I needed a little art therapy, so I called the best doctor* in the business… Andy J. Pizza. *Okay, he’s not a real doctor, but I’ll take any pizza-flavored creative pill he prescribes! We’re talking about ladders, dreams and sweatpants. Yep. I also shook things up with this week’s intro by turning it into an interview too! My lovely friend Alexandra Laqueur is the head of education at the European Cultural Academy, and an expert on all things Venice… we did a couple of TOP 5 lists for you (I think both might include gelato). You can listen right up there under Andy’s smiling face, or subscribe to ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you download your podcasts.

Okay, there’s not too much to show you today, but I had to make sure to include Andy’s chart of “Invisible Things”, and his MELANCHOLY tattoo, of course:

Love it! Aren’t they all just so great!? I think my favorite might be that little “weirdness” slug.

Speaking of love… VENICE! Here’s a photo of Alexandra waiting for a gondola, and a few fab snapshots from my past trips to this magical place:

I mean, you can’t make that up!? I’ll be teaching part of the Contemporary Art Course (August 8 – 19, 2022), and there are a few spots left if you wanna come with me! It truly is a life-changing couple of weeks.

Huge thanks to Alexandra for turning my intro into a lovely interview, and thanks to Andy for coming on – AGAIN – with such wonderful advice! I plan to start digging into all of my WHYs, and I’m excited to see what I find. And of course, thank you for listening!

Other links:

1. Andy J. Pizza on Instagram
2. Susan Cain Interview on Creative Pep Talk
3. Susan Cain’s book, “Bittersweet”
4. European Cultural Academy on Instagram
5. Ask the ECA a question
6. Sign Up for the Contemporary Art Course

Yep, that image pretty much sums it up! Large-scale, hyperreal paintings on custom-cut panel, and a pug named Mochi. I love this episode so much. Barcelona born, New York based artist Gemma Gene is on the podcast today, and she is not only super talented, she’s also hilarious! You can listen right up there under Gemma & Mochi, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First, a bunch of perfectly painted metallic balloons, Mochi for scale, and a couple of gigantic bows on cut panel:

Gasp! Gorgeous! ps. I threw in that last image as proof that these are actually paintings. 

Next, a few very, very special gems:

Awww, that little gem right in the middle is ‘Yellow Gem’, Gemma’s baby girl! And yes, her name really is Yellow (not Maria) which might be the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. Oh, and that action shot is what Gemma and I were talking about re: dropping off a commission to Voltz Clarke Gallery… as the paint dried!

Okay, now we’re going back in time a bit to where it all began… objects wrapped in aluminum foil, because, who doesn’t love an insane challenge:

… and clearly a painted foil lobster is the gateway to foil lobster sculptures!

Next [drumroll please]… iiiiiiit’s MOCHI!

Gah! Too much cuteness… I can’t handle it! Also, can you see why she must be absolutely exhausted!? Yeah, me too.

Of course, a little plug for both of Mochi’s books is a must:

Hilarious! “Living with Mochi” is available right this second, and “Pugpyhood” can be pre-ordered.

And finally, I obviously had to include this beauty… Gemma, Mochi and the Twinchis in matching iridescent outfits:

Ah-mazing! Also amazing… everything about this conversation! Thank you so much to Gemma for taking the time to share her hilarious stories, and of course, thank YOU for listening. I’ll be back with a brand new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR  in two weeks.

Other links:

1. Gemma on Instagram
2. Mochi on Instagram
3. “Living with Mochi” Book, Available now!
4. “Pugpyhood” Book, Releasing Sept ’22
5. Tom Cote Book, Illustrated by Gemma
6. Voltz Clarke Gallery : New York
7. Gallery RED : Mallorca, Spain
8. Steven Holl Architects

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}

… nope, and it often doesn’t! California based artist, illustrator, business owner, mother Carissa Potter Carlson is on the podcast today! Now, you might know her as “People I’ve Loved”… she does have over HALF A MILLION followers on Instagram, so you could very well be one of them.

Now, if you listen to this podcast regularly, you know I have a format… but today I was highjacked! That’s right, Carissa tried her hardest to interview me!? Yep, it gets tricky when you turn the mic on someone who’s used to asking all of the questions. Anyway, this may not be the ‘normal’ AFYE, but it sure is a lovely, open, kinda raw talk between two artists who are “bad at keeping secrets”. Listen right up there under that very frank mermaid, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, the graphic she posted {yet another truth bomb} when I was on her show:

Yep, WE ARE ARTISTS! Ah, that was fun… even though I made her cry and then I almost cried. But other than that, all good!

