AART

The English textile artist Alison Holt uses her imagination to capture landscapes and nature and then weave them into colorful canvases that are often taken for paintings. Alison says: 'Each piece is a combination of silk painting and freehand machine stitching. The painting creates depth, perspective and richness to the work and combines effectively with stitch to give detail and texture.' Her work can be found in private collections around the world and in galleries from London to Sydney.  Alison was born in Oswestry, Shropshire in 1956, the youngest of two girls, to Cyril and Brenda Holt who were garage proprietors. Her father died of a brain tumor when she was just 13 and her mother was left to raise her daughters. Her parents always supported her artistic interests and by the time Alison graduated from Oswestry Girls High School she had only one ambition which was to get into art college. From Shrewsbury Art School she was accepted into the prestigious Goldsmith College in London from where she graduated with a BA Hons in Fine Art Textiles, specializing in  Embroidery. By now her talent had already been recognized and she was immediately offered an exhibition and given commissions. She returned to Shropshire and began what was to become a parallel vocation in teaching at Wexham Art College. Alison married in 1993 and worked part time in her studio while raising her two boys Tom and Jonathan. For 40 years now Alison has built her business as a textile artist, which includes writing books about her practice and teaching courses at her home studio throughout the year. Alison lives in Oswestry with her husband John Moses and their dog Bobby. Alison's links: https://www.alisonholt.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/alisonlholt/ Some of Alison's favorite female artists:Melissa Scott Miller - Artist - painterJan Beaney - Textile ArtistChiharu Shiota - Installation Artist   Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Food and Beverage Stylist Chriscilla Browning.  Chriscilla has blended her love of photography with a creative palette of culinary art establishing herself as a leading visionary in the designing and crafting of visual delights for advertising and editorial stages where beauty stimulates the senses with mouth watering creations.  Chriscilla was born in Waynesboro, Virginia in 1973, the eldest of three girls, to Glenna Lyle, a homemaker and latterly a rural mail carrier, and David Miller, US Navy veteran turned electrician, safety inspector and explosives expert.  Chriscilla grew up on the family farm where rural life grounded her while she developed an interest in fashion and illustrating. She was also an athlete in High School proving herself as a runner. Her interest in the finer art of photography took her to the American College in Atlanta from which she graduated with a BA in Fine Arts in 1994. After a period of waiting tables and bars, Chriscilla found work in a photographer's studio in Atlanta where she learned the tricks of the trade in styling food and dishes, and even beds for Bloomingdales. It was during this time that she met her husband and took a break in her career to have Skyler, the first of her two sons.  Chriscilla has since built a lucrative business in food and beverage styling that leaves her little time for herself beyond exercising, which these days focuses on weight lifting.  Chriscilla live in Greensboro, NC, when she is not traveling the country on photo shoots.Chriscilla on Instagram: @chriscilla_browning https://www.instagram.com/chriscilla_browning/ Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the British Fine Artist Frances Featherstone. Frances says her art is guided by an appreciation for storytelling. Narrative serves at the heart of her work with which she seeks to fill her paintings with ideas and conceptual depth. Her creative explorations revolve around the interplay between figures and interior spaces offering viewers a window into intimate emotions that are entangled with the spaces we occupy. Frances employs aerial perspectives to craft patterns seen from above that compress and flatten the spatial dimensions. These pieces venture beyond the constraints of conventional perception and seek to challenge our normal sense of space. One of two children—she has a brother Walter, Frances was born in 1976 in Roade, England, to parents Jane Gill, a teacher —formerly a silversmith and jeweler—and Michael Featherstone a furniture designer. Art runs throughout her family and Frances was always encouraged and supported in her talent which naturally led a formal art education. She achieved an Art Foundation Distinction and First Class Degree in Fine Art and Visual Culture from the University of the West of England, Bristol. before changing direction for her Post Grad in Interactive Multimedia at Bath Spa University, graduating in 2000. She worked as a Designer in the BBC's Interactive Factual and Learning Department for six years. In 2006 she got married and started a family, at which point she returned to painting, firstly by taking commissions for portraits. Her work took off and she was quickly gaining recognition. In 2019 Frances was shortlisted for ‘Artist of the Year' by ‘Artists and Illustrators Magazine'. In 2021 she won the ‘The Chair's Purchase Prize' at the ING Discerning Eye exhibition at The Mall Galleries in London. And in 2024 was awarded a Certificate of Commendation for ‘an exceptional work selected for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters' annual exhibition. She has also won Sky Arts Portrait of the Week twice for her paintings of Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo and the singer Dannii Minogue.  Frances is represented by the Fairfax Gallery in Tunbridge Wells and Arcadia Contemporary Gallery in New York. She lives near Groombridge in East Sussex with her husband Munir Hassan and children Sam and Layla. Frances' links:https://www.francesfeatherstone.co.uk/Instagram: @francesfeatherstone Some favorite female artists:Paula RegoJenny SavilleFrida KahloJoan MitchellRachel Whiteread Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTube has bonus content not included on the podcast. Email: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Hungarian Esther Horvath is a multi-award winning polar photographer whose work focuses on climate research in the polar regions. By documenting the work and life of scientists who deliver important data, Esther hopes to help make a difference in how people understand what actually is occurring, and her collaborations with scientists help raise public awareness about these increasingly fragile environments. Esther was born in 1979 in Sopron, Hungary. Esther grew up behind the Iron Curtain and even though she lived only a few kilometers from the Austrian border she was ten years old before the ‘curtain' came down and she was able to explore the Austrian mountains where the Alps start, discovering a world that held a fascination which would become a life-long passion for her as an explorer.  