Okay, first of all, LOOK… there are two little legs dangling out from under the ART FOR YOUR EAR bubble. Yep, that seems exactly right for an episode with LA based artist Esther Pearl Watson {there’s always something a little bit weird ‘n wonderful going on in her world}. So, I’ll cut to the chase. Both Esther and I have been feeling a little lost creatively lately, so we’ve got a new segment called, “Hey Mojo, Where’d Ya Go?”. Can you relate? I bet you can. We follow that with a weird art history trivia quiz, then we’ve given you some links to a couple of guilty pleasures we’ve been turning to, and I’ve kicked off the episode with a bunch of projects you can do at home. Listen right up there under the current state of Esther’s dining room table, and an example of one of her recent empty landscapes {that’ll make sense in a minute}, or you can subscribe right here.

Alright, first up, Esther’s pandemic recipe book!

How hilarious/gross is that!? You can find this, and a bunch of other fun stuff, in her shop.

Okay, we didn’t talk about this specifically, but Esther always paints narratives from her own life. A lot of those stories are from her childhood in Texas, but she manages to sneak in current stuff too… like, “Be Nice to Women”, for example:

Ha! Yep, that’s Martha! This is from a road trip that Esther, Martha and their friend Julie took to Texas in 2019. As you can imagine, any trip involving this crew is going to result in some pretty crazy scenarios… perfect material for new paintings? Clearly.

I wanted to include these pieces too… again, we didn’t talk about them specifically, but I love that Esther can be creative no matter what. In the project prompts I gave off the top, I suggested looking for materials that are already in your house. Well, look at this brown paper bag goodness that Esther made in 2018:

Love… and yes, her glittery pink flying saucers are always my favorite.

And finally, I thought I’d wrap things up with Esther working in isolation, and a positive message of hope on the back of a UFO:

Well now, ain’t that the truth! Thank you so much to Esther for adding me to her very long list of online calls she had to make on the day we recorded; thanks to Create! Magazine for supporting this episode; and of course, great big thanks to YOU for listening – there will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Esther on Instagram
2. Esther’s Global Pandemic Recipe Book
3. Vielmetter Gallery, LA
4. Webb Gallery, Texas
5. Create Magazine : Submission info {April 30th Deadline}
6. Jelle’s Marble Runs!
7. @thelesliejordan

Mmmm, donuts and hugs… I’ll take a dozen of each, please. Today’s episode is really just me chatting with my amazing, funny, smart talented friend, Philadelphia based artist Martha Rich. We used to talk on Skype all the time when we were working on “Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk”, so I honestly kinda forgot we were recording… sooooo for those of you who tell me you like the episodes that make you feel like you’re eavesdropping on two artists talking in a café – pour yourself a coffee, hug a chocolate donut, close your eyes, and pretend you’re out at your favorite coffee shop listening in. You can listen right up there under that sprinkle-covered goodness, or subscribe right here.

First, an example of the pointy petal, cut paper pieces Martha’s been working on lately:

Loooooove. Also, the title of that piece? Yep, I LOVE that too. Plan accordingly, people.

Oooh, and here are a few grabs from her illustration job in New York Times Magazine:

She’s so good. And to all of you Americans out there, what does Martha want you to do? …

Yep. Ask your senators to make sure the November 2020 election happens!

And, I had to include this:

Hahaha! Yep, Martha and her voiceless cat, Mack, in her glass doorway. The two B&W photos are from a new series that her friend, photographer Andrea Cipriani Mecch, is doing in Philadelphia right now titled #FamilyAtADistance. The first one is Martha’s official photo, the second is clearly the most perfect outtake ever! AND, look, she’s really doing it… the paper installation on her door is underway {hm, I really should get my box of clay out at some point.} Thanks so much to Martha for hanging out with us for an hour, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Fiskars Ring Knife 
2. Beauty is Embarrassing {Wayne White Documentary}
3. Mimi Pond, Artist
4. More movies I mentioned: Fur / Frida 
5. Movies I forgot to mention : Finding Vivian Maier / Big Eyes / Saving Banksy / Kusama Infinity
6. Photo of Martha above: #FamilyAtADistance : Photo series by Andrea Cipriani Mecch