Next, a few of her art installations. Paintings and text and objects, oh my:

So funny. So smart. So bluntly insightful. Also, I could not love those birds more.

Ooh, and I have to show you Carissa’s work inside this VERY yellow ball pit at the Color Factory in San Francisco:

I want to go to there. I think ‘Celine Dijon’ is my favorite… or maybe imagining that I’m swimming in a big bowl of lemons. Love, love, love.

Okay, let’s take a peek at a few of my favorite things from the ‘People I’ve Loved” shop… from greeting cards to enamel pins:

HA! Now I want a reason to apologize to someone, just so I can send them that BUTT card!

And finally, because I’m 100% sure Carissa will have no problem sharing, a few photos of her sweet little family. Singing Josh, and baby Margaret:

Go, Margaret, go! Ahhh, I loved this episode so much. It took a left turn before we even started, but shaking things up is always fun. Thanks so much to Carissa for always being so kind, thoughtful and TOTALLY open; thank you to Wireframe Design Podcast for supporting the episode and, of course, huge thanks to YOU for listening! There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Carissa on Instagram
2. People I’ve Loved {shop}
3. Bad at Keeping Secrets {her newsletter}
4. Carissa’s BOOKS … that we didn’t even discuss!?
5. Present Perfect Literary Agency {aka the ‘Kate’ we kept talking about}
6. dooce.com {Heather Armstrong! I remembered right, and it does still exist.}
7. Cystic Fibrosis
8. Mare of Easttown {TV show on HBO/Crave}
9. The NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH ART Society {my newsletter}
10. Wireframe Podcast {today’s sponsor!}

I am soooo excited to have Kenesha Sneed, aka @tactilematter, on the podcast today! Now, it’s hard to pin point what Kenesha does… because she does so much! Painting, illustrations, murals, ceramics, brand collaborations, and most recently she’s become the author and illustrator of a beautiful children’s book titled “Many Shapes of Clay, A Story of Healing”. It’s such a lovely and uplifting book which, sadly, came out of losing her father suddenly in 2018. I’m sure many of you know, I also lost my dad unexpectedly in 2018, so a book about healing sounds really wonderful to me. Kenesha and I are starting from her childhood in “the dirt”, and working our way right up to today. You can listen right up there under Kenesha looking fabulous, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, a peek at some of the ceramics that, well, changed her life!

Gorgeous! Ummm, how much do I love that she was going to the ceramics studio before work, during her lunch break, and then again after work!? Clearly, she’d found her thing.

Another thing she happens to be realllllly good at… painting, both small and LARGE-SCALE!

Love! The top most mural is the first one she ever did {with help from her partner, and her brother-in-law, artist Nathaniel Tetro}. The swimmer at the bottom was the five-panel piece she was talking about. Her colors and shapes are so, so, so fantastic.

Oka, and today’s main attraction… Kenesha’s very first, absolutely beautiful children’s book, “Many Shapes of Clay – A Story of Healing”:

Such an important message, delivered in such a lovely and caring way. I need it… I think we all need it.

And finally, a huge hug and a big thank you to the two men who would have loved this episode:

Actually, I bet they were listening. Thank you so much to Kenesha for not only coming on the podcast today, but for writing such a beautiful story. I hope it helps children {of all ages} deal with grief, and more importantly, help them with the healing process. Thanks to you for listening, there will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Kenesha on Instagram
2. “Many Shapes of Clay”, AVAILABLE NOW!
3. Prestel Publishing
4. Present Perfect {Literary Agency, San Francisco}
5. Nathaniel Tetro, Artist / Brother-in-law!
6. Otis College of Art & Design, LA

Sigh. These gorgeous mixed media pieces by London based artist/illustrator Rose Blake make me want to cry. I miss galleries, and everything in her “Now I Am An Artist” series makes me miss them even more… art, people, actual clothes, leaving my house in actual clothes to see art and people. You get it. Speaking of galleries, Rose’s fine art pieces are available through Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.

ps. She is represented for commercial illustration worldwide by B&A Reps, and for children’s books by Bell Lomax Moreton.

“Hanging By A String”, 2020. You can say that again. All of these pieces are part of a personal series {graphite, colored pencil} by Chicago based artist/illustrator Vicki Ling. Here are her words about this work:

“The theme I am exploring with this series of work is the feeling of insecurity brought forth from the potential catastrophes of modern life.  Contemporary lifestyles tend to obscure various crises that spontaneously erupt, from privacy invasions to public health issues and from climate change to personal emotional disorders, etc. I’m interested in surfacing that sense of tension and insecurity and raise these issues to our collection consciousness in this collection of work. Each composition leverages a red string as a visual device to represent the tension of modern life. Fragile objects interact with the string in an almost impossible way to create a direct challenge to the balance and harmony of the overall scene.”

