Season 1 Archives | Page 4 of 20

#85 Jill Lefkowitz: From Makeup Artist to Fine Artist

Artist Jill Lefkowitz is a fine artist, showing and selling her art in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She paints on canvas as well as on 3D objects. She started her career as a makeup artist in New York, for music videos and other shoots, and has advanced into the field of special effects makeup. She still occasionally takes makeup jobs, but is currently concentrating on her gallery work.

Listen here or download from iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, CastBox, or Stitcher.

Jill Lefkowitz (on the left)

Jill’s website is jillcreatesart.com.

Jill lists upcoming shows on her website.

Her Instagram account is @jill.d.lefkowitz and her account for her makeup and special effects art is @jill.createsbeauty

In South Florida, Rickie Leiter publishes the The Rickie Report, a website that lists local art events, Calls to Artists, and artist interviews.

Here are a few takeaways from this episode:

Don’t underestimate the value of self-promotion. Even before the advent of social media, Jill established herself as a reliable makeup artist, and would call productions to offer her services.
If it’s necessary to take jobs that aren’t exactly specific to your fine art, make sure you are still sketching and painting to keep up your fine art skills.
If you’re doing a type of art job that takes you to other places, like makeup art or street murals, or live painting, have your art bag ready at all times so that you can quickly respond to last minute calls.
Attend art shows and museums to be inspired by art and keep yourself interested and creative.
When painting on uneven surfaces, like Jill has done on her wine barrels, don’t fight the imperfections. Let the bumps and wells inform the design of the painting.
Be open to inspiration from many sources – others’ art, different cultures, and documentaries.
If you paint on an object other than a flat substrate, like she does with the barrels, don’t hesitate to enter shows for 3D art, just make it clear that you did not create the base object.

If there’s one thing you can take away from this episode, it’s to always make art! Bring along a sketchbook or make something in your studio (even if it’s a kitchen table) every day!

Post category:Season 1 Show Notes

Suzanne Redmond

#84 Everything You Need to Know about Skype

Artists are looking for conference call software so they can collaborate remotely with other artists, record conversations to embed in their online courses, or to use for podcast interviews. While there are many software and app choices, I use the old standard, Skype. I take you through what you should consider when choosing recording software, and I tell you why I’ve chosen to use Skype. I’ll also give you tips for using Skype.

Listen here or download from iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, CastBox, or Stitcher.

When you use Skype, you'll see a split screen of you plus the person you are talking to. Here I am with artist Nick Ringelstetter, who I interviewed in Episode #75.

Here's a behind the scenes photo of Nick talking to me. We are both using laptops and headphones, which helps to ensure the best sound quality.

Post category:Season 1 Show Notes

#83 Harriet Silverstein: From Teaching Artist to Fine Artist

Today I’m speaking with artist Harriet Silverstein. Formerly of New York, Harriet now makes her home near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She began her career teaching art and art history at the college level, doing illustration and commission work on the side. She now paints in oils in a studio in an art district called FAT Village, and shows her art throughout South Florida.

Listen here or download from iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, CastBox, or Stitcher.

Harriet Silverstein

You can find Harriet’s website here.

She’s also on Pinterest, and Instagram.

Harriet’s studio is at FAT Village Art District in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the Art Trax Studio. Fat Village has Art Walks the last Saturday of every month except December.

Harriet as taken the Artist as an Entrepreneur class at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale. This class repeats June of every year.

You can see Harriet’s artwork at these current shows:

At Bailey Hall in Broward College, she is part of the Connecting Women group show through April 17, 2019. This show is through the Fort Lauderdale branch of the National League of American Pen Women.

She will also be at Studio 18 in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

For one night only, April 11, 2019, Harriet has art at Art & Soul at the Business for the Arts of Broward.

She will also have art at the Reflect show at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale.

If you’d like to find art shows near you, check out the links I’ve posted on my Episode #14: What is a Call to Artists and How Do You Respond to It?

