Ep. 204 Gary Taxali – Canadian Contemporary Fine Artist & Illustrator
This week, Wes and Todd sit down with Canadian Contemporary Fine Artist and Illustrator, Gary Taxali. Gary discusses how his style doesn’t differ between his personal and commercial work, business sense, work/life balance, his early career and moving to New York City, being exposed to the fine art world in New York, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, transition from illustration to the fine art world, his early engagement in art, drawing at an early age in school, the support of his family, the importance of doodling and mark making, teaching at OCAD and how it informs his work, creativity and problem solving, voice and personal style, philosophy of his creativity, trusting yourself and the process, confidence, play being the essence of creativity, having the support of music, Mississippi Delta Blues, feeding his soul, the Russian Avant Garde, connecting to people through art, his style and how it has evolved, the Fleischer Brother, Mad magazine, how he found inspiration from Depression era America, his political art, the Library of Congress acquiring some of his work, not self-editing, …
Ep. 203 Brian Tryon – Photographer, Owner of Shutter & Strum
This week, Wes and Todd talk with Photographer, Brian Tryon, owner of Shutter & Strum and Disruptor Gallery Art Center. Brian discusses growing up in Colorado Springs, working in education, being a student advocate for at risk students, addiction & alcoholism, his passion for photography, being an outlier, the catalyst for him to get clean & sober, the Springs DIY esthetic, skateboarding, what art does for him, being a certified addiction counselor, process, analog photography, sitting with your work, titles, street & documentary photography, mindfulness, having a living archive at the Pikes Peak Library District, teaching at Community Prep & starting the Garfield Gallery, Shutter & Strum, Disruptor Gallery, the mission of Shutter & Strum, things he’s proud of that he’s been able to facilitate through Shutter & Strum, support from the community, Shutter & Strum being a community art center focusing on at risk youth, workshops, Disruptor Gallery’s exhibitions, their darkroom, South Sight student art show, the skills that they teach kids, his vision for the future for Shutter & Strum, and community service.
Ep. 201 Annie Geimer & David Moke – Denver Theatre District, Understudy, Night Lights Denver
Annie Geimer & David Moke discuss their experience in the music industry before joining the Denver Theatre district, how that experience informs what they do now as curators & producers of art events, their strengths in their working relationship, Bob Sagat & John Stamos, “Weird Al” Yankovic, the Denver Theatre District’s history & it’s mission, programming, Artcade, stipends, the District being innovators, Understudy, exhibitions, being experimental, the expansion of the Denver Theatre District, Night Lights Denver, Night Lights history & logistics, costs involved, Night Lights locations, curation, paying Artists, submissions, the Jann Haworth mural, “Catalysts,” and what the future holds for the Denver Theatre District.
Ep. 200 Bailey Russel – Photographer, Alternative Photographic Processes
Bailey talks about teaching photography at the University of Wyoming, his art related experience before teaching, wet plate collodion, getting his M.A. from NYU in conjunction with the International Center of Photography, Vera Lutter, what made him want to become a photographer, Emmet Gowin, camera obscuras & the process, the Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition, his trailer camera, chemigrams, cyanotypes & his series on energy production, and his solo exhibition, “Western Extraction,” at Bitfactory Gallery.
Ep. 196 Pete Souza – American Photojournalist, Former Chief Official White House Photographer for President Barack Obama
This week, Wes and Todd sit down with former Chief Official White House Photographer for President Barack Obama, Pete Souza. Pete discusses his childhood, how he got his start in photography, his early experience as a photojournalist shooting for small newspapers, what working at those small newspapers taught him, how the opportunity to work as an official White House photographer came about, the difference in access between photographing President Reagan and President Obama, his thought behind capturing important historical moments of the presidency, the contrast between the Obama presidency and the current presidency, his books, the documentary “The Way I See It,” and his take on what we can do to facilitate change in the United States.
Ep. 195 Cal Duran – Mixed Media Folk Artist
This week, Wes and Todd talk with Mixed Media Folk Artist, Cal Duran. Cal discusses his artistic journey, being woven, mentors, how he handles rejection, Meow Wolf, clay, honoring his ancestors, color, altars, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), spirit, Ojo de Dios (Eye of God), installations, Casa Bonita, and the mantra he lives by.
