When you’re an artist just starting out, and you can’t afford supplies… what do you do? Yep, just pick them up off the ground! That’s how Pittsburgh based artist Seth Clark got started on his absolutely mind-blowing collages. I wrote about him way back in 2011 and now, in 2018, I finally got to ask him all of my questions! Where does he get all of this stuff, is his studio like an episode of Hoarders, did he build awesome (while incredibly unsafe) tree houses when he was a kid? I got answers for everything! Listen right up there under that gorgeous / derelict collage, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, a bunch of Seth’s collages. Yes, collages… what!?

Bits and pieces of all sorts of things from paper to actual shingles … LOVE.

Ok, so this is the window mountain thing I was talking about that Seth didn’t fully know what I was referring to… that’s because it was actually a work-in-progress shot! The final ended up becoming a piece titled “Hive”:

Yeah. Now THAT is a hive! Stunning.

Next, this is the collaboration Seth did with glass artist, Jason Forck:

Perhaps one of the most amazing collaborations I’ve ever seen! They truly figured out how to blend their artistic skills and talents to create something beautiful. I hope they get the chance to keep working together … LARGE SCALE.

Next, a few of Seth’s sculptures that you can look into/through, and one that’s had a sledge hammer taken to it:

‘On the brink’, indeed. I don’t fully believe him when he says he’s not very handy, but anyway.

And look at this! A peek into Seth’s studio:

Ok, yes… this is crazy. I don’t care, I still want to poke around in there for an afternoon just to see what I could find on the floor! Given that Seth has so many things coming up (links to all below), I’m so thankful that he took a bit of time out to do the podcast; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and big thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Terry Boyd, Artist
2. RISD
3. Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh
4. Pittsburgh Glass Center
5. Jason Forck, Artist
6. Nicole Ryan, Artist
7. Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia
8. Radiant Hall (the studios where Seth works)
9. Janet Echelman, Artist
10. Gallery Bom, Boston (March 2, Seth’s Solo Show)
11. Art on Paper, NY (March 8-11)
12. Architectural Digest Show, NY (March 22 – 25)

I literally have no idea where to start this week. When your guest is a photographer, filmmaker, installation artist, curator, maker, and general renaissance woman it’s hard to find a place to jump in… so we started at the beginning and covered a fraction of the projects that this woman has been involved with. Yep, I’m talking to American artist, curator etc., Faythe Levine. Listen right up there under that very wise photograph, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, a few of her photographs, as Faythe always documents where life takes her:

Ahhhh, dreamy. Up next, a project that if you haven’t seen, you should … her film, followed by a book of the same title, “Handmade Nation”:

It’s so good, and it really is a like a time capsule from those early maker days when everything DIY exploded! Ok, next amazing project. “Sign Painters”, once again a documentary and book:

Faythe and Sam Macon did such a beautiful job on this film. If you haven’t seen it, see it!

Next, the most recent book Faythe put together… an unpublished play written by her friend Merril Mushroom. The play, and now the book, is titled “Bar Dykes”:

There are so many of Faythe’s projects to cover (and we haven’t even discussed the tip of the iceberg?!), but I didn’t want to miss this… Art vs. Craft, a juried show that she organized and ran for ten years (2003-2013) in Milwaukee:

Don’t you want to jump into that photo and do some art shopping!? Me too. And finally, a few very cool photos to go with Faythe’s very cool story… tattoos and new gold tooth included:

Babe. Thank you so much to Faythe for taking a break from her new 9 to 5 life as Assistant Curator at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center to talk to me; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and thank YOU for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Etsy
2. Renegade Craft Fair
3. Faythe on Instagram

Drips, spikes, blobs, sploots and sparkly crystals. Yep, that can only l mean one thing… I got Texas based artist Dan Lam on the podcast! She {yes, Dan is a woman and we’ll get to that right off the top} is amazingly talented, hilarious, and just as sweet as her gorgeous color palette. Listen right up there under that iridescent beauty, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, these were the spiky, gum-like “blobs” I wrote about a few years ago:

Yum! Well, those guys evolved into these guys, aka “drips”:

Gorgeous, and how insanely beautiful are Dan’s color choices? And her newest evolution, which might be potentially known as a “sploot”:

LOVE! But wait, there’s more! Here’s the video of the sprinkle-covered sploot that over 15 MILLION (!!!!) people liked on Instagram:

A post shared by Dan Lam (@sopopomo) on Aug 1, 2017 at 3:13pm PDT

Don’t you want to poke that? Me too. Now these bad boys… oh, I just want to watch them dance in the sunlight all day long:

A post shared by Dan Lam (@sopopomo) on Jul 8, 2017 at 2:05pm PDT

Gasp! That video! These Swarovski crystal covered drips are gorgeous, but still photos just don’t do them justice.

