This chat with wonderful UK Wildlife Artist, Sophie Green, was always going to be a fun and inspiring one. We kick off talking about our relationship with commissions and slowly finding alignment with ourselves and our artwork.  Sophie's journey is a really interesting one and it has clearly taught her some invaluable lessons along the way.  One of which being Sophie's more wholistic approach to art and business. Sophie is very strong on writing down aims, goals and intentions and letting...

Finding balance and giving ourselves time We talk about Detlef's personal journey, his ongoing relationship with nature and art; finding work, art, life balance; the need for passion and a deeper reason that drives our art and decisions; the role of Art and Conservation; dealing with insecurities and pushing yourself forward as an artist and a person; the pros and cons of making money from your art as well as the pros and cons of being able to move around...

The Art of visual storytelling. Very excited to share with you my chat with a wonderful artist, Amanda Beck. Amanda's story is a fascinating one. Standouts being creating your own opportunities and her pure joy in capturing the essence and energy of a subject working from life. We also talk in-depth about Art Grants as a way to develop your creative practices. In this case how such a grant has allowed Amanda time to explore the iPad as a fantastic new medium. https://www.amandabeckartist.com/

A passionate and articulate artist, Liron is able to verbalise so many different aspects of being an artist, creativity and in particular watercolour. We talk about all the ups and downs of being an artist; the joys, the struggles, the triumphs and so, so much more! Jam packed with inspiration and information for any artist! Find Liron here with links to all is other online presence: https://lironyan.com/

In this episode I talk with Craig Williams, a Tasmania based artist who quit his job as an employment coach to pursue a career in art. We begin our chat with a bit of background about Craig and how he entered the art world through a variety of commissions and inspirations. We then talk about Craig's work at a museum which opened up the doors into the world of wildlife illustration, before discussing Craig's jump into a full-time artistic career. 

In this episode I talk with Wendy Jenkins; a Therapeutic Arts Practitioner and mother, based in Jersey.  We begin the podcast by discussing motherhood and feminism, before moving on to talk about how Wendy discovered art again. Wendy then shares with us some of the details of her Therapeutic Arts practice, and describes the focus and content of the workshops that she participates in running. Finally we dive into the topic of art and economics.

This is the second half of a two-parter with writer, film maker and artist Scott Burdick. In this episode we talk about the business and benefits of online teaching and how Covid has affected Scott’s creative career. We touch on finding the balance between creativity and exploring the fundamentals of technique, before moving on to discuss art lineage and the community as a whole. Scott then goes on to give us some useful tips on large scale painting, before leaving us with an inspiring final...

In this final instalment of the Moaner Lisa, Martin and I tackle some of the questions sent in by listeners prior to recording.  We tackle some interesting topics; sharing our opinions on the best way to sell your artwork, exposure, and we also give some background into our own artistic influences. 

Find me at: . www.tomshepherdart.com . Instagram/tomshepherdartist . www.patreon.com/TomShepherdArt . YouTube - TomShepherd Art . facebook.com/TomShepherdArt/

In this episode I explore questions around niches – what are they? How do you find one? Are they important? With the help of some challenging questions that I pose at the start, you may find it easier to investigate your motives for choosing a niche. Alongside some gentle introspection, I discuss how marketing can be developed around a niche, and also some of the benefits and pitfalls of committing to one particular style, medium or subject.

In this episode I speak with writer and artist Scott Burdick about a wide range of topics; some that you wouldn’t expect to hear in an art podcast! But as the podcast goes on it becomes clear that these are the topics that Scott addresses heavily throughout his work, both written and painted. TRIGGER WARNING: Whilst all discussions have taken place with sensitivity and respect, there are a few topics mentioned within this podcast that some may find uncomfortable/upsetting.

In this next instalment of the Moaner Lisa, Martin and I continue to discuss social media. We highlight the importance for encouragement and kindness, then go on to decipher the difference between critiquing and criticism. Following on from this, we tackle one of the questions we were asked surrounding social media content curation, before finally ending with a quick discussion on the power of influencers and ambassadors.

In this episode I cover a few of the different methods I use as income streams, whilst highlighting the importance of being flexible to suit your needs, as the artist. I begin by talking through the various ways of selling artwork, both through online avenues, as well as in person. Following this, I dive into the topic of teaching and the various paths available. I finish off the podcast by revisiting the importance of flexibility and mindset when planning out your income streams.

In this mini episode we briefly discuss how the digital media has affected communities before moving on to describing our own digital realities. We then dive headfirst into the three A’s of social media – authenticity, accessibility and addiction.

In this mini-episode we tackle one of the burning questions of the year… is art essential? Please note: this episode contains the occasional expletive.

In this short mini-episode we discuss the flip side of commission work, whilst dipping our toes into the topic of ‘should we do work for free?’ and the exposure trap! Please note: this episode contains the occasional expletive.

In this short episode I chat with fellow artist, and friend Martin Aveling.  Martin and I recently spent some time chatting about 'all things art' and have entitled the mini-series the 'Moaner Lisa'.  This episode focuses primarily on how to deal with creative blocks - what are they? and how do we deal with them?

In this episode I talk about what re-invention means and how it might look to artists and creatives alike. We begin the episode addressing some of the questions that came out of the ‘Instagram’ episode before moving onto re-invention itself. There are many different factors which can be a catalyst to re-inventing yourself (forced changes, circumstance, physical influence – to name a few). I explore a few of these through describing some of my own re-inventions over recent years.

In this episode I talk to Print Maker Laura Boswell. We begin the podcast touching on how Laura first became interested in both Lino cut and Japanese wood block printing, moving on to talk about the differences between craft and art, artisan and artist. We discuss the importance of thinking critically about our work, whilst looking at the traditional principles of Japanese wood block printing. Finally, Laura shares her experiences and offers words of advice based on her own mental health...

In this Episode, I talk with friend and professional artist Paul Apps. Paul describes himself as an impressionist realist, adept at using a wide range of mediums to bring his artwork to life. We touch on Pauls’ use of multimedia, before diving into the evolution of art as a business, and Pauls’ unwavering commitment to his aspirations. He highlights the importance of adaptability and reinvention as a professional artist – ‘as artists we never stop learning’.

In this Episode I talk about my methods for using Instagram effectively. I address some of the pitfalls of Instagram, how to use the service productively, actions we can take for best practise, as well as the importance of networking and collaborations and creating a sustainable Instagram practise.

In this episode we explore Art as Therapy, but we go much deeper into the psychology and science of why Art can be so powerful. Kat is wonderfully open about her own experiences going through Art Therapy and we then dive a little deeper into the processes, mechanisms and power of creativity when used in this way.  This leads us into the interconnectedness of not only ourselves, but of everything beyond this; wrapping up with Kat’s exciting plans on where to take her own Art Therapy practices.

Jake Spicer is not only a fantastic artist but also I very highly regarded life drawing tutor, as well as successful author and head of Draw, a life drawing studio school in Brighton. In part 2 we go deeper into drawing & creativity, the world of life drawing, teaching, book writing and oh, so much more. You could pull out an inspirational quote from any moment of this chat...not to be missed!! JakeSpicerArt.co.uk

Jake Spicer is not only a fantastic artist but also I very highly regarded life drawing tutor, as well as successful author and head of Draw, a life drawing studio school in Brighton. And as you will soon hear, so much more! Jake's story alone is a great listen; but sprinkled with wonderful insights into the art world, a humbling approach to business, and the importance of an art community with the support that it provides, on so many levels, make this another excellent...