Art Conversations with Lisa Jayne Irvine (Lisa Jayne Irvine)

Michelle Harton (b.1983) is an Irish artist who works mainly in acrylic and water soluble drawing materials. She has studied art at Fermanagh College in Northern Ireland, classical portraiture and figure painting and drawing at the private art school and international arts colony Studio Escalier in France, plein air painting with David Mynett in Majorca and is an alumni of the intensive Creative Visionary Program with Nicholas Wilton along with many years of self experimentation.

Her previous work has included a collection on the folklore and legends of her hometown Cavan and a large solo exhibition based on the “Fairy Stories of Oscar Wilde”, a book her Grandmother gave her as a child. Her most recent exhibition was at StART in the world renowned Saatchi Gallery in London and is now represented in the UK by Vache Bleue Galleries.  

Michelle is very interested in creating interactive art buying experiences.  Her first project of this kind "The Mystery Art Sale" saw her pre-sell 37 paintings in 30 days on social media to collectors who bought without knowing what their painting would look like. "The STOP PAINTING Project" handed the age old question of "When is a painting finished?" over to the art buyer through a constantly developing collection of 30 paintings that were painted over until they all sold. These projects have encouraged her to seek out newer, creative, fun ways to interact with art buyers. 

Her current work “The Land Of Gemini” is an exploration into the creation of mystical dream worlds for introspective art collectors as a place to escape to and meditate in to recharge their energy and spirit. Many of the works can be orientated in two directions allowing one painting to become two. The works are landscapes from a lucid dream world and the imagined wildflowers that grow there, with glimpses of a contemporary colourful take on the bucolic scenes of Ireland and countries Michelle has lived including Vietnam and Peru.

On today’s episode Michelle talks about her creative process and how Irish folklore has inspired her work. 

Interested in seeing some of Michelle’s work. Go to her website at https://michellehartonart.com/

Find Michelle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/michellehartonart/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Kim-Lee Kho is a Brampton-based multidisciplinary artist, and longtime designer, exploring personal experience as a gateway to broader human concerns. The bi-ethnic daughter of a scientist and an artist, Kim's process and interests combine both influences, in sometimes unexpected ways.

A member of The Red Head Gallery collective since 2018, she presented her second solo show of 2019 there, called Heartspace, a multimedia installation exploring the human heart as anatomical structure, emotional repository and vehicle for metaphor. Kim has participated nationally in exhibitions, residencies, and mentorships; and won awards including grants from the Ontario Arts Council.

A popular and experienced art educator, speaker, and juror, who, since the first COVID lockdown, has offered free bi-weekly Virtual Studio Parties on YouTube, she teaches: online; at the Haliburton School of Art + Design; and at the invitation of groups around southern Ontario.

On today’s episode Kim talks about her residency with Harold Klunder, her creative process, and how life-drawing and the human form inform her practice as an artist.

Interested in learning more about Kim-Lee’s work? Check out her website at www.kimleekho.ca

Find Kim-Lee on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/kimleekho/ or join Kim-Lee for one of her Art Parties on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF9Rx4KeSJi7gsAhF26-D3w 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Lila Lewis Irving has an MFA in FINE ART from the University of Wisconsin. She has been in numerous exhibitions, including two at the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Lila’s work has been widely collected in both national and international collections. Along with her exhibition history, Lila has an extensive teaching career in Ontario and Quebec with over 20 years at the Haliburton School of Art and Design. Lila is a member of the Ontario Society of Artists. On her website, Lila describes her painting, “as an energetic and an intense process which results in emotional and abstracted work which is deeply felt.” Today we are going to discuss this energetic brushwork and her new Covid portrait series. 

On today’s episode Lila talks about her journey as an artist and how her work has evolved into a portrait series during Covid.

Interested in seeing some of Lila’s work. Go to her website at https://lilalewisirving.com/ 

Find Lila on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/lila_irving/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Delio Delgado is a Dominican-Canadian artist based out of Hamilton, Ontario

He has a BFA in multidisciplinary studies from The National School of Visual Arts in the Dominican Republic. Delio also graduated from the Altos de Chavon, The School of Design which is affiliated with Parson’s The New School of Design in New York City. Delio also has completed Digital Media Production as a Graphic Designer at  Mohawk College.

Between 1997 and 2021 Delio has exhibited extensively in public and alternative spaces in The Caribbean, Europe, the USA and Canada. Some of the galleries his work has been seen in include The civil Museum of The City of Cremona

In Italy, The Art Gallery of Peterborough, The Houston Museum of African American Culture in United States, The Print Biennial in Varna, Bulgaria, The Biennial of Dominican Republic, The Havana Biennial in Cuba, IDB cultural Center in Washington DC,  and recently at YouMe Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario

Delio has been living in Hamilton, Ontario since 2003.

On today’s episode Delio talks about his journey to Hamilton, Ontario from the Dominican Republic, how Covid not only changed his life but also his work, and what he is currently working on in his studio.

Find Delio on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/deldelgado/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Hello to all my listeners and thank you for your patience. If you're new here, I had a bit of a hiatus from the world of podcasting. So after a three month break from recording I am finally back. Listen in as I explain what happened, where I have been and why I had to put everything on pause for the past three months.

Also, I will give you a sneak peak into a few of my upcoming guests for April & May as well as a bit of the behind the scenes of what it takes to produce this podcast. I am excited to be back and look forward to continuing the conversation with you. So settle in, get a cuppa tea or coffee, and let us begin!

-Lisa Jayne Irvine

Sharifah Marsden is Anishinaabe (Ojibway) from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Ontario. She began painting and doing beadwork when she was about 13 and was taught by her mother, who was also a painter.

Sharifah connected with elders in her community and began doing leather work, crafting moccasins and regalia. Then she took courses in Northwest Coast Jewelry at the Native Education College in Vancouver where she became skilled in hand engraved jewellery. She also trained for two years at the Vancouver Metal Arts School for goldsmithing.

