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As a visual artist with an affinity for words, I know there are a lot of talented artists out there who are also great writers. So to honor the written word and to prove that blogs are not archaic, I am going to alternate introducing you to artists through interviews with introducing you to artists through their words by sharing blogs, articles and other writings with you. With the artist’s permission, of course. Welcome to ARTish Words In this first ARTish Words episode, I want to celebrate the life of one of my absolute favorite artists who passed away on Christmas Day —Wayne Thiebaud. Like a piece of chocolate cream pie, Thiebaud’s work makes me feel grounded and content, aware of contrasting flavors and textures, simple but decadent, a bit of nostalgia mixed with a hint of optimism.  In this episode, I share a blog post from Maryland painter Jennifer Kahn Barlow, who learned from Thiebaud that “food images can be art and phthalo blue can have a prominent place on an artist's palette without overwhelming it.”  We will also hear the words of Laguna Beach artist Hedy Buzan who shares insight on Thiebaud’s work as being “simultaneously accessible and deep, rooted in art history and slyly funny, idiosyncratic yet universal.” Hedy also shares her observations about Thiebaud’s last exhibit, “Clowns.” And finally, we get a brief introduction to the Slow Art Day movement and this year’s events on April 2, 2022.  I am always on the hunt for good writing. If you have a favorite artist blog, please share it with me:  [email protected]  Mentioned: “Wayne Thiebaud, Playful Painter of the Everyday, Dies at 101,” by Michael  Kimmelman, New York Times, 12/26/2021 (read) Interview, “Wayne Thiebaud, Draftsman,” Morgan Library & Museum, 2018 (watch)“A Fellow Painter’s View of Giorgio Morandi,” by Wayne Thiebaud, New York Times, 11/15/1981 (read)Slow Art Day (learn)  2022 Slow Art Day Venues (discover) “Slow Down, You Look Too Fast,” by Trent Morse, ARTnews, 04/01/2011 (read)“Slow Art? It Will 'Blow Your Mind,’” by Anna Bailey, BBC News, 04/05/2019 (read)Find Hedy Buzan: Website:  https://hedybuzan.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/hedybuzan Find Jennifer Kahn Barlow: Website:  https://www.jkb-art.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jkb.art/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkahnbarlowart/ Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  @kristybattaniart Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

What can an artist learn inside a football huddle? A lot, if you are former professional football player turned watercolorist RICH SAMUEL. A relentless work ethic, persistence and teamwork are just a few of the qualities football instilled in Rich —or “Sweet Feet” as he was known in the day—that have allowed him to create a booming art practice and studio that has grown into an East Austin community hot spot. With effusive positive energy, Rich juggles his own painting and clothing line with hosting community events featuring local jazz performers, comedians and painting classes. Rich shares how the weight and responsibility of being the only Black-owned gallery in Austin gives him a sense of purpose that energizes his own art practice. Rich also reveals how he uses TikTok to fuel his art sales. Find Rich: Website:  www.richesart.com Instagram:   @richesart Facebook:  www.facebook.com/richesart TikTok:  @richesart   Mentioned: Lian Quan Zhen, Rich’s teacher & watercolor artist (see) Football highlight videos, Hudl (watch) Music, Comedy & Classes at Richesart Gallery (explore) Also fun: Youtube Interview with Eli Samuel (no relation) (watch) Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

What do Winnie the Pooh, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes and Greta Garbo have in common? They all have creative work (but not all of their work) that entered into the public domain this year, thereby enabling all of us to enjoy, use and build upon those works. In this episode of ARTish Words, we hear from Jennifer Jenkins, Director of the Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain, helping us understand the purpose and benefit of the entry of works into the public domain, as well as celebrating this year’s extraordinary class of public domain entrants including works from William Faulkner, Willa Cather, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, among many others. As a proponent of educating artists on our rights as creators and users of artistic works, this episode of the ARTish Plunge encourages artists to understand our rights so we can exercise control over how our work is seen, heard and shared.  Host Kristy Darnell Battani also shares tips on how to locate public domain sound recordings, books, movies, compositions and visual works. Find Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain: Website:  https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/  Mentioned: Public Domain Day 2022, Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain, (see the list)  Internet Archive (see what's available) HathiTrust Digital Library (explore)  Library of Congress National Jukebox (listen) Creative Commons-No Copyright Reserved aka CC0 (learn)The Walters Art Museum, CC0 license to use visual arts images (explore)The Getty Open Content Program (learn)  The Metropolitan Museum of Art  Open Access Policy (explore)  Other Resources: Library of Historical Audio Recordings at i78s, well-organized and easily downloadable music in the public domain (explore) WBUR Here and Now Interview with Jennifer Jenkins,  01/04/2022 (listen)’Til The End of Eternity, by Jennifer Jenkins, Huffington Post , 03/10/2012 (read) What is Public Domain Art, by ARTDEX, a Free Digital Archive And Social Destination For The Global Art Community (article focuses on visual arts) (read) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

