Dive into the complete episode list for ARTish Plunge. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
16 Feb 2022
ARTish Words: Pierre-Auguste Renoir + the pain in painting
00:17:27
No denying it: there will always be P-A-I-N in P-A-I-N-T.
In this ARTish Words episode, Canadian artist Janice Tanton and Washington painter Valerie Collymore address the issue of pain and beauty by reflecting on French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s struggle with rheumatoid arthritis and the herculean efforts he made to sustain his art practice during the last twenty years of his life. If your life’s mission is to “die with a paintbrush in your opposite hand,” this episode is for you.
Mentioned:
Renoir, Galette, Rod Stewart & Lefties, blog post by Janice Tanton (read)
Rod Stewart, A Night on the Town, “The First Cut Is The Deepest,” 1976 (listen)
The Story Behind Renoir’s ‘Bal du moulin de la Galette’, My Modern Met(read)
ARTish Words: Tara Leaver + swimming lessons for artists
00:22:11
As in the sea, so in the studio.
In this ARTish WORDS episode, Cornwall painter and educator TARA LEAVER shares what the sea has taught her and how it provides a roadmap for the artist journey. Using three simple words “I don’t know” followed by one word “just,” Tara works her way through things that initially seem daunting, as in: “I don’t know” what I will paint today, so I will “just” go in and clean my brushes.
Tara insists that she is not a superhero or even unusually brave; rather, she is just someone who wants all the bounty of what the sea—and an artist life– have to offer. Move closer to thing you are afraid of and you just might discover your own magical sea cave.
Mentioned:
Swimming Lessons for Artists, Or What Your Comfort Zone Doesn’t Teach You, by Tara Leaver (read)
Happy Artist Studio, membership art courses (explore)
How do you create a sustainable art career over 40 years? New Orleans native ADELE SYPESTEYN shares how paying attention to everything— what’s working, what’s not—and not being afraid to change directions has allowed her to maintain a successful career as a contemporary artist and educator, including walking away from gallery representation, embracing new venues, Instagram sales and YouTube videos.
reworksHOME, by Willem Sypesteyn and Chotsie Gregson / elegant pieces crafted from beautiful and unusual objects sourced from around the world (explore)
Otis College of Art and Design, Extension Workshops and classes (explore)
Sunny Lenarduzzi, YouTube leader, creator of “Helping You Be Your Own Boss,” (watch)
ARTish Words: MARIA PRYMACHENKO: folk artist + peaceful protest / Why Maria Matters
00:19:45
How has a small peasant woman with rudimentary art supplies and childlike paintings of fantastical beasts forced the world to acknowledge the absurdity of war? Ukrainian folk artist MARIA PRYMACHENKO (1908-1997) —dubbed the People’s Artist of Ukraine—produced hundreds of small, colorful gouache paintings of imaginary creatures, flowers and village scenes filled with traditional Ukrainian decorative patterns that captured the heart and soul of a nation. In this ARTish Words episode, we discuss why the recent Russian bombing of a small art museum that housed some of Maria’s works has unified resistance, why art matters in this moment, and what efforts are being made to protect artworks like Maria’s.
Find Maria:
UATV Virtual Museum Tour of Maria Prymachenko work and life / UATV is the Ukrainian state foreign language broadcaster providing international audiences with news from Ukraine (watch three-part series)
Learn More About Maria and Current Ukrainian Crisis:
Ukrainian Artist Maria Prymachenko’s Fantastical Visions Have Captivated the World—Here Are 3 Key Insights Into Her Life and Work, Artnet News (read)
Artworks of Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko Reportedly Burned During Russian Invasion, by Madeleine Muzdakis on My Modern Met, March 3, 2022 (read) https://mymodernmet.com/ukrainian-folk-maria-prymachenko/
Flowers for Peace: The Spirited Art of Ukrainian Artist Maria Prymachenko That is Now Becoming a Symbol of Hope, by Shira Wolfe on Artland (read)
How Ukrainians are desperately fighting to protect their cultural heritage amid an invasion, by Rupendra Brahambhatt on DME Science (read)
‘All art must go underground:’ Ukraine scrambles to shield its cultural heritage, Washington Post, by Max Bearak and Isabelle Khurshudyan , March 14, 2022 (read)
Under threat of Russian bombs, Lviv hides away its priceless heritage, by Joel Hunter on BBC News (read)
Support Efforts / How You Can Help:
Overview of General Ukrainian Relief Efforts, compiled by NPR (learn)
Links for Emergency Efforts to Support Ukrainian Artists, including emergency housing, studio space, art relocation (learn)
SUCHO (Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online) / cultural heritage professionals – librarians, archivists, researchers, programmers – working to
Blacksmith, Metalsmith, Queen of the Forge— all fitting titles for Atlanta-based artist CORRINA SEPHORA. Introduced to welding before she finished elementary school, Corrina crafted an intentional career path in metal that has allowed her to make her living as an artist for over 25 years. In this episode, Corrina shares how she overcame the barriers to entry of her chosen field and how she manages her team with transformational leadership principles to create towering sculptures and celestial paintings that explore navigation, transformation, love and loss.