And finally, at the very end of the episode Dan mentioned that she was going on a winter holiday to several national parks in Utah… apparently she brought a few friends along for the ride:

How fantastic is that!? Sigh. Thanks so much to Dan for talking to me about all things ugly beautiful; thanks to Saatchi Art and Thrive for supporting the episode, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Dan on Instagram (@sopopomo)
2. Left Field Gallery
3. Spoke Gallery – SF & NY
4. The Hole, NYC

I am so excited for you to listen to this episode! It is filled to the brim with hilarious stories, inspiring advice, and of course, a lengthy discussion about pizza. I’m talking to Ohio based artist, illustrator, writer, speaker, podcaster, father, vivid dreamer, Boyz II Men fan club president, and former sandwich artist, Andy J. Miller aka Andy J. Pizza. Listen right up there under the surfer dude, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, these are the gorgeous, and totally inspiring, illustrations Andy does for each of his ‘Creative Pep Talk’ podcast episodes:

YES to alllllll of that! Oh, and speaking of creative pep talks, this is Andy’s most recent book filled with beautifully rendered advice from 50 amazing artists:

This is the book that features quotes from Oliver Jeffers, Lisa Congdon and Stefan Sagmeister… jealous? Yes, yes I am. {although Stefan really did kiss me – here’s a link to the proof}

Oh, and look at this! The first book(s) he did with Chronicle. The Indie Rock Coloring Book, and Indie Rock Poster Book:

So fun! And, oh yeah, he also has a day job… here are some of Andy’s gorgeous pieces he’s done for clients:

Ok, he did NOT tell me he’s done work for Nutella … I wonder if he gets a discount? I would have let them pay me in jars of that goodness!

And, obviously, after hearing Andy’s energetic and hilarious voice, you need to see him in action. Here he is in his new found happy place… on stage, talking all things creativity:

So funny! Also, I need that coffee mug to go with all of that Nutella I’m lining up for.

And finally, this was an illustration Andy did for Mental Floss Magazine, but I like to imagine this is what he looks like during one of his crazy, vivid dreams:

That could actually be my dream if that grey thing is in fact a SNAKE!? I cannot express how much I wish there was an illustration of Andy with the guys from Boyz II Men … now that would have made my year! Thank you so much to Andy for being such an open, hilarious, inspiring book; thank you to Saatchi Art for not only supporting this episode, but for supporting the podcast AND my weekly e-newsletter since they both began; and you know it, HUGE thanks to you for listening. I’m taking next week off to be with my little family, but there will be a new episode on the first Saturday in January. Happy Holidays!

Other links:

1. The Thread House (Andy’s wife’s shop)
2. Creative Pep Talk Podcast
3. Andy on Instagram

Pink cashmere, cable knit covered deer. Sigh. I have loved the artwork of American artist Rachel Denny since way back in 2009, but today is the first time we’ve ever spoken! I had A LOT of questions, and she had lots of answers. One thing that became very clear very quickly – she is one handy woman! She works with so many materials and does it with ease. Also, she owns four yaks. I realize I sounded like a bit of a Facebook stalker during this episode, but just wait until you scroll down to see not only her gorgeous work, but also photos of her yaks playing hide n seek and tag! Now I want yaks. Anyway, listen right up under those lovely pink bucks, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, of course, her knit-covered deer trophies:

Ah, and there’s my Rosie – so gorgeous!

Speaking of gorgeous, here’s a peek into Rachel’s studio:

Amazing, yes? There’s the chenille covered moose commission she mentioned, and I’ve also included the turquoise angora-covered rabbit we talked about. Seriously, it’s just all too good.

Also, still living in her studio, this big beautiful blue buck:

Isn’t that beautiful and heartbreaking all at once? Also beautiful – her most recent commission, made for Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler BC. The first shot is in her studio, the second photo shows the deer in their new home:

LOVE!!!

