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Send us Fan Mail October 16, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU03.5 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Michael Ajerman & James Lloyd   In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best.  In this episode, Suzanne continues her conversation with 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Michael Ajerman and James Lloyd. michaelajerman.com  IG: @michaelajerman jameslloyd.org  IG: @james_lloyd_artist Michael Ajerman was born in New York. As a teenager he took part in the Cooper Union Outreach Program, afterwards studying at the Corcoran School of Art, the New York Studio School and the Yale Summer School at Norfolk. In 2003, he completed his Masters Degree at the Slade School of Art, receiving the British Institute Award from the Royal Academy the same year.  He has consistently exhibited internationally in solo and group shows, recently with Isabel Sullivan Gallery, New York.  He is showing in the Courtauld Institute’s East Wing Biennial exhibition through 2026.  His work is found in international collections including the Beth DeWoody Collection and the Wendy Fisher Collection. He lives and works in London.   James Lloyd graduated in the 90s with an MA from the Slade School of Fine Art, following a BA in Fine Art from Coventry and a Diploma from Blackpool College of Art and Design. He teaches at the Royal Drawing School and has won numerous awards including the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award, Paul Smith Scholarship, Windsor & Newton Young Artists’ Award, Carrol Foundation Young Artist of the Year Award, First Prize in the BP Portrait Award, and the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture. Lloyd has undertaken commissions for many private and public clients and institutions including Newcastle University, the Bank of England, Queen’s College, Lords Cricket Ground, the House of Lords, the Royal Collection and the National Portrait Gallery. James is represented in the UK by Browse & Darby and in Germany by Hübner & Hübner."Euan Uglow: An Arc From The Eye" exhibit at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes Suggested Reading: "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall   HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

Send us Fan Mail October 9, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU03 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Michael Ajerman & James Lloyd   In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best.  In this episode, Suzanne interviews 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Michael Ajerman and James Lloyd. michaelajerman.com  IG: @michaelajerman jameslloyd.org  IG: @james_lloyd_artist Michael Ajerman was born in New York. As a teenager he took part in the Cooper Union Outreach Program, afterwards studying at the Corcoran School of Art, the New York Studio School and the Yale Summer School at Norfolk. In 2003, he completed his Masters Degree at the Slade School of Art, receiving the British Institute Award from the Royal Academy the same year.  He has consistently exhibited internationally in solo and group shows, recently with Isabel Sullivan Gallery, New York.  He is showing in the Courtauld Institute’s East Wing Biennial exhibition through 2026.  His work is found in international collections including the Beth DeWoody Collection and the Wendy Fisher Collection. He lives and works in London.   James Lloyd graduated in the 90s with an MA from the Slade School of Fine Art, following a BA in Fine Art from Coventry and a Diploma from Blackpool College of Art and Design. He teaches at the Royal Drawing School and has won numerous awards including the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award, Paul Smith Scholarship, Windsor & Newton Young Artists’ Award, Carrol Foundation Young Artist of the Year Award, First Prize in the BP Portrait Award, and the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture. Lloyd has undertaken commissions for many private and public clients and institutions including Newcastle University, the Bank of England, Queen’s College, Lords Cricket Ground, the House of Lords, the Royal Collection and the National Portrait Gallery. James is represented in the UK by Browse & Darby and in Germany by Hübner & Hübner."Euan Uglow: An Arc From The Eye" exhibit at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes Suggested Reading: "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall   HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

