Um, that’s embroidery. Yep. I am beyond thrilled to have Trinidadian – now Florida based – artist Nneka Jones on the podcast today. She finished her BFA less than a year ago, and her work has already graced the cover of TIME Magazine. Seriously. You can listen right up there under “Yellow Light”, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First, let’s take a closer look at that stunning piece above, along with more of her work that focus on abuse and the sex trafficking of women and girls:

Aren’t those insane?! Can you believe she just started working with embroidery in 2018?! Speaking of which, here are Nneka’s very first few stitches:

I mean, seriously. She is a genius! Her first attempt?! With a pack of floss from Walmart?!

Well, that experiment worked out really well. Would you like to see the other experiment? Bring on the CONDOMS!

The story behind her use of condoms is pretty awesome… hilarious and weird, but Nneka nailed it!

Soooo, when I graduated from art school, I don’t remember TIME Magazine asking me to create a piece for their cover. Maybe I was out when they called? Look at this stunner:

As I said during the episode, I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! What an accomplishment… and there are so many more fabulous moments ahead of this young woman. Speaking which, here’s something for her to be proud of too… the time-lapsed video of  Nneka painting George Floyd:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nneka Jones (@artyouhungry)

So powerful. Using her paintbrush and her breath to “make sure the voices of those who are no longer with us are heard.”

Next, these are the zipper pieces we mentioned. The pink zipper is finished (+ a WIP shot), the pink / gold zipper is the painting Nneka said was painting highlights onto for HOURS:

See? That’s why I had to ask if it was a real zipper! So, so good.

And finally, the extra little bit that I recorded after we’d said “goodbye”. Dear Universe, if you’re listening, Nneka and I would like to make this collaboration happen:

Right!? Amanda Gorman reciting poetry while Nneka stitches & paints. I’m picturing a live event, beautifully filmed and set to music. How amazing would that be?! Okay, it’s out there now… let’s make it happen! Thank you so much to Nneka for coming on the podcast. I cannot wait to see where her career leads. And, as always, thanks so much to YOU for listening. Next week will be the 200th episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR, see you then! ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Nneka on Instagram, aka @artyouhungry
2. University of Tampa’s Art + Design Department
3. Time Magazine
4. Save the Children
5. Amanda Gorman, Poet

I’ve wanted to interview American artist Beverly Fishman for years… but, honestly, I was too intimidated to ask! Not only has she shown her work all over the world, she was also the head of the painting program at Cranbrook for 26 years. Yeah. Anyway, long story short – I asked, she said yes, and here we are! I’m so excited for you to hear this episode… it’s filled to the brim with stories, insights, and no-nonsense roll up your sleeves ‘n get to work advice. You can listen right up there under Bev and her jaw-dropping work, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First, the group of Bev’s paintings {!?} I posted a few months ago:

Yes, they’re paintings. Craziness.. they are literally glowing!

Here’s the piece I was referring to when I asked Beverly about titles. This is “Untitled (Digestive Problems, Asthma, Depression, Depression)”, 2019, Urethane paint on wood:

Gorgeous … who knew digestive problems, asthma, depression, and depression could be so fabulous!? Well, Bev did.

Up next, her carpal tunnel causing collages:

I love that her work translates into so many mediums, yet you always know it’s “Beverly Fishman”. Speaking of which… from paintings of pills, to pills made with glass:

Gasp! Aren’t those STUNNING? These beauties were the result of  her 2011 Guest Artist Pavilion Project (GAPP) residency at the Toledo Museum of Art. I would love to collaborate with a glass artist at some point… okay, I’m officially putting that on my very detailed “list of things I want to do”.

And finally, I had to include a few of these gems from the 80s & 90s:

Seriously. Such a kick-ass woman! Huge thanks to Beverly for coming on the podcast to share her stories, insights, and fabulous advice… and, of course, thank YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. ps. If you’d like to subscribe to ‘The NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH ART Society’ to receive my new daily art deliveries, you can sign up right here. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Beverly on Instagram
2. “Prometheus Bound” {Painting by Rubens}
3. University of the Arts, Philadelphia
4. Ree Morton, Artist
5. Cynthia Carlson, Artist
6. Yale University
7. Mel Bochner, Artist
8. Elizabeth Murray, Artist
9. Eva Hesse, Artist
10. Cranbrook Academy of Art
11. Mark Bradley-Shoup, Artist {episode no.12}
12. Petah Coyne, Artist {episode no.186}
13. Sydney Blum, Artist 
14. Samantha Fields, Artist & Educator {on the podcast: ep.91 & ep.153}
15. Bev’s Art Institute of Chicago Talk … watch it on YouTube
16. “Love Letter to LA” at Gavlak Los Angeles, May 1 – June 5, 2021