Despite a childhood interest in art and photography Esther chose to study Economics at West Hungarian University for her Masters Degree. Upon graduating she worked in the private sector in Vienna  and at 25 she owned her first camera which would prove to be life-changing. With a growing passion for photography she decided to go to New York to study Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at International Center of Photography, (ICP). After finishing ICP, she received an assignment from Audubon magazine, to the Arctic Ocean, which was the next most important milestone in her life. Today she documented 25 scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. From 2019 – 2020, Esther spent almost four months on board the Polarstern icebreaker during polar nights in extreme conditions, documenting the MOSAiC expedition in the Central Arctic Ocean, the largest ever Arctic Ocean science expedition.  In 2022 she was the official photographer of the Endurance22 expedition, searching and finding Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship the Endurance. Esther won the first prize in World Press Photo Award, Environmental single category in 2020. In 2022, she received the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in New York for her work in raising awareness about conservation, environmental justice and climate change. Esther is a contributing photographer and explorer for National Geographic Explorer, and a Nikon Ambassador and photographer for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Esther has homes in Sopron, Hungary and Hamburg, Germany even though she spends most of her time traveling.  Esther's links: https://estherhorvath.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherhorvath Some of Esther's favorite female artists:Ami Vitale (photographer)Lyndsey Addario photojournalist)Deirdre Hyde (painter)Rita Rebecca Kirady (interior designer) Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Bex Simon is a British Artsmith who has overcome difficult mental health issues to become highly sought after for her creative work in metal. Bex is unconstrained in her approach to design by combining geometric shapes and textures. Her sculptures and public art tell stories relative to the surrounding environment and can be found around the UK. Bex was born in Chertsey, Surrey in 1973, the third of four children—she has an older sister and brother and a younger brother. She reflects on a very strict upbringing from parents Tim, a computer programmer and Gel a retired teacher who later volunteered at a school for handicapped children; a relationship which has mellowed with time and understanding of Bex's mental health. Bex was attracted to the art of blacksmithing as a teenager and despite struggling at school with dyslexia, she studied at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design – Foundation graduating in 1992.  In 1995 she graduated with a BA in Three-Dimensional Design in Metal Surrey from the Institute of Art and Design; followed in 1998 by a Diploma and National Certificate from Hereford College of Technology and in 2017 a Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Forge Work DFS from Herefordshire and Ludlow College. In 2019 she began studying Geometry at the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts. In 1999 Bex moved to London and established her creative blacksmithing business with the help of the Prince's Trust. Initially, she worked on private commissions acquired from exhibiting regularly at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows. Later, she moved on to larger scale public artwork projects via collaborations with a selected group of artist blacksmiths. Her biggest commission to date being a forty meter public artwork for Westminster Magistrates' Courts in London. It was for that installation that she became the first woman to receive the Tonypandy Cup; the most prestigious award given by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.  Bex lives in North Devon with her husband Dave and their daughters Molly and Lyonie. The book that Bex recommended on the YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/@theaartpodcast -The Creative Art, A Way of Being by Rick Rubin Bex's links:https://bexsimon.com/https://www.instagram.com/bexsimonartsmith/ Bex's favorite female artists:Zaha HadidEmma KunzLousie Bourgeois Bex's playlist:Beastie Boys / SabotageSinead O'Connor / TroyDoja Cat / Paint the Town RedRadiohead / Street SpiritSleaford Mods / Nudge ItThe Sundays / Can't Be SureChase & Status / BackboneGoldfrapp / Ooh La LaSystem of A Down / Chop SueyRoyksopp Robyn / MonumentNia Archives / Off Wiv Ya HeadzHost: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTube -  https://www.youtube.com/@theaartpodcastEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The American painter and sculptor René Romero Schuler creates powerful images that speak to the complexities of the human condition and the spirit that connects all human beings. René did not have any formal art training but since a small child felt that she was always meant to be an artist. She endured a difficult childhood and those real life challenges are imbued in her work illustrating her appreciation for the struggles and triumphs of humanity. René was born in Chicago in 1968 to parents Maryanne, a retired nurse and Rocky, who René describes as a bit of an enigma, though always in sales. René and her siblings grew up in Chicago, though she spent a year and a half in Quito with her grandparents. By time she reached her teenage years her home life was becoming difficult with a troubled relationship with her mother and an intrusive fear of her father. At the age of 14 René ran away from home and lived rough pulling on all her resources and determination. She eventually found work as an artist, painting murals in commercial properties. When she was 17 René moved into her own apartment and worked a variety of jobs from waitressing to bartending. By collaborating with a variety of artists around Chicago, René