Mentioned: Transformational workshops, Landmark Wisdom (featured panelist) Goat Farm, Atlanta GA, artist community (learn) Diamondback Art Surfaces , wood panels (buy) Alyson Stanfield, art business coach (learn) Louise Nevelson, sculptor (learn) Louise Bourgeois, sculptor (learn) Kiki Smith, sculptor (learn) James Turrell, light and space artist (learn) Flowing is Water, Corrina Sephora fairytale, video (watch) A Reckless Insistence on Beauty, Elaine Sutton (read) Chastain Arts Center, 2022 Spring Show (visit) Spalding Nix Fine Art, gallery Atlanta GA (explore) Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Roswell, GA (explore)
With her hands in prayer, still life painter MARYAM AMIRYANI begins each day in her studio with the simple request: The courage to start; the courage to persevere; the courage to finish.
From her childhood in Iran to Paris, Washington and New York, Maryam followed a professional career path in and around the arts, helping to show and sell other artists’ work before she finally settled into her own painting practice. Sharing her elegantly sparse, light-filled studio in Marfa, Texas with her husband and fellow painter Nick Terry, Maryam now creates small, intimate oil paintings often influenced by textures and colors of her early years in Iran. Maryam balances the solitary nature of an artistic life with an abundance of community service projects that benefit a variety of communities.
Find Maryam: Maryam's Work: Ulterior Gallery, NYC (visit)
Mentioned: Nick Terry, artist / Maryam’s husband (see work) Ulterior Gallery, Takako Tanabe, gallerist (explore) Venus of Willendorf, feminine goddess artifact (learn) Marfa, Texas (visit) Donald Judd, artist (learn) The Chinati Foundation (explore)
GERALDINE MACKINNON: botanical artist + handcrafted watercolors
00:55:28
Chilean watercolorist GERALDINE MACKINNON didn’t find her artistic direction in art school. Instead, the defining moment in her creative career occurred while assisting an archeological study on Easter Island, crawling through the caves with her sketchbook and headlamp trying to capture the “truth of the plants.”
Fastforward, Geri has developed a sustainable career in the demanding practice of botanical watercolor illustration. Botanical illustration requires the artist to remove all of her assumptions about the subject matter and focus intently on what she actually sees, which for Geri serves as a kind of meditation. Geri's newest adventure: luscious, meticulously handcrafted mineral-based watercolors available from her storefront in Santiago and online.
Often associated with haute pate painting, Atlanta-based abstract painter BOB LANDSTROM found his preferred art medium through metaphysics and Southwestern landscapes—hand-colored volcanic rock. After decades juggling a conflicted existence as both an electrical engineer and an evening/weekend painter, Bob’s persistence in getting his artwork seen has paid off. Now, only a few weeks into his new “full-time” painter role, Bob shares how he has built his presence in the art world, including an upcoming release of his first NFT on Super Rare.
As Bob says, “part of being an artist is being out over your ski tips most of the time.”
What would you give to have a lifestyle that allowed you to “drop everything and have a swim” in the ocean any time the mood struck you? Cornwall painter TARA LEAVER has created that life for herself, finding inspiration in the sensory experience of being immersed in the “magical garden of wonders” in the cold Atlantic waters. A self-proclaimed introvert, Tara has created a “balance in constant motion” between creating her own fluid paintings and developing an online community for like-minded artists.
But life was not always so easy-breezy for Tara. Tara candidly shares how she grappled with depression and how she found her way back to art making. Tara acknowledges that her personal struggles have better enabled her to manage her own art “demons” while helping other artists tackle their own. An equally talented writer, Tara’s considerate wisdom provides guidance and reassurance to her Happy Artist community.
What’s it like to be a “non-traditional” art student at age 55? For Texas-based portrait painter CLIFFORD BUNN, seeking a BFA in Studio Art after a career in law enforcement with the Oakland PD was both cathartic and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. As a police officer, Cliff worked among “the layers of lives existing around us” that most of us don’t see, but he often felt like his own voice was not being heard either. Initially turning to art as a therapeutic way of dealing with grief for loss of his son and other family members, Cliff eventually decided to seek a degree in Studio Art at the University of Texas.
Cliff shares his fascinating journey from the streets of Oakland to art school critiques, as he begins the next phase of life as a working artist. His perspective is unique, current and inspiring for artists at all stages of their own art exploration.