Sharifah’s jewellery design is based on Ojibway floral art and geometric beadwork. And her paintings are inspired by her life.

Sharifah’s intricate jewellery, beadwork, weaving, and painting is sold on her website and through galleries, like the Latimer Gallery in Vancouver. She has also been commissioned to create colourful murals depicting Indigenous life and culture, including “Healing Quilt” to honour the loved ones lost from opioid overdose, and “Unconditional Love” with the Vancouver Mural Festival.

Sharifah’s painting series “Anishinaabe Motherhood” tells the stories of motherhood and of being a woman. It reflects her Anishinaabe heritage, in a contemporary context, and it includes her own personal experiences.

On today’s episode Sharifah talks about her love of murals, how her indigenous culture influences both her jewellery and painting, as well as her new drum series. 

Interested in learning more about SHarifah’s work? Check out her website at www.sharifahmarsden.com

Find Sharifah on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thunderbirdlady/ or https://www.instagram.com/artbysharifah/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Sarah Brodie has found a brilliant way to write off all her art and office supply purchases by becoming an art therapist. She went to Canada’s one and only english language graduate studies program: getting her Masters in Art Therapy from Concordia University in 2005. She beefed up her studies with post-graduate specialization in child development and psychoanalysis at another one of a kind Institute in Toronto (CICAPP) and founded The Arterie with the only other person who also has those two diplomas, her work wife, Claudia Corradetti. They’ve been lucky to find a few other kindred spirits to practice with out of a sweet sage coloured Bungalow in Burlington Ontario. They’ve been even luckier to be so warmly received by a community hungry to use creativity in the service of healing, and mental health. 

On today’s episode Sarah talks about becoming an art therapist, her creative journaling and how Julie Cameron’s The Artist’s Way guided her journey.

Interested in learning about Sarah’s work. Go to her website at arterie.ca

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Andrew Cheddie Sookrah is a Canadian artist based in Toronto. An elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (Lifetime, Mentor), Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, Ontario Society of Artists, and the Portrait Society Of Canada.

Andrew was a contestant in the finals of Landscape Artists Of The Year Canada Competition; episodes can be streamed on CBC tv GEM Documentaries. Andrew teaches online at the McMichael Gallery of Canadian Art, The Barrie Arts Club and The Richmond Hill Art School.

His body of work includes landscapes and figurative work in abstracted realism, porcelain sculpture and social commentary. He is a raw colourist whose free brushwork is confident and powerful. Varied subjects are presented in his exploration of the interconnectivity of everything. Andrew’s strengths are evident in his strong sense of design, exquisite use of effective composition, confident presentation of bold colours.

Andrew has gone on several painting expeditions including to the Arctic, Gros Morne, Killarney, and Algonguin Park. 

On today’s episode Andrew talks about his love of landscape, his 2012 Nuit Blanche project and how teaching informs his practice as an artist. 

Interested in seeing some of Andrew’s work. Go to their website at www.sookrah.ca

Find Andrew on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/andrew_cheddie_sookrah/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

“My job as an artist is to see and translate my visual and emotional moments into pieces that allow the viewer to see, feel and be in my moments giving the viewer pause to reflect on moments in time that I cherished, frozen in pigments.” - Clarence Porter

Clarence Porter worked in the Toronto advertising world as an art director/freelance illustrator- a career spanning 40 plus years. Moving to Hamilton Ontario, Clarence pursued working in soft pastels and after receiving an Honourable Mention in the 2006 Pastel Artist Canada “Purely Pastels” Exhibition, he never looked back. 

Clarence is represented by Earls Court Gallery in Hamilton Ontario and his work has been collected locally and internationally. He received his Master Pastel Artist of Canada (MPAC) signature designation from Pastel Artists Canada in 2014 and was elected a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA) in 2016. He is also a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies and an Active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

Clarence has been teaching pastel workshops at the Dundas Valley School of Art since 2018 and has been an occasional instructor at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the Aurora Cultural Centre, as well as instructing his own private pastel workshops. Clarence recently retired from teaching figurative painting at Sheridan College in the Visual and Creative Arts Department: eight amazing years of working with young creative minds. He enjoys the interaction with creative minds of all ages.

On today’s episode Clarence talks about his journey from illustrator to pastel artist, the importance of Mrs. Straus and how he came to be in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Interested in seeing some of Clarence’s work. Go to his website at https://www.porter-arts.com/

Find Clarence on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/porter_arts/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Victoria lives and paints in Hamilton’s James North art district and cottages on the edge of Algonquin Park and enjoys hiking and paddling the natural spaces of Ontario’s north, be it Muskoka, Algonquin, Haliburton, Kawartha, Madawaska or the length of Bruce Trail. The contrast of sky to rocky cliffs, grand pines and idyllic islands make for great inspiration. Her labyrinth style finds much inspiration in the exposed rock of the Canadian Shield, the grand White Pines and wide open skies. Come join her on land or on water.

Victoria is a professional artist who works from her studio in the Hamilton’s James North art district. Over the last 20 years she has painted oversized, ants eye view florals combined with abstractions and surreal nests floating in the sky. She is currently focused on the Ontario Landscape in all its vast diversity.

As an artist and avid hiker, observing and recording as she hikes or paddles along is an important part of her process. Victoria is an enthusiastic Bruce Trail Conservancy member and cottager on the edge of Algonquin Park. The province boasts so many waterfalls and grand pine forests, silhouetted islands, craggy cliffs and voluminous skies that there will never be time to experience them all, but she tries. Within them she finds the shapes, lines, colours, patterns and forms she so loves.  To play with the interplay of one colour pushing against another or shapes as parts of an overall interconnecting composition is a challenge and a joy. To see the constant movement of all things natural is sometimes easy, as in a waterfall, but more challenging in a wall of granite. She says it’s the geography geek in her that is excited by a ridge of Dolostone or Granite, or the rush of a water cascade, all products of the time glaciers covered the land. Expressing that friction and interconnectedness is what she strives to do. 