was gradually becoming a full-time artist with her own studio and plenty of commissions. In 1999 she met her future husband and for a while the couple lived in New York before René was drawn back to Chicago to focus on her art. It was here that she was able to reconnect with her contacts in art galleries and establish herself as a professional artist. René is represented by galleries across the U.S., Canada and Europe, She has had major exhibitions throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has work included in the permanent collections of numerous museums and institutions. René now lives in Monterrey, CA with her husband Rick and two sons Ian and Owen.Rene's links: https://www.reneromeroschuler.com/ https://www.instagram.com/reneromeroschuler/Some favorite female artists:Maryann KolbKelly ReemstenBisa ButlerJoan BrownAnnie LeibovitzTamara de LempickaHelen FrankenthalerLouise BourgeoisTracey Emin Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the American impressionist painter Ellen Howard. Ellen says: "My art is centered around living a faithful life and trusting in the unfolding of the great tapestry of life. As an avid explorer and traveler, I'm curious about the transitory elements of nature and love discovering quiet unexplored areas. Seeing the light move across the land, cascading off a mountain range, streaming through the leaves, dancing on the top of the waves, and creating a beautiful ray of warmth in the sky and clouds is pure serenity; where I find my center and solutions through art for life.” Ellen has been a professional artist for 15 years since she raised her two children Rachael and Jonathan and attending a range of art classes covering a variety of subjects and mediums. Her work has been shown extensively across the country and in a number of publications.  Ellen was born in Summit, NJ in 1965 to parents Joyce and Jim Guter. Her mother was a nurse who dabbled in watercolors as a hobby, and her father was a musician and high school band director. Ellen grew up with her younger brother Mark in NJ and Massachusetts but her parents divorced when she was just 14. Ellen immersed herself in swimming, running track and dancing with her friends as she navigated her teenage years. She graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Marketing and Human Resources and at the age of 24, moved to San Fransisco where she embarked on a career in finance which, she says, stood her in good stead for running her own business. It was here that she met her husband and started a family. Now a full-time professional, Ellen divides her time behind the easel in her studio or in plein air. When she is not painting she is giving classes and workshops in the US and Europe. Ellen lives near San Fransisco with her husband Mark and two dogs. Ellen's links: https://www.ellenhowardart.com/https://www.instagram.com/ellenhowardart/Some os Ellen's favorite female artists:Adrienne Stein - painterKim Lordier - pastelist Jill Carver - painter Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Canadian based Romanian Hyperrealist Artist Sinziana Iordache specializes in detailed graphite drawings of luxury watches. Sinziana's produces photorealistic and hyperrealistic drawings with each meticulously placed stroke, every shade and tone carefully chosen. Her artworks reflect not just timepieces but the epitome of horological elegance.  Sinziana was born in Constanta, Romania in July,1986, the only child of Elena Chris, an accountant and web designer, and Ion Iordache, a consultant and trainer in security management. While she was still a toddler, her family moved west to Resita near the Serbian border—her father was serving as a captain in the military—and where she says she had a very happy childhood. Her mother's interest in precision art appealed to Sinziana from an early age and she would easily amuse herself for hours. Education began at the Traian Vuia High School and Politehnica University, Timisoara studying architecture before Sinziana moved to Canada in 2007 following her mother and step-father who had emigrated in 2003. Sinziana attended the Ryerson University in Toronto where she studied Interior Design which would become the catalyst for her starting her own business. Nowadays she is a partner at Unfold Creative Studio and spends much of her time outside the business on drawing luxury watches, which can be time consuming. It can take 150 hours to draw one watch. Sinziana lives in Toronto with her partner, the artist Alex Sauret and her cat. Sinziana's links:https://sinzianaiordache.com/'https://www.instagram.com/sinzianaiordache Some of Sinziana's favorite artists:Elizabeth Waggett (painting, drawing)Kit King (painter) CJ Hendry (hyperrealist)Golsa Golchini (painter)Vanessa Hogge (ceramist)Karen Konzuk (jewelry)Heather Knight (ceramist)Gaby Wormann (mechanical art)Carla Grace (wildlife painter)Zai Divecha (paper artist)Lauren Williams (textile artist)Julia Ibbini (paper art) Host: Chris Stafford@theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.com Produced by Hollowell StudiosBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

On this new season of AART our first guest is the cinematographer Sarah Thomas Moffat. Sarah's work has spanned across all genres from docs, factual and commercial with a focus now on scripted. Her productions have aired worldwide, including on CBC, History Channel, CTV, Hulu and Netflix. Sarah was the first woman to run as a Racer-Cam Operator on the Canadian reality competition show Amazing Race Canada. She has won multiple awards across genres including film festival awards for Best Cinematography. along with three CSC nominations.  Sarah's parents emigrated from Scotland to Canada shortly before Sarah was born in Toronto. As a child she developed an interest in still photography through artistic parents which led to Sarah studying Film, Radio, TV Broadcasting at Centennial College, Ontario. She describes herself, at that time, as focused and determined when she realized that this was her calling and she could make a career as a cinematographer. Sarah is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK. She is a member of IATSE, a CSC Associate Member, an ASC Vision Mentee Alumni, and Illuminatrix DOP based in London.  