Have you ever drawn so slowly that you actually saw the ink soak into the page? Massachusetts art therapist and author Amy Maricle shares the benefits of slow, mindful drawing for artists and non-artists alike. The author of Draw Yourself Calm and numerous online videos, Amy pulls on her experience as an art therapist to show us how to tune into the moment by being aware of our senses as we slowly, intentionally move the pen around the paper. Amy explains how slow drawing helps to diminish our anxiety and reveals what movement makes us feel good. Amy ends our conversation with a short, guided art meditation so you can experience the benefits of slow drawing for yourself.
BILL MCBRIDE : sculptor + architect + land steward / live conceptually
00:55:00
A lifelong love of prairie led sculptor and former architect BILL MCBRIDE to the rolling sea of grass and sunflowers that is Matfield Green, Kansas—population 45. Serendipitous introductions to fellow environmentalist, artists and conservation enthusiasts enabled Bill to find a home for his own work and his ongoing passion project, the Prairie Art Path. Initially lacking a road map, Bill “lived conceptually,” doggedly pursued his artistic dreams, and eventually created the place he imagined.
“You have to keep listening to yourself and find your models.”
Matfield Green, KS (learn) Matfield Station (learn) Cottonwood Falls, Kansas (visit) Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve (visit) Flint Hills, Kansas (explore) Prairie Art Path, Bill's artwork and others (discover) Riverbank Neighbors (learn) Wes Jackson, environmentalist / Land Institute in Salina, KS (learn) Friends of Chicago River (learn) Chianati Foundation, Marfa TX (visit) Donald Judd , American artist, minimalism (learn) Pioneer Bluffs, Center for Flint Hills Ranching Heritage (learn) Ton Haak, Dutch writer, designer, (learn) Tall Grass Artist Residency, residency and bunkhouses (explore) The Bank / Matfield Green Works, gallery & event space (explore) Mike Miller, sculptor (learn) Andy Goldsworthy, English sculptor, environmentalist/ land art (learn) Mark Arts Center, Wichita, KS (learn)
KRISTY DARNELL BATTANI : mixed media + lawyer | the search for story
00:44:31
A love of research, words and print materials drives Austin-based, mixed media artist KRISTY DARNELL BATTANI’s textile inspired paintings and forms. The host and founder of the ARTish Plunge podcast discusses her art journey from intellectual property lawyer to full-time artist, her love of research, and her "deep dive" immersion into her source materials as part of an artist talk for her recent solo show “How To Be,” a collection of works inspired by thirteen self-help books that have defined our American values.
Before you go... Each link to the books referenced in this episode connects to Bookshop.org, a wonderful online alternative that financially supports independent bookstores. The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities. I hope you will consider supporting your favorite independent bookstore (you can select it in the upper right hand corner of the Bookshop.org site) when ordering online.
How do you see Brahms Symphony No. 4? For Scottish orchestral bassist and abstract painter Kirsty Matheson, music—like days of the week— have color. Kirsty shares how she balances her professional music life with her painting career that took flight during a 100 Day project in 2021. This fascinating conversation allows us to dip into synesthesia, a neurological condition shared by Kirsty and many other creative minds that creates a crossover between senses, in Kirsty’s case allowing her to paint classical music.
AMY GORREK: collage artist + graphic designer / in the details
00:59:34
Appreciating the richness of vintage typography and papers inspires both the sublime graphic design work and the whimsical collage art of Connecticut-based artist AMY GORREK. On the way to developing her own design practice, following stints with various design firms including Martha Stewart Living, Amy has perfected the art of appreciating details, instinctively finding the right balance of necessary and surprise elements. Pulling on her years of helping clients with their branding projects, Amy shares insights on how artists can find their own unique branding elements in the fabric of their artwork.
LYNNE MAPHIES: visual artist + curator / curating "Day Jobs"
01:05:24
As Lynne Maphies, former Curatorial Assistant at the Blanton Museum of Art, knows firsthand — for many artists, “day jobs” do more than pay the rent. In this fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation, Lynne shares the 10 year process that Veronica Roberts, former Blanton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, directed to create the standout exhibit “Day Jobs.” A dialogue with conceptual artist Sol LeWitt prompted Roberts to explore the different ways that artists establish relationships or get material inspiration from the jobs that sustain them. After receiving hundreds of recommendations from colleagues, scholars, gallerists, and artists in the field, Maphies and the Blanton team selected 100 works by 38 artists whose “day jobs” had a significant impact on their work, grouping works by categories of “other” work the artist performed: Service Industry; Industrial Design; Media & Advertising; Fashion & Design; Caregivers; Finance, Tech & Law; and Art World. Lynne also shares her own “day job” impact, one that redirected her onto her curatorial path.
How to balance online classes, a membership, and thousands of social media followers with the physical creation of a product—in this case, art? Maryland artist KELLEE WYNNE shares her journey from the early days growing up in a creative community and the discipline she learned in the Army to juggling her current online success. On this episode of the ARTish Plunge podcast, Kellee discusses taking a break to avoid burnout and how business strategies inform her coaching and art offerings.