Ok, and the flattened penny horse that I brought up about 1000 times (?), along with proof of her handiness when using any and all material – from pennies to matches to resin to tiny bits of mirror:

Whoa. That snake. Gorgeous, but if I saw him in my yard I would lose my mind. Here are a few things Rachel sees in her yard every day… YAKS!

Stunning. And there’s the belt bull we were talking about. Isn’t he majestic? The amount of work she puts into each piece is just mind blowing.

Alright, now here’s the non-art related reason for following along so closely on Rachel’s Facebook page! Look at these hairy beauties:

Oh my word, Tsampa in full-on frolic mode! I could look at that photo all day… he’s so happy! And finally, like so many artists, Rachel takes photos of her work, but rarely herself. I did find one, and I have a feeling this is what she looks like most of the time anyway:

Yep, covered in animals! Thanks to Rachel for figuring out Skype so we could chat; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode, and thank YOU for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Vernissage Gallery, Portland {her show is up until Dec 30th}
2. Alison Milne Gallery, Toronto
3. Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek CA
4. Nanaimo bar recipe! Mmmmm

Portraits, embroidery, and street art… well that’s one of the best combinations I’ve ever seen! I am thrilled that I got to talk to Mexican artist Victoria Villasana. She truly is full of restless curiosity – a creative person her entire life, searching for the work that felt right to her. Yep, she found it! We’re talking about design, fashion, motherhood, perseverance and whether or not we care about Prince Harry getting engaged. You can listen right up there under those colorful yarn tears, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, some of her street art pieces in and around London, including odes to Mohammad Ali and David Bowie:

YES! Yarn… on the street. How would these beauties not catch your eye?!

Next, this is the collaboration she did with fashion photographer Dario Vazquez and Spanish street artist Misterpiro, London 2015:

Seriously. So, so good.

Ok, here’s what she’s been putting up in Mexico since she returned home over a year ago:

Oooh, I love the tiny ones. That said, she also does some very big work. Here are a few examples of her pieces that hang on walls inside, and note the scale of some of them:

Um, yeah, I had to include that last amazing piece… those orange glasses? The scale? LOVE. That is actor Luis Gerardo Méndez standing literally in the middle of Victoria’s installation of Mexican movie director Guillermo del Toro at WeWork in Mexico City. Unbelievably cool… as is Victoria:

One more thing I had to do… finish things off with this Shakespearean luchador. I just found it on her Instagram feed and thought it was a perfect combo of the places she’s called home … to date. She may have to add Japan to that list one day! Thank you so much to Victoria for talking to me (and agreeing to be in my new book!); thanks to Saatchi Art and Thrive for supporting the episode, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Pablo Delgado, Mexican street artist
2. TED Talks
3. Victoria’s Instagram feed

Piles of broken vintage glass, milky colors, and lots of fire. Today I’m asking ALL of the questions – I need to understand how Philadelphia based glass artist Amber Cowan does what she does!? So many teeny tiny bits of glass, assembled into gorgeous sculptures, wall hangings and installations. Also, I had to find out if her neck hurts. Spoiler alert: it does. You can listen right up there under “Rosaline Ombré Bouquet”, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, a few of my favorite pieces that I’ve written about before. The detail… IS… INSANE…

Right?! Ok, let’s get into this. Right off the top we talked a lot about this recent, super duper green, piece titled “Bridesmaids Forest” …

The snail … ♥

Oooh, and look at this! Talk about finding a gem… this is a photo from Amber’s Instagram feed at her favorite source for old glass {note the pile of milky blue shards in the background} …

Wow. I want to go to there … and I don’t even work with glass!

Next, this is a peek at “Ginny’s 16 Piece Snack Set” made from, yep, a 16 piece snack set just like this one…

A stunning transformation, again.

Oh look, here’s another one. This is the piece Amber read the note about… the broken blue candy dish that a complete stranger sent to her.  “Sky Mountain with Coy”…

Gah! Gorgeous! Please note all of those teeny tiny little glass balls that Amber painstakingly makes. Seriously cannot get over that. I suppose that’s why these quick, melty bud vases are necessary in her practice…

Love. I also love that her cat made it into this shot. They always do that, don’t they?

I asked if she ever combined those super quick melts with her very intricate little pieces, and she has in fact. These are two pieces, from 2013. They are part of her “Wedding Compote” series …

And now, onto the green “Hands and Handkerchiefs”, some of her newest work…

Ah, so good! I had to show these in-progress shots too, again from Amber’s Instagram feed. Fingers being melted into their new ‘handkerchief’ holding positions. I also thought that shot on the right showed the scale nicely – I didn’t realize they were this big!

