artchatter with Gaynor Leverett-Jaques & Karen George
The artchatter podcast offers a fortnightly conversation between two working artists, Karen George and Gaynor Leverett-Jaques, about their creative lives and friendship. Each episode mixes personal anecdotes with discussions about art, providing listeners with an inside look at how artists think, work, and support each other. The show is designed to inspire both practising artists and art lovers who enjoy hearing about the realities of making art. Expect informal, friendly chats that balance the practical and the philosophical aspects of the artistic journey.
Episodes
129 - getting back after the summer
We’re back, baybeeee… Studio socks activated! After your summer distractions, it’s time to regroup. A quick reflection and let’s get to planning how we now navigate autumn - and winter? Time to sort ourselves out. Ready? We’ll hold your hand. Whatever the situation you’re in, Karen and Gaynor have a few ideas to get back to it. Let’s hear your ideas too. Oh and if you’re new to the artchatter podc
128 - ready for the holidays
Get ready for the invasion of small humans. It’s THAT time again, people will visit, tiny creatures will devour your brain cells AND energy. Grandparent artists will find their days filled with love and sticky fingers; parent artists will become personal chauffeurs, chefs, and/or entertainment officers. There will be tantrums (mainly from artists who need some creativity time).Then again, how do w
127 - five years! or, on complicated words
Holy heck, it’s been five whole years of mixing up friendship and art. Thank you. What’s changed? Hair cuts, glasses, we’ve had exhibitions, photo shoots, attended art fairs, been nominated (came second!) for a women’s business award and started a club (
126 - catching up
It’s six months into the year, we’re all doing things and chasing our tails. It’s time to see what else needs doing and what we need to tweak to make life easier on ourselves. Karen has a club, Gaynor is in new galleries, but both are still turning up to do the other things that are important to them. Still making mistakes, still learning, still having minor disasters… still laughing (mostly!) and
125 - enjoy being you
About the podcastArtchatter: Podcast of the Year Award Runner UpWomen’s Business Awards 2025 https://womensbusiness.club/awardsGaynor Leverett-Jaques and Karen George are both full time artists, living and working in South West of the UK, sharing lessons and experiences of the ups and downs of living their best artist lives.You can find more about them and their work on their websites or by fo
124 - connecting
It can be isolated, isolating and a bit lonely being an artist. Running a business completely alone can also be a bit daunting, tricky to navigate, and overwhelming at times. What to do? Well, it may be time to find some support, other art friends, make connections, find your online tribe or an actual real life community. Both Karen and Gaynor have benefited from widening their circles and conside
123 - flourishing
Right time, right place… sunshine, food and the perfect drop of water, add in the ideal companion or two… violà, success! Plants and humans are the same in that respect. What fires your imagination? Are you grabbing the right things to help yourself flourish, chatting to those who encourage growth? What helps you to get where you’re going. Today Karen and Gaynor are giddy about the paths they’re t
122 - getting on with it
Today is our editor’s birthday 🎈 sending him giant love, thanks and a big fat squishy mummy hug 😉 Now let’s get on with episode 122 of the pod… Procrastination, manifesting, dancing around, considering it all, planning and everything else eventually needs to turn into action. Let’s get on with it, shall we? So do hit the subscribe button on whichever platform you listen to Artchatter on, it’s easi
121 - our approaches to being artists
Episode 121 - our approaches to being artistsMy goodness... We've talked about what being an artist means, and how labels like "artist" might (or might not!) be useful. Now it's time to focus in on our own practices. What makes the two of us artists? And what does the practice of art mean to us?Do hit the subscribe button on whichever platform you listen to Artchatter on, it’s ea
120 - what makes you an artist?
Episode 120 - what makes you an artist? Holy heck, this is a BIG topic… we have lots to say and would love to hear what you think. Here’s a quick dictionary definition: ‘Ultimately, being an artist is a personal journey and identity, defined by the act of creating and expressing, making it a fundamental way of living for many, not just a job title’ Well that sounds great, but what does it even mea
119 - are we labelling ourselves?