Victoria’s labyrinth style of landscape is a unique one. It evokes a myriad of associations from ancient writings to tile or knitted patterns, even mathematical principles to some. 

On today’s episode Victoria talks about her labyrinth style paintings and how her love of hiking the Bruce trail and nature inform her studio practice. 

Interested in seeing some of Victoria’s work. Go to their website at https://www.victoriapearce.ca

Find Victoria  on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/victoriapearceart

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Kim Lee Kho and Kal Honey are Brampton based artists and long time soul-mates who initially met through their careers as graphic designers. After closing their Graphic Design Business Eye to Eye Design in 2009, they spent a year travelling North America in a camper-van. Upon their return they refocused their life on art and art instructions. Today, both Kim and Kal are established artists with busy art careers. Kim as a multidisciplinary artist and Kal as a collage and graphics artist. Today we will chat with them about art, life and what it is like to be an artist couple. 

On today’s episode Kim & Kal discuss their decision to close their graphic design business for a year to travel and how that lead to a whole new career path.

Interested in seeing some of Kim’s work. Go to his website at www.kimleekho.ca

Interested in seeing some of Kal’s work. Go to his website at www.kalhoney.ca

Find Kim on Instagram at   https://www.instagram.com/kimleekho/

Find Kal on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/kalhoney/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Christine Montague is an award-winning Canadian artist, a portrait painter turned polar bear artist.  Her dramatic polar bear portraiture paintings show a bear that is intelligent, powerful and muse to themes of wonder and hope, even under environmental threat. During her time in her Halton Hills studio she created her first polar bear painting in reaction to SARA’s (Species at Risk Act) declaration that the polar bear was now a  species at risk. The reaction to this painting helped fuel her further exploring the subject  matter of polar bears, northern lights and vanishing sea ice, altering her career path.  

Now committed to the polar bear and climate change story in her art, Christine has  traveled to the Canadian arctic, and subarctic to further her knowledge. She’s had two  polar bear solo exhibits: on thin ice (2020) and Dark Water (2018). She was honoured  to paint the portrait of the oldest polar bear in captivity. Her bear art is in collections in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Denmark. 

Christine resides and creates in Mississauga, ON.

On today’s episode Christine talks about how she got interested in painting polar bears, her travels to Churchill and why artist communities are so important. 

Interested in seeing some of Christine’s work. Go to her website at www.ChristineMontague.com  

Find Christine on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/paintingbears

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Keila Strong is a self taught artist from Chicago IL. She is best known  for her distinctive abstract portrait style, and her booming use of colour.  Favouring acrylics; Keila paints thought provoking pieces, with underlying messages of hope and compassion.  

Influenced by the Cubist art movement and her Christian faith; Keila  makes inner connections and lasting impressions with her viewers. 

Keila has been active in the arts community; sharing her work in galleries and  local art shows since 2016.  In August 2021, Keila hosted her first solo art exhibition entitled  “Morning”;  which was a dream come true. 

On today’s episode Keila talks about her “Last Supper” painting and its connection to Black LIves Matter, her process as an artist and the importance of painting in her life. 

Interested in seeing some of Keila’s work. Go to her website at Chicago Visual Artist Keila Strong

Find Keila on Instagram at   https://www.instagram.com/customsbykeila/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

After a career in television and cinema in the 2000s, Pascal Normand has devoted himself since 2009 to the creation of his pictorial artwork.  Independent and self-taught, Pascal has participated in artistic events such as the New Art Festival in Ottawa, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TAOF) and MTL en Arts in Montreal.

In recent years, Pascal’s  work has won several important awards: Mayor's Prize at the Couleurs Urbaines symposium in Granby (2018), CCLGBTQ Jury Prize at the MTL en Arts festival (2018), 3rd Grand Prize at the 34th International Gala of Visual Arts in Montreal (2019), Desjardins Public Prize at the 22nd edition of Mtl en Arts (2021). Several solo exhibitions are already scheduled in various venues until 2024.

Pascal’s primary inspiration, the textural uniqueness of industrial landscapes and architectural jewels is at the heart of his creative work. In his nocturnal photography, he combines digital art and aerosol painting to develop a different perspective on these places. A collective memory to which he pays homage by giving life to a current urban aesthetic where evocative settings are established. 

On today’s episode Pascal talks about his journey from the film industry to the fine arts world, why he takes photos at night and his involvement in art shows. 

Interested in seeing some of Pascal’s work. Go to their website at https://pascalnormand.com 

Find Pascal on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pascalnormand/ or check out his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6AF715037DE2E4BB

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Heather Horton’s work focuses on internal states, contemplative narratives and often has a personal connection to her own life.

Heather was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She attended McMaster University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Heather then went on to graduate from the well-respected Interpretive Illustration program at Sheridan College.

Heather’s work can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide. A selection of her paintings is now a part of the permanent collection at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, as well as part of the Government of Ontario's permanent collection. Several of Horton’s paintings can be seen in the Lionsgate film “A Simple Favor”, starring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and directed by Paul Feig. Also, Heather has been profiled by Bravo! Canada series The Artist’s Life.

Several of her paintings are headed to the moon as a part of the Lunar Codex Project, which will have art in digital form as a part of the payload of three different missions landing in three locations on the lunar surface. You can read more about this exciting project at http://LunarCodex.com 

Heather has studios in Los Angeles and London, England, where she and her husband live.

On today’s episode Heather talks about her love of the figure, the repeated element of water in her work, and what influenced her early works. 

