have my workspace and living space separated. I struggle with switching off my working brain, and I think having a designated studio outside the home could help.

Maybe the dream is simply a bigger home where I could put my desk behind a closed door in a separate room. That might do the trick!

Cruise Ship Travel, Ane Arzelus, Range Magazine

Ane’s workspace may be compact, but it’s clearly doing a lot of creative heavy lifting. Natural light, well-loved tools, art books, physical work and a little organized chaos all come together to create a space that feels distinctly their own.

And perhaps that’s the real magic of a creative workspace: it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to work for the person making the work.

Ane Arzelus
IG: @anearzelus

About i2i Art
i2i Art is an international illustration agency representing artists working across editorial, publishing, advertising, packaging, and brand communications. With a diverse roster of creative talent, the agency helps connect clients with illustrators who bring ideas to life.  W: i2iart.com  | IG: @i2iart  | LI: i2iartinc