And here we are, back to that little green snail from the beginning, but now, Amber OWNS the mold…

Ah-mazing. I predict many many many snails in Amber’s future. Just a hunch.

And finally, here she is in ‘flame-working’ action. And ps., she was right… I don’t consider this a “small flame”!

Oh boy, that was so good. Thanks so much to Amber for sharing all of her thoughts, insights and advice! If you want to send her old glass just reach out to her right here. Oh, and if you want to sign up for her class in Venice next spring, the link to the school is right here, and listed below. Thank you to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode, and giant high-fives to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Send Amber vintage glass
2. Amber on Instagram
3. Heller Gallery, NY
4. Art Miami
5. Salisbury University, Maryland
6. Michiko Sakano
7. Corning Museum of Glass
8. Paul Stankard
9. Pilchuck Glass School, Washington State
10. Oprah article about Amber
11. Abate Zanetti Glass Courses, Murano Venice
12. Glasstress 2017, Venice
13. Recipe for PIECAKEN! … you’re welcome.

Today is all about graphite drawings and animals… and ceramics, jewelry, stone masonry, teaching, free art, TV shows, celebrity chefs, leprechauns, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I’m talking to Northern Ireland based artist Lee Boyd. You can listen right under those elegant rabbits, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

Let’s start with the piece Lee made based on my photo taken in Venice this summer, because, well, I could look at images of Venice all day loooooong:

Isn’t that great!? Even better and more blush-inducing is his reason for choosing the panther:

“Curiosity satisfied” : Awhile back I spent some time searching out sources of inspiration and found the interviews of artists by The Jealous Curator. She gathered together an array of artists from around the world and asked the questions, and the answers were my company as I created my own work in the studio. Not long ago she posted a picture on Instagram of herself in Venice and I took the opportunity to create this artwork after contacting her for her permission to use it. The phrase “curiosity killed the the cat and satisfaction brought it back” was the perfect anecdote for the composition but rather than any cat, I chose a stronger feline – a black panther – hunting out her passion for art.

So, amazing! I will treasure this forever.

Next up, these images are from the first post I wrote about Lee, Easter 2015:

I may or may not be obsessed with his rabbit drawings.

Oh, and this! These are the shipment container studios he was talking about, aka Project 24. How amazing is this:

I would happily have people wander by and stare in at me … like the panther that I am!

Speaking of cats, this is the drawing that greatly disturbed a woman who had been peeking into Lee’s studio:

… and of course, Sophie herself. Look at that ninja attitude… yep, she could easily take out an aye-aye.

Ok, so from cats to a male chauvinist pig hitting on a swan at the pub:

Leave her alone… she’s clearly not interested.

So, it turns out that Lee did have another {non-nude} aye-aye in his portfolio! And, in case you aren’t familiar with the weird cuteness living in the trees of Madagascar, a real photo of an aye-aye too:

Gah! I need one!

Next, Saatchi Art invites various people to curate collections from time to time. Singer Carly Rae Jepson put a grouping together and chose one of Lee’s works. Rabbits. See I’m not the only one obsessed with them:

Excellent choice, Carly.

Ok, I love this … “SHOW ME THE MONET!”. This is the BBC show that Lee was on. The stories about this were so funny, from falling through the set door to likening the female judge to a duck. Oh, Lee…

The black rabbit, aka his self portrait, was the piece featured on the show and, no surprise, it made it into the final exhibition. I love the meaning behind those empty Ikea shelves. So smart. ps. that final photograph above is from the home of celebrity chef Peter Gordon who ended up buying that drawing! 

And finally, Lee’s new portrait series that he has just embarked on. Portraits of people, with just a hint of animal. Here he is in action:

Beautiful. That’s Lee’s partner, Andrea, and her reflection as a rabbit. Sigh. Gorgeous. Thank you so much to Lee for telling us his hilarious stories, and for giving such insightful advice; thanks to Saatchi Art for not only supporting the episode but also supporting artists far and wide; and of course, thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Saatchi Art (yay!)
2. Project 24, Ireland
3. David Kassan’s Art Crit Academy
4. Carly Rae Jepson’s picks on Saatchi Art
5. “Lee Boyd : One to Watch” on Saatchi Art
6. Peter Gordon, Chef
7. Lee on Instagram

Who wants to come to ‘Walkyland’ with me today? Yes, I’m so thrilled to be talking to Swedish born, London based artist and illustrator Monika Forsberg! You can listen right under those lovely ducks, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, this link to “Mummy Needs Gin“, a hilarious animation she did for Channel 4 in England. So, so good! Also good… some of Monika’s pieces I wrote about a few years ago:

Yep, still love ’em!