We all wear many hats, class ourselves as this or that. But who are we and which label do we claim first? Which title are we most proud of? Clumsy, funny, shy, outgoing, mother, father, child or friend? Here’s the big question for today though…How do you label yourself - which labels limit you, which enable you, and which labels make you glow with happiness? Do hit the subscribe button on whicheve
118 - believe it or not
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right" Henry Ford Karen and Gaynor are delving in to how we much inner strength, self belief and hope we all need as artists. How do we brave social media, public opinion or our own self doubt? How do we get brave enough to put our souls (not dramatic at all!) out on display. Obviously, we have thoughts… So do hit the subs
117 - back again!
Oh heck we’re a bit rusty. Where’s Gaynor’s microphone? Has Karen got her podcast cough back? We’re having a bit of a jiggle up, here; diving deeper into things… slightly more structured schedule, making time for little breaks throughout the year. So do hit the subscribe button on whichever platform you listen to Artchatter on, it’s easier than marking your calendar! January for Karen and Gaynor h
116 - chasing numbers
We made it through another year together! How wonderful. Now to consider our dreams, create a wish list and send everyone love for a beautiful and peaceful 2026 Now, as always, we invite you to tell us what your plan for finding your way is, there’s lots more to chat about. Thank you, too, to all who listen, DM, send messages and have made the last four years so much fun with #artchatterpodcastSig
115 - how do you find your way back?
Ugh. Are you people pleasing in your art? Do you do what YOU love or do what you think others will love and approve of? Karen and Gaynor explore coming back to themselves and the work they want to create. Maybe you feel the same way about your work too. It’s time to stop playing safe, find our way to ourselves. Let’s start working as we want to, showing up how we want to and really enjoying it! No
114 - repeating patterns
Hands up who’s created a pattern to their year that’s become a dull routine of “but I always do this”? When do we need just stop our old routines of turning up at the same place and hoping this time it’s different? Have we created our own annual merry-go-round, showing up out of habit without purpose? Is it time for a change where we jump off the ride and make positive changes rather than repeati
113 - procrastination
Well, holy heck… our cheeky little podcast, artchatter, hasbeen nominated for a Women’s Business Club Award https://womensbusiness.club/awardsWHAT? We are so very grateful to the listener(s) who nominated us. Unfortunately we can’t attend the awards ceremony in person on 3rd December, but we’ll be live online…holding our breath, obviously! This is a big deal for us. We’re not famous, we don’t have
112 - silly season
It’s that time again! Prepping for the selling season, getting everything planned, staying up late to ensure our organisation is tip top. Packing boxes, unpacking boxes, hanging work, wrapping work. Is your payment machine up to date and charged? ;) That’s all well and good, but let’s calm down for a second and remember why we’re doing this, and where we need to be. Let’s get a plan (of sorts) so
111 - dealing with disappointment
Humans and artists alike face many disappointments. Things don’t go as we’d hoped. Rejection. Lack of sales. Paintings not behaving. However, it’s not the event that defines us, it’s how we deal with it. Yeah, sounds great, right? Sounds easy too. But hoooooow? Wellllll we could journal (@karengeorgeart pales at this idea) or talk it through (now she’s slightly green) or we could face it, relegate
110 - bravery
It’s all been done before. There’s nothing new. We just can’t find anything original to present to the world. Everyone else has got a great offering. Everyone else has got it sussed. They’re doing all the things. Are we just copying? Are we offering the same old, same old? So why do it at all? Hang on though, let’s consider this, maybe doing it our way IS the original part. We’ve seen a million re
109 - resetting
Righty-ho, we’ve reviewed allllll the things we’ve been doing. What do we work on now? What are we carrying forward and what are we gently expelling from our lives? Let’s get specific, grab some details and prioritise how we move forward. Break steps down rather than plunging in to the deep end and make sure we’re aligned with big ideas we’re swimming towards. Do you have small and large rewards f
108 - in review
We often overlook appreciating how far we have developed, but in order to consider what we want to take forward it’s a good idea to think about how much we have achieved, what we want to progress and what to let go. Which habits just aren’t cutting it any more. What did you commit to, but didn’t do-is that because it was someone else’s idea and just doesn’t fit you? Who distracted you? Why did you
107 - keeping your hand in
Summer is lovely; blissful long days and warm evenings, holidays, playing on the beach, in the park, visiting places and visitors making memories. But what about our art? How can we integrate the absolute need to create with fully living, engaging and making the most of the welcome distractions we face daily? What can we do that provides a creative fix while still meeting the needs of the people a
106 - moving forward
Artists. Let’s free up our brains and shake off the constraints of painting or producing work for a reason. Developing our work, our skills and our practices comes in so many forms. @gaynorljart is finding freedom in actually using a sketchbook after years of envy and frustration-and @karengeorgeart is sharing her love of outdoor sketching with others, which is fun and freeing too. Same, Same But
105 - why do people buy art?