Ep. 188 Max Kauffman – Painter, Curator, Maker of Things
Wes and Todd talk with Artist and Curator Max Kauffman. Max discusses the South Park premiere, the different work that he makes being like poems and songs, watercolor & gouache, anthropology, the cassette tape, his love of pattern, the importance of being in the head space for fun, analog, improvisation, growing up in Indiana, skateboarding, paying attention, murals, the ability of letting go, making dystopian work, Oakland, art & travel, scarcity, the Family Circus, socialization, being a presence, play & creativity, iconic Denver landmarks, memory & community spaces, Casa Bonita, neü folk, his current exhibition “City In A Garden”, birds, Dateline, and his idea of perfect happiness.
Ep. 187 Sarah Boston – Painter, Western Artist
Wes and Todd talk with Artist, Sarah Boston. Sarah discusses the various mediums that she works in, portraiture, painting, drawing from a young age, her connection to native culture, Charlie Russell, growing up in an artistic family, the Russell museum, taking art classes with Thomas Blackshear, routine, the A.R. Mitchell museum, the Broadmoor art experience, research and doing her due diligence to be historically accurate in her work, cultural & art appropriation, her family’s roots in Montana, pastels, graphite, the catalyst to becoming a professional artist, the art community of Trinidad, western art, grizzly bears, selling art, galleries, festivals, the Out West Art Show, her upcoming shows, pricing, art sales, curating “Resonance”, her motto, and her favorite Charlie Russell painting…
Ep. 183 Monica Ong - Visual Poet
This week, Wes and Todd talk with visual poet Monica Ong. Monica discusses her early journey with art, getting her MFA from RISD, integrating poetry with her visual art practice, experimentation & play, her first book “Silent Anatomies,” her poem "The Attic," sculptural types of poems, her interest in astronomy, process & evolution of the work, the blurring of boundaries & thinking outside of the box, the importance of connection, design being rooted in the lyric and narrative, her family history and how it influences her work, Buddhism and her practice, routine, balancing family and work, being an example to her son and young people, phases of the making, creating a user experience, insomnia, curiosity & questions, identity, philosophy, her new book “Planetaria,” “The Star Gazer,” asterisms, her poem “Lunar Volvelle,” her micropress “Proxima Vera,” when it’s time to publish a book, being awarded a United States Artists Fellowship, her poem " Jade Insomnia," and the importance of support…
Ep. 175 Lyndy Bush - Contemporary Southwest Oil Painting
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Painter, Lyndy Bush. Lyndy discusses Southern New Mexico, suburbs, Borderlands, Las Cruces, her artistic mother, inspiration, seeing herself as an Artist, her education, leaning into Art, her compulsion to create, Math & Science, Colorado, oil painting and metalsmithing, the old masters, layering & glazes, her art being autobiographical, routine, process, painting flowers, being a full-time Artist with a full-time career, what Art does for her, plein air, books, abstract painting, her greatest achievements, CHAC, Women’s Caucus for Art, Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo, Picasso, podcasts, pricing, and some of her art philosophy.
Ep. 171 Christopher La Fleur – Painter, Pop Art
Christopher talks about the catalyst for starting his art business, the encouragement and influence of his father, his thoughts on art school, growing up in Greeley, Colorado, writing and science fiction, being a queertrepreneur, hope for the future, planning and producing events, Pop Art, SourCute, destroying artwork, nostalgia, people he would like to meet from the past, inspiration vs. exploration, therapy, vulnerability, Discotits, Jones Soda, naming pieces, idiogenesis, Art is War, routine, meditation, vegetarianism, rejection, selling art, pricing, merchandise, philanthropy, and goal setting.."
Ep. 166 Josh Davy – Sculptor
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Josh Davy. Josh discusses Next Gallery, oil painting, getting back to making things for fun, pushing himself, glass blowing, symbolism, bridges, cathedrals, connection, Christianity & religion, empathy & grace, being human, robots, process, photography, artist talks, his exhibition “Lost Along the Way, faith, prayer, prison, failure, technology & artificial intelligence, pricing, and services he offers Artists.
Ep. 163 Raven Rohrig – Illustrator & Mixed Media Artist
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Raven Rohrig. Raven discusses her life growing up with her Artist father, her artistic family, not being exposed to a lot of art, the beginning of her art journey, the catalyst for her to follow her muse and become a full-time Artist, her name, coming out, labels, authenticity, her three bodies of work, color theory, contemporary portraiture, the strength and power of women, process, neon, black widows, mixed media, vulnerability, eroticism, sex in art, feminism, balance, framing, the US exhibition at Bitfactory, selling art, pricing, routine, commissions, reading, and influences.