Interested in seeing some of Heather’’s work. Go to her website at  heather@heatherhorton.com 

Find Heather on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/heather_horton

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Peggy Taylor Reid is a photographer using both a traditional and an alternative lens. Her work encompasses constructed photographs, concepts, and the natural world. She holds a BFA from the University of Ottawa and a B.ED from the University of Toronto. She is an educator, and a long-time member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, and presently is a member and past co-chair of The Red Head Gallery collective. Taylor Reid’s work can be found in private and public collections, most notably the Art Gallery of Peel. She received the N.Y. Photo Curator award for her series (re)pair, the Director’s award for the work Strength from the A Smith Gallery in Texas and 2 honourable mentions for the 12th Julia Cameron Awards in Self-portrait and Digital Manipulation & Collage. Her work has been published in The HAND magazine, Prefix photo and she was a featured photographer in Light Journal 05. Recent exhibitions include Resounding Within the Echoes, a group show of gallery artists at the Lonsdale Gallery, and online shows The Portrait (Tussle Projects) curated by Laura Horne and Collage curated by Clare Christie for the B. Aird Gallery in Toronto. Peggy Taylor Reid currently lives and works in Caledon, Ontario and is represented by Lonsdale Gallery in Toronto.

On today’s episode Peggy talks about her interest in digital photography, what it’s like to experiment with new media, and her creative process as a photographer. 

Interested in seeing some ofPeggy’s work. Go to their website at peggytaylorreid.com

Find Peggy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/peggytreid/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Amrita Virdi is a painter and a collage artist. She creates abstract expressionist paintings and adds collage to them to create surrealist narratives. She has taught painting, drawing, and sculpture for the past 8 years. She enjoys sharing her process with others and creating spaces for others to create with confidence. During the pandemic she has been exploring the limitless possibilities of digital collage. She is currently teaching digital mediums to students and working on evolving and adapting her own practise.

On today’s episode Amrita talks about her residency in India and how it has continued to shape her work to this day as well as her recent venture into digital work. 

Interested in seeing some of Amrita’s work. Go to his website at www.amritavirdi.com

Find Amrita on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/amritaelixirart/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Sometimes as artists we forget the importance of the creative pause to refill our creative well. Recently I took a mini vacation to just get away from everything, and it got me thinking about the importance of getting out into the world to explore new ideas, find inspiration and just breathe. 

Here are 5 ideas which I go into on today's episode for how you can begin to refill your own creative well:

1.Explore a new part of our city or nearby town

2.Try a new local restaurant

3.Go for a walk in nature

4.Visit a museum, art gallery or bookstore

5.Disconnect from social media

On today’s episode tune in as I share my insights, a little about my vacation and let you in on what’s coming up next for the podcast. 

Want to see the cabin I stayed in? Check out my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lisajayneirvine

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Kelly O’Neill is a sculpture/ installation, multimedia and textile artist who lives in Selwyn, ON. Working with assemblage and text, video and projection, and incorporating traditional textile methods with unconventional materials, Kelly creates objects and experiences that explore the fluidity and impermeability of embodied experience. 

Kelly’s  works with objects and materials that relate to the materiality of our physical beings. Often beginning from a personal experience, she searches for an image, substance or object that moves beyond the personal to the collective. Kelly creates work that dissolves the border between viewer and object and places the viewer within the experience of the moment. After completing an Honours BA in Philosophy and English Literature at Trent University in Peterborough, ON. Kelly worked as a Social Worker before having a family and staying home to raise her 4 children. Having an art practice throughout her life that often came second to other responsibilities, Kelly returned to school full-time and completed her BFA in Sculpture and Installation at OCAD University, Toronto, ON. (2018) 

Community building as creative expression is important to Kelly’s practice and has led to her involvement in the Community Art Project at The Mount Community Center and at Peterborough Regional Health Centre as well as membership in collectives such as Essential Relations and The Cloth Care Collective. 

Her work has been shown in galleries in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia including J.B. Arid Gallery, Toronto; Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver; WKP Kennedy Gallery, North Bay; Art Mur, Montreal, and The Art Gallery of Peterborough.

On today’s episode Kelly talks about her love of natural materials, being a sculptor, her weekly sewing ritual and her recent exploration of indigo dying.

Find Kelly on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/kellyboneill/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Kal Honey began his career as a Graphic designer. Kal Honey was creative and obsessively detail-oriented from an early age aways drawing, building models, doing embroidery and photography. After attending Northern Secondary School’s specialized art program in Toronto, Kal went on to become an award-winning graduate of the Ontario College of Art. After a 20-year graphic design career In 2009, Kal and his life-partner Kim Lee Kho closed up shop to spend a year travelling North America. 

Kal's work in painting, graphics and collage is informed by his design sensitivity and training, his love of contrasts, and his penchant for text, wit and wordplay.Kal is best known for his “subversive signs” which closely resemble official regulatory signage, but instead question authority or support more humane agendas.

Recent exhibitions include: In Situ Multi Arts Festival, Mississauga; Red Head Gallery and the Gladstone Hotel’s Come Up To My Room, Toronto; and during covid, he exhibited from his front lawn as part of the National Arts Drive.Since March 2020, when not in the studio or peering into a monitor, Kal can often be found in his tiny basement gym or riding to nowhere on his indoor bike trainer.

On today’s episode Kal talks about his creative process and his recent installation at the Gladstone House in Toronto

Interested in seeing some of Kal’s work. Go to his website at www.kalhoney.ca

Find Kal on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/kalhoney/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Marie Payne is one of the founders and currently the president of Arts on the Credit - a nonprofit arts organization providing opportunities for local Greater Toronto artists to show and sell their work. Marie has had several past lives including 35 years as a primary public school teacher, 30 plus years as a textile artist focusing on weaving and dying, and was a partner with my husband in a yarn business for several years . Along the way Marie also had a family and now has 2 grandchildren to further inspire. She has a rich life that keeps her busy and is well connected to her local arts community.

