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.
Join us for a fabulous conversation with Monica Ong!
Check out Monica’s work at her website - www.monicaong.com
Visit Monica’s micropress, Proxima Vera, at www.proximavera.com
Ep. 182 Abigail Kreuser – Photographer, Curator, & Co-Owner of Auric Gallery
Abby discusses how she and her partner Gundega came up with the name for their new gallery, being a serial entrepreneur, her journey as a photographer, getting her B.F.A. at the Rochester Institute of Technology, moving back to the Springs after college, her beginnings in curation, her first gallery space, her upcoming solo exhibition, her documentary project “Lucere”, the Colorado Springs art community and its small business community, Curate Your Space and the services they offer, the decision and catalyst to join forces with Gundega Stevens to form Auric, the balance of their partnership, their exhibition calendar, advice for people thinking about starting a gallery, exhibitions that she’s proud of presenting, and current and upcoming shows…
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. 177 André Lippard – Painter, Sculptor, Fusing Cubism & Surrealism
Painter, André Lippard discusses the mediums he works in, oil painting, multi-perspective technique, his early engagement with art, his Artist grandfather, when he first started painting, stepping out of your comfort zone, his Art education at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, instructors and mentors, sculpture, his love of Japanese culture, philosophy, Alexander Calder, Chuck Parson, the Industry of Art, his vision for his Art life, Picasso, Dalí, Van Gogh, separating the Art from the Artist, Art business, accessibility of the work, where he shows, business cards, obstacles he’s had to overcome, believing in yourself, local resources, city scenes, tracking hours and sales, originals, commissions, Tsukimi, his Gregoria series, Cubism & Surrealism, curation and goals for 2024.
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. 174 Ken Chapin – Smithsonian Exhibition - Crossroads: Change in Rural America
This week Wes and Todd welcome back Ken Chapin to Tenet to talk about all the exhibits and events that he is helping to produce for the Smithsonian Exhibition - Crossroads: Change in Rural America. Ken discusses the companion exhibits and events taking place around the Smithsonian exhibition, the theme of Agriculture, exploring rail and its importance to Trinidad and the surrounding area, “Corn Mothers," the role art plays in aging populations, “BRIM – The Solano’s Stories," “Tractor Trek,” feeding the wolf, “STEAM," “Grow Raise Make," “The 5 States of Colorado," the Trinidad Creative District, and what he loves about engaging and working in the Trinidad community.
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. 172 Warwick Saint – Painter, Photographer, Mixed Media Artist
Painter, Photographer, and Mixed Media Artist, Warwick Saint discusses growing up in South Africa, the influence of his parents on his art journey, studying philosophy and how it informed him as an Artist, his earliest engagement with photography, point of view, London, and his early photo career, the catalyst that jump-started his career, his first digital ad campaign for Nike, Eve, Harold Edgerton, photographing celebrities, LeBron James, building trust with your subject, travel, Burning Man, the decision to leave the world of commercial photography, being part of the solution instead of the problem, Lumadynamic Decomposition, body stacks, finding beauty in the grotesque, working in acrylic, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, scale, Love Saint, and showing up for the process.
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. 168 Marisa S. White – Fine Art Photographer, Photomontage
Marissa S. White discusses pancakes, digital art, AI, art festival categories, photomontage, portfolio reviews, process, technology, the compulsion to create, the encouragement she received in her youth from her father, the support of her husband, Surrealism, Magritte, clouds, Carl Sagan, meditation, spirituality, sizes of work, fear, goals, gallery representation, business tips, social media, art scammers, commissions, Art Store Fronts, PX3, contests & awards, exhibitions, and boldness in photography.
Ep. 167 Gina Teichert – Painter, Desert Noir
Wes and Todd sit down with Gina Teichert to discuss Tik Tok, Napa County, growing up in Nevada, National Geographic Kids, the influence of her Artist grandmother, “Hearts in SF,” her experience as a studio assistant, her piece “Atomic Madonna,” self-portraits, Magritte, pricing, freelance writing, the relationship between art & society, and her mantra.
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.