It's a mini pre-holiday episode, the perfect way to wrap up 2015, right? I asked twelve artists to tell me about "the best gift they ever got" ... see, I bet the art history books won't tell you about that!
Beauty is embarrassing ... so is freaking out when you interview one of your favorite artists of all time. Inspiration, burnout, Pee-wee Herman, and a bit of banjo playing is what I'm talking about with LA based artist, Wayne White.
"Be willing to destroy." Not something you'd expect to hear from a painter who focuses on floral abstracts ... but boy, is she right! I'm talking flowers, stripes, and beautiful studio spaces with Vancouver based Bobbie Burgers.
A childhood filled with backyard UFOs and other unique situations is the fuel for much of her current work. I think Esther Pearl Watson is a creative genius; she embraces her experiences - good and bad - and turns them into art. So inspiring!
Thoughtful, intelligent, and full of great advice. I'm talking to Sidney Pink about B-movies, arts entrepreneurship, and making beautiful work in the mess of life.
Painter Jessica Brilli has a love of all things vintage, as do I. The other thing we have in common ... curating. Yep, we're going to talk about a very exciting show {that kinda makes me want to cry} that opens later this month. There's also mention of a big salad.
Cactus people, folding chairs, and a bit of podcast anxiety. LA based artist and recent art school grad, Ashley Mistriel, was nervous to talk to me, but she did it anyway - and I'm so glad, because she's going to be BIG. Keep an eye out for this one!
With an undergrad in Art History, Jessica Bell is a self-taught artist who started in a teeny tiny studio space, that had a tarp instead of a roof {for real}. She just finished her MFA and is nominated for the RBC Painting Prize. Inspiring? Yep. Jessica is also one of two women who changed my outlook on my own artwork in one magical, caffeine/chocolate-filled afternoon.
A lover of art AND the Managing Director at The Land of Nod. Yes, Michelle Kohanzo has an amazing eye and is ALWAYS on the hunt for talented artists to bring into the Nod family {hint hint}.
Obsessive consumption, rule-based projects, impostor syndrome, telling our inner a**hole where to go, and "making piles of crap" because that's the only way you get better. Oh, and she has the best laugh EVER. Smart, funny, talented Portland based artist/educator Kate Bingaman-Burt.
Mad scientist meets artist. Yep, ceramics artist Debra Broz uses her "slow magic" to reimagine normal ceramic figurines from your grandmother's cabinet into the most bizarre creatures. And she's going to tell us why and how!
Horses on couches, bears swinging from chandeliers, and drawings that might not exactly be appropriate for children's books. She was nervous but she showed up, and I'm so glad to be talking to LA artist Kelly Puissegur.
Jaime Derringer spends her days writing about incredibly talented designers on her very well known blog, Design Milk - but when the sun goes down, she creates her own gorgeous abstract work.
Tiffanie Turner was an at-home-mom who'd put her architecture career on hold (indefinitely). She has now blossomed into a full-on artist with book deals, workshops, shows, residencies ... oh, and from time to time, she takes her clothes off in front of a crowd. Seriously.
Want to pitch an art book? Well then listen to this! Editor and literary agent, Kate Woodrow, gives us the four ingredients of a great art book pitch. Grab a pen!
Dreamy, sun-drenched negative space. I'm talking to LA based photographer Max Wanger. He quit his day job at Fox Sports to follow his bliss ... and boy did it work!
From graphic designer to full-time artist, Hollie Chastain is now knee-deep in found book covers and A LOT of gel medium. (bonus: a hilariously mortifying phone anxiety love story)
This is the craziest story I've had on the podcast yet. I'm talking to New York based artist, Rachel Ryle, about her animated Instagram feed that changed her life in a matter of weeks. Seriously.
Today's theme, while talking to Portland based artist Lisa Golightly, ended up being "if it scares you, do it" ... which included Lisa agreeing to be on the podcast! We decided to record in the evening, with a cocktail ... so that helped.
A talented artist and a teacher with so much wise, artsy advice. Today I'm talking to Mark Bradley-Shoup about making your studio time a priority, his OCD use of tape, and a dog that looks like Phyllis Diller.
Today I'm talking to interior designer and art lover, Robert Novogratz. He and his wife Cortney design amazing spaces, host TV shows, write books, and oh yes, they also have seven kids. We're chatting about his collection, how he chooses art for clients, and a $50,000 tape measure.
On today's episode, I'm talking to Lisa Congdon - she is self-taught (she didn't even pick up a paint brush until her early 30's), and is now a full-time artist, illustrator, and author! She shares one of her very first paintings EVER, and we talk about the ins and outs of "imposter syndrome".
I'm talking to Vincent Serritella, a very talented, highly trained (and generous) artist who, somewhere along the way, also taught himself to be an animation effects specialist. We're chatting about free drawings, a bizarre artsy family tree connection, and the inside scoop about working on PIXAR'S latest film, 'Inside Out'!
Today I'm talking to Philadelphia based illustrator and hand-lettering master, Mary Kate McDevitt. We talk about the best letters to draw, quotes from Ned Flanders, and we even have a little hand-lettering assignment for you at the end!
Window displays, gold leaf vs. nose breath, scaffolding made from foam core, OCD, and an artsy love story. Vancouver based artist Ben Skinner and I cover it ALL.