You asked {ok, more realistically, you shouted} and I listened … yes, New Orleans based artist / bedazzled ray of light, Ashley Longshore is back on the podcast today. I turned the interview over to you guys this time, pulling questions you left on my Instagram feed last week. Well, Ashley answered everything from advice on pricing work, and how to collaborate with big brands – to her thoughts on vajacials {which is a real thing, btw}, and who takes those Instagram photos of her sitting on the toilet. Yep. We cover it ALL. My favorite part of this whole interview though, is the answer she gives right off the top. Question number one, sent in by one of you: “What is the first positive thought ashley actively focuses on when anxiety hits hard.” Her answer is beautiful and something every single one of us should be doing every single day… right after we brush our fangs!  You can listen right up there under those diamond-encrusted / golden chompers, or subscribe right here.

First up, true vulnerability in all its glory… Ashley’s brand new, very powerful self portrait series:

Ashley as: Clown; Housewife; Sex Goddess; Businessman; Wonder Woman… yep, that just about covers it. Ahhh, so many expectations from the world, so little time. I couldn’t help but wonder if these pieces were inspired by this recent photo of Ashley on holiday last month:

Yessssssss! How absolutely fabulous is THAT shot!? What a babe. Now, speaking of being unapologetically vulnerable, the two ‘on the toilet’ photos one of you had questions about:

Hilarious! That said, she can get pretty fancy in photos too… you know, while doing things like guest-judging on Bravo’s Project Runway:

 

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A post shared by Ashley Longshore (@ashleylongshoreart) on Jan 23, 2020 at 2:41pm PST

Hello, style. I loooove that photo {taken by Grady Brannon} on the staircase with Ashley and her fabulous friend, fashion designer Christian Siriano, so I had to pop it in the post too.

And, of course, the coloring pages she just released a few days ago:

Love, love, love!!! Keep your kids, or yourself, busy by downloading all of them right here {and then email a photo of your final masterpiece to Ashley at: hollywood@ashleylongshore.com !}

And finally…

YES! Let’s all get up, make our beds, brush our fangs, and throw on our big girl panties so we can get through this crazy time TOGETHER. Thanks to Ashley for doing this with me {again!}, thanks to the Thrive Network for supporting the episode, and huge thanks to YOU for listening! Stay home. Wash your hands. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. ~ Danielle xo

ps. If you wanna get in on the ‘distracting yourself with art’ daily hashtag, please do! There are now over 8000 posts and it’s really inspiring and fun to be part of. See ya on Instagram at #30DayArtQuarantine

Other links:

1. Download Ashley’s coloring pages
2. Food Banks to donate to: USA / Canada
3. #30DayArtQuarantine on Instagram
4. Bright Minded with Miley Cyrus {Ashley’s episode is on WEDNESDAY APRIL 1!}
   
5. Email address to use if you want to send Ashley your resume: ashleyart@ashleylongshore.com

ART FOR YOUR EAR, the quarantine episode. Yep, my son Charlie and my husband/producer of the podcast, Greg, are going to be my guests today… whether they like it or not! Where else do they have to be? Literally NOWHERE. Yep, we’re all sequestered away in our house together, so I figured I’d cram all three of us into the podcast pillow fort. I’m gonna quiz my boys on some art trivia, get their thoughts on one of my favorite collages from art history, and then finish things up with “The Not-So-Speedy-Speed-Round”… x TWO. You can listen right up there under the 2007 Krysa Kiss ™, or you can subscribe to the podcast right here.

First up, I’ve gathered all of the bits of art history we discussed… including Michelangelo’s mallet-smashed nose {who knew?}:

Wow. That’s it. The podcast is over an hour, but this was a very short post! Oh well, it still does the trick. Thanks so much to Greg and Charlie for taking time out of their busy quarantine lives to do this with me; thanks to Artist/Mother Podcast for supporting the episode {and listen to my interview with them on Monday – it will be right here}; and as always, thanks to YOU for listening. Stay home, wash your hands, and make art. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Artist/Mother : Crit Group Sign Up {April 1 DEADLINE}
2. Face distorting Photo Booth App
3. Art Trivia Quiz
4. #30DayArtQuarantine on Instagram
5. Info on the Richard Hamilton collage via the Tate
6. CJ Hendry, Artist {episode no.140}
7. Melissa Meier, Artist
8. Wes Anderson Movies: Fantastic Mr.Fox ; Grand Budapest Hotel ; French Dispatch – out in July
9. Taika Waititi Movies: Jojo Rabbit ; Hunt for the Wilderpeople