Sarah's links:https://sarahthomasmoffat.com/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3511986/https://www.instagram.com/sthomasmoffat Some of Sarah's favorite female artists:Mandy WalkerEva DuVernay Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramThe AART Podcast on YouTubeEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Hi I'm Chris Stafford host of the AART podcast about women in the visual arts and I wanted to let you know  lyou that I will be back in the New Year with a new season and we have a wonderful line up to kick off Season 3 starting in January with Jeanne Tyson the Los Angeles-based cinematographer and filmmaker. Her work includes narrative and documentary features, shorts, and series, and has been featured in film festivals worldwide. Jeanne has been the Director of Photography for ABC's Gray Anatomy for the past two seasons and will shortly begin shooting Season 22. Also in January the Toronto based Romanian Hyperrealist Artist Sinziana Lordache who specializes in Detailed Graphite Drawings of luxury Watches. Sinziana's produces photorealistic and hyperrealistic drawings with each meticulously placed stroke, every shade and tone, carefully chosen, her artwork reflects not just timepieces, but the epitome of horological elegance. If you've been a listener to the show you will know we have 90 episodes across seasons 1 and 2.  And season 3 will offer another great selection of talented creative women from across the spectrum of visual arts. I'm thrilled that this podcast has been so well received and given me the opportunity to introduce you to so many brilliant women artists and I look forward to another season. Keep in mind that Season 3 will be bi-weekly. The reason for that is so I have more time in post production.  So I hope you'll stay with me, follow @theaartpodcast on Instagram and on YouTube Just look for The AART Podcast. We also have a new email address and that's theaartpodcast@gmail.com. Please share this podcast with anyone you think will enjoy the show and tell them they can listen won any podcast app. I hope you will join me for season 3 in 2025.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

On the season finale of Season 2 our guest is the Chinese Sculptor Lirong Luo.  Lirong says: "Most important for me is to create my artwork freely and show people what I am ready to show and what is interesting for me to show the world.”  Lirong's sculptural work is influenced by Renaissance and Baroque techniques, an interest she developed while studying art in Beijing under the tutelage of sculptor Wang Du. This influence is evident in the life-like quality and grace of her figures, often women, captured in motion. Their poses are elegant, elongating their bodies, and Lirong's attention to detail in skin folds and garment drapery imbues them with a sense of vitality. The dresses and garments of her sculptures often appear windswept, creating a compelling dichotomy between realism and a fantastical element. But her early life was not easy. Growing up in a small village in China, Lirong's path was filled with hard work and a determination to prove without anyone to show her the way that a Chinese woman could become a successful international artist. In this episode, she shares her story of resilience, her vision and artistic process, and how she created her own path in the art world. Lirong was born in the Hunan Province in 1980. Her parents, Huaifu Luo and Aiyu Guo are both farmers. She has a brother, Liping Luo. In 1998, Lirong entered the Changsha Academy of Arts in Changsha, Hunan, and from 2000-2005 she studied sculpture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing graduating with honors. Lirong met her future husband the Belgian sculptor Arnaud Laroche while they were students together and once Lirong graduated the couple decided to move to Europe. They first lived in Paris where Lirong worked in a chocolate factory before moving to Belgium. It was here that she established a studio and in 2014 held her first exhibition. By 2017 Lirong had hit the big time and now her work can be seen in galleries in France and Belgium. Lirong lives in Beersel, Belgium with her husband Arnaud Laroche and their daughters Olivia and Maya. Lirong's links:Instagram: @luo_li_rong_art https://www.instagram.com/luo_li_rong_art/?hl=enFacebook:  LUO Li Ronghttps://www.facebook.com/p/LUO-LI-RONG-100044201991035/Lirong's favorite female artists:Camille ClaudelKiki SmithBeth Cavener Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Russian-born Illusion Body Artist Vika Bren. Vika says: “At the heart of my work is the fascinating interplay between reality and illusion. Each piece I create is a visual journey, where things aren't always as they first appear. My illustrations and paintings often feature subjects that seem to shift, transform, or disappear depending on the viewer's perspective.”  Vika's talent has attracted millions of followers on social media making her something of a rock star in the world of body art illusion. But her versatility as an artist is no surprise given her lifelong flair for creativity.  Vika was born on New Year's Day, 1989 in Moscow. She is the oldest of five children whose parents Marina and Dimitri were both architects and also talented artists. When Vika was still a toddler the family moved to Israel and from the age of seven to eleven she had a private art teacher. After that she said she has been completely self taught. Once she left school she tried her hand at graphic designing but soon realized that this would not fulfill her artistically. During the Covid pandemic, Vika saw the opportunity to develop her art work online and even through two wars she has managed to establish herself with a global reputation. Through the daily threat of rockets and background of sirens, Vika works in a converted garage, which has become her studio. She will be a visiting artist at Art Basel Miami Beach on December 6, 2024. Vika lives in Shavei Zion, Israel with her partner, the musician Assaf, and daughters Yahel and Lia. Vika's links:Website: https://vikabrenart.com/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@VikaBrenLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vikabrenart?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=d7b8a77d-9ef6-467a-ba90-fcbec1ee71de Vika's favorite artist: Dain Yoon AART Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the American ceramic artist Heather Knight.  