In this episode, Marie talks about starting The Arts on the Credit along with her experience as a weaver at The William’s Mill in Glen Williams and The Distillery Arts District in Toronto. 

Want to meet some of the artists, if you’re listening to this episode when it comes out, The Arts on the Credit is hosting an Arts Drive on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Check out their website for more information.

Interested in learning more about Arts on the Credit? Go to their website at www.artsonthecredit.ca 

Find Marie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artsonthecredit/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Nicole Kagan is a multi-faceted visual artist born in Johannesburg, South Africa and based in Toronto, Canada. Deeply inspired by the natural world as a reflection of the interior human experience, her works are layered and lush, thoughtful and evocative. In her making practice, Nicole thrives on the freeing sense of experimentation and alchemy that accompanies working in mixed media — with an increasing interest in meaning-making, and the intersection of movement and stillness. Her works exist as both beautiful images to behold, as well as mindful visual reminders in one's space, symbolizing a range of contemplative themes and concepts. Nicole also facilitates creative-mindfulness sessions — teaching a range of alternative methods to stay more present in the moment, through accessible, sensory practices that explore a calming experience of creative expression and flow. 

On today’s episode Nicole talks about her process as an artist, the importance of being in the moment and how her work has evolved over time. She also discusses the book she is currently working on and how art and life influence one another. 

Interested in seeing some of Nicole’s work. Go to her website at www.nicolekagan.com

Find Nicole on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nicolekagan_art/ or https://www.instagram.com/meditativemuses/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Cole Swanson is an artist and educator based in Toronto, Ontario. Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and materially-focused practice, he explores interspecies dynamics evolving in the anthropocene. 

Cole has exhibited works in national and international institutions on four continents and is two-time arts fellow through the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for his research on natural materials, miniature painting, fresco, and earth pigments. With a sustainable and access-oriented approach to creation and dissemination, Cole often engages conservationists, scientists, and social/community partners to integrate advocacy, education, and lived experience into the creative process. His work has been featured in several media and academic publications and his artistic research on Toronto’s double-crested cormorant colony was a feature on the celebrated program “The Nature of Things” with David Suzuki. He has attended residencies in Canada, India, Brazil, and Spain, and recently contributed to an expansive survey exhibition on art, nature, and ecology at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Galleries called ‘Earthly Observatory,” curated by Giovanni Aloi and Andrew Yang. 

On today’s episode Cole talks about his practice, travel, and the influence of materiality on his process.

Interested in seeing some of Cole’s work. Go to his website at coleswanson.org 

Find Cole on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/coleswansonart/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Originally from London, Tara Leaver is an artist and teacher living by the sea in Cornwall, England. After completing a Foundation Diploma in London in her early twenties, her regular art practice took a back seat to travel and various forms of employment, including six years teaching Montessori. She was also dealing with recurring bouts of depression which impacted her creativity for several years.

Tara moved to Hove on the south coast as part of her recovery, and resumed painting in 2008, embarking on a period of intensive study and development after discovering the world of online blogs and art courses. Ten years later she moved again, this time to Cornwall, to live in a clifftop cottage with a purpose built studio in the garden. She began swimming outdoors, and this saw her work - always inspired by ideas of freedom and coastal living - evolve to focus on her deep love of sea swimming and immersing in wild nature.

As a result of her years of exploring art as a means of self discovery and self expression, Tara began teaching online in 2013. This has evolved into a comprehensive artist membership site and community, supporting other artists on their own paths. Having these two strands to her work - her own practice and the artist support she offers - brings a rich diversity to her life as an artist.

Tara sells work in galleries in London, the Cotswolds, and Cornwall, and via her own website. 

Her work is owned by private collectors in Europe, Australia, the USA, Canada and Africa. 

On today’s episode Tara talks about her love of nature, how living by the sea has transformed her and her work as well as her online teaching. 

Interested in seeing some of Tara’s  work. Go to their website at taraleaverart.com

Find Tara on Instagram at www.instagram.com/taraleaverart

Want to know more about her teaching? Check out Tara’s teaching instagram @taraleaver or her teaching website at www.taraleaver.com

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Andrew Scheglov is a Toronto based figurative painter. Born in Russia and raised in Israel, he currently lives and works in Canada. His education includes a diploma in Classical Animation from Sheridan College in 2005, a year long apprenticeship with Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum in 2007, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2012. 

Andrew’s recent work oscillates between motifs of intimate queer portraiture in quotidian domestic or outdoor settings, and larger socio-psychological images of crowds in motion, particularly from the late Soviet era, resulting from the collapse of major spiritual systems and threat relevance to our own, contemporary Western psychic uprootedness and instability. In both bodies of work, Andrew is driven by a desire to address the psychology of the sitter in an empathetic way. On a formal level, he is fascinated with the effects of light, colour and movement.  

On this week’s episode Andrew talks about his journey from Classical animation to fine arts, his two series - queer portraits and crowd paintings, along with his apprenticeship in Norway and his creative process. 

Find Andrew on Instagram at https://www.andrewscheglov.com/

Interested in seeing some of Andrew’s work. Go to their website at https://www.instagram.com/secondhand_fresh/?hl=en

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

REINHARD REITZENSTEIN, the eminent Allegorical Minimalist has inverted trees and immortalized moments in the history of the natural world in bronze since the mid 20th century. 

His permanent bronze works are situated in public and private gardens across North America and Europe. Although Reinhard’s work is not political, every time Justin Trudeau enters Rideau Hall he is first greeted by a REITZENSTEIN water feature which was commissioned as a permanent work by former Governor General Adrianne Clarkson.