As promised, I finally have a new episode for you … and it’s another old school edition! In fact, it’s super duper old school because we’re both children of the 70s and 80s, and I don’t think we left one retro stone unturned. I just wrote about New York based artist Tara Lewis a few of weeks ago, and I loved her work so much that I just had to reach out and see if she’d come talk to me. Luckily, she said HELL YES! Listen right up there under that “TROPHY WIFE”, or you can subscribe to the podcast right here.

First up, a whole bunch of Tara’s gorgeous portraits, most of which we talked about specifically … starting with the Lone Ranger:

… and finishing with “PREP SCHOOL”. ps. This is the painting Ashley Longshore bought!

Next, the installation Tara was talking about at her most recent show in New York {Lyons Wier Gallery}:

Text wallpaper! And, I absolutely LOVE that she included these artifacts from her studio as part of the show. Socks, ping pong paddles, pageant banners and, of course, TROPHIES! Yes, it’s true… Tara loves trophies, and always has apparently {she won her school’s Spelling Bee year after year only because she really liked how the trophy looked!}. Look at these beauties:

HELL YES, indeed.

Speaking of which…

 

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A post shared by Tara Lewis (@taralewisstudio) on Sep 9, 2018 at 9:39am PDT

Tara’s art walking down Michelle Smith‘s runway! Definitely a “pinch me” moment.

Ooh, I had to include a few of these Instagram shots of Tara’s models showing up to stand beside themselves on the gallery wall:

 

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A post shared by Tara Lewis (@taralewisstudio) on Jul 2, 2019 at 7:19am PDT

Um, what? Yes, that is Brooke Shields – posing/blowing the best bubblegum bubbles ever – in Tara’s studio. Here’s the first of at least eight or nine paintings of Brooke that will be in an upcoming show:

So cool… especially for those of us who grew up in the 80’s and most likely had these magazine pages on our bedroom walls:

See, she was a top-notch bubble blower back then, too! Also, how dreamy was Christopher Atkins in Blue Lagoon? Sigh.

And finally, Tara and I, official “Rainbow Girls” forever:

Hahahahaha! I had to. Seriously, it was physically impossible for me not to put this in the post. Thank you so much to Tara for coming on the podcast, and huge thanks to you for listening … and while I’m saying thank you … great BIG thanks to all of the health care workers out there who are putting themselves in front of this virus every day in order to help other people. Help them do their jobs. Stay home if you feel sick, and wash your hands like someone’s life depends on it.

Other links:

1. Tara on Instagram
2. Phillips Exeter Academy (where Tara teaches)
3. Lyons Wier Gallery, NYC
4. Michelle Smith, Fashion Designer
5. Brooke Shields
6. Stephanie Vovas Photography
7. Will Cotton, Painter / Katy Perry album cover

Today’s episode is very different than the usual ART FOR YOUR EAR. I was supposed to have New York based artist Tara Lewis as my guest, but both of us are sick. Never fear, I’ll have her on next week!  I thought I’d just skip this week altogether, but at the beginning of last week’s episode, I told you I was saving up some super deep and reflective stuff for today, so brace yourself. I have to tell you… I am nervous about hitting PUBLISH. I sat at my computer for ages trying to decide if I really should tell this story or not. It’s not about art, so if you’ve come to hear an interview with an artist, well, you’ll have to come back next week. I decided to tell a very personal story… a story that I’ve never told publicly before. It’s not something I talk about very much… in fact, I try not to think about it very much either. That said, a couple of weeks ago, on February 17^th, I put a post up on Instagram, and so many of the responses gave me chills. This short, very personal episode is the result. Thank you for listening, and if you don’t want to listen, that’s okay too. Click play under that big bouquet of apologies, or you can subscribe to the podcast right here.