TAYLOR SHAW: muralist + restaurateur / build your community
01:13:11
Growing up amongst the airbrushed t-shirts and dolphins of Destin, Florida, muralist TAYLOR SHAW learned how to hustle to make the most of the tourist season. Years of hard work in restaurants and side gigs honed many of the skills that have enabled Taylor to make a career creating site-specific murals which have become their own tourist attractions. But how Taylor got out of the kitchen, through an MFA program and into a custom van ready to install a 120-foot mural is a great yarn best told by Lazerchef himself.
PRIYA ASENCIO: abstract painter + advertising media planner | finding validation from within
00:56:24
Are you willing to put your art out into the world—to put yourself out in the world—knowing that you may not get the validation you seek. My conversation with Southern California abstract painter PRIYA SHARMA ASENCIO digs into the nitty-gritty reality of making the transition from a prior profession (in Priya’s case advertising media) to being a full-time painter, including the highs and lows of showing your work in public forums like art fairs and growing into your art practice within the social media gaze.
Priya’s dogged optimism has helped her weather the disappointments and recognize how all of her art experiences are interconnected. Rather than relying on external measures of success, Priya is learning how to validate herself first and appreciating the relationships each new stage presents.
MALINA CIPLEU: fused glass artist + psychologist / Embracing Surprise
00:50:09
From Communist Romania, through the forests of Transylvania, touching down in San Francisco before settling in Austin, MALINA CIPLEU shares her joy of discovering the art of fused glass. After a career in psychology in Romania, Malina’s role as a mother ultimately opened the door to art, first as a hobby and ultimately to a profession in glass. Malina’s evident love for the art form is infectious; she revels in the magic and element of surprise in every project. Perhaps not surprising, elements of her own childhood fascinations continue to find their way into her art forms and ideas.
Welcome to ARTish Plunge! A podcast for anyone interested in the curious relationship between artists and the other professions, day jobs, or past vocations that have allowed them to make the art they do.
Are you intrigued by the infinite ways artists have found the means to sustain an art practice? Perhaps youare contemplating taking the plunge to be a full-time working artist? Maybe you question whether such a thing is even possible?
If you said yes to any of those thoughts, you are in the right place.
Your host Kristy Darnell Battani, a full-time abstract artist from Austin, Texas, seeks out kindred spirits who have had winding career paths on the way to making their own unique art plunge.
Join Kristy for weekly studio chats with artists from around the country and uncover their unique stories and vocations: the combinations are as limitless and fascinating as their artwork.
Sharon Kyle is a multidisciplinary artist best known for her unique use of texture and materials. Sharon often incorporates found ordinary objects like rusted metal, wood, paper and cloth, alongside industrial materials such as concrete, asphalt and insulation foam.Sharon’s work transforms old, rusted, discarded materials into elegant but provocative statements on aging, gender, and cultural values.
In this conversation, Sharon Kyle discusses how her early experiences in real estate and construction influenced her choice of materials, how she made the plunge to return to college in her early 30s, and how she supplemented her early art practice with sales positions working with educational materials.
Sharon's infectious laugh and candid discussion of aging make this a particularly engaging conversation.
Tamiko Braun is a Munich-based, mixed-media artist with a love for vibrant colors, textures, and unexpected additives like sand, coffee, and marble dust. As a process-oriented artist, she focuses on creating layers in her work, stripped away to reveal designs of varying depth underneath. Fluent in Japanese, English and German, Tamiko also has over 20 years of consulting, strategic planning, business development and marketing experience with international technology companies.
Just a Southern California "beach girl" at heart, Tamiko shares how a health scare made her re-evaluate her intense, international travel-oriented career and reconnect her to art. Tamiko shares how she grew her art practice, developed commission work and learned to trust her intuitive practice. As Tamiko says, "It's never too late to reset."
Mentioned: 14" Non-Serrated Cake Knife: (available here) Brian Rutenberg (website), Clear Seeing Places (book) Professor Lalo Srkalovic (website) Alice Sheridan / Connected Artists (website) Louise Fletcher (website) Mark Eanes color workshops (website)* *Tamiko mentioned this off-air but raves about Mark's online workshops
Arielle Austin is an abstract painter from Austin, Texas whose work radiates graceful energy. In this conversation, Arielle generously shares her experiences with transitioning from an unfulfilling career, re-establishing her art presence in a new city, and the recent transition— leaving her "day job" to devote her energy full time to being an Artist.
Comparing her work to a "visual diary," Arielle offers candid insight into the role art has played in her life journey. "Start where you are with what you've got."
Julie Fritz is an abstract landscape artist from Richmond, Virginia. Rooted in a deep appreciation for the land around her, Julie uses a cold wax technique to create works with a strong sense of place. Starting with a quote to ground the piece, Julie shares her process of building 30-plus translucent layers to capture the essence of a place, frequently for commission projects.