NFT… WTF? Yes, it’s been a weird week filled with news articles about digital art selling for millions of dollars. Huh? Exactly. Well, after reading way too many articles that still didn’t really help me understand what an NFT is {Non-Fluffy-Towel?}, I invited my good friend, artist Trey Speegle, to come on the podcast to give us the inside scoop, because if anyone can put the FUN in “Non-FUNgible Tokens”, it’s Trey! He dipped his toe into the NFT pool this past Wednesday, so we talked on Tuesday for the “I wonder what’s going to happen” conversation, and then we hit record again on Friday for the “did anything happen or not” follow up! You can listen on the player above, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, here are a few of the vintage shadow boxes Trey was talking about… ah, where it all began:

This was the first of Trey’s work I ever saw… obviously, I fell in love immediately! Here are a few of his more recent pieces, from his “Political Animals” show:

GRAB is my favorite. So clever.

Alright, let’s get into it shall we? Here are a few of Trey’s freshly minted NFTs:

I really like the statement Trey wrote on the subject, so I popped that in there too. Wait, could he mint and sell that too!? Probably.

So, wanna see the NFT that sold for over $69 million at Christie’s on Thursday? Here you go:

“Beeple, EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, 2021”. Congratulations, Beeple… this is definitely one for the art history books!

And finally, a quick peek at a couple of things. One: the piece I did for Trey’s “69/19” show at Gallery 52. One of the theme’s the artists could choose was Woodstock, and it called to me. Two: baby Lamonte and Lamonte celebrating his Sweet 16 in January:

Boobs, and an Ewok in a bowtie. You’re welcome. Thanks so much to Trey for coming on and sharing his NFT experiment with us, and thank YOU for listening! There will be a brand new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. TreySpeegle.com
2. Trey on Instagram
3. YoNo Mints
4. Rarible 
5. Christie’s Auctions
6. Beeple, Artist
7. Trey’s Post on NFTs
8. Gallery 52 on Artsy
9. My piece at Gallery 52 {boobs!}
10. ‘The NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH ART Society’

HAPPY! That’s the word that pops into my mind when I see the vibrant, candy-colored work of Canadian painter Andrea Soos {who’s clearly been an artist since childhood!} Andrea’s process is just as joyful as the final piece: “she may not know the outcome of the piece when she begins – the artwork evolves as a visceral and therapeutic practice, driven by music and song lyrics.” LOVE! Andrea’s work is part of a group show that opens TODAY. It’s titled “Brushstrokes”, and can be found at ARTWRK.ca {an online gallery by Alissa Sexton}. Here’s the description of the show:

“Do you speak brushstroke?

An artist’s brushstroke can be as unique as their voice, and as recognizable as a written signature. For this show, I’ve brought together a handful of my favourite artists, who, on the surface, could be seen to be painting similar subjects. However, the beauty here is in comparing the individual brushstrokes, or voices, of the artists. In one show, we’re able to compare individual strokes and methods of paint application, to fully understand the diversity of this painted language.

Featuring some of our favourite painters: Kara McIntosh / Sharon Barr / Johanna Reynolds / Sue A Miller / Andrea Soos“

“Brushstrokes” runs until March 25th, 2021.

Okay, I was already missing traveling, but now I want to go traveling and then go swimming when I get there. These quiet, dreamy ink wash paintings are the work of Swedish artist Jon Koko. Yes, Swedish… but with a deep love for Japan:

‘After my first encounter with Japan, something indescribable happened inside me. You could say that my life changed completely from that point. The Japanese aesthetic and art became my main source of inspiration, while at the same time I was experiencing a sort of spiritual awakening.” ~ via Pen Magazine

The final piece above, titled Blå Vass {Blue Reeds}, definitely feels like a spiritual awakening to me. Love.

Some of Jon’s work is available in his online shop.

Be still my collage-loving heart! This is the gorgeous {and beautifully cut!} work of New York based, South Asian artist Maya Varadaraj. In all of her work, Maya “engages South Asian material culture to redefine feminine narratives and representations.” I came across her work because some of these collages are currently included in a group show, curated by Nico Wheadon, at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Here is the gallery’s description of “Home Body”:

In ‘Home Body’, Elia Alba, Baseera Khan, Sola Olulode and Maya Varadaraj offer visions of personhood that transcend the labels, limits, and roles prescribed on Earth. Here, the body is not merely a vessel for participation in the material world. Instead, it is what poet Rupi Kaur describes as a colony of miracles—a home, or interior world, to return to and find refuge in. As we approach a year of learning to live with social distance and self quarantine, a reimagining of the body as sanctuary has never felt more timely or essential.

Ah, so well said. Happy Monday.