Since the turn of the 21st century Reinhard has served as the Head of the Sculpture Program at SUNY at Buffalo, NY. In 2019 he inaugurated the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s year-long artist in residence program where he introduced the realm of questioning that has become Allegorical Minimalism. The same year, just outside of NYC, he and sound artist Gayle Young, his long-time collaborator and life partner, orchestrated a sonic installation for the arboretum at Caramoor Estate.

Reinhad’s work was featured in the inaugural exhibition at the Barbara Edwards Project Space, Ecologies of Landscape, curated by Mark Cheetham. The show is showcasing artists featured in his 2018 publication, “Landscape into Eco Art: Articulations of Nature Since the 60’s. published by University of Pennsylvania Press, the cover of which is REITZENSTEIN’s Transformer. Via this iconic work – a one-hundred-foot inverted tree suspended between two hydro-electric towers – on a cliff – above a hydro-electric dam – in northern Quebec.

On today’s episode Reinhard talks about his newest Covid project, NFTs and more. 

Interested in seeing some of Reinhard’s work. Go to his website at www.reinhardreitzenstein.com 

Find Reinhard’s on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/r2tree/ or the Allegorical Minimalist at https://www.instagram.com/allegoricalminimalism/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Annis has been the Executive Director of Visual Arts Mississauga since 2014. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts from Goddard College and a Masters of Education from OISE/University of Toronto. She has had an eclectic work life in small and medium size businesses and not-for-profits. Her early days were in theatre, she was Administrative Director of a summer theatre, and stage manager. She worked in literary arts as editor, proofreader and typesetter, she has worked as an administrator for an opera singer, an entertainment lawyer, a South African wine importer, as a church secretary, a kinder gym instructor. She has been a lifelong artist and arts lover. She works in photography and mixed media mostly. Annis has a love of dabbling in new mediums and new ideas. 

On today’s episode Annis talks about the importance of community in the arts, her role as Executive Director at Visual Arts Mississauga and her love of sunrises. 

Interested in learning more about Visual Arts Mississauga, go to their website at www.visualartsmississauga.com

Also find them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/visualartsmississauga/

You can find Annis on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/annisrck/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Jorn Schmidt grew up in Germany, where he studied Philosophy. Jorn moved to Canada in 2005. His first contact with screen printing was in Berlin, where he tried to support himself during his  Ph.D studies. He would sell t-shirts and other things on the weekend at a local flea market. The first t-shirt Jorn ever designed and printed depicted the Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, part of what he now calls The 'Philosophers' series.

When Jorn moved to Canada for romantic reasons, he discovered that continuing his  studies proved more difficult and lengthier than anticipated. Again, Jorn turned to making t-shirts, which he sold online, mostly through ebay. Jorn taught himself  basic programming skills and soon launched his own website. At the same time he shifted from the Philosophers to urban scenes, which would attract a larger audience. 

Production initially  took place at his home until the next big step in 2015. With sales going up and his designs also available in local shops, Jorn opened his own shop in Montreal's Mile End area. Initially the idea was to have a workshop and Jorn hoped that a bit of foot traffic would help to cover the rent. Seven years later, the shop was featured in some of the local  guide books. 

On today’s episode Jorn talks about starting his t-shirt business, his interest in philosophy and his infamous racoon design. 

Interested in seeing some of Jorn’s work. Go to his website at www.tresnormale.com 

Find Jorn on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tresnormale/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Lydia Swanson is a collage and mixed media artist who resides in Burlington, Ontario. After a long career in public education, Lydia turned to the arts to express her creativity. Lydia has exhibited in numerous shows, and has served on numerous boards, committees and art associations in both Mississauga and Burlington. Join me today as I chat with Lyida about her involvement in the arts, as well as her incredible use of collage and mixed media to tell visually captivating narratives about her family and love of nature. 

On today’s episode Lydia talks about her creative process and how narrative is created through the use of image transfers. 

Interested in seeing some of Lydia’s work. Go to her website at www.lydiasswanson.com 

Find Lydia on Instagram at  www.instragram.com/lydswan

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Drawing inspiration from aerial views of cities and maps, James Fowler's acrylic, oil and gouache works on canvas, paper, and wood are playfully geometric and resonate with the digital world, and culture of online information distribution. His non-traditional landscape paintings borrow from cartography and geometric abstraction, and celebrate both urban centres and rural living. James attended York University in Toronto for Film Studies and maintains a full time studio practice as a painter in Toronto.   His work has been exhibited in Canada and the United States, and his work can be found in private and corporate collections in Canada, US and Europe. In addition to exhibiting, James has been involved in several curatorial projects including the 10x10 Photography project, Nuit Rose and Queering Space at the Archives formally the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives  to name a few. James is a great mentor to younger artists and has vast knowledge of the contemporary artist’s practice, community building  and social media. 

On today’s Episode James discuss his process for his city view paintings, supporting Queer artists as well as his recent adventures with Tik Tok.

Interested in seeing some of James’ work. Go to his website at https://iamjamesfowler.com/art

Find James on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jamesfowlerart/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Join me from my studio as I talk about the Artist - Life balance. After a busy week full of events, podcast recordings and studio engagements, I spent a little time reflecting on how best to manage my time without feeling burnt out. So, what does it take to be a full time artist? How do I find balance between teaching, my art practice, recording a podcast and the daily demands of life. I will share some of my musings and insights into how to establish a regular studio routine, and some of the tips and tricks that work for me. So grab a cuppa tea and relax into this weeks episode. 

Interested in seeing some of my work. Go to my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lisajayneirvine/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Kaitlin is an award-winning artist who uses multiple layers of coloured pencil to create her trompe-l’oeil fabric drawings. Leaving the wood exposed adds an additional element of organic detail, which is unique to each piece. She enjoys playing with light and shadows, in an attempt to transform an otherwise mundane item, into a sculptural entity. Capturing these fragments of fabric preserves the intricate details of each fabric, which can never be recreated in that specific form again. Each drawing is unique, special, and layered with details to explore! 

