Tell us about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now, what do you do for a living?

I am originally from Sacramento and now live in hilly Echo Park. I am an artist and co-founder of LC Studio Tutto. Together with my best friend & business partner, Hennessy, we transform quotidian spaces into imaginative experiences. Each of our collaborative large-scale artworks integrates layers of my studio paintings and her detailed drawings to introduce fine-art qualities to the public. Handmade textures, rich colors, site-specific stories, and brushstrokes bring life to municipal water tanks, freeway overpasses and courtyards to name a few.

What does your typical workday look like and what are the biggest challenges you face?

It changes so much depending on how many projects are happening at once, what phase they are in, and what medium I am working with. My typical day at the moment is waking up early, lingering in bed with coffee my cat and husband for a moment, working out, heading into my studio to paint, design, email, call, follow up, meet, site visit, create proposals, research, brainstorm on the phone with Hennessy, look for opportunities, etc. We are currently designing a lacey metal shade sculpture for a public park in LA, a native plant mural for a boutique hotel courtyard in central coast wine country, and an interactive site-specific sculpture that will directly engage with the surrounding landscape.

The biggest challenges for me are:

Finding ways to feel connected daily. Owning your own business allows for freedom but it also means a significant amount of time alone.
Balancing creating art and pleasing your client. It’s not easy to deal with input from those who aren’t thinking in a creative way.

It’s a challenge to put my body through fabrication. When we paint a massive mural I can get really worn down physically. I had a physical therapist tell me that I have the shoulder of a 50-year-old. When we are fabricating our own work it can be very intense creative manual labor.

It’s difficult to work through awkward phases on a public art piece in front of the public. This is an important part of the process, but it takes a thick skin to teach people patience and appreciation for change.

As we continue to explore more mediums it’s difficult to trust that your big ideas will work, that they will be worth it. It takes a lot of ‘art faith’ and hard research.

How do you stay motivated? What are some tips or tricks you’ve learned along the way?

I try to do a creative act every day, even when the business part of my business takes center stage. On those days, I try to draw, paint, write, play guitar - just tap into that for at least an hour. To access the feeling to stay reminded of why, and to play.

I surround myself with people that bravely share what they make.

I think about this quote: “The world reveals itself to those that travel on foot” by Werner Herzog. And so I walk as much as possible to see as much as possible in an open and moving state. Witnessing the world happening is motivating.

What advice do you have for someone thinking of launching a creative business?

Think BIG and check into your path along the way. 

Save when times are flush so you can make it through the desert dry spells  

Ask for what makes you uncomfortable (even if you think you may not deserve it)

Avoid absorbing other people’s criticism unless you know it’s coming from a true and helpful place.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years, on a personal and professional level?

I hope to know my own voice. I hope to be able to distinguish between my motivations– are they pure or are they to please others? I hope to feel more comfortable in my skin. I hope to collaborate with creative thinkers from many different fields. I hope to feel like I am making a difference. I hope to experience closeness and warmth in my friendships, family, and marriage. I hope to find ways to really challenge myself in order to grow.

How would you describe your personal style?

Like an earth-loving, color-obsessed person who is not afraid to make an entrance on occasion. I love wearing a vintage piece and imagining the individual who wore it before.

What role does denim play in your wardrobe? What do you look for in the perfect pair of jeans?

I have many different denim pieces - tops, jackets, pants - it’s a perfect fabric for LA. I go for jeans that make me feel sexy, nonchalant and playful. I love jeans that highlight that feminine curve from the hip to the waist. I’m happy that cropped pants are happening, and as a six-footer, I’m always looking for them to hit at just the right spot.

What’s your skincare or beauty routine like? What are your top 5 products?

It’s pretty simple. I try to get a Microderm facial every month. One thing I like to do regularly, out of my Mom’s playbook, is to squeeze a lemon into sugar and use it for a fine-grit exfoliation. I love licking my lips during that process.

Top Five Products:

Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion I knew I loved this when my skin never looked better after a month-long mural job, painting on-site every day in the elements– I put it through the truest test.

MD SolarSciences Mineral Tinted Creme

RMS Beauty Champagne Rose Luminizer - aka fairy cheekbones

Peripera Lip Tint Water Gel– looks like you’ve been eating a watermelon popsicle

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil - I actually don’t really have eyebrows and this tricks everyone

We’re obsessed with podcasts. Do you listen? What are some favorites?

I’m into This American Life, Invisbilia, Hidden Brain, Ted Radio Hour, Where Should We Begin, Left Right & Center

Share with us your last online purchase + last article or book you read + last song you listened to

My last online purchase was a pair of metallic slides. The last book I read was Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Didion and now I’m onto Free Play by Steven Nachmanovitch. The last article I read was a Washington Post piece by my friend Kate Willsky about her fear of passing her eating disorder down to her daughter. I also read My Childhood in a Cult in this month’s New Yorker. The Last song I listened to was BOA by Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes.

Where can we find and follow your work? 

@sofialacin and @lcstudiotutto on Instagram and our website is  www.lcstudiotutto.com