Crushing it in 2020: A positive lockdown story [98]

Apple podcast

This week, we feature our third positive lockdown story – this time, our guest is American artist Rachel Davis, who transformed her attitude and her art business when Covid forced the closure of an important show and the cancellation of all her plans.

Initially depressed and listless, Rachel was inspired into action after a friend held a successful online event. Despite her lack of technology experience, Rachel decided to launch her own virtual open studio and subsequently designed and managed a successful online fundraiser. She also had work selected for several prestigious shows and made a rather special sale. We both found Rachel’s story super-inspiring and we hope you enjoy it too.

Mentioned:

Rachel Davis https://www.racheldavisstudio.com/
This American Life Kid logic  https://www.thisamericanlife.org/605/kid-logic-2016

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If you are enjoying the podcast this is an easy and inexpensive way to help support it and ensure it continues. The demands of making it each week can be challenging. Your support is allowing us to hire some editing help. If you’d like to help out with a one-time or a monthly donation, you can “buy us a coffee” us at Ko-fi.com

Contribute to the podcast here:

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Do we have to like you to like your art? [97]

Apple podcast

How much does the artist persona matter? This week’s episode was inspired by two different listener questions. Cathie asked whether likability matters when it comes to appreciating art (for example, does it matter that Gauguin might not have been the nicest person?). Meanwhile, Pam asked how much she has to reveal about herself in order to sell her work.

Our discussion begins with great artists who were, let’s say, less than perfect. Does the fact that Caravaggio committed at least one murder mean that we can’t appreciate his art? If he had been alive today, would he have been shunned by galleries and collectors, thus depriving us of his work and influence? And how much does it matter if we find out that our favourite artists have traits and habits we don’t like?

We then go onto to discuss the importance of persona when it comes to selling our own work. How much – if anything – do we need to reveal? How honest do we need to be? Is it enough to simply show our work – or do we need to show more of ourselves? And what are the key messages we should be sending?

Mentioned:

Alice’s Connected Artist Club https://alicesheridan.com/artists/
Maggi Hambling documentary https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nx23
Mary Wollstonecraft statue https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/10/mary-wollstonecraft-finally-honoured-with-statue-after-200-years

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

If you are enjoying the podcast this is an easy and inexpensive way to help support it and ensure it continues. The demands of making it each week can be challenging. Your support is allowing us to hire some editing help. If you’d like to help out with a one-time or a monthly donation, you can “buy us a coffee” us at Ko-fi.com

Contribute to the podcast here:

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Success Stories: A Winter Boost [96]

Apple podcast

Some cheering stories for you! This week, we’re returning to a listener question from episode 93, when Cherrie asked if we knew of any positive lockdown stories. As the UK enters a second national lockdown, we decided to talk with two artists about how they have made the most of this strange year.

First, Alice talks to Faye Bridgewater, who has really stepped up her game in 2020, earning success after success as a result of her courage and hard work and following the seed of an idea.

Then, Louise chats to Gwynne Penny, who shares a heartwarming story of turning negative feelings into a beautiful and inspiring creative project. Both these conversations are a reminder that we cannot control what happens, but we can control how we react to it.

We also discuss our progress on our work and send our best wishes to Tracey Emin as she recovers from major surgery following a cancer diagnosis.

Mentioned:

Faye Bridgewater https://www.fayebridgwater.com/
Gwynne’s book https://www.gwynnepenny.com/memories-of-st-ives-in-print/
The Painter and the Thief trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohk9IQrmSc

Alice’s Connected Artist Wait List https://alicesheridanstudio.mykajabi.com/connected-interest

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

If you are enjoying the podcast this is an easy and inexpensive way to help support it and ensure it continues. The demands of making it each week can be challenging. Your support is allowing us to hire some editing help. If you’d like to help out with a one-time or a monthly donation, you can “buy us a coffee” us at Ko-fi.com

Contribute to the podcast here:

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Titling, Finishing and Framing – How to Present your Art [95]

Apple podcast

This week, we answer listener questions from Maroulla, Caroline, Helen and Jane, who all wanted to know about finishing and presenting work. We start with titles… how important are they? Is it OK to go with ‘untitled’ or can a creative title enhance the impact of a painting? And how do we come up with titles for our own work?

We also share our secrets for sealing and varnishing work, cover a variety of framing options, and finally discuss our approach to packaging (including where we think we can improve). As usual, we also catch up with what we’ve both been up to (spoiler alert – lots of painting this week!) and enjoy a special letter about creativity written by the author Kurt Vonnegut to a class of schoolchildren.

Mentioned:

Morten Lassen contemporary painter
Rebecca Hossack Gallery

Alice’s Connected Artist Wait List https://alicesheridanstudio.mykajabi.com/connected-interest

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

If you are enjoying the podcast this is an easy and inexpensive way to help support it and ensure it continues. The demands of making it each week can be challenging. Your support is allowing us to hire some editing help. If you’d like to help out with a one-time or a monthly donation, you can “buy us a coffee” us at Ko-fi.com

Contribute to the podcast here:

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License