With a prior background in event marketing, Julie may have started painting later in life but she has embraced art with the same work ethic and sense of adventure that has characterized all her endeavors. From traveling cross-country by motorcycle to penning two books, Julie generously shares experiences that have fed her spirit and the practices she has embraced to develop relationships in her art career. Find Julie: Website: https://www.juliefritz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliefritzart
ANN FLEMINGS is an abstract painter from Austin, Texas who seeks ways to stretch color and draw out the light source in her forms. After an early career in graphic design, Ann shifted to development and fundraising work, which left no room for artwork. Ann candidly shares her thoughts on balancing motherhood and art, overcoming feelings of selfishness, and the importance of finding your own dedicated art space, community and role models. Ann also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at being an artist participant in one of the biggest antique shows in the United States—Round Top, Texas.
CHRIS CRANE is an abstract artist from Austin, Texas who combines metallurgy skills with a photographer’s eye for composition and color to create large-scale installation pieces, primarily for corporate collections. With a keen curiosity for innovation, Chris has found a satisfying “day job” working alongside scientists to solve client’s AI and cognitive computing issues that still allows time for him to develop innovative art processes to “pull” color from sheets of steel or his latest project, images from re-crystallization.
Miniature artist BLAKE GORE exemplifies the old adage: “less is more.” Favoring .15 millimeter nib Pigma Micron pens, Blake creates tiny masterpieces on 2-inch squares — and smaller. Originally from Mississippi but now claiming Virginia as home, Blake discovered his “tiny” expertise a few years ago through consistent repetition and infinite curiosity.
Serving as a career consultant by day, Blake explains how constraints can be a powerful tool to enhance creativity. As Blake shares: “There’s just so much to do in a square inch.” This episode is a teeny bit longer than most, but Blake shares a lot of sage advice for anyone contemplating a career change or shift in your art practice. Think of it as free career counseling.
Artist BARBARA BRYN KLARE works with “rescued textiles,” using thread as line and cloth as paint to explore topics such as fragility and sustainability. The ARTish Plunge podcast explores how Barbara, a Ohio resident with long-held connections to the San Francisco Bay area, worked as a surface designer and had a decades-long career as a technical writer before textiles brought her back to art as both a creator and curator.
Artist, speech pathologist, lecturer and poet DIANA SYDER creates expressive landscapes and still life paintings from her studio in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England.
Diana started her professional life as a speech pathologist and university lecturer but concurrently wrote poetry, uniquely focused on themes of science and nature. After four books of poetry and numerous collaborations with composers, sculptors, dancers, artists, astronomers and engineers, Diana is now bringing similar energy to her evocative paintings.
BSHAWN COX is an artist, trained architect and lawyer whose early experiences in the small West Texas town of Monahans are re-emerging in his artwork through brightly patterned cowboys and sassy bouffanted-ladies. A prolific artist who admittedly creates amongst controlled chaos, Shawn shares how he juggles multiple forms of artistic expression with a need for analytical challenges and the occasional plunge down a rabbit hole.
Native Minnesotan KATIE McCOLLOW is a self-professed “Jill of some trades.” A voice actor, regular-type actor, artist and writer with a contagious laugh and quick wit, Katie is that super-talented friend you wished lived next door. Her oversized family portraits and dreamy watercolor pieces take top billing, but you may recognize her voice from commercials for some of your favorite brands.
· Katie’s Voice Over Artist video (watch) · Katie’s Voice Over Commercials montage (watch) · Writing for Wally: My Life With a Brilliant Idea, John Hubbell (Katie’s dad) (read) · Whiplash, movie (watch)
For over twenty years JOAN HANLEY has balanced artmaking with a meditative practice. The ARTish Plunge podcast explores how Joan’s spiritual and art explorations around the world have influenced her practice, as reflected in her book Art & Yoga.
Using oils, gouache, or ink, Joan creates large and small scale works with contemplative, emotional depth from her historic Harrisville, New Hampshire studio. In addition to creating thought-provoking public installations, Joan also works with other artists to help them find their own creative balance.
Art & Yoga, Joan Hanley Hari Kirin(read) Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore (read) Original Self, Thomas Moore, illustrated Joan Hanley (read) Alice Neel exhibit, The Met Museum (see) Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa (read) Becoming Astrid (watch) "Breath of the Forest" exhibit, Rochester Museum of Fine Arts (visit)
After a career in education that included roles as a kindergarten teacher, principal, grant writer and consultant, Canadian-born ISBELLE ALESSANDRA finally heeded her mother’s final advice to become a full-time artist.
The ARTish Plunge podcast explores how Isabelle, now a resident of southern California, channeled the same drive and work ethic that fueled her as a young figure skater into her artmaking and marketing, resulting in impressive art sales, magazine features and the gallery of her dreams.