Yep, she does that to a lot of artists actually – not on purpose, of course – it just kinda happens. Artist consultant extraordinaire, Pennylane Shen is back on the podcast! Last time she was on we did a segment titled, “Pennylane Calls Bullshit”, but today she’s going to share the four biggest reasons people tend to cry when she shows up in their studios. I have a feeling all of you will relate to at least one of the reasons, if not all four. You can listen just right up there under an artsy chicken-or-egg situation {Okay, the photo of Penny and the plates – by Robert Therrien – came first, which then inspired the drawing of Pennylane to be included in a mural by Vancouver’s “Phantoms In The Front Yard” collective. LOVE!}. Oh, or you can also subscribe to the podcast right here.

See? Photos of Penny looking at art, inspires more art. AND, not only does she know how to look at / talk about art, she also knows exactly how to stand in front it:

They’re all so artsy and poetic! {Artists above: 1. Rajni Perera ; 2. Marigold Santos ; 3. Rudolf Stingel ; 4. Jenny Saville ; 5. Yayoi Kusama ; 6. Richard Serra at Museum Voorlinden, NL} Note to self: don’t look straight at the camera and say CHEESE. I tried to do that during the Vancouver Mural Festival, but Pennylane made me climb a ladder and gaze off into the distance:

Worked like a frickin’ charm! And look, there’s even a little Liz looking up at me from the bottom of the shot… LOVE. Thank you so much to Pennylane for A. not making me cry today, and B. for being so generous with her time and information. Speaking of which, clearly I had to include a link to the “recipe” for those chip cookies… it’s in the list of links below. Thank you to the Thrive Network for supporting this episode, and huge thanks to you for listening!

Other links:

1. Thrive Network
2. Pennylane on Instagram
3. TedX Nashville
4. “Shit Arlo Says”, Modfellows Gallery March 22
5. Chocolate/Potato Chip clusters … I mean, WHAT?

Aloha! Yep, I’m back from Hawaii feeling refreshed, and I’m excited to bust some more creative myths with my friend, and creative guru, Andy J. Pizza. Before we get to the myth-busting though, I am doing a bit of reading… off the top, I’m sharing an email I received from an artist {and podcast listener} named Sally Podmore re: the idea of “labeling” ourselves as one thing, and one thing only. Her email immediately reminded me of a chapter I wrote in one of my books, so I read that too! Grab yourself a coffee, or settle into the studio because it’s storytime! You can listen right up there under Andy and all of his magical friends, or subscribe to the podcast right here.

First up, a peek at Andy’s super inspiring class that he recently did with Skillshare…

 

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A post shared by Andy J. Pizza (@andyjpizza) on Nov 12, 2019 at 6:25am PST

Gah! It’s all just so, so, so good. He’s one smart cookie, that Mr. Pizza.

So, last time Andy was on the podcast, we started a series called “Creative Myth Busters”! It was so much fun that we decided to keep it going…

Yep, we busted three myths on today’s episode, all of which were sent in by you guys: 1. “The only art worth making is the art that flows through you instantly”, 2. “You’re not legit if you’re self taught”, and 3. “Everything’s been said/done, so there’s no point in trying.” Ooof. Big ones. Okay, so what’s the best way to bust myths? Analogies! Here is one of the many we used, actually illustrated by Andy…

Ah, it’s funny cuz it’s true.

And finally, I’d like to leave you with this…

YES, let’s go do that! Thanks so much to Andy for busting more myths with me; thanks to art consultant Alissa Sexton for supporting the episode; and thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. ps. I hope you’re about to start rewriting your labels the second this episode finishes!!! 

Other links:

1. Alissa Sexton, Art Consultant : Website Services
2. Andy’s Skillshare class
3. Emily Henderson’s design Skillshare class
4. Me at TEDx Nashville, March 20-21 {I think I talked about this, right? If not, I should have! Tickets on sale now}
5. Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk {book}
6. The list of 30 subjects for an Instagram/day challenge {so you don’t even have to think of them yourself… ie., no excuses}:

1. water
2. circle
3. texture
4. fly
5. five
6. new
7. upside down
8. horizon
9. open
10. vintage
11. blue
12. mirror
13. cold
14. lines
15. noisy
16. boat
17. pattern
18. fur
19. bright
20. sweetness
21. balance
22. cold {yep, accidentally included it twice?!}
23. intersection
24. peak
25. grow
26. red
27. twins
28. simple
29. delicious
30. twilight

Have fun!