On today’s episode Kaitlin talks about her unique approach to drawing, what it’s like being in art fairs and how she pivoted from studying interior design to the fine arts. 

Interested in seeing some of Kaitlin’s  work. Go to their website at https://www.kaitlinmason.com/

Find Kaitlin on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kaitlin_mason_/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Laura Peturson holds a BFA from York University and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. With a practice situated in printmaking, drawing and painting, Laura’s works combine multiple print-based techniques with a handmade aesthetic. Laura lives in Callander, Ontario, and teaches printmaking, painting, and drawing at Nipissing University. Her practice includes traditional printmaking disciplines, as well as large-scale print-based mural works that involve layering woodcut, linocut and papercut prints with wheatpaste over hand-painted imagery.

 Laura's work has been presented in recent solo exhibitions at Galerie Atelier Circulaire in Montreal, Station Gallery in Whitby, and Alberta Printmakers Gallery in Calgary as well as numerous group exhibitions in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In addition to exhibiting in galleries, Laura has an active practice in illustration and public art, with large-scale murals in Sudbury, North Bay, and Port Burwell, ON.

On today’s episode Laura talks about her love of printmaking, how she plans her installation works and how her teaching practice informs her art practice. 

Interested in seeing some of Laura’s work. Go to their website at www.laurapeturson.com

Find Laura on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurapeturson/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

William Huffman is an arts administrator, curator, educator and writer with a history of extensive involvement on both local and international cultural fronts. Currently working between its Toronto and Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset), Nunavut offices, he leads the national and international operations of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative and its not-for-profit arm the Kinngait Arts Foundation. In this capacity, he is a recognized specialist in the issues affecting cultural producers in the Canadian Arctic and has provided expert witness testimony to both the Senate and the House of Commons. In addition to the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative, Huffman is Curator, Special Projects with Urbanspace Property Group, a developer responsible for the iconic 401 Richmond Street cultural complex located in Toronto’s downtown core. Immediately prior to these positions, Huffman was Executive Director at Inuit Art Foundation and Publisher of Inuit Art Quarterly. Huffman has worked with several other visual arts organizations including Blackwood Gallery, Arts Toronto, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, A Space Gallery, Canadian Art Foundation and Art Gallery of Sudbury. He was Associate Director of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation and Coordinator of the Audience and Market Development Office at Canada Council for the Arts in Ottawa. He is a regular lecturer with University of Toronto. Toronto School of Art, Toronto Public Library System and Visual Arts Mississauga. He has also served as a regular on-air, national arts correspondent with CTV News Channel.     

On today’s episode Williams talks about working with the West Baffin Cooperative, his travels to the arctic, 401 Richmond in Toronto and what it’s like to set up office in Venice during the Venice Biennale. 

Interested in learning more about the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative Ltd., then check out their website at westbaffin.com

Want to connect with William, find him on twitter https://twitter.com/whuffman1971 or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whuffman1971/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Joanne Poluch is a well-established art consultant in Southern Ontario. She holds an Honours Degree in Art History from the University of Guelph and a Diploma in Art Marketing from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. Joanne enjoys a quick paced and multi-faceted business which includes working with private and corporate clients to source and sell art. In addition, she currently hosts 2 TV regional arts-based shows in the regions of Waterloo, Wellington and Perth counties.

On today’s episode Joanne talks about being an art consultant, working with her clients and her recent move to mentoring artists during the pandemic.

Interested in learning more about Joanne’s art consulting business. Check out her website at www.remarqueartconsulting.ca

Find Joanne on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/remarque_art_consulting/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Canadian Visual Artist, Lisa Jayne Irvine shares with you her concept for her new podcast. Through conversations, Lisa plans to explore the many facets of the art world with artists, art professionals and industry specialists.

Sandra Tarantino received a Bachelor of Fine Arts through the Ontario College of Art and Design in Drawing and Painting, a BA at York University in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education at Western University. She has actively participated in the artistic community as Co-Founder and Director of C1 art space from 2004-2011, AWOL Gallery and Studios from 1996-2012 as well as being part of the AWOL Collective to present day. She has recently opened a new gallery and ceramic studio, ArtQuarters Gallery, in Toronto where she creates, exhibits, teaches and showcases other Canadian artists with her life partner, artist Ross Bonfanti and father Marcello Tarantino. 

Sandra’’s personal art practice incorporates elements of both painting and sculpture through ceramic sculptures, shaped canvases, and other mixed media work; her pieces are held in private and corporate collections across Canada, U.S.A and Europe. She exhibits her works at art fairs including the Artist Project and TOAE as well as with Art Interiors and Blue Crow Gallery.  A large portion of her life also revolves around teaching students of all ages in a variety of media (including mural creation, mixed media painting and ceramic sculpture); this fuels her personal creation practice and explorations.  Sandra teaches at ArtQuarters Gallery, Avenue Road Arts School and throughout GTA communities and schools with arts organizations including VIBE Arts and Arts Access Fund. She is a past recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s Visual Artist Grant, Exhibition Assistance Grant and Artist in Education Grant.

On today’s episode Sandra talks about her experience in the Florence Program at OCADU, working with artists in various galleries and collectives as well as how her work has evolved from painting to ceramics. 

Interested in seeing some of Sandra’s work. Go to her website at www.sandratarantino.com

Find Sandra on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sandratarantino/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Since 2009, Chrissy Poitras and Kyle Topping have been hosting a vibrant community artist residency and printmaking studio in their rural Ontario farmhouse. Spark Box Studio has welcomed over 400 visiting artists from around the world who have come to find time and space away from their routines to focus on a variety of arts ranging from painting and poetry, to music and film.

Above all else, they view Spark Box as a resource by artists for artists. It's a place to create, research and grow. A place to learn, develop and explore. However artists, community members and visitors engage with them, the goal is to provide artists with the tools and connections to successfully share their vision with the world.