Wisconsin-based ROB STANGROOM, a former marine biologist turned intuitive painter, gets a thrill having one foot in the known and the other in the unknown. From tracking whale migration to landscape architecture, Rob has learned to see the “open doors” in life and never hesitates to explore what is on the other side. Inspired by a lifelong love of nature and a persistent desire to work with his hands, Rob shares how he has crafted his art career, never being afraid to ask for help to get to the next level. This is a particularly great listen for anyone who is new or returning to art a bit later in life. Find Rob: Website:  www.robstangroom.com Facebook: robstangroomart Mentioned: Princeton Catalyst tools (buy) Keep Going, Austin Kleon (2019) (read)  also the author of Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work!Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (explore) The Adjacent Possible: Evolve Your Art from Blank Canvas to Prolific Artist, Nancy Hellis (2021) (read)Isabelle Alessandra, artist (see) Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation, Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibit (watch video) Futura 2000, artist (learn) Futura Teaches Spray-Painting & Abstract Art, MasterClass trailer (watch) Cadillac Ranch, outside Amarillo, Texas (explore) Don’t Go To Art School,”Noah Bradley, artist-writer (read) The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown (read)Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

No denying it: there will always be P-A-I-N  in P-A-I-N-T. In this ARTish Words episode, Canadian artist Janice Tanton and Washington painter Valerie Collymore address the issue of pain and beauty by reflecting on French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s struggle with rheumatoid arthritis and the herculean efforts he made to sustain his art practice during the last twenty years of his life. If your life’s mission is to “die with a paintbrush in your opposite hand,” this episode is for you.  Mentioned: Renoir, Galette, Rod Stewart & Lefties, blog post by Janice Tanton (read)  Rod Stewart, A Night on the Town, “The First Cut Is The Deepest,” 1976 (listen)    The Story Behind Renoir’s ‘Bal du moulin de la Galette’, My Modern Met (read) The Art of Louise Bourgeois, The Tate (read) Renoir - The Pain Passes But The Beauty Remains, blog post by Valerie Collymore (read)Renoir’s Controversial Second Act, Smithsonian Magazine (read) Find Janice Tanton: Website:  www.janicetantonblog.com Instagram:  jantanton Janice Tanton Art Academy: www.janicetanton.net Facebook: janice.tanton Find Valerie: Website:  www.valeriecollymore.com Instagram:  valeriecollymore Valerie’s Workshops:   www.valeriecollymore.com/workshops Facebook:  ValerieCollymoreFineArt Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

As in the sea, so in the studio. In this ARTish WORDS episode, Cornwall painter and educator TARA LEAVER shares what the sea has taught her and how it provides a roadmap for the artist journey. Using three simple words “I don’t know” followed by one word “just,” Tara works her way through things that initially seem daunting, as in: “I don’t know” what I will paint today, so I will “just” go in and clean my brushes. Tara insists that she is not a superhero or even unusually brave; rather, she is just someone who wants all the bounty of what the sea—and an artist life– have to offer. Move closer to thing you are afraid of and you just might discover your own magical sea cave. Mentioned: Swimming Lessons for Artists, Or What Your Comfort Zone Doesn’t Teach You, by Tara Leaver (read) Happy Artist Studio, membership art courses (explore) Find Tara: Tara's Art Website:  taraleaverart.com Tara's Art Blog:  taraleaver.com/blog Happy Artist Studio (artist membership) happyartiststudio.com Instagram: @taraleaverart    Pinterest:  www.pinterest.com/taraleaver Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

