Savvy Painter Podcast With Antrese Wood

The creative process works differently for everyone. If you are an artist you know that. It’s even possible that what works for you for some time, in terms of how you go about preparing to create your art, stops working later in your career. In this fascinating conversation with John Brosio, I had the privilege to chat about those changes and what to do when they happen. We also tried to dive deeply into what goes into the creative process and why artists are responsible to connect their work to things the viewer already knows in order to communicate with significance and power. It’s a great conversation with a fun guy, so I hope you take the time to listen. What goes into YOUR creative process and what will you do when it doesn’t work? During this conversation with John Brosio, I asked what his creative process looks like - I wanted to know the basics of how he sets up his studio and prepares himself to create. What I got was a quick lesson in dealing with distractions and the necessity of remaining flexible

Parker Stremmel is the Gallery Manager at Stremmel gallery in Reno, Nevada. The gallery opened in 1969 with an outdoor and wildlife emphasis, but by 2003, it evolved to reflect a modern focus. Today Stremmel gallery specializes in contemporary paintings, drawings, and sculptures by mid-career and established American and European artists. In this episode, Parker and Antrese Wood talk about why galleries have limits with the number of artists they work with, the benefits of standing by artists as they experiment and grow, and how Stremmel talks to collectors. They also talk about the cornerstone of a healthy They also talk about the cornerstone of a healthy artist-gallery relationship: honesty, communication, and why Stremmel Gallery employs some counter-intuitive tactics to help their artists grow and succeed. Parker tells the harrowing story of when a visitor slammed his fist into a Trompe L’Oeil piece to see if it was real- luckily the piece was undamaged. This episode is sponsored by Trekell Art Supplies.

Jennifer Balkan didn’t start out to be an artist. She earned a Ph.D in anthropological sociology, but after seeing master paintings in France, Italy, and Spain, she knew she had to switch gears and study art. Jennifer shares about how she transitioned into full-time painting, her experiences with galleries, social media, looking out for yourself, and balancing painting life with family life. Jennifer offers tips on pushing yourself to be your best, determining which galleries to work with, and working through grief. She stresses the importance of both working hard to learn the language of painting, and of playful riffs and exploration.Support the show

Realist painter Chris Leib’s artistic journey began by way of anthropology and a near-miss with a career in real estate. An apprenticeship with Roberto Lupetti provided a foundation from which his talent could organically grow. Leib discusses overcoming setbacks, including an explosion that forced him from his home and studio, life with a fellow artist as your spouse, and the habits and mindset that contribute to productive creativity.Support the show

Gillian Pederson-Krag paints still-lifes and figurative work from her home in New York. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1961 and her MFA from Cornell University shortly after. As a child, Gillian visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York often. She was particularly fascinated by the Egyptian mummies and the concept of death. Later, she had a pivotal experience of being moved by the Egyptian artwork, and that experience of being moved, of connecting on a human level through visual language became a cornerstone of her work, something she continually returns to and strives for. Gillian believes that part of a painters discipline lies in the act of daydreaming - spending a certain amount of time being a host to whatever images and feelings visit, and then allowing those to incubate until they from a painting.Support the show

Brian Rutenberg is originally from South Carolina. He received his BFA from the College of Charleston, and his MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I think you will really enjoy this conversation- Brian talks about his idea that in the big picture, art fails us, it is lifeless and incomplete. Wait— what?? When I heard Brian say that, I’ll admit I had a split second of judgment, you know, like someone had just insulted the love of my life and I needed to defend my love. But what Brian goes on to say is quite beautiful, and illustrates the role of the artist in this dance with our canvas. Brian also shares his idea that art is part skill and part insanity. I loved diving down that rabbit hole- it brought us into skill, spontaneity and the difference between making and creating. Then we talk about Brian’s painting rituals, his family life, and how that inspires his work.Support the show

Zoey Frank is a figurative painter from Colorado. She studied at the Juliette Aristides Atelier in Seattle and then went on to get her MFA from the Laguna College of Art and Design. Zoey is in love with the figure. She shares her process, and her experiments freely in this episode. I really enjoyed talking with her about her current work, in which she is playing with observation, imagination, and photography. We also talk about the instability of this career choice we’ve made and how that can really affect our mood. Zoey shares the tactics she uses to deal with uncertainty- tactics that focus on reconnecting with the joy of making things and creating.Support the show

Susan Jane Walp paints still lifes from her home in Vermont. Her compositions expertly balance silent spaces with a powerful geometry that pulls you in and holds you. Her influences range from Piero de la Francesca to Lennart Anderson whom she met and studied with at a summer program run by Boston University during her undergrad years. Susan and I talk about how she constructs her paintings, and how she balances precision with those spontaneous a-ha moments. We dive pretty deep into how she sets up her subjects. She has the patience to leave things open enough for change and for something larger than herself to manifest. Susan also shares how painting phases coincide with the phases of the moon.Support the show