Here are some great takeaways from this episode:

When trying to develop your artistic style, think about whether you are always going back to one theme or one type of art.
When starting something new, like Harriet did with her commission work, don’t stop your other work until you feel you’ve really got it consistently working.
Commission work can be challenging, but at least you know your work has a home, and it pays the bills.
When moving to a new area, look for artist guilds that you can connect with and possibly show your artwork. It’s also a great way to meet other artists.
If you’re looking for an art studio, see if your town has an art walk, because that may introduce you to the local art studios.
To keep a good art inventory, use a book and make a list of all your artwork and all the details about them, including what still needs to be done.
Seek out classes such as the Artist as an Entrepreneur class at Art Serve in Fort Lauderdale where you can learn to treat your studio as a business, and marketing yourself, and presenting yourself.

Post category:Season 1 Show Notes

#82 How to Host an Art Workshop

If you’re looking to learn a new art skill and get the benefit of meeting other artists, why not host an art workshop? Art instructors travel all over the world to teach their classes, and the students follow. I’ll give you suggestions on art spaces, lodging, and go through all the other details you’ll need to consider if you want to host an art class yourself.

Listen here or download from iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, CastBox, or Stitcher.

If you do a search for art workshops, or art retreats, you’ll find many choices all over the world. Here are some from artists that I’ve interviewed for this podcast:

Episode #31: Jodi Ohl hosts retreats near her home at ArtWorks Vass and also teaches at Way Art Yonder Studio with Jana Freeman. Here’s her calendar of classes.

Jana Freeman from Episode #39 has created Way Art Yonder Studio at her home near San Diego, California. She hosts retreats every month. Here is her calendar.

Connie Solera from Episode #45 hosts and teaches art workshops at various places, including Mexico, Costa Rica and Sedona. Here is her website.

In Episode #57, Laura Horn introduced her new workshop she is co-hosting in Bali.

Lisa Sonora, in Episode #67, tells us all about her retreat space in Oaxaca, Mexico where artists can teach workshops.

In Episode #73: Chris Zydel, she hosts and teaches classes in Bodega Bay, California.

And in Episode #81: Amanda Jolley, she hosts classes at her Studio Joy in Kansas City, Missouri. Here is her website.

Post category:Season 1 Show Notes

#81 Amanda Jolley: Encaustic Painting in her Studio Joy

Amanda Jolley worked as an accountant for many years before leaving it to pursue art. Since she didn’t have a formal art education, she sought out art workshops that she could take, and that eventually lead her to discover encaustic painting. She also added origami to her art style, since she had learned that at a young age. She now shows her artwork in galleries and continues her art education by inviting artists to teach classes a few times a year at her home studio called Studio Joy.

Listen here or download from iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, CastBox, or Stitcher.

Amanda Jolley’s website is amandajolley.com.

Her artist Facebook page is Amanda Jolley artist.

You can also find these other Facebook pages:

And on Instagram:

On Amanda’s website, you can find the list of upcoming Studio Joy workshops here.

Lisa Pressman will be teaching at Studio Joy April 4-7, 2019.

Crystal Neubauer will be teaching at Studio Joy May 3-5, 2019.

Amanda and Susan Stover host trips through Two Artists Travel. Their 2019 trip will be a mini-residency in Paris, France September 17-28, 2019.

Amanda mentioned in our conversation artist Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch. Click here to learn about Encausticamp.

Here are some great takeaways from this episode:

If you are trying to find the art that you’d like to do, then take a variety of art classes in many different mediums to see what you like.
Once you’ve figured out what kind of art you’d like to make, and you’ve made a lot of that art, you should start applying to shows to get your artwork seen.
There are so many art classes available, both in person and online, that you can continue your art education your entire life. Talk to other artists or search online to find classes that will appeal to you.
If you’d like to host art workshops at or near your home, make sure there are places to stay for the students close by, like hotels or air b and bs.
If your area has a vibrant arts district with occasional art walks, schedule the instructors to come during that time so that the students can enjoy what your town has to offer.
Consider inviting artist instructors who teach an area of art that you’d like to study.
When looking for locations to travel to, think of the artwork or culture that inspires you then find out where that artwork has come from.
Be careful about what you say yes to so that your time is not taken away from your original mission of your life.

Post category:Season 1 Show Notes