Both Chrissy and Kyle are graduates of the Queen’s University Bachelor of Fine Art Studio Program. Both are practicing artists working in painting and printmaking. Through their positions at Spark Box Studio, and as a former professor in the Art and Design Foundations Program at Loyalist College, Poitras and Topping have organized, developed and run courses on a variety of studio arts and arts management topics. They are highly involved in their artistic community and have built a career that is rooted in creation, community and public outreach.

On today’s episode Chrissy & Kyle talk about what it’s like running their residency program at Spark Box Studio, the challenges of the pandemic, community arts and their new YouTube projects. 

Interested in learning more about the projects Chrissy and Kyle discussed on the episode. Check out the links below:

1. The Art Discourse video series. In this series Chrissy & Kyle answer art questions that have been sent to them over the years (mostly art business related).  http://sparkboxstudio.com/artdiscourse/

2. Flat Files series. Also Chrissy & Kyle been hosting live Instagram studio visits with artists. https://sparkboxstudio.com/flatfiles/

3. Love Letter videos to past residents. This was Chrissy & Kyle’s first entry point into YouTube land which they had to pause for awhile because the time it was taking to create them was too much, but they’re hoping to bring them back in 2022. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpvuHJVnldV6HxcpiSNSt4_awj_HX-OLC

4. Artist Confessional, a series that looks behind the scenes as Chrissy and Kyle work through projects at the studio. So far they have made one episode for this and have footage for more but haven’t had the time to focus on it. So stay tuned! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpvuHJVnldV5jULptsDmDe6SQDe_eOZW4

5. The Spark Box Gallery, If that wasn’t enough to keep them busy. Chrissy and Kyle have opened a small gallery in Bloomfield! If you’re in the Prince Edward County area, check it out. 

6. Virtual Emerging Artist Award and exhibited the work of the award winners (paying them each an honorarium). Here is information about that show here: https://sparkboxstudio.com/2021-emerging-artist-award/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Barbara Reade lives right beside Lake Ontario in the heart of downtown Burlington. The windows of her my studio space look out on a sweeping vista of sky, water and all the urban elements that make up her vibrant neighbourhood. Barbara’s palette is often influenced by the colours that she sees with a mix of natural hues, highly saturated pigments and the weathered stone neutrals of the local architecture.

When describing her work, describes a powerful interplay between wildness and precision that draws her to abstraction, much like the mix of the natural and urban landscape in which she lives. There is an exhilarating energy that happens when these two opposites coexist. 

Technically, Barbara is a mixed media artist, which means that she uses a variety of materials to layer and build history on the surface of each painting. Every painting that she make begins with play. Barbara never knows where a piece is headed, which keeps her studio practice fresh and unpredictable. One of her goals as an artist is to keep exploring and pushing my limits, whether that be with materials, scale or with new techniques.

On today’s episode Barbara talks about her return to art making after many years away, how her aversion to rectangles lead to her current totem series and launching “No Brush Required”, her weekly artists chats on instagram with Tamara Grand and guest artists. 

Interested in seeing some of Barbara’s work. Go to their website at https://barbarareade.com/

Find Barbara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bdreade_art 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Andrew McPhail is a Canadian visual artist. He was born in Calgary Alberta in 1961 and studied at York University where he received his MFA in 1987. Living in Toronto in the 1980's and 90's his work focused primarily on drawing, often with pencil crayon on a polyester film called mylar. After moving to Hamilton in 2005, his interest shifted towards three dimensional work and performance. His accumulative, craft oriented work reconfigures ephemeral materials such as  Band Aids, Kleenex, pins, sequins and post-its into large sculptures and installations often with a performative element. He has exhibited nationally and internationally and in 2013 was the recipient of the Canada Council International Studio in Paris. He is also cofounder, with Stephen Altena, of the Hundred Dollar Gallery and a founding member of The Assembly in Hamilton, Ontario and in 2021 received the City of Hamilton Arts Award.

On today’s episode Andrew talks about how his sequins work came about during his Paris residency and his love of text. 

Interested in learning more about Andrew’s work? Check out his website at www.andrewmcphail.com

Find Andrew on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/andmcphail/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

It’s hard to believe that the podcast is a year old. What started as an idea has evolved into great conversations with artists from across Canada and around the globe. The podcast has now been downloaded in over 26 countries and continues to grow. Thank you to all the artists and individuals who have continued to support the podcast each week. My gratitude is overflowing. 

So for this special Anniversary edition, we have turned the tables. I have invited back my first guest, Lydia Swanson to sit in the host chair and interview me on this special occasion. Tune in as we discuss the conception of the podcast, my creative process and the work I make in my studio. And of course my dreams for the future… 

Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lisajayneirvine

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Lois Schklar's work has been shown in exhibitions throughout Canada and the United States. Her sculptures are in the Racine Art Museum, the Bronfman Collection, Claridge Investments, Idea Exchange Art Gallery and The Key Corporation. 

Lois has received grants from the Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council. Most recently, she received Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Grants for I am Here, a 2021 exhibition at Red Head Gallery and Prototypes (Loop 2019), an exploration of sound, narrative, light and audience participation. The latter exhibition was made possible through the generous support of Canada Council’s Explore and Create Grant (2018).

Schklar’s art practice consists of an ongoing series of drawing installations utilizing found and bought urban objects as “mark making” tools. She manipulates these diverse and often disparate materials, aware of the aesthetic relationship they have with one another and by implication, the physical and psychological space they occupy. Each drawing installation builds on the ideas of preceding installations and are site specific. 

Lois is a member of The Red Head Gallery (Toronto).

On today’s episode Lois talks about her creative process, installation work and how her Scottish residency inspired her work

Interested in learning more about Lois’s work? Check out her website at www.loisschklar@me.com

Find Lois on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/loisschklar/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com