Recently several instagram posts sparked a conversation between @karengeorgeart and @gaynorljart - all around the reasons why people buy art. @emuplops @carriescottcurates @iamfrancebrunel and @lorimirabelli fired our chat (specific posts linked below) and gave us pause for thought. We asked listeners if they’d like a chat around the subject and received an overwhelming yes. How do we want to live
104 - how do you see yourself?
Episode 104Are we who we show up as on social media? What does authentic really mean… what do we care about what people think of us? Does it matter?As we’ve grown older and into ourselves, we find it easier to accept who we are and why we do what we do. Maybe it’s partly because we know what doesn’t work and we don’t want to just fit in any more.Authenticity may be an overused word in social media
103 - marketing: let's flail together!
What is the simple definition of marketing?“Marketing, in its simplest form, is about letting people know about a product or service that might meet their needs or wants. It's the process of communicating the value of a product or service to potential customers and persuading them to buy.”Do we have answers? Not necessarily, but we do have thoughts and we’re trying to make sense of it all too.
102 - what we learn if we listen!
Chatting with other artists can teach us so much. Not just about them and the way they work, but also how we are, how we work, the way we speak to ourselves and manage expectations and pressure. Listening to ourselves-our needs-has a direct impact on the way we create, appreciating what we do and that we CAN is important too. Thank you, too, to all who listen, DM, send messages and have made the l
101 - get ready with us
Way back when in 2024 we took a trip to Cheltenham to check out galleries for a joint exhibition… the planning began. ‘Journey’ came from an idea of Karen’s to show how we work, from sketching in the wild (Karen) to splashing paint and navel gazing (Gaynor) to fully fledged and framed paintings. It’s been fascinating to see the differences in how we create, but it’s also fun to exhibit together. T
100 - pivotal moments
Gahhhhh it’s the 100th episode of artchatter. Who knew? So here we are doing something a little different in celebration. Three-ish years, two artists and one question for four (technically five, but for aesthetics) people who inspire us… What’s the question? Simple. Did you have a pivotal moment in your career?A significant moment where something clicked, you grabbed an opportunity or had a reali
99 - attitude and approach
The idea that "we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with" is a commonly attributed quote, often associated with motivational speaker Jim Rohn, highlighting the significant influence our social circle has on our lives.This begs the question… who do we turn to when we feel stuck? what makes the difference between a good day and a bad day when we’re constantly facing challenges or
98 - trying new things
We talk about pushing ourselves and stepping out of comfort zones, but how does that look, in reality? How do we know it’s a success and use what we learn from each new experience? No matter what we try, it’s a win. We get to learn or we get to grow, right? Episode 98 brings the joy of exhibiting somewhere new, and the win of realising it’s all a bit much! Sign up to receive Karen’s Studio News h
97 - seasonal inspiration
The sun is shining-we are energised! Woo hoo… let’s get sorted, find our sketchbooks and get painting. We are emerging from hibernation and ready to have inspiration land on us. Now the season is turning we’re topping up the vitamin D, getting with the season and flourishing. You ready? Come join us, let’s do this! Sign up to receive Karen’s Studio News https://www.karengeorgeart.co.uk/ and Gayno
96 - springing forward!