Ep. 161 Chris Long – Painter, Landscape
Painter, Chris Long discusses RVing and living on the road with his family for 11 years, FOMO, wanderlust, equating RV life as that of a hunter-gatherer, the pandemic, his former life as a Sculptor, the catalyst to start painting, teaching himself to paint, selling paintings in New Orleans, how his foundation as a sculptor informs his painting, magazine nomenclature, street criticism, energy & impact, something or nothing, looking for that moment of magic, painting paintings of paintings, irrational believability, what drew him to landscapes, his business model, simplicity & consistency, being a Daily Painter, pricing, gallery representation, commissions, his biggest support, Legos, and inspiration.…
Ep. 160 Annie Decamp – Painting, Mixed Media
This week Wes and Todd catch up with their friend Annie Decamp. Decamp discusses her recent exhibition at Kuehl Fine Art in Trinidad, her health scare, stepping away from encaustic work, surviving a home invasion, her current work looking at and away from trauma, PTSD, healing through art, the loneliness of trauma experiences, laughing and love, evolution and direction of her work, abstraction, hands perfection, and imperfection, working on new skills, figurative work, sketching, connecting with her Dad through painting, art classes, teaching, Yard Art, changes she has implemented in her business model, and learning how to slow down and go with the flow.
Ep. 158 Jasmine Dillavou – Boricua Mixed Media and Performance Artist
A Mixed Media and Performance Artist, Jasmine Dillavou discusses her Instagram handle, her childhood, getting her B.A. in Visual & Performing Arts from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, her path as an Artist, her compulsion to create, making with intention and gratitude, being accountable to herself and treating her art practice as a job, voice, the Colorado Springs Art Community, identity, being Boricua, the sacredness of your art space, Puerto Rico, potions, art as activation to activism & education, lipstick, the evolution of her performances, poetry, Ephemera, being an art educator, galleries, and the Colorado Springs art scene.
Ep. 157 True North Art Gallery – Skylar Call, Melissa Porter, Marisa S. White
Skylar, Melissa, and Marisa discuss their art background, their love of Colorado Springs and its art community, how they all met and became friends, the seeds of the True North Art Gallery, the structure of the co-op, membership, their focus as a gallery and how they’re trying to stand out in the Colorado Springs art scene, membership dues and responsibilities, commission, what they’ve learned since opening, reception by the art community, committees, artists involved in the gallery, social media and marketing, exhibitions, and curation, short and long term goals, and what gives each of them hope.
Ep. 156 Melody Epperson – Artist, Curator – Tree Tales
In this episode, Wes and Todd catch up with Artist and Curator, Melody Epperson. Melody discusses her recent solo show “Lifetime of Snapshots," Women’s Caucus for Art, receiving a PS You Are Here grant from Denver Arts & Venues, her public art installation “Tree Tales," engaging youth and community, challenges of facilitating the “Tree Tales” project, the various skill sets gained by the youth that participated, the future of the project, and advice to those interested in taking on a similar project.
Ep. 154 Emilie Odeile & Ken Chapin – Wove World, Goodnight Moon
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Emilie Odeile & Ken Chapin. Emilie & Ken discuss their background in the Arts, how they met and became Artners, how Ken designed and sold the world’s largest collection of knitting needles, Emilie looked for larger than commercially made knitting needles, how they work together, and what each brings to the table, “Goodnight Moon” the book, the catalyst for Emilie to want to knit “Goodnight Moon,” “One Story, Many Voices,”school field trips, the programming they are facilitating around “Goodnight Moon,” aging populations and age-friendly communities, literacy rates in Southern Colorado, Space to Create, and the work leading up to knitting “Goodnight Moon”.
Ep. 150 Georgia Padilla – Multimedia Artist
Georgia discusses growing up in Colorado and Manitou Springs, CPTSD, living with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, art as a coping mechanism, anxiety, Dialectical behavior therapy, breathing beads, mental illness, her voice as an Artist and how she uses it, how art saved her life and how it heals, becoming a professional Artist, getting into Next Gallery and being awarded a Next Gallery scholarship, all the mediums that she works in, her relief work, commissions, Etsy, craft fairs, collaborating with her daughter Daemonia for their exhibition “Coloring Outside the Lines,” Autism Acceptance Month, Autism, inclusivity, neurodiversity, and her journey to meaningful connection with her daughter through art…