Oklahoma native Christopher Nick uses his classically-trained painting skills to create accurately detailed illustrations for major brands, children’s books and historical portraits for the Oklahoma State Capitol. In this episode, Christopher shares how a tiny retro delivery truck named Kirby gave him some financial breathing room and an unexpected introduction to his newest, and arguably most authentic, illustration style and character.
Find Christopher: Website: christopher-nick-portfolio Mentioned: Minneapolis Institute of Art (visit) First Avenue Club (visit) The Atelier: Studio Program of Fine Art (learn) Katie McCollow (see) (listen) Mike Wimmer (see) The Room in My Heart, by Beverly Evans, illustrated by Christopher Nick (read) D-Day: American Character, by Steve Lessman (read) Dust Storm, by Jane McKellips, illustrated by Christopher Nick (read) Oklahoma Senate Art Collection (see) Oklahoma Hall of Fame, artist profile (see) Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (visit) Donut Man (visit)
Brooklyn-based film producer NADIA TAHOUN learned the value of artistic collaboration at an early age in Miami when she helped start the punk art venue The Granary. In Episode 15 of the ARTish Plunge podcast, Nadia shares how her education and experiences in film production have allowed her to curate visual art experiences, including the new community-focused arts and fabrication studio Flower Shop Collective that supports skill sharing and work space for underrepresented artists.
MIKE LYON, a Kansas City-based artist creates meticulously detailed large-scale drawings using marks made by traditional tools manipulated by non-traditional means, usually computers he has built and coded to suit his artistic vision.
The ARTish Plunge podcast explores Mike's leadership of the family cattle hide business and subsequent return to art, ultimately becoming an innovator in wood block and post digital printmaking. With an innately curious mind, Mike also creates handcrafted guitars, ukuleles and other furniture, collects Japanese ukiyo-e prints, plays the violin in the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, and holds a 4th degree black belt in karate.
From the Sorbonne to hitchhiking across Canada, from Berkeley to living with the Inuit in Nunavik, metal sculptor and painter VALERIE CHAUSSONNET has drawn inspiration for her artwork from the varied adventures life has offered her. Valerie’s experiences with the Smithsonian Institution preparing a Soviet-American exhibition on Alaska and Siberia stoked her desire to create artwork as a way of better understanding the artifacts she researched.
Continuing our conversation with metal sculptor and painter VALERIE CHAUSSONNET, we learn how Valerie’s work with the Smithsonian Institution inspired her to begin taking art classes at the Corcoran and to continue that work later in Austin, Texas. Along the way, Valerie created a French-immersion school and surrounded herself with colorful art and colorful people, all of which are reflected in the sculpture and paintings she makes today as a full-time artist.
The Artish Plunge shares an uplifting chat with Liz Murphy, a New Jersey-based painter, interior designer, illustrator and graphic designer who grew up in Surrey, England. Inspired by her mother’s ability to inject joy and stability through art and creativity into an otherwise turbulent home life, Liz has used her design skills to create meaningful spaces, and ultimately, found her own voice and truth through painting.
Liz talks about learning to be okay on your own and creating a sacred space to hear your inner voice. When you design and work in your own sacred temple, you create from a place of authenticity. As Liz reminds us, we all need to learn how to “show up naked.”
The Artish Plunge dives into deep conversation with Vermont-based multimedia artist, curator and professor HUMBERTO RAMIREZ, exploring the unique role of the arts as a language and the challenges —and rewards—of teaching art in an academic setting.
Escaping the political and social turmoil in Chile of the 1970s, Humberto came to the US to study molecular biology with an eye towards medical school before he felt the tug to study art. While his early paintings and video often reflected his political and social concerns, he shares how his current work has evolved to reflect his surroundings and stage of life, using space, light and color to create contemplative, abstract botanical fantasies.
ALISON SAUNDERS: printmaker + painter + accountant / art business essentials
01:00:16
British printmaker and painter ALISON SAUNDERS makes no bones about it—she doesn’t like boring beige! While her bold use of color belies her initial career as an accountant, in Episode 21 of the ARTish Plunge podcast Alison generously offers her professional insight on how to track expenses for art shows, weekly business check-ins and an old-school index card system to manage inventory.
Alison also shares personal stories about growing up in a family of artists and making art during times of emotional upheaval.
For all of us who have struggled with the questions of “Am I an artist?” “Am I any good?” “What does it mean to be an artist?” —and I dare say that is all of us—I hope you will come along with me to 1903 to a small Parisian apartment where 27-year-old Austrian poet and novelist RAINER MARIA RILKE has taken pen to paper to respond to an aspiring young writer’s inquiry, “Are my poems any good?”
In the ten letters that follow, Rilke captures all that torments and inspires those who cannot escape the need to create. Whether this is your first or fiftieth time to consider Rilke’s words, it is impossible to leave the experience uninspired or uncomforted.
Mentioned:
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke (read)
Spirituality. Love. Impatience of the young. Power of the female human being.