Like many artists, Billyo O'Donnell struggled with the decision to pursue art as a vocation. But standing in his boss's office at a Missouri saw mill, Billyo came to a life changing realization. He saw that there are no safe paths, and decided he might as well take his own chances. So he carved his own path in the world of corporate illustration, negotiating a brilliant deal with his employer that got his paintings into corporate collections across the U.S. After being rejected from multiple galleries in his home state of Missouri, a painting trip to California inspired Billyo to start his own painting ventures. We talk about the uncertainty and dedication in multi-year projects, how the NEA contacted Billyo and expanded on his project, plus the book that followed: “Painting Missouri.” We also talk about the plein-air events and what Billyo looks for when judging painting competitions plus how he sees the art world changing in the next few years.Support the show

Kathleen Speranza is a painter from Massachusetts. She earned her BFA from Boston University and her MFA from Yale. She teaches painting and drawing at Rhode Island School of Design. Her current obsession is portraits. Portraits of flowers. And according to Kathleen, flower paintings are sometimes akin to stepping on the third rail. There are so many stereotypes that go along with this subject that tackling it can be dangerous. Particularly for a female painter. But Kathleen, I think, is fluent in the language of color. She understands their subtleties and arranges them masterfully on her canvas. Allowing each its place so that the subject sings. I am completely fascinated by, the topic of color so I grill Kathleen on her palette organization, her interest in the Munsell Palette and when she chooses to use it. We talk about life, and yes, having one informs our art. As much as we’d like to lock ourselves in an ivory tower and paint 24/7, it just doesn’t work. We circle back to this topic a few times - as it r

You are listening to the 100th episode of the Savvy Painter podcast! To commemorate this exciting event, I’ve been working on something special for you. I’m collecting the very best quotes and observations from artists interviewed on the Savvy Painter into an ebook. You can sign up to get your free copy at http://savvypainter.com/ebook In the early eighties, Trici Venola was an early adopter and jumped into the digital art scene. She created fonts for Zap Comix artists including Robert Crumb. She got to know the comic artists she adored and was in the very first issue of Juxtapoz Magazine. I was introduced to Trici by good friends of mine, Rachel and Dan DiPaola, back when I was a young punk, fresh out of college working at Disney. Rachel was the project manager, I needed some help, so Rachel brought in Trici. Years later, Trici abandoned everything and moved to Istanbul, Turkey to draw the architecture and the people there. As she will tell you, it was a very bumpy road. She has many colorful stories of the

Rebecca Crowell creates luscious abstract paintings which are inspired by her travels and memories of places. In this episode, Rebecca and I talk about working with cold wax, and how playing with the medium encouraged her to switch from representational to abstract painting. We also discuss the discomfort artists feel when they transition from a style they are known for into something completely new. We dig a little into her process of both a painting and a body of work she might create after experiencing a place through her travels. Because I know artists do have lives outside of the studio, I asked Rebecca to share what it was like when she and her husband started their family. She talks candidly about her challenges with raising her sons while keeping up with her painting. I really appreciate Rebecca’s curiosity and love of creating. Although she might be most known for her cold wax paintings, she also makes mono-prints and is learning about carborundum printing, a technique I was unfamiliar with so I aske

Zaria Forman makes pastel drawings of glaciers and icebergs and the changing landscapes of places like Antarctica, Greenland, and the Maldives. She does this to bring attention to climate change and to honor her mother who started it all. Zaria shares how taking risks and having the courage to grow has been an essential part of her journey. We get into the nitty-gritty of how she works: from curating thousands of photographs, getting just the right shades of blue for her pastel drawings, and even a bit on how she runs her studio. Zaria’s work has been featured in National Geographic, she recently gave a TED talk and she was invited by Sven Lindblad as an artist aboard Lindblad expeditions. We talk about how all that came about. Anyway, as you’ll hear, we geek out a little bit, and I loved every second of it. There is a moment in this interview when Zaria tells me about what she is doing with some noises she recorded in Antarctica. My geeky little heart skipped a beat when she told me who is helping her and wh

Greg Decker is a symbolist painter, living in southern New Mexico. He holds two MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degrees, from Cranbrook Academy of Art (MI) and from the New York Academy of Art (NYC).  He’s studied with renowned painters such as Leland Bell, Fairfield Porter, John Moore, Vincent Desiderio and Martha Erlebacher. I never thought I would hear Beethoven and the Ramones mentioned in the same sentence, but that’s what Greg does, he weaves together ideas from history, literature, philosophy and diverse sources to create his work. Thank you to Julyan Davis for bringing Greg and his luscious paintings to my attention. Go to SavvyPainter.com to see Greg’s work- it really is a treat, and for links to   everyone we mentioned. While you are there, make sure you don’t miss an episode- sign up sign up for show updates and free guides by clicking on the yellow button in the sidebar. I’m working on a couple more goodies for you as we speak. A very special shout out goes to Liz Cutler, Aimee Hoover, Tracy Everly, Kae