The beginning of 2025 feels like three years ago. We wrote plans, set intentions, made lists and away we all went. Now it’s edging toward spring and we’re plodding on and wondering why we’re doing what we’re doing. Erm, what’s the point again? Now’s the time to have a little reset, reread the plans and decide if we were having a mad moment or we need to tweak and realign. Need some inspiration to
95 - the dirty word
It’s such an icky word to many artists - selling. Why? We need to get over ourselves and let people who like our work, admire our ethos or want to start collecting see it, know it’s for sale and actually have the opportunity to buy it! But how, you ask? Karen has seen some inspiring stuff lately, and Gaynor has opinions. So here are some ideas to start off your thoughts process. Sign up to receive
94 - comfort zones
It’s easy to play it safe, to always rely on routine, but what if we feel the niggle to change things up? When we start to feel stale in life, in work, in paintings… how do we step outside of our comfort zone without traumatising ourselves?
As always you’re invited to join the conversation on social media @artchatterpodcast or comment on the podcast wherever you listen.
Sign up to receive Karen
93 - word of the year
We’re starting 2025 gently. Instead of signing up for all the workshops, courses and reinventing ourselves, (which, lets face it, are all incredibly tempting) we’re merely choosing a word to guide us, provide a reminder of what we want and pull us back to our chosen path when we get sidetracked.
What did we choose? It’s not a surprise that they’re very different, but maybe our intentions are sim
92 - habits! and which ones are serving you
How many things do you do out of habit? What are you missing out on because you always do something that doesn’t serve you? Who do you want to see more of… let’s make good habits together, build resilience, build great self-care and become creatures of fabulous habits, not victims of our dodgy ones. So, tell us what you think! As always you’re invited to join the conversation on social media @artc
91 - trusting your instincts
Sometimes it can be easy to jump into things with FOMO driving us, sometimes we see others doing ALL the things on social media and love it all and want to be just like them. The trouble is, it’s not our thing. Do we plough on regardless, or do we reflect, learn what’s right for us and learn to trust our own judgment?
Gut reaction, the click moment, the internal nod are all signs we’re on the rig
90 - the right questions
Habits, tried and tested, keep us safe. We’re in our comfort zone and we know what to expect. Karen and Gaynor are noticing patterns - and questioning why they’re doing what they’re doing!
Are you in a rut of habits, too? Let’s reevaluate together!
Both Karen and Gaynor send out regular emails to subscribers - do sign up if you would like to receive them.
Links and mentions:
Photo by Maxime
89 - with intention
@karengeorgeart and I spend a lovely amount of time with other artists, so get to learn tons of great stuff from them. One amazing thing that we’ve realised lately is that those who do well consistently, are those who do things with intention.
Actions have consequences and all that…so let’s make our actions count.
Whatever and whenever we do things towards our art businesses, let’s do it with
88 - what is it you need?
Are you like us having regular accountability calls, creating a to-do list and rushing to get it all done?
Well, hold on a second…here’s a thought; are you caught up in a cycle of doing but not achieving? Are your accountability calls lovely chatty catch-ups with lots of encouragement but no action.
Is it time to reevaluate, ask some difficult questions and see if what you’re actually doing cou
87 - events within events
Art exhibitions and trails are always worth a visit, there’s so much talent around, so many choices to be made. The difficulty arises when there’s so many exhibitions to see and schedule clashes for local art trails (it’s the season).
So, how can an artist add a little something to engage visitors, explain their work and encourage interaction.
Gaynor and Karen have differing approaches (as alway
86 - i am cringe but i am free
Okay… you’ve done thing. Now to promote it.
We have to let people know, right? Instagram: do a reel, a still, a carousel, onto Pinterest, email, Facebook, a quick Instagram live, and then onto stories. Oh and maybe YouTube. Phew. All done.
Don’t make me tell people again… but algorithms. What if no one sees any of it? Hmmmm… Did the email go to ‘junk’?
So, we all get onto social media again
85 - getting honest with yourself
Okay. Phew. We did summer…and survived. Kids, families, holidays, down time… and now we have to find our footing again. Let’s get into some sort of routine, get our practice back, post on the socials, gather our harvest and display it to the world. Well, maybe just book in some rl events and get selling.
We’ve got this. Planners ready… Let’s go!
As a bonus, our wonderful editor (Ben Leverett-J
84 - biscuit theorem
Who decides what’s good and what’s not worth looking at - who are the gatekeepers? Why does some work sell for tens of thousands, and others hold no value to the curators, historians and galleries?
Why do artists of one genre openly dismiss another?
What triggers you?