Twenty-seven-year-old Austrian poet and novelist RAINER MARIA RILKE managed to tackle all of those weighty topics in his letters to a young aspiring artist in the early 1900s. Collected and published after his death, Letters to a Young Poet addresses all that we fear and question about the life as a creative. But as Rilke attests, the quieter we are, the closer we move towards our art. Fate emerges from within us.
If you missed the first episode of this two-part series, I encourage you to begin with Episode 22.
Mentioned:
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke (read)
CECILIA ROGER: embroidery artist + paleographer / embracing the details
00:51:30
From her teenage years surrounded by haute couture in Milan, Cecilia Roger has always had an eye for luxurious details. Initially, she trained her eye to spot the details in ancient manuscripts as a paleographer. Even though she transitioned to handling the details of the family wine business, Cecilia’s hands were always busy with a different kind of detail—sewing and embroidery. Cecilia still makes exquisitely embroidered and beaded handbags but has also embraced the meticulous details of Japanese embroidery.
Hungarian Intuitive, abstract painter Beáta Bősze spent twenty years as an intensely focused economist for financial giants like AXA Insurance, when, on the verge of burnout, she received a mysterious flyer for “How to Be a Creative, Happy Woman.” Thus began a journey towards self-discovery and the expressive, abstract paintings that now fill both her personal and professional lives.
ROBIN DAVISSON: abstract painter + molecular physiologist / the exhilaration of discovery
00:59:40
Abstract painter Robin Davisson carefully considers the variables when designing her artistic experiments with paint fluidity and viscosity. A resident of Washington D.C., Robin has had plenty of experience with laboratory experiments with over 20 years as a researcher and professor of molecular physiology at Cornell University and University of Iowa. In this episode, Robin reveals the common element for her love of both science and art—“the exhilaration of discovery”—as well as her survival skills for a research career adapted for the arts and the characteristics of a good mentor.
MIMI ALLIN: performance artist + poet + wanderer / documenting & funding work
01:11:08
Performance artist and poet MIMI ALLIN uses walking as a way of investigating new places for her work. Mimi frequently walks 50-100 miles weekly, often as part of the “ritual of entering a project.” Starting each project with a question, Mimi invites the public into her work, knowing the parameters but not necessarily the outcome for each piece.
Currently in Seattle, Mimi shares the challenges of funding, documenting and scaling her performance work in contrast to the daily demands of her self portraits and video work.
KYLE "BLACK CAT TIPS" BROOKS: painter + muralist + street poet / creating work in public places
01:00:25
What’s it like to create an 85-foot mural with a whole city eagerly watching? Kyle “Black Cat Tips” Brooks knows. The creator of whimsical creatures and curiously engaging street poetry, Black Cat Tips (Kyle to us) has a loyal following in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast.
With homespun authenticity, Kyle shares the challenges of working really big, how he organically grew his fan base, sharing work in public places, and making peace with a slower work pace. Don’t be fooled by his honey-smooth Southern accent: Kyle’s honest, light-hearted observations will make you smile — and think.
Paradise Garden, installation by Howard Finster (visit)
Want to Hear —and See— More from Black Cat Tips? Here is a super fun video he did as an interview with Space Archives, including a little bit of singing (watch)
JENNY GRANT: mixed media + med tech + mountain biker
01:06:27
Swedish mixed media artist Jenny Grant approaches her work with the same adrenaline she channels while mountain biking—remembering to look ahead, absorb the bumps and just keep going. Jenny shares how she works with seasonal flow and the importance of really listening to yourself to be able to identify your own creative energy peaks and valleys.
Born with an innate fascination with how things work, Jenny initially “kept the doors open” by obtaining a masters of science in physics and working in business development for medical technology programs and equipment. She has always found joy in helping people understand things, particularly hard things, and now helps other artists understand how to harness their own creative energy in workshops and online videos. It’s not hard to understand why Jenny’s classes are always sold out: she radiates contagious positive energy.
KERI STRAKA: ceramic artist + microbiology enthusiast
01:15:30
Massacussetts-based ceramic artist KERI STRAKA is fascinated with micro worlds: those inside the human body and those in nature, like the small dramas of a tide pool. Her love of quiet observation takes shape in the organic ceramic forms that hint of aquatic life, internal human structures and laboratory experiments.
A professor of ceramics at Framingham State University, Keri finds ways to sneak into the biology classes and used a residency at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute to further explore the similarities between scientific research and her own creative work.
Keri shares how she helps students work towards a holistic creative life, seeking to build a sustainable mix of endeavors to support the broader goals.
MOTHH: painter + songwriter / choosing your identity
00:46:29
As an up and coming painter and singer-songwriter, Mothh (formerly known as Adelaide Tai) intentionally shapes her work and identity to match the energy she wants in her life. Splitting her time between Atlanta and Los Angeles, Mothh’s artwork is as fluid and bold as her own personal choices. Using enamel, oil, acrylic, and resin, Mothh creates dreamy, celestial forms.