PAINT CHIPS. Two artists eating chips while talking about paintings? Yep! My two passions coming together! And who better to have along for the very first episode of this new experiment than my good friend – who’s always up for pretty much anything – Philly based artist / illustrator / educator Martha Rich. Martha sent me some chips from Pennsylvania, UTZ Honey BBQ to be exact, we both picked a painter we wanted to talk about, and then we hit RECORD. It was weird, but fun… and isn’t that the whole point? You can listen right up there under that artsy paint chip, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, Martha’s pick… Surrealist Leonor Fini {1907 – 1996}:

See? This is why I suggested popping over to here to see what we were talking about. Cats and ladies on shelves, a wrinkly beautiful portrait, and a scene that inspired quite a few questions from both of us. Speaking of a lot of questions, here’s my pick. American painter Amy Bennett:

Whaaaaat?! Yep! Look at the worlds Amy creates before she even starts painting. Crazy amazing. Clearly, I have to get her on the podcast to hear all the ins and outs of these possible crime scenes. Okay, most of them aren’t crime scenes… but I’ll still take the case!

Finally, a peek at Martha’s in-progress cut-outs, my clay cigarettes, and the super cute UTZ girl to wrap things up:

Awww, isn’t she cute?! So, there we have it. The very first PAINT CHIPS episode is “in the bag”. Get it? Yeah you do. Here’s to many, many, many more bags of chips {maybe some dip next time}, and a bunch of conversations about fabulous artists! Thanks so much to Martha for always saying yes to my weird suggestions, thanks to my hilarious husband Greg for not only coming up with this idea but also editing every single episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR {it’s so much work but he does it happily every week!}, and as always, thanks to YOU for listening! There will be a brand new episode next week. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Martha Rich on Instagram
2. Leonor Fini, Artist
3. Amy Bennett, Artist
4. Georganne Deen, Artist
5.  Mike & Tom Eat Snacks, Podcast
6. Henri Rousseau, “The Sleeping Gypsy” 1897
7. Matisse’s Cut Outs via SFMoMA
8. Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC {where Martha teaches}
9. UTZ Snacks!

Ahhh, sipping coffee in the studio while admiring these colorful, patterned blankets draped on hooks. Or not. They’re wood… flat, hard, unable to flow! And if you want to get really specific, here’s the materials list: Dye, UV absorbent lacquer, on plywood with nylon cord and wire {no cloth!}. Oh my word, this is the fabulous work of Chicago based artist and educator Dan Gunn. Some of his work is included in “The Shallow Act of Seeing” currently showing – until May 16th – at John Michael Kohler Arts Center {Sheboygan, WI}. “Pushing against the very qualities that define their medium, artists Dan Gunn, Bayne Peterson, and Rachel Beach defy the physical rigidity of wood and confound expectations of its use.”  They sure do! Happy Friday.

Ahhh, I will never ever get tired of seeing portraits painted by UK based artist Sarah Ball. These are few of her recent paintings from 2020, and just like every other post I’ve written about her {2013 and 2015}, I’m smitten. Such quiet softness, both in technique and mood. Here is a description of her work via Stephen Friedman Gallery:

Beautiful. Follow Sarah on Instagram, and find her available work at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London.

Annnnnnd, exhale. Maybe it’s because my backyard is covered in snow at the moment, but I can almost smell these these candy-colored grasses as they sway gently in the warm summer air. Ahhhh, maybe one more deep cleansing breath for good measure. These are a few of the most recent paintings {acrylic on canvas} by Canadian artist Jennifer L. Mohr and, as you can probably tell, I love all of them! The scale, the palettes, the quiet landscape that begs us to slow down:

“I was grown from the prairie and everything in my creative practice leads back to those roots.  As a child, growing up on a grain farm in the vast grasslands of Saskatchewan, I spent much of my time wandering outside alone, quiet, observant, and introspective.  Those formative moments fueled in me a deep identity-connection with the landscape and everything within it.  During those years, I also formed a proud identity as an artist, influenced by the somewhat unconventional cultural experiences provided to me by my family, which allowed me to feel unique in our conservative rural community.  The concept of place-identity first began to influence my artwork as early as my fledgling oil painting practice at the age of 8.

In my current creative pursuits, I continue to be drawn to the subject of the prairie and my relationship to that landscape.  My feelings of belonging and oneness with the prairie environment are reflected back to me in the artistic process.  In my artwork, I translate my observations of the landscape into inventive color, reactive mark-making, and expressive energy in an attempt to portray the magic of reciprocity between my identity, the landscape, and my art.” 

Sigh. Happy Monday.

ps. Follow Jen on Instagram to see all of her gorgeous #WIPs and inspiration photos, and you can buy her originals here, and her prints here.