How do you create a sustainable art career over 40 years? New Orleans native ADELE SYPESTEYN shares how paying attention to everything— what’s working, what’s not—and not being afraid to change directions has allowed her to  maintain a successful career as a contemporary artist and educator, including walking away from gallery representation, embracing new venues, Instagram sales and YouTube videos. Find Adele: Website:  adelesypesteynstudio.com Art with Adele Academy:   adelesypesteynstudio.com/art-with-adele Instagram:   @adelesypesteyn Facebook:  adelesypesteynstudio    Mentioned: POSCA paint pens (buy)reworksHOME, by Willem Sypesteyn and Chotsie Gregson / elegant pieces crafted from beautiful and unusual objects sourced from around the world (explore) Otis College of Art and Design, Extension Workshops and classes (explore) Sunny Lenarduzzi, YouTube leader, creator of “Helping You Be Your Own Boss,”  (watch) Adele’s Art With Kidz (explore) Sliding Doors, early Gwyneth Paltrow movie (watch trailer) Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

How has a small peasant woman with rudimentary art supplies and childlike paintings of fantastical beasts forced the world to acknowledge the absurdity of war? Ukrainian folk artist MARIA PRYMACHENKO  (1908-1997) —dubbed the People’s Artist of Ukraine—produced hundreds of small, colorful gouache paintings of imaginary creatures, flowers and village scenes filled with traditional Ukrainian decorative patterns that captured the heart and soul of a nation. In this ARTish Words episode, we discuss why the recent Russian bombing of a small art museum that housed some of Maria’s works has unified resistance, why art matters in this moment, and what efforts are being made to protect artworks like Maria’s. Find  Maria: UATV Virtual Museum Tour of Maria Prymachenko work and life / UATV is the Ukrainian state foreign language broadcaster providing international audiences with news from Ukraine (watch three-part series) Prymachenko Family Foundation (follow) Rug Your Life + Prymachenko Family Foundation Collaboration (support) PPARTEM + Prymachenko Family Foundation Hoodie Collaboration (support) Center for Art Law, (learn) Learn More About Maria and Current Ukrainian Crisis: Ukrainian Artist Maria Prymachenko’s Fantastical Visions Have Captivated the World—Here Are 3 Key Insights Into Her Life and Work, Artnet News  (read)  Artworks of Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko Reportedly Burned During Russian Invasion, by  Madeleine Muzdakis on My Modern Met, March 3, 2022 (read) https://mymodernmet.com/ukrainian-folk-maria-prymachenko/  Flowers for Peace: The Spirited Art of Ukrainian Artist Maria Prymachenko That is Now Becoming a Symbol of Hope, by Shira Wolfe on Artland (read) How Ukrainians are desperately fighting to protect their cultural heritage amid an invasion, by Rupendra Brahambhatt on DME Science  (read) ‘All art must go underground:’ Ukraine scrambles to shield its cultural heritage, Washington Post, by Max Bearak and Isabelle Khurshudyan , March 14, 2022  (read) Under threat of Russian bombs, Lviv hides away its priceless heritage, by Joel Hunter on BBC News  (read) Support Efforts / How You Can Help: Overview of General Ukrainian Relief Efforts, compiled by NPR (learn) Links for Emergency Efforts to Support Ukrainian Artists, including emergency housing, studio space, art relocation (learn) SUCHO (Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online) /  cultural heritage professionals – librarians, archivists, researchers, programSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

Blacksmith, Metalsmith, Queen of the Forge— all fitting titles for Atlanta-based artist CORRINA SEPHORA. Introduced to welding before she finished elementary school, Corrina crafted an intentional career path in metal that has allowed her to make her living as an artist for over 25 years. In this episode, Corrina shares how she overcame the barriers to entry of her chosen field and how she manages her team with transformational leadership principles to create towering sculptures and celestial paintings that explore navigation, transformation, love and loss. Find Corrina: Website: corrinasephora.com Instagram: @corrinasephora.metalartist Linkedin: corrina-sephora-mensoff Facebook: corrina.mensoff Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69uM-WCFUCx4GwEDSVOi5w  Mentioned: Transformational workshops, Landmark Wisdom (featured panelist) Goat Farm, Atlanta GA, artist community (learn) Diamondback Art Surfaces , wood panels (buy) Alyson Stanfield, art business coach (learn) Louise Nevelson, sculptor (learn) Louise Bourgeois, sculptor (learn) Kiki Smith, sculptor (learn) James Turrell, light and space artist (learn) Flowing is Water, Corrina Sephora fairytale, video (watch) A Reckless Insistence on Beauty, Elaine Sutton (read) Chastain Arts Center, 2022 Spring Show (visit) Spalding Nix Fine Art, gallery  Atlanta GA (explore) Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Roswell, GA (explore)  Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)