Well said, and beautifully executed. As I write this post on the afternoon of November 3rd, I can’t help but wonder about the balance and harmony tomorrow may or may not hold.

Le sigh… this is the absolutely lovely work of Norway based, Quebec artist / illustrator Isabelle Feliu. I have been a little bit obsessed with seashells in my own work lately, so when I came across these personal pieces {ink and gouache on paper} by Isabelle, well, I was instantly smitten. Soft pastels, elegant lines, feminine subjects… is it just me or can you smell the powdery, rose-scented perfume that would go perfectly with this post? Happy Friday.

ps. Isabelle’s personal work is available in her shop, or reach out to her for commercial illustration projects right here.

Yes! Today’s guest on ART FOR YOUR EAR is New York based artist and illustrator Amber Vittoria. We have been overlapping on projects throughout this crazy quarantine, so clearly I took that as a sign from the universe to get her on the podcast! Amber works almost exclusively with the female form, which – you guessed it – I asked her about. Turns out, she worked in advertising at the beginning of her career, and found that she couldn’t relate at all to the images of women being used – so she started creating her own, very stylized bodies. Anyway, we’ll start at the beginning and work our way up to those stories! We recorded this a couple of weeks ago, knee deep in lockdown so take a listen right up there under that curvy, flower-carrying lady, or subscribe right here.

First up, the results of a six week artist residency she did earlier this year at Facebook’s Analog Lab in New York:

See why I asked her about these pieces? I love the work so much, and her reasons behind this series:

“Inspired by the modern embrace of individuality within office spaces, this risograph poster series leverages bright and colorful portraits of women heading into work. Historically, women and their personalities tend to be quieted or ignored within an office setting; these portraits aim to be a playful nod to celebrate how society has began to empathize with womanhood and the stories, thoughts, and ideas women bring to the table.” 

Amazing, right?! Okay, up next … Ambers’s HAPPY SOCKS!

So much fun! This was one of my biggest take-aways from this episode… that Amber continues to create the work she wants to create, using her very personalized style of drawing female figures, and the brands come to her FOR HER! This is the dream, and she’s living it.

Speaking of brands, here’s a lineup of some of her collaborations, starting with this pair of shoes she did with K-Swiss:

Not only are these sneakers delicious, I mean gorgeous, listen to the concept behind them:

“Through the bright colors of “This Space Is For You,” this collaborative K-Swiss Classic pair celebrates the space women have made to express themselves both physically and emotionally. The woman in the piece also pushes to create even more space, representing the continued crusade for intersectional feminism and equality amongst genders. This collaboration had an international release on International Women’s Day.”

Next, her mural that is installed in the Warby Parker shop in Boston:

So cool! I scoured Amber’s Instagram feed for the photo she took when she popped in for a visit, but alas, an official interior shot will have to do.

But wait, we’re not even close to finished! How about the work Amber did for the “social launch of Marc Jacobs’ Daisy Love Eau So Sweet scent. The pieces embody the bright scent of Eau So Sweet, leveraging fruity decoration, daisy iconography, and warm musk coloring.” Yeah they do:

I can’t handle all of this goodness… and we haven’t even gotten to Gucci yet:

The first piece was a commission for Gucci’s DIY knitwear collection and the second illustration was for a perfume campaign.

Oooh, and this just launched! Amber’s latest class on Skillshare came out a few weeks ago, and is titled “Intuitive Illustration: 4 Quick, Fun Exercises to Unlock Creativity”:

She shares all sorts of tricks for getting out of your head… which you just know I absolutely LOVE!

Oooh, this is brand new info too. I just curated a new online show on Showfields’ site, and of course I reached out to Amber to ask for a couple of her pieces. She said, yes:

Yes! I love everything she does, but there’s something about this soft, blurred colors that speak to me. These two pieces are originals and are still available… but I’m betting not for long!

And finally, I had to include a few process shots. I love that she combines digital and analog in her work because, as she said, that kind of defines her creative experience so far. Here she is adding analog to the digital right in front of our eyes:

Love! Speaking of love… she posted that ‘line and scribble or lollipop or rose or a stop sign’ on Instagram a couple of days ago, and I just had to share it... oh art, the possibilities really are endless. Sigh. Ok, with that I will say thank you so much to Amber for doing this with me, and thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Amber’s online shop : Originals / Prints
2. Amber on Instagram
3. Amber’s class on Skillshare
4. Showfields x TJC Show
5. Happy Socks… go get some!