Ep. 181 Kristen Egan – Mixed Media, Sculpture & Masks
This week, Wes and Todd talk with Kristen Egan. Kristen discusses sourcing gourds, carving masks, New Contemporary Folk Art, the area where she lives in Pennsylvania, sense of place, other materials she incorporates into her masks and sculptures, totems, the catalyst to carve gourds, air drying paper clay, repetition & referencing past work, birds, research, process, art show titles, Alfred University, being open to new experiences, foundation, Goggleworks, Arch Enemy Arts, Instagram, the compulsion to create selling art, commissions, production, pricing, perfectionism, evolution & experimentation, work/life balance, bagpipes, weird bagpipe experiences, procrastination, being a life long learner, and collectors previews.…
Ep. 180 A.L. Lummus – Painter, Sculptor, Advocate Artist
This week, Wes and Todd talk with A.L. Lummus, a.k.a. Amy Lummus. Lummus discusses the pandemic & how it affected her and her work, timing, Barbara Kruger, Mettle Martyr I & II, being an Advocate Artist, lessons learned in doing the work, “dog with a bone” syndrome, work/life balance, the thread that runs through the work, stories/narrative, art & carpentry, the genesis for Mettle Martyr, telling the story that’s hers to tell, asking the question “is it breathing?,” research & statistics, process, the Ft. Collins Mural Project, working big, kinetic sculptures, Firehouse Art Center, her show “Spit and Splinters,” her residency, and her motto…
Ep. 179 Ryan A. Lee – Painter, Noir stories of the New West entangled with the Old West
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Painter, Ryan A. Lee. Ryan discusses being “artsy” growing up, falling in love with wide open spaces, the influence of the pop 80’s skateboard movement, landscapes, New West stories, Americana, loneliness, darkness, humor, Cowboys & Hippies, the Coors Western, freedom of speech, trains, what art does for him, awkward humans, Edward Hopper, being a loner, mixed media, 70’s cars, low brow art, sticking up for the little guy, Memento Mori Gallery, being a juror for “The Wild Bunch,” being bold, galleries, commissions, collectors, Children of the Pueblo, Art for Redemption, art in prison, road tripping, pricing, and selling art.
Ep. 178 Johanna Mueller – Printmaker, Relief Engraving & Mixed Media Printmaking
Johanna Mueller discusses being an entrepreneur in her youth, having a strong work ethic, the printmaking community, Frogman’s workshops, wood engraving, printing presses, Wonderhand Studios, Hatch Show Print, what intrigues her about printmaking, process, holy cards & playing cards, the Bible & the birth of modern pornography, experimenting & exploration, MO’Print, the thought behind her work, Jackalopes, the Sangre de Cristos, subliminal messaging, topographic maps, Wyoming, icons, fetishes & totems, art residencies, Siqueiros, Beth Cavener, the Greeley art community, pricing, editions, collage, selling art and the importance of connection.
Ep. 176 Maria Sheets – Kiln Fired Stained Glass Paintings, Art Conservation
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Master Glass Designer, Painter, and Fabricator, Maria Sheets. Maria discusses her childhood growing up in a Russian Orthodox church, some of her Russian family history, her art education, her journey as an Art Conservator, how her experience in art conservation informs her glass work, her experience with the Museum of Biblical Art, starting her own art conservation business, working with liturgical glass, her start in doing her glass work, her grandmother, her family’s roots in art glass and ceramics manufacturing, resilience & optimism, art being her religion, Agnes Marin, Scottish Stained Glass, research & glass design, halo history, iconography, breaking the rules, the provenance of liturgical artifacts, weird things she’s been asked to create, social-political imagery, Judy Chicago, early female anarchists/activists, science, conserving & restoring art, living to open the kiln in the morning, material science, art safety, process, her latest exhibition “Out Of Our Hands,” artificial intelligence, and her basic rule of success.