Heather says: "With my work I hope to bridge modern design and the natural world by paring down the essence of things to repetitive textures and basic form.” Heather's all-hand built creations become unique pieces of art of the finest heirloom quality. Heather was born in Houston, TX in 1977; the second youngest of ten siblings in a blended family, which she describes as chaotic. She attended numerous schools as a child and after discovering ceramics in high school she eventually blazed her own trail by choosing colleges with arts programs. However, in 1999, Heather left the College of Charleston to pursue cooking, then later in 2006 she graduated from the University of North Carolina, Asheville with a BFA in Ceramics. After spending time as a chef, Heather returned to art and decided to turn it into a business. She opened Element Clay Studios in Asheville, NC in 2007 and established her style, which is widely recognized for its striking combination of modern textures, patterns and shapes by nature. Heather now lives in Savannah, GA with her two sons Caleb and Oliver. Heather's link:https://www.elementclaystudio.com/#/@elementclaystudio https://www.instagram.com/elementclaystudio Heather's favorite female artists:Giselle HicksPamela SundayValeria NascimientoAriele Alasko Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The American cinematographer Christina Dobre was drawn to cinematography through her combined interests in storytelling, photography and psychology.  She say: she strives to create emotionally-driven imagery that helps us to feel, to connect and to heal. Her first professional production as a crew member was the 2013 drama CREEDMORIA about a teenage girl growing up in a dysfunctional family. It was a story she says that resonated with her. Christina was born in New Jersey in 1995, the middle of three children; she has an older sister and younger brother. Her father Dumitru was an immigrant from the Communist state of Romania - he emigrated to the US as a teenager and eventually became a Public Service Electrician. Her mother Donna is a nurse and instilled in Christina diverse values which have shaped her personality. an early interest in photography that she picked up from her father began the foundation to her career and by the time she attended Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hill, PA, Christina knew that story telling through film was her calling. In 2019 she graduated Fordham University in New York with a BA in Communications with a focus on Film Studies. Her determination to break into the industry was soon rewarded with a variety of productions from commercials to music, including THE KING for Sarah Kingsley, and narrative shorts, like AT NIGHT that was screened at an Academy Qualifying Festival.  Christina also advocates for women in camera through online education and by sharing her experiences as a woman in camera with her filmmaking community on social media. Christina was accepted in the ASC Vision Mentorship Program for 2024-25. She lives with her partner Johann Beute in New York. Christina's links: https://christinadobre.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5992321/Instagram: @christinadobrehttps://www.instagram.com/christinadobre Some of Christina's favorite women artists:Polly MorganRina YangKira KellyKate ArizmendiAlicia SlimmerBarbie LeungKat CastroCharlie Gillette Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the French underwater filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin. Nathalie has produced and directed 12 critically acclaimed underwater documentaries that have received numerous awards at international festivals and been distributed globally. She has also contributed to more than 200 feature films, documentaries and productions as a director of photography, underwater cameraman and divemaster.  She is known for her 2013 Sustainability at Sea, the 2015 TV Mini Series Ascension and the 2021 Secret of the Whales. Nathalie is also in demand as a speaker and expedition leader.  She says: “The more I travel around the world, the more I realize the multitude of small actions we can take to change the health of our immediate environment.”  Nathalie was born in the north of France in 1970.  Her natural curiosity for the planet and the environment has guided her since childhood to become an explorer and to produce images that have an impact on educating and informing a wider public. Nathalie graduated from the University of Montreal in 1992 in Movie Studies, by which time she had already decided that she wanted to leave her native France and settle in Canada.  Nathalie's mission is to push the limits, to go deep within yourself and share the riches and fragilities of our earth through 360° exploration. Nathalie has been inducted into the Women Diver Hall of Fame and The Explorers Club. She lives in Montreal with her partner. Nathalie's links: https://nathalielasselin.com/en/Instagram: @quapixnat https://www.instagram.com/aquapixnat/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0489811/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Nathalie's favorite female artists:Maroesjka LavignGayle KabloonaMissMe Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week we meet the Russian-Australian contemporary realism artist Anna Speirs. Anna says: ‘My work is inspired by the beauty of Australian nature, focusing on tone, shape, and contrast. I often use objects from my local surroundings in my compositions.'  Anna was born in Kalyazin, in the Tver region of Russia in 1981. She has an older sister Marina. Her mother Natalia is an accountant and her father Mikhail, a carpenter. Anna's interest in art began at an early age and she was mostly preoccupied with drawing and painting at home. Her parents recognized her talent and supported her educational choices; she attended the Kalyazin Art School from 1995-2001 followed by the Tver Art College from 2001-2005 where she graduated with a Degree in Design and Monumental Decorative Art, and the State Academy of Arts and Industry S.G. Stroganov in Moscow from 2013-2014. It was whilst she was at the State Academy that she took a vacation to Bali and met the man who would become her husband. Their romance took precedence over finishing school and Anna decided to move to Australia where her new life enabled her to become a professional artist. Anna has been a finalist for numerous awards and her work can be seen in various countries as well as being shown extensively across Western Australia and South Australia. Anna is married to Ben and the couple live in Perth, WA with their three children; Mitchell, Jackson and Ashlee. Anna's website: https://www.annaspeirsart.com/Anna on Instagram: @annaspeirsart https://www.instagram.com/annaspeirsart/Anna's favorite female artists:Robin ColeBernadett TimkoKristen Valle YannCharlotte SorapureSamantha DennisonZoe YoungRuth FittonKayla Martell Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The