Send us Fan Mail August 11, 2026 Creative Contemplation S5E1 Mary Tonkin; A Painter Intimately Connected With The Australian Bush Season 5’s first guest, Australian Landscape painter Mary Tonkin, sets the bar high for this season of guests. Podcast Host and Creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur has a deep conversation with Mary about her work, her development as an artist and what it feels like to paint from a more sensory & intuitive approach to the landscape.  BIO: Mary Tonkin is one of Australia’s leading landscape painters whose epic, immersive paintings respond to the changing seasons, lights and viewpoints of the bush where she paints en plein air.  Tonkin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours, 1995) and a Master of Fine Arts from Monash University (2002), where she has also lectured.  Tonkin's recent exhibitions include;  a 2026 survey show entitled "Among the Trees" at the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney and "Rambles" a solo show at the Benalla Art Gallery in 2025. In addition, she has had solo exhibitions at Australian Galleries in Melbourne and Sydney since 1999. Her work "Ramble, Kalorama" was exhibited at the Sydney Contemporary Art Fair in 2022.  Instagram: @mary.tonkin Early Influences Mentioned: Geoff Dupree Graham Nickson Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary American realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail May 1, 2026 Creative Contemplation S4 Bonus Suzanne Lago Arthur; Reflections On My Creative Journey The tables have been turned in this very special bonus episode! Creative Contemplation podcast host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur shares her own creative journey and discusses her upcoming solo show “Portals & Sanctuaries” (May 1 - 31, 2026) while being interviewed by the person who knows her best, her husband, James Rian Arthur. Website: lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: @lagoarthurstudio "Portals & Sanctuaries" Solo Show at TAG/The Artists Gallery, Frederick MD Upcoming Workshops Early Influences Mentioned: Tina Blondell Janis Goodman Franklin White Suggested Podcast Equipment & Links: Samson Q2U XLR/USB Mic How To Start A Podcast // Podcasting For Beginners by PSS Creative Media Special Host: James Rian Arthur, husband of Suzanne Lago Arthur. Guest (And Regular Host) Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail February 20, 2026 Creative Contemplation S4E9 Marie Riccio; Exploring Symbolism, Composition And Design Through Still Life Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a conversation with Maryland based painter, Marie Riccio about her development as an artist and the inspiration behind the work for her upcoming solo show "Community" at First Street Gallery (3/4/26-3/28/26)  Website: mariericcio.com Instagram: @marie_riccio "Community" Solo Show, First Street Gallery, NYC TAG/The Artists Gallery, Frederick MD Guest Bio: Marie Riccio grew up in New York and received a B.F.A from SUNY Purchase. She also lived in Philadelphia where she earned an MFA in painting from the University of Pennsylvania before moving to Rockville, MD. She is an award-winning artist who has exhibited her work in New York, Philadelphia, Colorado, and throughout the Washington, DC area. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail February 5, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU02.5 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith {Continued} In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best.  In this episode, Suzanne continues her insightful conversation with 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Chris Bennett, ROI and Laura Smith, NEAC.  Chris Bennett Website, Chris Bennett ROI Laura Smith Website, Laura Smith NEAC, Laura Smith Instagram Chris Bennett was born in London in 1957 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the early ‘80s under Euan Uglow, Geoffrey Camp and Philip Sutton.  He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, London. In 2004 Chris signed a publishing contract with DeMontfort Fine Art who license selected works as open and limited editions in the UK, Japan and the USA.  His paintings are exhibited and sold in prestigious galleries around the UK.  A notable commission is a portrait of Sir William Hawthorne, now in the collection of Churchill College, Cambridge, who, with Sir Frank Whittle, designed the first jet engine. Laura Smith trained at The Slade School of Fine Art where she won the Clare Winsten Memorial Award, graduating from her MFA in 2012. A still-life painter working towards the abstract tradition, she is interested in dissolving our familiarity with everyday objects. Her current work explores the idea that repeated motifs enable a deeper and freer investigation of the objects themselves. The paintings often depict emotive gestures and actions, where objects take the place of the loved, the abandoned and the closely held.    "Euan Uglow: An Arc From The Eye" exhibit at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

Send us Fan Mail January 29, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU02 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this second episode, Suzanne has a deep and moving conversation with 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, British artists Chris Bennett, ROI and Laura Smith, NEAC.  Chris Bennett Website, Chris Bennett ROI Laura Smith Website, Laura Smith NEAC, Laura Smith Instagram Chris Bennett was born in London in 1957 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the early ‘80s under Euan Uglow, Geoffrey Camp and Philip Sutton.  He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, London. In 2004 Chris signed a publishing contract with DeMontfort Fine Art who license selected works as open and limited editions in the UK, Japan and the USA.  His paintings are exhibited and sold in prestigious galleries around the UK.  A notable commission is a portrait of Sir William Hawthorne, now in the collection of Churchill College, Cambridge, who, with Sir Frank Whittle, designed the first jet engine. Laura Smith trained at The Slade School of Fine Art where she won the Clare Winsten Memorial Award, graduating from her MFA in 2012. A still-life painter working towards the abstract tradition, she is interested in dissolving our familiarity with everyday objects. Her current work explores the idea that repeated motifs enable a deeper and freer investigation of the objects themselves. The paintings often depict emotive gestures and actions, where objects take the place of the loved, the abandoned and the closely held.    BOOKS ON EUAN UGLOW "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation" by artist Suzanne Lago Arthur Music by Up North Music