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. 173 Ann Morgan – Abstract Painter, Melding the Traditional With Technology
Ann Morgan discusses painting big, technology informing her process, xeroxes, learning to paint at age 13, winning awards in her youth, AmeriCorps VISTA, getting her B.F.A. at Michigan State University, not painting for 20 years, always considering herself an Artist, her “Art Stuff" folder, the catalyst to start painting again, melding the traditional with technology, Artificial Intelligence, RunwayML, painting in oil, Her show at Next Gallery “Once When I Was You,” her process using A.I., painting in the dark, being bendy, A.I. prompts, borrowing imagery, what scares her about A.I., artist statements living in a simulation, pricing social media, art scammers her “Burn Series,” painting environments, and art being unapologetic joy.
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. 170 May Pang – Photographer, John Lennon - “The Lost Weekend”
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Photographer, May Pang. May discusses her exhibition “The Lost Weekend." her time with John Lennon, some of the photos that are part of the exhibition, and the feature film documentary “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story."
Join us for a wonderful and remarkable conversation with May Pang.
Ep. 169 Topher Straus – American Impressionistic Landscape Artist – 2023 Check-in
This week, Wes and Todd do their annual interview with Artist Topher Straus. Topher talks about technology, Maui, charities, Sauvage Spectrum Winery, changes in his business model, World Heritage Sites, marketing & advertising, Vail International Gallery, the secondary market for his work, new gallery representation, Japan, traveling, new work, photo collages, the Design With Us competition, proven business tactics and goals.
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. 165 Clay Ross – Abstract & Impressionistic Artist - Curator & Gallerist, The Look Up Gallery
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Colorado Springs Artist, Clay Ross. Clay discusses growing up in Colorado Springs, his journey as an Artist, being color blind, the “ache” to make art, working in acrylic, his two series, being a cheerleader for his community, True North Art Gallery, mixed media, abstract work, cityscapes, his current exhibition, Colorado Springs pride, light, pricing, selling art, Yobel, and The Look Up Gallery.
Ep. 164 Visible Planets – Dan Drossman & Homeboy Sandman
This week Wes and Todd sit down with their friend Dan Drossman and Homeboy Sandman. Dan and Homeboy Sandman discuss how they met, how Visible Planets came about and the thought behind it, and the Artists involved in the Exhibition at Bitfactory ( July 21-August 10) and the Concert (August 5) at Herman’s Hideaway.
Ep. 162 Allyson Sheumaker – Executive Director, A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Allyson Sheumaker, Executive Director of the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art. Sheumaker discusses how she landed in Trinidad, Colorado, the history of Trinidad, A.R. Mitchell’s early years, stories of Mitchell, Mitchell’s work as Curator of the Trinidad History Museum, Harvey Dunn, Mitchell’s legacy of being king of pulp western magazines, Mitchell’s love of Trinidad and it’s history, being recognized for his artistic abilities in his youth, what people will experience when they visit the museum, how the museum came to be, ghost stories, vision for the museums’ future, Kuehl Fine Art, and things to do when you visit Trinidad.
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. 159 Mick Burson – Multidisciplinary
Mick discusses bath houses, living on the road, murals, graffiti, exhibitions, growing up knowing he was going to become an Artist, mentors, painting trains, painting for people in the backseat, his parents, Waco, and how it plays into his work, pursuing degrees in Art, sketchy painting scenarios, being arrested, what compels him to create, painting walls, horses, the Richard Levy Gallery, being a conduit for creation, impulse, acquiring materials through connection, sculpture, orphaned work, matches, journeys, selling art, business, pricing, retirement, and sobriety.
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. 155 Chris Maynard – FeatherFolio, Sculpting & Carving Feathers
Chris Maynard discusses growing up in Washington state, growing up around art, the catalyst to become a full-time Artist and deciding to focus on feathers, feather structure, Argus Pheasants, snake skins, themes of his work, how he sources his feathers, the legality of acquiring feathers, challenges of carving feathers, tools for carving, routine, dancing, wasp paper, installations, his book “Feathers: Form & Function”, selling art, pricing, and galleries.
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…