New Zealand-Australian photo realistic artist Bella McGoldrick says her intention is first to present the subjects to which she's had a connection and secondly to bring a connection between those subjects and the viewer, to take them back to a place, to a time, to a taste or even a smell. Bella was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1993, the youngest of three girls to parents, Mel McGoldrick and Mark O'Sullivan. When Bella was seven years old, the family moved to Melbourne in search of a new life. Bella developed an interest in art from an early age and her talent soon became apparent when she started taking commissions for portrait drawings as a teenager. But it was her interest in fashion design that guided her career and she graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Fashion Design degree. As a student Bella spent time in Paris surviving on a minimal budget until she sold her first artwork and then took off for a tour of Europe before returning to school in Melbourne. Her lust for travel became her focal point and with her heart set on New York she made her way to the Big Apple finding work as an intern in the fashion industry. Meanwhile Bella continued to take commissions for her art and with a new boyfriend—who later became her husband—they spent time in London before moving to Colorado. It was from there that Bella was deported from the US and with her now fiancée travelled around until finally returning to Australia.  Now as an established and sought-after artist Bella is settled in Byron Bay with her husband Tyler and twin boys Rome and Ruby. Bella's website: https://bella.gold/Instagram @bellamcgoldrick https://www.instagram.com/bellamcgoldrick Bella's favorite female artists:Chloe WiseCaroline PinneyPeggy GuggenheimStevie DanceSophia Coppola Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week is the Australian landscape and still life oil painter Natasha Ruschka. Natasha says: “Taking seemingly simple scenes and transforming them into a beautiful and interesting vignette with only oil paints feels like my very own form of  magic.”  Natasha was born in Subiaco, Western Australia in 1974 and has two step sisters. Her mother Linda is also a prolific artist, as is her biological father John. Natasha was raised by her step-father David, who was an army officer, which meant the family frequently relocated in the South Pacific region.  At the age of four, Natasha moved to Papua New Guinea for two years and again later as a teenager. She attended St Hilda's School in Southport on the Gold Coast before moving back to Canberra to her family to finish school. After graduating high school Natasha decided to study business computing as a way to find employment.  At the age of 18 she found herself working in the Hyatt hotel where she met her future husband. The couple moved to Brisbane for his work and later to Colorado. It was there that Natasha discovered an interest in art at the Park Hill Art school and she never looked back. The couple returned to Canberra in 2019, by which time Natasha had established herself as an artist. She say's she doesn't believe in talent but has a good eye. She loves the excitement of a blank canvas and the promise at the beginning. Natasha lives in Canberra with her husband Greg. They have three children, Nadya, Vienne and Zach. Natasha's website: https://www.natasharuschka.com/Instagram: @natasharuschka https://www.instagram.com/natasharuschka_art Natasha's favorite female artistsCarol MarineLori PutnamHaidee Jo SummersClarice Beckett (d)Margaret Ollie (d)Hilda Rix Nicholas (d) Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week we hear from the British seascape artist Victoria Obolensky whose work has been sold worldwide to high profile collectors, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Ralph Lauren and Joely Richardson. Victoria was born in 1972 in Hammersmith, London, the only child of Linda White, an artist and journalist. Her father Gavin Cowper left the family when Victoria was just six months old and she was raised by her mother and stepfather Alex White who owned Gresham Publishing. The family moved to Malta in the Mediterranean when Victoria was two years old returning to London when she was seven. She attended the Sacred Heart School in Malta followed by the Glendower Girls Primary School in South Kensington. When the family moved to Hampshire, Victoria attended the Rookwood School in Andover. An interest in photography attracted her to the Chelsea School of Art and later the Camberwell School of Art in London and she soon made her mark as a talented photographer exhibiting in the Andipa Gallery in London. Her first career was in journalism following in her mother's footsteps by working for glossy magazines such as Homes & Gardens, Elle, Vanity Fair and Tatler. In 2019, her focus moved to painting and during the Covid lockdown period she established herself as an artist. In the past two years Victoria has sold 480 paintings through her website, social media and galleries.  Victoria lives in Dartmouth, Devon with her son Max and Persian cat Toby. https://victoriaobolensky.com/Instagram: @victoriaobolensky.art https://www.instagram.com/victoriaobolensky.art  Victoria's favorite female artists:Katherine BurnsJudy ChicagoIrina Cumberland Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week's guest is the American wildlife biologist, conservationist and filmmaker, Jocelyn Stokes. Jocelyn has filmed programming for PBS NATURE, Mongabay, National Geographic, the BBC, Waterbear, ILCP, Health in Harmony, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Future Alam Borneo and Borneo Futures, among others. She is most at home filming endangered species in some of the world's most remote wilderness locations. Her technical skills in long lens shooting, gimbal work and drone operation to capture unique natural history sequences have led to award-winning conservation films. Jocelyn was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the eldest of three; she has two brothers. Her father Robert Stokes is in media marketing and her mother Debra a medical assistant and artist. Growing up in the desert, Jocelyn spent her childhood outdoors exploring nature and wildlife. And she was fascinated by still photography from an early age immersing herself in storytelling with her camera. By the time she had graduated high school Jocelyn knew the career she wanted and achieved her BA in Photography from Lewis & Clark followed by graduate studies at Oregon State University for Wildlife Sciences. Jocelyn traveled to South East Asia after college and began to lay the foundation for her career of combining her passions of wildlife conservation and filmmaking from producing a documentary to conserve sun bears in Borneo to environmental journalism pieces for the conservation news web portal Mongabay.  