Timothy Horn paints rural landscapes around Marin and Sonoma counties in northern California. He fell in love with painting after a chance encounter with another artist who has been on this show- Stanley Goldstein. Just a few years later, Tim shut down his graphic design business to focus entirely on his painting and he hasn’t looked back. In this episode, Tim shares how he got started, what he needed to learn about painting before he was ready to get his work out, and how he made the transition to a full time painter. Tim and Antrese also talk about how Tim chooses painting events to participate in, how he managed his time starting out, and also the conflict that comes with being 100% dependent on the sales of your art, while having a family and making the time to paint.Support the show

Ann is a figurative painter based in Seattle. If you are not familiar with her work, you definitely want to spend some time to really look at what she is doing in her painting. On the surface you’ll note her distinctive brushwork, how she weaves ribbons of color through figure and background, and plays with edges. But as she will tell you herself, she is constantly setting up challenges for herself to push her painting further.   She’s a painter’s painter, which is probably why during these interviews when I ask an artist if you would like to own a painting by any living artist, whose would it be, Ann’s name comes up often. She received her bachelor of fine arts from Rhode Island College and her MFA from Yale University.   Ann has been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her painting - including a Guggenheim Fellowship. She has had solo shows at the Portland Art Museum  and the Weatherspoon Art Museum, in North Carolina. Ann’s work can be seen in person at the Dolby Chadwick Gallery in San Francis

Celia Reisman paints suburban landscapes - specifically the neighborhood she has been living in for over 30 years.    In this interview discusses her process of creating these paintings and how she adapted her work methods to fit her personality.    Observational drawings are integral to her work method. While she does paint plein air, it is her field sketches that feed her large scale studio paintings.    She talks about memory, instinct and how she constructs her large scale works -not being satisfied with traditional proportions for example. Early on, Celia played with an extremely limited palette, which is probably why she has such a sensitive eye for color.   This episode is a lot about Celia’s process of making a painting: the shifting balance between planning and having control while letting the painting evolve throughout the process.  Support the show

Skip Whitcomb grew up on a Ranch in Colorado, without much encouragement to pursue art as a vocation. Following his parents advice, he enrolled in college to study business, but quickly realized his heart was somewhere else. Skip has been painting landscapes of the western United States for over forty years now. In this conversation, Skip and I talk about learning the craft and then taking every opportunity to flex your wings, to test them and see if you can fly. We talk about artist communities, their natural cycles and how having a sympathetic ear from time to time is crucial.    Skip shares the frustration of pushing through dissatisfaction, or plateaus in his paintings. I think - or hope- we all go through this at some point as we master certain skills and go on to explore new concepts. How one deals with these issues greatly impacts our growth as artists. Eventually, technique becomes less important than why you are using it. “Why?”, not “how?” is the question we would be better off  asking.   Skip is a

Ray Roberts is a California painter, who paints landscapes and figures both in studio and en plein air. He is best known for his seascapes, figurative work, and landscapes of California and the Southwest. Ray has won numerous awards for his paintings including Gold Medal for "Best Painting" at the California Art Club and the Artists' Choice Award, the highest accolade from fellow artists, at several major Southwest art events. Several times in this interview, we mention Peggi- Peggi is Ray’s wife - the other half of the Kroll Roberts Studio- You may remember Peggi from an earlier interview on this podcast but if you have not had a chance to listen, check the show notes for a link to my interview with Peggi Kroll Roberts - she and Ray form a unique partnership and often host workshops together.   **Support the podcast** Savvy Painter is a labor of love. It takes significant resources to keep it going, if you find inspiration or value in the Savvy Painter interviews, please consider making a mode

Kurt Moyer is a landscape painter living in upstate New York. He pulls inspiration from nature, and from studying the master paintings that came before us. As Kurt will tell you, some mysteries in painting don’t need to be solved in order to have a full,  rich experience with them. Kurt is content to let some of that be so that he can focus on light, color, and the thread that weaves through his work and ties  all the way back  to Cezzane, Balthus, George Sorrell, and many other artists. In this episode Kurt and I talk about seeing. About getting that authentic impression of color and light and not being a slave to your own eyes. We also talk about how new experiences or simply time can completely change the way you look at paintings that maybe you have seen many times before.  Support the show