With her hands in prayer, still life painter MARYAM AMIRYANI begins each day in her studio with the simple request:  The courage to start; the courage to persevere; the courage to finish. From her childhood in Iran to Paris, Washington and New York, Maryam followed a professional career path in and around the arts, helping to show and sell other artists’ work before she finally settled into her own painting practice. Sharing her elegantly sparse, light-filled studio in Marfa, Texas with her husband and fellow painter Nick Terry, Maryam now creates small, intimate oil paintings often influenced by textures and colors of her early years in Iran. Maryam  balances the solitary nature of an artistic life with an abundance of community service projects that benefit a variety of communities. Find Maryam: Maryam's Work: Ulterior Gallery, NYC (visit)  Mentioned: Nick Terry, artist / Maryam’s husband (see work) Ulterior Gallery, Takako Tanabe, gallerist (explore) Venus of Willendorf, feminine goddess artifact (learn) Marfa, Texas (visit) Donald Judd, artist (learn) The Chinati Foundation (explore) Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge   Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show

Chilean watercolorist GERALDINE MACKINNON didn’t find her artistic direction in art school. Instead, the defining moment in her creative career occurred while assisting an archeological study on Easter Island, crawling through the caves with her sketchbook and headlamp trying to capture the “truth of the plants.” Fastforward, Geri has developed a sustainable career in the demanding practice of botanical watercolor illustration. Botanical illustration requires the artist to remove all of her assumptions about the subject matter and focus intently on what she actually sees, which for Geri serves as a kind of meditation. Geri's newest adventure: luscious, meticulously handcrafted mineral-based watercolors available from her storefront in Santiago and online. Find Geraldine: Piedras y Agua (watercolor shop): www.piedrasyagua.com Piedras y Agua Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/piedrasyagua Piedras y Agua Instagram: piedrasy_agua Geraldine’s Artist Instagram:  naturalistamac Mentioned: Pueblito de Los Dominicos, artesanal market, Santiago, Chile (explore) Easter Island history (learn)  Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (explore)Three color palette: Indigo blue, Indian Yellow, Alizarin CrimsonFavorite Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable No. 6 brushes (buy); also recommends  No. 1 and No. 10 size Find Me, Kristy Darnell Battani: Website:    https://www.kristybattani.com Instagram:  kristybattaniart Facebook:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please take a moment to leave a comment on Apple Podcasts Music:"Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier, Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge) Support the show

Sharon Kyle is a multidisciplinary artist best known for her unique use of texture and materials. Sharon often incorporates found ordinary objects like rusted metal, wood, paper and cloth, alongside industrial materials such as concrete, asphalt and insulation foam. Sharon’s work transforms old, rusted, discarded materials into elegant but provocative statements on aging, gender, and cultural values. In this conversation, Sharon Kyle discusses how her early experiences in real estate and construction influenced her choice of materials, how she made the plunge to return to college in her early 30s, and how she supplemented her early art practice with sales positions working with educational materials. Sharon's infectious laugh and candid discussion of aging make this a particularly engaging conversation. Find Sharon: Sharon's Website:   www.sharonkyle.art Sharon's Instagram:  sharonkyleartworks Mentioned: Janet Fish, contemporary American realist artist  learn moreReal Artists Don’t Starve, by Jeff Goins  available hereLois Wilson, American folk artist learn moreTreasures from the Rubble, documentary about artist Lois Wilson  watch hereFayette Art Museum (Fayette, AL)  learn moreFind Me, Kristy Darnell Battani:   Kristy's Website:  www.kristybattani.com Kristy's Instagram:  kristybattaniart Did you enjoy hearing about Sharon's plunge? If so, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment: https://lovethepodcast.com/artishplunge Music: "Surf Guitar Madness," Alexis Messier,  Licensed by PremiumBeat.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/artishplunge)