This week Gaynor and Karen were triggered by opinions stated as facts. Do join the conversation as we’d love to know what you
83 - the commitments
Does summer throw you a curveball, does it disrupt your art when other family members are around? How easy do you find it to block off time for your work during holidays, when trips abound, the sun shines or friends offer coffee dates?
This week Karen and Gaynor find ways to protect their creative time, although suggestions are always welcome.
Links and mentions:
Photo by Gonard Fluit on Unspla
82 - social media dependencies
Artists need to be on Instagram daily, apparently. Oh and Facebook. Maybe chuck in some threads, Substack and X for good measure. We HAVE to be seen. Anyone else exhausted?
Who is making the rules? What if we just go with the flow, find our own rhythm and natural online home?
This week Karen and Gaynor tease out what is working for them and how to accommodate the pressures of social media expe
81 - letting go
Declutterring our studios highlighted all sorts of things we’d been holding onto, physically and metaphorically! Both realised old practices, old beliefs, old habits needed to be shown the door too. Time for a rethink!
We’d once again like to thank the adorable @annafmacdonaldart for her help, guidance and sense of humour!
Links and mentions:
Photo by The Jopwell Collection on Unsplash
Anna F M
80 - being brave
Is brave being ‘gung-ho’ or stepping back and trusting intuition?
Let’s give ourselves some credit. We all do something most people aren’t courageous enough to… we open up our souls to be judged.
Too dramatic?
What about risking criticism, earning a living in a challenging climate, facing our own self-doubt… or just showing up on social media on the daily?
If you enjoy the podcast, please do
79 - declutter it all
As we dance merrily into our studios and sing happily opening our sketchbooks, loading our easels or mixing paint, there’s something joyous about studio time *sighs happily à la Snow White*.
Except if you haven’t tidied. If you have your rubbish scattered on the floor, dirty brushes and erm where’s the cad red I love so much?! Can we ever really create in a space that isn’t clear enough for us to
78 - a balanced approach
We natter about self-worth, valuing ourselves, valuing our work, pricing and mindfulness… all as a result of attending an event with Alice Sheridan we’re both considering alllll the things - and invite you to do the same.
This week’s links and mentions:
Photo by Gustavo Torres on Unsplash
Alan Partridge
Soul Made -
Alice Sheridan
Kellee Wynne
BS9 arts trail https://www.bs9arts.co.uk
Beyon
77 - stall wars: showing art in real life
How to show? Hang it all, go solo or team up with beautiful collaborators?
Whatever you do, do it with generosity of spirit and a smile on your face!
This week’s links and mentions:
Image by Photo by Brigitta Schneiter on Unsplash
Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Luke H
76 - focusing up
What are we all trying to achieve? We have so many to-do lists, time pressures, work pressures, life pressures… and so many of us are spinning.
Can we take time to breathe? Focus, prioritise and just let ourselves be for a few minutes..?
This week’s links and mentions:
Photo by Rowan Freeman on Unsplash
Kellee Wynne Studios
https://www.kelleewynnestudios.com
Stu McLaren
Cam Valley Arts Trail
75 - walks of shame and worthy failures
How do we all handle failure? How many rejections can we deal with - do they make you stronger or knock your confidence? Do we learn or feel dejected? There’s always something to learn and we grow-so let’s do it together!
Luckily (well, maybe not!) Karen and Gaynor have experienced it all… so here we go, let’s all hold hands and fail spectacularly together!
This week’s links and mentions:
Image
74 - why bother?
Sometimes life is a bit of a slog. We drag ourselves to the studio, to events, …to no avail! What to do when everything is an effort, nothing is going quite to plan and we hit a patch of despondency.
Luckily, your friends, Karen and Gaynor have had those moments and have ideas about how to switch up the plan, lift the mindset and get back on the horse (enough clichés for you?).
We’d like to th
73 - control
Let’s be honest, there are some things we all like to “manage” and “steer”. We want events -and artwork- to go a certain way, can any of us actually relax and go with the flow? Do you have lots of chaotic moments, but need to control the end results? Are you a genuine collaborator or do you tweak the final edit to your own liking?
In this week’s episode Gaynor and Karen realise they aren’t at co
72 - am I an artist?