Send us Fan Mail January 13, 2026 Creative Contemplation S4E8 Ayako Shimada; Gathering Inspiration Close to Home Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a delightful conversation with Tokyo based painter, Ayako Shimada about her solo show "Painting Diary" at Opa Gallery (1/16/26-1/21/26) of her recent landscape paintings of Inokashira Park and its playgrounds, which subtly hint at her private life beyond the canvas--her role as a mother and caregiver. Opa Gallery, Shibuya Tokyo, Japan Website: Ayakoshimada-art.com Instagram: @Ayakoshimada5050 Influences Mentioned: Erin Raedeke Ed Praybe Lennart Anderson Euan Uglow John Dubrow Ayako Shimada's Artist Statement: For me, painting is an universal language that I can talk with anybody. I am a mother of a little kids and a Japanese teacher. Talking with visual language is such a powerful way to show how I see and think about things.  For my works, finding a mundane moment and working with motifs that are close to me is important. In my painting process, I want to catch a beauty of moments such as daylight shift or atmosphere, find interesting relationships between each motifs and combine those elements into paintings rather than just paint as they are. So that way people would see true moment in terms of colors and feelings from my paintings. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail December 30, 2025 Creative Contemplation  EU01.5 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright {Continued) In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this episode, Suzanne continues her inspired conversation with 3 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner and Lisa Micklewright.  Susannah Fiennes Website, Susannah Fiennes Instagram, Ann Gardner Website, Ann Gardner Instagram,  Lisa Mickelwright Website, Lisa Mickelwright Instagram,  Susannah Fiennes studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London (BA Hons 1st class) 1979-1983. She was awarded a BP Portrait Travel Award (China) in 1993, a British Institution Fund Award, a Royal Academy Award  (London) 1984 and a Boise Travel Scholarship (Italy) in 1983. Ann Gardner was born in 1964 in Bedford and attended Bedford High School for Girls, leaving in 1982 after gaining a place at The Slade School of Fine Art. After achieving a BA (Hons), 2:1, she gained a postgraduate place at The Slade to be started in 1987. Lisa Mickelwright Following in the footsteps of her artists parents, Jane Maltby and Keith Mickelwright, Lisa studied her foundation year at Bournemouth College of Art and Design  (1982-1983) and holds both a BA (Hons) (1983-1987) and Post Graduate Diploma (1987-1989) from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.  "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall "Drawing: Mastering The Language Of Visual Expression" by Keith Mickelwright Host, Suzanne Lago Arthur's Website Logo design and episode cover by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

Send us Fan Mail December 18, 2025 Creative Contemplation  EU01 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this inaugural episode, Suzanne has an inspired conversation with 3 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner and Lisa Micklewright.  Susannah Fiennes Website, Susannah Fiennes Instagram, Ann Gardner Website, Ann Gardner Instagram,  Lisa Mickelwright Website, Lisa Mickelwright Instagram,  Susannah Fiennes studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London (BA Hons 1st class) 1979-1983. She was awarded a BP Portrait Travel Award (China) in 1993, a British Institution Fund Award, a Royal Academy Award  (London) 1984 and a Boise Travel Scholarship (Italy) in 1983. Ann Gardner was born in 1964 in Bedford and attended Bedford High School for Girls, leaving in 1982 after gaining a place at The Slade School of Fine Art. After achieving a BA (Hons), 2:1, she gained a postgraduate place at The Slade to be started in 1987. Lisa Mickelwright Following in the footsteps of her artists parents, Jane Maltby and Keith Mickelwright, Lisa studied her foundation year at Bournemouth College of Art and Design  (1982-1983) and holds both a BA (Hons) (1983-1987) and Post Graduate Diploma (1987-1989) from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.  "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall BBC Radio 3 "The Essay" with Martin Gayford and Euan Uglow Host, Suzanne Lago Arthur's Website Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

Send us Fan Mail November 20, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E7 Aaron M. Thompson; Painter of Observation And Imagining Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast reconnects with Pennsylvania based painter, Aaron M. Thompson to discuss his work, his journey as an artist and the relationships he has forged with his mentors, two exceptional American realist painters--Phillip Geiger and Scott Noel. Website: www.aaronmichaelthompson.com Instagram: @paintlanguage Phillip Geiger Retrospective, Daura Museum of Art, University of Lynchburg Scott Noel talk at the Phillip Geiger Retrospective Bio Aaron M. Thompson is a professional painter whose Paintings and Drawings have been exhibited in P.A.F.A.’s Samuel M. V. Hamilton Museum, the Charles DeMuth Museum, and Provincetown Art Association Museum. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Thompson earned his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and was awarded The Merit Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he later earned a Masters Degree in Painting. As a Gamblin Artist Colors Mid-Atlantic Educational Representative, Aaron has given lectures on “navigating color space” and oil painting “material practices” at Museums and Institutions of Higher Education for a decade. Currently, he is a Full-Time Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design where he teaches drawing and painting in the Fine Art Department. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail October 8, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E6 Morgan Irons; Painter of Archetypal Symbolism Within The Western Landscape Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a moving and at times astonishing conversation with Montana based painter, Morgan Irons about her psychologically charged work set within the Western landscape that she lives in. Don't miss this inspiring episode that will have you listening with bated breath. Website: www.morganirons.com Instagram: @morganirons Old Main Gallery, Bozeman Motana Bio Primarily a self taught painter, Morgan Irons began studying painting in 2015 following her move to a rural piece of land in Montana. It was then she began studying the work of master painters and has since sought out workshops with some of the top representational painters today. A figurative painter by nature, Irons believes in painting solely what she knows best, life on the land she lives. Her paintings are narrative and timeless in theme and palette.  Morgan Irons has been a featured artist in Fine Art Connoisseur's "Artists to Watch", Southwest Art Magazine’s “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch in 2017”, and Big Sky Journal's "Ones to Watch". She is a two-time recipient of the 2018 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for emerging figurative painters. Irons is represented by Old Main Gallery in Bozeman, Montana where she currently lives and paints in a cabin on a mountaintop. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