She is currently filming and producing a PBS NATURE series In Her Nature focused on female wildlife conservationists around the world, beginning with Nepal, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and Madagascar, which will air in March 2025. Jocelyn is married to wildlife photographer, Peter Mangolds, and the couple live in Jackson Hole, WY. Jocelyn's website: https://www.jocelynstokes.com/Her Wild Life https://www.herwildlife.com/Instagram: @wiledandstoked https://www.instagram.com/wildandstoked/ Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week's guest is the American multi-media artist Sydney Swisher whose work on fabric creates a unique dimension to weaving photography and digital art with textiles. Her tapestries explore memory, materiality, and machine intelligence as she references family photos to generate locations based on descriptions of childhood memories.  Sydney was born in Olney, Illinois in 1994 the oldest of three children; she has a sister Maci and brother Sutton. She comes from a family of educators; her mother Melissa was a kindergarten teacher and father Martin, a high school science teacher.  But it was a BA Mass Communications studying TV and Radio with a Minor in Art that Sydney chose at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from where she graduated in 2016. Her internships included graphic design while photographing weddings would help her develop her skills as a photographer. Sydney returned to Illinois to focus on her art career and her first solo exhibition, Fabricate, was shown in Peoria, Illinois in March 2024. She is currently preparing for a new show in Chicago this month. Sydney and her husband Nash live in Newton, Illinois with their two whippets.Sydney's website: https://www.sydneyswisher.com/Instagram: @sydswisher https://www.instagram.com/sydswisher/ Sydney's favorite women artists:Jenna GribbonMegan LewisHolly AndresSasha GordonNjideka Akunyili Crosby Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on Instagram AART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week's guest is the South African wildlife acrylic artist Ilse de Villiers. Ilse works in detailed realism of her subjects, which portray the dramatic wildlife of Africa in its natural habitat drawing mainly from photographic reference. Ilse says although she was  always considered relatively talented she was not encouraged to pursue art so making it her career was never in her wildest dreams. Ilse was born in Durban in 1965, one of two daughter to father Frik Kleynhans (d) an education inspector, and mother Julie Kleynhans, a secretary, talented batik artist, horticulturist and watercolorist. An outdoor child, Ilse was always an animal lover with a wandering mind. She describes herself as a neat and organized person who preferred pencils to paint as a child. Ilse graduated with a B.A degree and Diploma in Higher Education at Bloemfontein University before teaching at a High School.  In 1987 she married her college boyfriend Abraham de Villiers and the couple eventually moved to his family's farm in Middelburg, Bethal where they raised a family while Ilse became a farm girl, cooking, sewing, baking and gardening. The tragic loss of their eldest son Abraham Jnr. in 1996 in a farm accident would prove a pivotal point in Ilse' life when some months later a friend encouraged her to start painting which turned out to be the therapy she needed. She says she found a creative expression and that became the beginning of her life story as an artist.  Ilse and her husband live in Tzaneen in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Her husband's photographs are often used by Ilse as reference.  They have a son Herman and daughter Julése.  Ilse annually shows her artwork at two shows and in galleries across the US. Ilse' website https://ilsewildlife.com/Ilse on Instagram: @ilse_wildlife https://www.instagram.com/ilse_wildlife/ Women who inspire Ilse: Danielle FisherCarla GraceThalia StantonAnnie DrewDina BrodskyLouise HancockSamantha GreenhillSandra Bartels Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the South African camera operator and steadicam operator, Ashlea Downes. Among Ashlea's credits are the popular Netflix series Bridgerton on which she is working with a previous guest on this podcast, Alicia Robbins. Ashlea has also worked on House of the Dragon, Wicked, Skyfall, Spider-Man: Far From Home and His Dark Materials. Ashlea was born in Pretoria, South African in 1985. Her father, Ant, was an accountant and business owner, and her mother, Alex, an artist and art teacher. Her brother, Scott, is a hand painted sign artist. Ashlea grew up enjoying sports and the outdoors; she was a competitive rider, taking after her mother who was a keen horsewoman. She also swam, played water polo and netball but academia was not her rap. Instead she followed her father's interest in photography and her mother's talent for art. Her love of wildlife gave her aspirations to be a wildlife documentary filmmaker so it was no surprise that these influences steered her to the AFDA Film School where she graduated with a degree in Cinematography. After college, her relentless determination and ambition to break into the industry opened up opportunities that would prove the foundation of her career, and soon she would find herself being called up for the Bond movie Skyfall filming in Turkey and then to the UK to film at the London Olympics. A turning point in her career was moving to the UK shortly after where she met her partner and found steady work from trainee to 2nd AC/ loader and then making her mark as a camera operator. Ashlea lives between Reading, England and Cape Town, South Africa with her husband Karl Taggart. She is currently working as a camera operator on Season 4 of Bridgerton. Ashlea on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4701569/Instagram: @ashlea_downes https://www.instagram.com/ashlea_downes Ashlea's favorite women in visual arts: Charlotte Bruus ChristensenMandy WalkerReed MoranoRachel MorrisonCatherine GoldschmidtAlicia RobbinsAlice BrookElana Garret Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Filipina artist Goldie Poblador who works in scent and glass interactive instillation art.  