Gasp! This installation, titled “Manifestation 8 : Permutation 1”, is the latest work by American artist Samuelle Green. I wrote about her beehive-like work {made from zillions of paper cones!} in 2019, and so the second I saw these pink velvet chairs show up on Instagram… well, I knew I had to write again! This piece was part of two-person show with Liz Miller, titled “Fiber Filled”, at Spartanburg Art Museum in South Carolina. Here’s a description of Samuelle’s work from her website:

There is structure and design inherent in the natural world which we constantly draw from and take for granted. We generally fail to acknowledge the skill, time, and detail required to manifest the intricate structures found in objects we encounter regularly – such as those found in bird and wasp nests, beehives, spider webs, rock formations, anthills, feathers, and countless others. Samuelle’s work, especially the large scale installations, reference these forms – inspiring contemplation. These natural forms are often met with human made, found objects.

Sigh. Beautiful.

Sculptures? Paintings? Yep! This is the gorgeous, and totally unique work of American artist Susan Maddux. After years in New York, painting textiles for the fashion industry, Susan made the jump to LA and her own fine art practice. Born in Hawaii, to a hapa Japanese-American family, Susan has “absorbed the influence of Japanese folk art traditions and Buddhist temples as well as the arts of Polynesia.”  Love! I also love this quote I found on one of her Instagram posts, and had to share it:

“All my life, people have told me [being an artist] was impossible, so I honestly never considered it a real option even though making things is all I’ve ever wanted to do. But what I discovered when I was at my lowest, is that ‘impossible’ is just a story. Stories are so powerful. Tell yourself a good one!” 

See? So good!

Don’t worry. They aren’t going to pop. Those squishy balloons are squishy at all… they’re resin! That said, they certainly create some drama with a capital D, no? This is the work of Belgian artist Christophe Delbeecke, and here are a few excerpts from an interview he did with Luisa Catucci Gallery, Berlin:

“I really love working with everyday objects because their banality offers a lot of different possibilities. We are so used to these kinds of objects that just a small modification can give them a totally new meaning, giving the chance to create something new and original … I love paradoxical things, because they push us to meditate and think in a deeper way. With the “Balloon Series” I wanted to materialize the tension between the balloons and the sharp objects, which upsets the “pre-installed software” of our brains. In fact, we think that the image we are looking at is actually impossible, but still it exists … The message behind my artworks is very paradoxical as well – it can be positive and full of hope like, for instance, “Nothing can beat me”, but once you switch the objects it can get really negative and hopeless.”

Oof, yes it can… I’m gonna opt for the “nothing can beat me” angle.

Fine, I won’t try to eat any of these pieces, but wow, that’s alotta eye candy! This absolutely gorgeous, joy-filled, I-wish-I-could-lick-it show is titled “Curious Matter”. Oh, how I’d love to sit in the middle of that happy space for an afternoon… so therapeutic. “Curious Matter” was installed at Skye Gallery Aspen, and featured the work of three fabulous female artists: Dan Lam, Yellena James, and Meghan Shimek. Now, who wants some sugar?

*Install shots by Jason Siegel

Mind-bending paintings… that are actually bent! This is the dizzying, vibrant, fabulous work of Kentucky based artist Gibbs Rounsavall, and here is part of his artist statement:

For over twenty-five years, I’ve applied a laser-like focus of study on the element of color and yet still remain fascinated by its emotional impact. How it can transport us through time, elicit memories and suspend perceptions of reality. This keeps my creative engine running in perpetuity. Using a methodical approach, I apply an array of vibrant lines that excite the eye, moving in and out, back and forth. This is composed on a variety of two and three-dimensional forms that stretch away from the wall inviting movement in order to be fully realized … Our attention is today’s most valuable commodity. Where we choose to focus our attention is directly related to the quality of our lives.

Love! Gibbs’ work is available through Galerie Robertson Arès, Montreal.

“Tasting chartreuse”, laying in fields of peonies, and sitting under tables at some of Canada’s most important art events. My first guest of this new podcast season is Anong Beam. She is an artist, a mother, a paint maker, and she’s from an Ojibwe family that is part of both Canada’s Indigenous history and art history. Now, if any of you use Beam Paints… and I already know that a LOT of you do, then you might recognize Anong as the founder of this beautiful, sustainable, creative brand. Listen right up there under Anong out in her happy place on Manitoulin Island, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, a little peak at Anong with her artist parents, Carl and Ann Beam:

How beautiful… and a part of Canadian Art History! You can read more about both of her parents and their work: Carl Beam / Ann Beam.

Speaking of work, here are some of the most recent pieces by Anong:

Gah! Gorgeous! The final image above is the first WIP in her dad’s studio. So, so special.

And of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a look at Anong’s absolute beautiful, hand-crafted paints. WARNING: Do not eat them, even though you’ll really want to:

Aren’t they stunning? And clearly her dad would be very proud… here he is, back in the day, making his own paint on the hood of car!