Do you consider yourself an artist? Do you get to call yourself an artist even when you’re not painting, taking a break or working in paid employment as well? This week’s podcast was inspired by an Instagram Post by Harry Martell - he got us thinking about why when artists have a paid job too they may consider their artist credentials “less than”.
What qualifies the word and our work?
As two p
71 - bouncing ideas
We can all have those racing thoughts and going-nowhere ideas, but when you’re a solo artist, hiding away in your studio space, who do you turn to? Who do you share and bounce ideas off?
Sometimes it takes a friend, accountability partner or mentor to hold a mirror up to us to realise just how much we’re capable of. Are you part of a mastermind group, do you love your mentor? Who’s championing y
70 - when you don't know what to do
Everyone else is doing ALLLL the stuff, they’re all great, but how do we get back into the groove when our mojo mosies off?
As always, Karen and Gaynor have some ideas to share!
Thanks for listening, do follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to be notified when each episode drops (and let us know what you think with a review)
Episode Links:
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
@karenvenio_art
Ext
69 - what's stopping you?
When you think of a big challenge, do you revel in the idea? Do you rub your hands together and relish the task … or do you fight self-doubt, second-guess yourself and tell yourself everyone else is better than you anyway?!
This week we ponder why we don’t see ourselves as others do. Why do they see us as braver than we sometimes feel - and how do we take the leap of faith?
Thanks millions to o
68 - social media madness
Karen went VIRAL!!! What does this mean? Is she now a superstar with a millionty billion followers?? Yeah…nooooooo. Not so much.
In a keeping it real (as opposed to reel) chat we look at the benefits and downsides of the socials.
Thank you for your patience during our tech hitch, and as always, thanks for listening. Do follow the podcast to avoid any future slightly delayed episodes!
Episode
uh oh! a schedule goof-up story
Oops! Unfortunately dear friends, there’s a technical issue so please pop back tomorrow for the real thing!
67 - new year ready?
How lucky are we that we get the chance to do this all again… but with the benefit of hindsight!
What happened last year that lit you up?
Which events felt like fun, what’s on the ‘loved it’ list and what went on the ‘never ever ever again in my whole life’ list?
Join us as we talk about doing more of what lights us up. Let's make 2024 your success because it’s full of the good stuff.
Epis
66 - doing what it takes
“Nothing that is meant for you will pass you by” a great reminder to us from a younger artist we shared space with recently: things will happen if you can keep the faith, keep going and remember to do whatever it takes to maintain a positive attitude to your art practice, finding your audience and community.
Episode Links: Photo by Abbat on Unsplash
@studio44AD
@ruththorpestudio @easyframe
@gemma
65 - are you having fun yet?
We all do things out of obligation, make ourselves do things we’d really rather not and keep going regardless of our heavy hearts! But, should we? Do we have to? Why not choose to do the things that are fun-which immediately improves the chance of success.
What if (this is radical-so hear us out!) we ONLY did things that light us up, make us happy and bring some fun into our work time? Wouldn’t t
64 - slumps
Busy! Busy! Busy! Rushing to all the art events, open houses, open studios, art trails, Christmas things: prep, selling, posting out, updating the website, posting on insta (reels… carousels… oh and heck did I do story thing?)
…and then… Post Event Collapse Syndrome (it’s a thing) PECS or a blinking great SLUMP…
Let’s get through this together!!
Episode Links:
@studio44AD
About the podcas
63 - people pleasing
“You DID NOT say yes to THAT” seems to be on repeat in our heads… is it just us that can’t say no?!
While it’s lovely to step in to help, sometimes priorities have to be acknowledged, work needs to get done and “not today” “no thank you” and “I’m busy” become well rehearsed mantras!
If you enjoy artchatter, please give us a like and share 💕
Episode links:
Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash
An
62 - on finding successes, and learning how to handle them
The guilt of success. It’s a real thing…like survivors’ guilt but the whole doing well when someone else in the room isn’t. Do you cringe either when an arts trail is going great for you, or when it isn’t…
Veering off track a little and giving tips on engagement, being present and generally having fun at real in-person events, because, let’s face it, it’s That Season!