Ok, we got right into it {well, after talking about dogs and stuff}. Here are just a few of the collaborations she’s done with some very big brands. No.1: Anthropology:

Oh, I love that swan pillow. Next collab… Monika’s patterns walking the runway for Australian brand, Gorman:

A post shared by monika forsberg (@monika_forsberg) on Sep 6, 2017 at 11:02pm PDT

That would be surreal… to see your drawings walking down a runway?! Also surreal… getting a call from Valentino! Here are a few of the hearts she did for their Hong Kong store:

Not only was the turn-around time on that project insanely fast, she was also planning her youngest son’s birthday party over the same few days. And her oven was broken. Mummy needs gin, indeed.

These next whimsical pieces are just a handful of the gems she’s done for eeboo:

Ok, it’s official… I need one of those puzzles for the holidays this winter.

I love what Monika said about starting to make / share her patterns. If you want to get certain kinds of jobs that you aren’t getting, show that you can do it and hopefully the phone will start to ring! I’d call about these for sure:

Those horses. Come on! Next, the cover of the crayon book she illustrated … and wrote! The writing part came as a bit of surprise apparently ; )

Of course I had to include a few of the dinos we were talking about:

No quetzalcoatlus, but that’s cool. And finally, last but not least… DUCKS!

She was not kidding … she really does love drawing ducks. She said no one ever calls asking for ducks, but maybe they will now!

So, I always like to end a podcast post with a photo of the artist, but Monika is not a fan of selfies. I’m kinda glad because it forced me to dig until I found this:

Ah! Little Monika in Northern Sweden, moments after “knitting a worm”. LOVE! Thank you so so so much to Monika for putting her phone anxiety aside for an hour so we could hear her inspiring story; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and of course thank you so much for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Monika on Instagram
2. Hollie Chastain episode
3. Mummy Needs Gin animation – for Channel 4
4. Kate Woodrow, Literary Agent
5. Barbapapa!

A love of history, a badly timed diagnosis, researching everything, taking found images from small to huge, and a really spooky ghost story. Yes, all of it! I’m so excited to have American artist Daisy Patton on the podcast. I know I always say this… I’ve loved her work for years, but after this conversation I love it even more. You can listen right under that flower-faced swimmer, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, these are a few of Daisy’s pieces I wrote about back in 2015:

So good! But, when I mentioned right off the top of the episode that she “was on fire” with this ongoing series {titled “Forgetting Is So Long”}, I was not kidding. Look at these beauties… and note the life-size SCALE:

What? The detail, the size, the palette… ALL OF IT. On. Fire.

Next, well, more images to show scale. I thought all of her work was small-ish, so I was pretty excited to find out the huge range she works within. That said, I feel the need to show you more:

Yes, I love them all. Small, medium, large.

Ok, onto the funeral paintings. This one is titled “A Bulgarian Funeral”:

Whoa. I’d love to stand in front of this in person. ps. that’s Daisy doing exactly that.

This next piece is one of her latest research crushes… funeral wreaths and the meaning behind the various symbols. Doves, banners, circular arrangements, etc:

Phew, luckily the dove is pointing up in this arrangement. Apparently facing down means you’re going somewhere other than heaven.

Speaking of heaven, this is where Daisy is right this very minute. Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. She’s there for a ten week residency {aka heaven}, so I thought I’d show you what she’s up to. A few really big wips {works in progress}, and apparently she stumbled on her very own print shop:

Sigh. Gorgeous.

And finally, I just can’t end a post without a shot of an artist with their work:

Beautiful, on every level. Thank you soooo much to Daisy for taking so much time away from her residency to hang out with me {and for telling me that ghost story – thank goodness voicemail now exists instead of answering machines!}; thanks to both Saatchi Art and Thrive Mastermind for supporting the episode; as always thank you so much for stopping by to look ‘n listen! There will be more art for your ear next weekend:

Other links:

1. Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Colorado
2. Multiple sclerosis 
3. Daisy’s Instagram
4. Pennylane Shen