And finally, to THE GIVE-AWAY!

If you’d like to enter to win this little combo, brought to you by two artsy Canadians, just leave a comment here. I will draw ONE NAME next Saturday, September 18th and that lucky person will receive Beam Paints’ “Mixing Six” and a signed copy of my kids’ book, HOW TO SPOT AN ARTIST. Thanks soooo much to Anong for sharing all of her stories, thanks to Storyblocks for supporting this episode, and huge thanks to you for listening. There will be a brand new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR in two weeks. See you then!

Other links:

1. Beam Paints
2. Beam Paints on Instagram
3. Anong on Instagram
4. Carl Beam
5. Ann Beam
6. Ojibwe Cultural Foundation
7. Indian Residential School Survivors Society
8. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
9. No Such Thing As Too Much Art Society 
10. Storyblocks 

Elyse Dodge is a fabulous artist based in Los Angeles, but she grew up just down the lake from where I grew up! Yep, we’re just a couple of girls from the Okanagan Valley talkin’ about mountains, lakes, graphic design, murals and everything in between… ie., there are a LOT of tangents and side stories that have nothing to do with art, so just pretend your eavesdropping on two old friends {who’ve never met!} catching up at a cafe.

Alright, first up, a few of my favorites from Elyse’s gorgeous painting portfolio:

You know what’s coming… gasp! Yep. Speaking of which, here’s the painting that made me cry on Christmas morning:

Isn’t that gorgeous!? She captured it perfectly… probably partly because she knows those mountains and vineyards so well. ps. Is that my pink couch? No. Do I wish it was? YES.

Next, here are a few of the digital illustrations Elyse was talking about:

Breathtaking! And I love that this provides options for people when it comes to affordability. Smart, smart, smart.

Okay. Look at this… one of Elyse’s mountain ranges wrapping around a building!?

Gasp… again! This was a mural Elyse did for the 2019 Vancouver Mural Festival. 3000 square feet of surface to paint; 128 paint colors; 11 days of painting; 81 hours that she was onsite; 14 iced soy lattes; 3 almost full time painters; 4 single day painters; 4 babysitters to help watch her baby; 1 awesome husband to help at home. PHEWF! I just need to take a moment because I’m in awe. Stun. Ning.

Alright, I’m ready to keep going. Remember those skis I mentioned?

Now that is what a perfect collaboration looks like! She did this digital drawing of Cerro Torre in Patagonia for J Skis’ limited edition Masterblaster skis. Check out the skis right here, and buy a print of Elyse’s Cerro Torre right here.

Ooooh, and this mid-century beauty is “Lemon Drop”:

I love that she pitched this to a client. If you want to try new things, DO IT! You’ll be surprised by how many people want to come along for the ride! Oh, perfect segue:

Hahaha! Proof that Elyse can stand up on a surf board, and a lovely shot of her soon-to-be family of four! She’s going to be surrounded by a whole bunch of boys who love her so much. Thanks so much to Elyse for doing this with me during such a ridiculously busy time in her life; thanks to Create! Magazine for supporting this episode {link to submit below}; and thanks to you for listening. ART FOR YOUR EAR will be on a summer break through July and August, but back in action this September. If you need a tide over until then, please sign up for ‘The NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH ART Society” and I’ll deliver artsy goodness to your inbox every Monday through Saturday. Have a lovely weekend! ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Elyse on Instagram
2. Commission a painting or digital piece
3. Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver
4. Jeff Topham, Photographer
5. Vancouver Mural Festival
6. J Skis, Vermont
7. Tax Collection on Instagram
8. SUBMIT to Create! Magazine’s call for art: Wed June 30th DEADLINE

Ahhhh, Andy J. Pizza is back… and just in the nick of time! I’m sure you know about Andy’s inspiring podcast, “Creative Pep Talk”… which was exactly what I needed today! HELP. ME. ANDY. Yep, we’re talking about creative slumps, being in limbo, feeling like a deer in headlights … and then following the breadcrumbs (or chip crumbs) back to our creative paths. Seriously, this was the therapy session I’ve been needing. I hope you get as much out of this episode as I did… you might want to get yourself some pizza-flavored chips to really duplicate the bliss I felt. Listen right up there, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

Now, as I said, this discussion was more like therapy, but Andy and I did manage to talk about some artists that we both love to look at when we’re in a creative slump! Here are my three picks:

 

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Allllll of them make me wanna make stuff … and also eat cheese pizza. And, Andy’s three picks in the order he mentioned them: Carson Ellis  / David Shrigley  /  Tarō Gomi:

……

……

Wonky and wonderful… just like Andy! Thank you so much to Dr.Pizza for taking the time to counsel me talk to me; thanks to Wireframe for supporting this episode; and of course, BIG thanks to you for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

ps. Remember…

Other links:

*Okay, Andy mentioned waaaaay too many books and philosophers for me to keep up with, but here are the few I managed to grab:

1. Andy’s IG post about feeling stuck
2. “Whole Brain Living”, Book by Jill Bolte Taylor
3. “The Artist’s Way”, Book by Julia Cameron
4. Brian McDonald, “You Are a Storyteller” Podcast
5. Martha Beck, Author
6. Alex Voinea, Artist 
7. Helen Dardik, Artist/Illustrator
8. Embroidered pizza by @ipnot
9. Carson Ellis, Artist/Illustrator
10. David Shrigley, Artist
11. Tarō Gomi, Author/Illustrator
12. Wireframe {Podcast}

From a little kid growing up in the Bahamas, to a young woman setting the art world on fire! Bahamian born, Toronto based artist Gio Swaby is my guest today, and I could not be more thrilled. I met Gio a few years ago at an art show in Vancouver, and I’ve been following her ever since… lately she’s been hard to keep up with! Spoiler Alert: She just had her first solo show in New York and it SOLD OUT. I asked Gio all of my questions, and her answers covered everything from going to church in a bathing suit and jeans, to preparing for her first solo museum show… yep, quite the gamut! Look/listen right up there under Gio at her recent show in New York, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First, this is some of Gio’s work I saw the night we met, way back in 2018 at the “Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series” show:

See? THAT is why I had to track her down at the party! So. Good.

The next series I saw – thanks to Instagram – included a few of these pieces. These are the ones she often hangs in large grids and or salon style:

Love! The pieces above are from two series. The solid silhouettes are from “New Growth”, and the ‘drawings’ are part of “My Hands Are Clean”.

Next, just a few of my faves from Gio’s recent solo show, “Both Sides of the Sun”, at Claire Oliver Gallery in New York:

I said it before and I’ll say it again… What the wha!? I love them all so much.

And, what Gio and I both love more than we can say:

… Black women and girls “seeing themselves” in Gio’s work. No wonder she cried when those photos started showing up online. And yes, that’s Claire with Gio in the final photo. A force of nature x TWO! Thank you so much to Gio for taking time out of her insane schedule to talk to me for so long; thanks to Wireframe for supporting this episode; and thanks to YOU for listening! There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Gio on Instagram
2. Claire Oliver Gallery, Harlem NY
3. New York Times article
4. Museum of Fine Art St. Pete {Florida}
5. College of The Bahamas
6. Emily Carr University of Art & Design, Vancouver
7. Ontario College of Art & Design
8. Bisa Butler, Artist
9. Bisa Butler on ART FOR YOUR EAR
10. John Oliver ‘Last Week Tonight’ : Black Hair
11. Wireframe {Podcast}

Seattle based artist Emily Counts makes the most magical ceramic sculptures. Some of them hang on the wall, interlocked into beautiful narratives, while others tell their stories standing free… and ALL of them are gorgeous / make me wish i knew how to use a kiln! I have questions about Emily’s childhood {because for some reason I always want to know that part!}, we talked about how she found her way to ceramics, her current process, stained glass, mushrooms, grief, grandmothers, haircuts and more. Don’t worry. It’ll make sense. Look/listen under that lovely photo of Emily in her studio {shot by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine}, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

Let’s kick things off with the first piece of Emily’s I ever saw / instantly became obsessed with. It’s titled, “Forage and Pour”:

Looooooove. And yes, I popped another one of her wall pieces in there because, um, how could I not. It’s titled “Catenary Vessel”, and I love it too!

Next, Emily’s CERAMIC MURAL {!?}:

Isn’t that crazy amazing!? You might recognize it because I wrote about it, IN DETAIL, last summer. This was at Facebook’s Redmond, WA location, and part of their Artist-in-Residence program.

Oooh, next… some “portraits”, complete with stained glass eyes etc:

Aren’t they lovely? And they have Emily’s bangs!

Up next, interlocking vessels:

Ah, the mushrooms and flowers she talked about. Magical. Also, I really want to see Emily and her husband try to drink ginger tea out of these at the same time.

Finally, a peek at Emily’s current show, titled Souvenir. at Nationale in Portland:

See? This is why I’m such a HUGE fan of Emily. Oh my word, it’s all so gorgeous. I put in that final image so you could get a better look at the glass. What a renaissance woman! She make do it allllllll. Oh, and great news if you’re in Portland, this show has been extended until July 8th. Thank you so much to Emily for sharing all of her stories with us {and for encouraging me to get a kiln!!!}; thanks to Wireframe for supporting this episode; and great big thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR  YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Emily on Instagram
2. Bio photo of Emily by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine
3. “Souvenir” at Nationale {until July 8}
4. studio e gallery {Seattle}
5. SOIL show!… Brooklynn Johnson / Rachel Thomander / Ko Kirk Yamahira
6. Susannah Montague, Sculptor
7. Wireframe {Podcast}