Send us Fan Mail September 2, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E5 Lenny Campello; Artist, Gallerist & Curator Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast talks with Cuban born, American Artist, Gallerist & Curator-Lenny Campello. Lenny shares his journey to becoming the artist he is today in this engaging episode as well as discusses his largest curatorial project to date; a multi-venue Washington DC area survey show happening this Fall 2025 entitled "Women Artists of the DMV". Website: www.lennycampello.com Facebook: @lenny.campello Instagram: @lennycampello "Women Artists of The DMV" Exhibit Bio Lenny Campello (Florencio Lennox Campello) was born in Guantanamo, Cuba and studied art at the University of Washington School of Art in Seattle, Washington from which he graduated in 1981. While there Campello helped to create the Arts NW Student Gallery in Seattle, the area’s first art gallery focused on student artwork. He also organized several exhibitions at the School of Art.  In 1996 Campello opened the Fraser Gallery in Washington, DC. Within five years the gallery had become one of the most important independent fine arts commercial galleries in the city and in 2000 became one of only three DC area art galleries to be invited to become a Sotheby’s Associate Dealer. In 2002 Campello opened a second Fraser Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland, at the time the largest art gallery in the Greater DC area. In addition to organizing and curating several hundred exhibitions for the Fraser Gallery, he is also an independent curator and has organized many important shows in the Washington D.C. capital city area, and other places such as the 2001 “Survey of Washington Realists” at the Athenaeum in Alexandria, a huge salon style show that for the first time catalogued together the artists working in the realist tradition in the DC area. He also organized a worldwide homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in association with the Cultural Institute of Mexico and most recently he reviewed the work of over 2,000 artists and organized a seven-gallery show for the Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran in Washington, DC.  Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation" by artist Suzanne Lago Arthur Theme Music by Up North Music

Send us Fan Mail August 19, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E4 Jack Rasmussen; Director and Curator at American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has an engaging conversation with one of the principal figures of the Washington DC arts scene for the past several decades--The Director and Curator at American University Museum, Jack Rasmussen. Jack and Suzanne discuss the history of the local arts scene, as well as a Cold War era espionage tie-in and share professional development advice for artists in this not to be missed episode. American University Museum Website: www.American.edu/cas/museum American University Museum Instagram: @aumuseum_katzen Jack Rasmussen Instagram: @jack.rasmussen1 Modern Art and American Cold War Foreign Policy Bio Jack Rasmussen is the Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. He previously held Executive Director positions at di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature, Maryland Art Place, and Rockville Arts Place. He was the owner and director of Jack Rasmussen Gallery in Washington, DC. Since opening its doors in 2005, the Katzen Arts Center at American University has served as a vibrant hub for the visual and performing arts in Washington, DC. This year marks two decades of innovation, collaboration, and creativity, showcasing the work of students, faculty, and renowned artists from around the world across the Departments of Art and Performing Arts and the AU Museum.   Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation" by artist Suzanne Lago Arthur Theme Music by Up North Music

Send us Fan Mail July 10, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E3 James Lloyd; A Brush with Royalty Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a delightful conversation with British Portrait Painter, James Lloyd about his exceptional career painting portraits of some of England's most extraordinary individuals including Sir Paul Smith, Dame Maggie Smith and the late Queen herself, Elizabeth the II.  Website: jameslloyd.org.uk Instagram: @james_lloyd_artist   and  @james_lloyd_drawings Representation: Browse & Darby and Galerie Hübner + Hübner ArtUK.Org National Portrait Gallery, UK Bio: James Lloyd graduated in the 90s with an MA from the Slade School of Fine Art, following a BA in Fine Art from Coventry and a Diploma from Blackpool College of Art and Design. He teaches at the Royal Drawing School and has won numerous awards including the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award, Paul Smith Scholarship, Windsor & Newton Young Artists’ Award, Carrol Foundation Young Artist of the Year Award, First Prize in the BP Portrait Award, and the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture. Lloyd has undertaken commissions for many private and public clients and institutions including Newcastle University, the Bank of England, Queen’s College, Lords Cricket Ground, the House of Lords, the Royal Collection and the National Portrait Gallery. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation" by artist Suzanne Lago Arthur Theme Music by Up North Music