Read more about the article #80 How to Start a Podcast

#80 How to Start a Podcast

A great way for artists to get the word out about their artwork or their area of expertise is to create a podcast. Podcast episodes can be easily created at very little expense, and can be a very interesting and important part of an artist’s brand. In this episode, I go over the basics of starting a podcast, including the equipment and software needed to record and edit a podcast and share it with the world.

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

This is me with my podcast setup: a Samson Q2U mictophone with a Rode microphone arm

Microphones can be either dynamic (picks up sound right next to it) or condenser (picks up throughout the room). Read this article for one opinion on the best microphones for podcasting.

If you use Skype to talk to your guests, here’s a list of software that will record the conversation.

Recording software can be for both PCs or Macs or can be specific to one or the other. I use Audacity. Here’s a list  of some others.

Here’s a list of podcast hosts. I use Libsyn.

Here’s an article I found that gives all the steps needed to create a podcast.

On Facebook, search the word Podcast or Podcast Community to find groups that can help you. I’ve found quite a few of my questions answered in these groups. 

 

 

 

Read more about the article #79 Mitch Bowler: Offering Art Classes for All

#79 Mitch Bowler: Offering Art Classes for All

Mitch Bowler started his career in video game animation. He now has a website called Pencil Kings where he offers art classes for the hobby artist, and another website called Evolve Artist that offers more advanced online art classes. Through those websites, you can gain access to hundreds of classes for artists, including illustration, perspective drawing, and Photoshop. Links for his websites, class lists, and his podcast called the Pencil Kings podcast, are below.

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

Mitch Bowler

Artwork made from the Pencil Kings class "Ultimate Guide to Photoshop."
Artwork made from the Comic Penciling tutorial.
Use the link below to listen to the Pencil Kings podcast episode #115.

Mitch Bowler has two websites. The first, called Pencil Kings, offers hundreds of tutorials for artists. Classes can be taken by purchasing a monthly membership.

His other website, Evolve Artist, is for the working artist who wants to improve his skills or who may have missed out on going to art college. 

You can listen to the Pencil Kings podcast episodes here, or use any podcast app. 

Here is the link to the interview with Kevin Murphy, who started the art classes that are located on Evolve Artist.

Here are some great takeaways from this episode:

  1. If you have a goal of working a specific job, don’t spend a lot of time at the wrong job. Keep looking for a way to get into the job you want.
  2. Once you’ve conquered a challenge, it’s time to look for a new challenge.
  3. When working on your business, don’t think of it as a series of quick sprints. Look at it as a marathon and work toward where you’d like to be in 5 years.
  4. Make sure you are collecting contacts through your own mailing list, because that is the only list of names that you can control. If Instagram, for example, suddenly changes its algorithms, you could lose hundreds of your followers, but it won’t effect the contact names that you have on your own mailing list.
  5. When a window of opportunity is open for you right now, do as much as you can with it until it closes.
  6. A good way to encourage yourself to make art is to join a challenge, like a sketch challenge or painting challenge. You can find these on Instagram or Facebook.
  7. When starting something new, try to be the best you can and don’t just start more projects until you’ve been the best.
  8. Seek out classes that you can take to improve the skills you need as an artist or for your business.
Read more about the article #78 Art Collaborations
Suzanne Redmond

#78 Art Collaborations

When artists collaborate with one another, they are able to achieve something together that they cannot achieve alone.  Collaboration can be a fun and lucrative arrangement, and it’s something all artists should consider. In this episode I go over what you should think about when choosing a partner, and what you should discuss before working together. I also give many examples of great collaborative opportunities.

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

This episode was inspired by the art mural collaboration of Kole Trent and Nick Ringelstetter. They collaborated on many murals at a middle school. You can hear my interview with Kole in episode #77 and Nick in episode #75.

I've collaborated with Anthony Burks and Trina Slade-Burks when they've created their yearly pop-up gallery Continuum. I help them with the areas that fit my expertise. (How do you like the fascinator I'm wearing at their black tie and sneakers event?)
And here are Anthony and Trina with their main collaborator Craig McInnis (Craig is on the left, their son is on the right). Anthony and Craig have also collaborated on paintings that they sell at their pop-up gallery.
Read more about the article #77 Kole Trent: Gallery Owner and Mural Artist

#77 Kole Trent: Gallery Owner and Mural Artist

Kole Trent is an artist from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He’s worked his business at art shows all over Florida, but he’s now settled into a gallery space in Cocoa Beach called the Trent Art Gallery. His surf-inspired artwork can be found on surfboards, canvases, and murals. I heard of him when I read a story about some murals he and artist Nick Ringelstetter did at a school down near me. I knew they would both have interesting and inspiring art stories to tell. I interviewed Nick in episode #75, and Kole in #77.

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

Kole Trent

King Coral
Just Smile
Tree of Light
Kole creating his Peace Lizard mural at Wellington Landings Middle School.
Wishing
Two other images from WLMS,
The original mural that was commissioned by WLMS became a total of 14 murals for the school.

Kole’s website is backsideart8.com. Soon he will begin using the website trentartgallery.com.

You can also find him on Instagram @ktrent8.

The Trent Art Gallery is located in Cocoa Beach, Florida at 17 N. Orlando Ave. Soon there will be a second Trent Art Gallery in Cape Coral, Florida, so keep an eye on his website and gallery Facebook page for that announcement.

You can also see some of Kole’s artwork at The Exploration Tower at 670 Dave Nisbet Drive, Port Canaveral, Florida.

Art Basel, the large art fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center will be December 5-8, 2019. Check out Kole’s website to see the location of his pop-up gallery during Art Basel week near the location of the Wynwood Walls.

Here are some great takeaways from this episode:

  1. Do your research when buying a tent for outdoor shows. It needs to be durable, waterproof, and with walls.
  2. If you want to offer custom work, put a piece in your booth to advertise this, like Kole did with his custom surfboard art.
  3. When looking to do mural work, consider offering it on private homes as well as businesses.
  4. Before doing any type of mural, check to see if the City requires any permits.
  5. When doing a mural project, if you have extra paint and time, consider doing smaller paintings close by.
  6. If you teach classes and you don’t go through another business, you can take 100% of the income.
  7. For Instagram, look at your analytics rather than your numbers to figure out if you’re getting good engagement.
  8. The more you put yourself out there, the more you’ll get back in return.
 
Kole (on the left) collaborated with Nick Ringelstetter on this mural at WLMS. You can hear my interview with Nick on Episode #75.
Read more about the article #76 Art Print Basics
#76 Art Print Basics

#76 Art Print Basics

Offering prints in addition to your original art can be a lucrative part of your art business. I explain the basics of printing, including how to take the image of your artwork; how to do color correction, if needed; and how you do the printing, including printing your own or using a print shop. I also go over the benefits of offering prints and how many prints you should offer.

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

Artist Bobbin Salisbury (Episode #1) puts her prints in this crate when she is selling at shows. The crate is reminiscent of the rustic wood frames she offers on some of her watercolors.