Episode links: Photo by Fo
61 - comparisonitis
There’s a chronic condition many artists suffer from-and it’s contagious. Do you, or someone you know suffer from comparisonitis? Do you have insta-fatigue, art trail alarm, everyone’s-doing-better-than-me-attack, or I-can’t-do-this malaise?
Here at the artchatter podcast emergency room we may not have a cure, but we do have some great ideas to prevent it and some tips to help assuage the rising
60 - trials and collaborations
Let’s talk collabs.
Working together, working together but apart, sharing space, exhibiting with friends, inspiring each other… can it work? Why does it work? …and would you risk your arty friendships to stretch yourself?
We’ve watched our lovely friend artist Bron Jones collaborate with more than one other artist…all hands on engagement and sky high talent. She’s kindly shared her thoughts on
59 - risk assessments of an artist: a summer in review
The life of an artist can be very complicated. It sounds like a breeze doesn’t it, happily painting, but reality is there’s lots to consider - not limited to health and safety! We also chat free courses, paid courses, online learning and when to just stop signing on to everything! (Maybe that’s just Gaynor).
Episode Links:
Photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash
Combe Down Arts Trail http://www.cdarttra
58 - how to build your audience
While many of us can rely on family to LOVE that we’re creative, the ones we love often aren’t the audience for our work. They’re not our buyers. Sometimes they’ll buy a small piece or two as we step into the abyss of social media, galleries, websites, art trails and all the other scary unknowns. Then we’re on our own. Where to find our people…the ones who fall in love with our work? Once we’ve fo
57 - the boat
Are you too late? Too late to start something new, to jump onto the new thing, is everyone else doing what you thought of a few years ago, but didn’t get around to and now you feel you just can’t? Ugh. Right?
Actually, no. You do you. When you’re ready. Anytime could be your right time to get on board, jump in or get to paddling.
Warning: this episode contains mixed metaphors.
Do leave us an ho
56 - christmas in... august(?)
🎶🎵“It’s beginning to look a lot like… 🎄” 🎶🎶
Erm… soooo this is awks BUT hear us out!
All the big conglomerates and high street chains will be dragging out their tinsel with no shame as soon as the next month hits. They have mega expensive plans and goals and targets and all those things that make many an arty type cringe. But… what about us? Flailing to catch up as November screeches in?! Ohhhhh
55 - intergenerational pan-global summer art revolution
How do you summer? Are you basking in pools, drinking exotic cocktails and completely switched off, … or manically wrangling children, grandchildren, dogs, cats and longingly eyeing your pencils and paint? Or are you able to embrace your sketchbook and sit, people watching, sketching and looking super bohemian? (The last one is my dream 😉)
Maybe you’re all of the above, or non of those things… an
54 - techniques for stepping back in
We all know that feeling (not just us, surely?) when we can’t move a painting forward… worse-can’t start a painting, or worst thing ever-can’t even face stepping into our studio space.
Gahhhhhhh WHAT TO DO? Worry not, dear friend, we’ve got ideas. We’ve got ideas because we have been there…
As always, if you enjoy spending time with us, do let your friends know… share on the socials and follow
53 - what works for us
It’s always interesting to us to see how artists work, their inspiration, studios, how they do their thing… and we’ve been asked what we do. So, in the spirit of sharing (you know we love it!) we compare and contrast our practices… same same but ohhh so different!
What do you do? Share your practice, someone may well find a nugget that inspires them too 😊
As always, we would love you to leave a
52 - finding the time
Busy, busy, busy… while it’s a great problem to have, how do we find the time to prioritise what we want to do most? Finding our way through the to-do lists to get some peace with our paints.
Episode links:
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
Lori Mirabelli
Big Monthly Planner
Bath Society of Artists annual Open Exhibition
Christine Lawes
Gina Belford
Wild Escapes Exhibition at The Square Clu
51 - confidence, confidence, confidence
All the talk of confidence and resilience in Epic Epi #50 gave us pause for thought. So many of our (amazing) contributors wished they’d been more confident when they were younger or starting out in their art careers. YES! US TOO! We get it.
But how? How do we gain confidence? It’s all very well thinking it, but doing it is a different thing altogether. Luckily we have some ideas… if you have so