I am so excited for you to listen to this episode! American artist Phil Hansen is my guest today, and we’re going ‘old school’ with this one. Was he an art kid? Did he go to art school? How did he end up doing an absolutely inspiring TED Talk? Did he really make a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe out of earthworms? Is he seriously going to rip up one of his pieces and give the chunks to some of you!? Let’s find out! Listen right up there under Phil and all of the portraits of Phil, or subscribe here.

First things first, a few grabs from his fabulous TED Talk:

“Embrace the Shake” … such an inspiring story and message! To watch it in full, click right here.

Alright, next. Grabs from his project titled, “Just Peachy”, ie., Trump made from canned peaches, because, impeachment:

Apparently the whole thing turned to mold and required an air purifier for the room it was in, along with having it closed off from the rest of the building. Sounds about right.

Okay, moving on. Edgar Allan Poe’s portrait made from 7000 WORMS!?

Ew. But also, WOW. That’s dedication. *All worms were returned to the earth.

Ahhh, happy little stamps:

 

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Happy little stamps 🙂 . . . . . #art #artist #artistoninstagram #design #stamps #stamp #bobross #philinthecircle #happylittletrees

A post shared by Phil Hansen (@philinthecircle) on Jan 14, 2020 at 8:03am PST

So, if you’ve already listened to the episode, you’ll know what this is about:

Yep! Get over to Phil’s instagram feed, @philinthecircle if you want a chance to win one of four framed pieces of this “destroyed” portrait … good luck!

Speaking of Bob, here’s the info for the event I’m doing at my local gallery that also happens to have a Bob Ross show opening in March!

Gah! I cannot wait to see a few Bob’s happy little landscapes in person! Also, how much do I love that my photo is next to Bob’s on an event calendar?! Okay, and with that I will say a huge thank you to Phil for “philling” in the circle for us, thanks to YOU for listening, and thanks to my family for letting me sneak away on our Hawaiian vacation to get this podcast up! There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. See you then!

Other links:

1. Phil’s Instagram to enter the Bob Ross giveaway
2. Phil’s TED talk, “Embrace the Shake”
3. My talk at the Penticton Art Gallery, March 11, 2020

Yep, he’s back! Minneapolis based artist / gallerist Terrence Payne has returned for a second installment of … “PAYNE POINTS WITH TERRENCE PAYNE”. Today we’re tackling the good, bad and ugly around social media… what to do and what to avoid. He’ll also be telling us some insane stories about tattoos and potato chips, because he’s him. Let’s get started, shall we? You can listen right up there under that blob of butterflies, or subscribe here.

First up, a look at the sloths Terrence was talking about for his latest show {titled “Stand Ins” that opens on February 8th at Rosalux Gallery in Minneapolis!}:

The amount of work he puts into each piece is just insane… hence the work in progress shot above, once he begins drawing.

Here is another piece for the same show, with a different type of WIP image:

Yep, that’s the digital version that he figures out on the computer. See? So many steps just to get to the “coloring” phase.

Ah yes, and I have to show you this…

The baby devil skeletons that the bathroom construction guys assumed was for Halloween. Fair enough 😉

And finally, I know Terrence said ‘no photos of your dogs and babies’ on your art feed, but since we talk about his sweet dogs and his amazing wife, Carolyn, so much, I thought I better throw in this little gem from a couple of years ago:

Awwww… and now you can see the face that goes with the voice you’ve been hearing! Thank you so much to Terrence for sharing his wisdom… and ridiculous stories; thanks to the THRIVE Network for supporting this episode; and as always a HUGE thank you to you for listening! ART FOR YOUR EAR is slowly climbing up to the top of the list in the Visual Arts category on Apple Podcasts, so if you wanna help it get to the top I’d love a rating/review to make that happen 🙂 Thanks! There won’t be an episode next weekend because I’ll be flying to MAUI {yassssssssss}, but I’ll be posting a brand new episode from there the following week. See you then! ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Rosalux Gallery
2. “Stand Ins”, Terrence’s upcoming show at Rosalux
3. SQUARESPACE
4. Terrence on Instagram
5. Ashley Longshore episode re: building a team
6. THRIVE Network / Resource Library
7. Booooooom
8. Colossal