Seeking wisdom from I Ching hexagrams and Human Design for self-knowledge, Mothh appreciates all parts of her own personal journey and story. Growing up in Georgia with her creatively-gifted Scotch-Irish mother and Taiwanese father, Mothh experienced otherness in various different contexts, with both positive and negative impacts. Despite an early interest in international relations and pressure to pursue a more traditional vocation, Mothh found that performance and creation offered her the best avenue to channel her layered identity and emotions.
As a visual artist with an affinity for words, I know there are a lot of talented artists out there who are also great writers. So to honor the written word and to prove that blogs are not archaic, I am going to alternate introducing you to artists through interviews with introducing you to artists through their words by sharing blogs, articles and other writings with you. With the artist’s permission, of course. Welcome to ARTish Words
In this first ARTish Words episode, I want to celebrate the life of one of my absolute favorite artists who passed away on Christmas Day —Wayne Thiebaud. Like a piece of chocolate cream pie, Thiebaud’s work makes me feel grounded and content, aware of contrasting flavors and textures, simple but decadent, a bit of nostalgia mixed with a hint of optimism.
In this episode, I share a blog post from Maryland painter Jennifer Kahn Barlow, who learned from Thiebaud that “food images can be art and phthalo blue can have a prominent place on an artist's palette without overwhelming it.”
We will also hear the words of Laguna Beach artist Hedy Buzan who shares insight on Thiebaud’s work as being “simultaneously accessible and deep, rooted in art history and slyly funny, idiosyncratic yet universal.” Hedy also shares her observations about Thiebaud’s last exhibit, “Clowns.”
And finally, we get a brief introduction to the Slow Art Day movement and this year’s events on April 2, 2022.
I am always on the hunt for good writing. If you have a favorite artist blog, please share it with me: kristy@kristybattani.com
Mentioned:
“Wayne Thiebaud, Playful Painter of the Everyday, Dies at 101,” by Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 12/26/2021(read)
Interview, “Wayne Thiebaud, Draftsman,” Morgan Library & Museum, 2018 (watch)
“A Fellow Painter’s View of Giorgio Morandi,” by Wayne Thiebaud, New York Times, 11/15/1981 (read)
RICH SAMUEL: watercolorist + football player / trust your work ethic
00:47:19
What can an artist learn inside a football huddle? A lot, if you are former professional football player turned watercolorist RICH SAMUEL.
A relentless work ethic, persistence and teamwork are just a few of the qualities football instilled in Rich —or “Sweet Feet” as he was known in the day—that have allowed him to create a booming art practice and studio that has grown into an East Austin community hot spot. With effusive positive energy, Rich juggles his own painting and clothing line with hosting community events featuring local jazz performers, comedians and painting classes.
Rich shares how the weight and responsibility of being the only Black-owned gallery in Austin gives him a sense of purpose that energizes his own art practice. Rich also reveals how he uses TikTok to fuel his art sales.
ARTish Words: public domain day 2022 + welcome home, winnie
00:25:09
What do Winnie the Pooh, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes and Greta Garbo have in common? They all have creative work (but not all of their work) that entered into the public domain this year, thereby enabling all of us to enjoy, use and build upon those works.
In this episode of ARTish Words, we hear from Jennifer Jenkins, Director of the Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain, helping us understand the purpose and benefit of the entry of works into the public domain, as well as celebrating this year’s extraordinary class of public domain entrants including works from William Faulkner, Willa Cather, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, among many others.
As a proponent of educating artists on our rights as creators and users of artistic works, this episode of the ARTish Plunge encourages artists to understand our rights so we can exercise control over how our work is seen, heard and shared. Host Kristy Darnell Battani also shares tips on how to locate public domain sound recordings, books, movies, compositions and visual works.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access Policy (explore)
Other Resources:
Library of Historical Audio Recordings at i78s, well-organized and easily downloadable music in the public domain (explore)
WBUR Here and Now Interview with Jennifer Jenkins, 01/04/2022 (listen)
’Til The End of Eternity, by Jennifer Jenkins, Huffington Post , 03/10/2012 (read)
What is Public Domain Art, by ARTDEX, a Free Digital Archive And Social Destination For The Global Art Community (article focuses on visual arts) (read)
ROB STANGROOM: intuitive painter + marine biologist / stepping through doors
01:09:35
Wisconsin-based ROB STANGROOM, a former marine biologist turned intuitive painter, gets a thrill having one foot in the known and the other in the unknown. From tracking whale migration to landscape architecture, Rob has learned to see the “open doors” in life and never hesitates to explore what is on the other side. Inspired by a lifelong love of nature and a persistent desire to work with his hands, Rob shares how he has crafted his art career, never being afraid to ask for help to get to the next level. This is a particularly great listen for anyone who is new or returning to art a bit later in life.
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