Goldie specializes in glass flameworking combined with performance, video, installation, and scent embodying themes of feminism, the environment, and decolonization as it relates to the body.  Goldie was born in Manila, The Philippines in 1987. Her parents; Napoleon Poblador, a lawyer and painter and Gizela Poblador, a home-maker who had earlier studied dentistry. Goldie is the eldest of four children; she has three younger brothers. She was, she says, an imaginative child who enjoyed creating worlds and performing. Her parents exposed her to art and music; she visited art shows, galleries and museums, learned the piano, and performed in a drama club. By the age of 18 Goldie was performing in a Punk band; something she likes to recreate today for fun. But it was her fascination with glass and painting that would steer her through college. She graduated from the University of The Philippines in 2009 with a BFA in Studio Art and later with an MFA Glass from the Rhode Island School of Design. Between colleges Goldie was introduced to the Scuola Abate Zanetti in Murano, Italy. She also worked as an artist and attended the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, co-founded by the renown glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.  Goldie has been exhibited internationally at such institutions as the Yangon Secretariat Building Knockdown Center, Cemeti Art House, Singapore Art Museum, Bangkok Art and Culture Center, Fine Art Museum of Hanoi and The Cultural Center of the Philippines. She is currently working on a show for the Art Fair in The Philippines in 2025. Goldie will be a featured artist in the Sensorium, Stories of Glass and Fragrance; an exhibition that will explore the millennia-long relationships between glass, perfumery, and the storage of scent, at the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) from September 7, 2024 - February 1, 2025.  Goldie is married to Joseph Sousa and the couple live in New York City.  https://goldiepoblador.com/InformationInstagram: @_goldieland https://www.instagram.com/_goldieland Goldie's favorite female artists:Janine AntoniAgnes ArellanoJoan JonasCamille ClaudelKiki SmithHost: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The South African acrylic painter Carla Bosch is known for her vibrant colors and bold strokes that trademark an unapologetic style. Her landscape paintings represent a wide range of nature's palette uniquely capturing its light. Carla was born in Pretoria in 1976 to Anton, a pharmacist and amateur artist, and Ronel Gericke a home-maker and keen musician. She has a sister Murentia.  Carla describes her childhood spent enjoying family hikes around South Africa as happy and loving. Her father encouraged an interest in art and she would follow his lead as she explored different mediums. Carla studied Interior Design at the University of Pretoria and although she says she has always had high energy and a limited attention it would be art that would fully absorb her as as self taught artist. By the age of 25 she found herself a full-time artist, and with the help of her husband Elroy, Carla operates a successful business with clients around the world. The couple moved to the US in 2013 spending five years in California before relocating to Texas.  Carla is represented in galleries in France, the UK, South Africa, Maryland and Texas. Carla has two children: Sarah and Daniel, and lives with her husband Elroy and their Chocolate Labradoodle Jamie in Austin, Texas. Carla's website: https://www.carlabosch.com/Carla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlaboschart@carlaboschart Some of Carla's favorite female artists: Isabel Le RouxIrma SternMaggie Laubser Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the British make-up artist Patsy O'Neill whose career was founded in the 90's in MTV and has spanned the world of TV, music, commercials, film and editorial. Patsy was born in 1975 in the shadow of West Ham football ground in East London. Her parents Robert O'Neill, an electrical engineer and Julia Dooley, a nurse & practice manager were Irish immigrants. Patsy is the middle of three children—she has an older brother and younger sister— and was educated at the Ursuline Convent School for Girls in Forest Gate, London. Her love of the arts could be seen in her constant drawings as a child and interest in fashion so it was no surprise that she chose to study Design Fashion Styling For Make - up and Hair at the London College of Fashion from where she graduated in 1993. From there she chose to start working in the business to get hands on experience, which is where her early opportunities created a pathway for her career. She has, she says, done just about everything in the business and loves to share her knowledge by mentoring interns and graduates.  Her roster of celebrity clients are some of the most recognizable women on the red carpet and have led her to having her work showcased at the Oscars. Patsy lives in London with her partner Richard Jakes and son Arlo.Patsy's website: https://www.patriciaoneill.co.uk/Instagram: @patsyoneillmakeuphttps://www.instagram.com/patsyoneillmakeup Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the multi-media artist Carla Ciuffo whose innovative image making process and utilization of experimental printing and installation techniques, create a layered and immersive, often mystical environment. She says her approach treads the boundary between documentary and experimental arts. Carla was born on Long Island, New York to father Armand, a dentist and artist, and Loretta, a home-maker and amateur photographer.  She has two sisters who are also artistic: Adrienne is a documentary filmmaker and Roberta works in the Nashville Arts and Arts Education.  Carla attended some college but dropped out but then later proudly obtaining her Harvard ID when she did a study residency with the Disease and Biophysics Group. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Carla worked a variety of jobs during her 20 years in New York City from candy stores to book printing. In her 40's she left New York for Arizona where she trained as a massage therapist and became an entrepreneur starting small businesses. From Arizona, Carla moved to Tennessee in 2010 to become a professional artist and now an aspiring author of queer fiction. Carla and her wife Angela live in Nashville, TN. Carla's website: https://www.carlaciuffo.art/Instagram: @Carla Ciuffo https://www.instagram.com/carlaciuffoworks/ Carla's favorite female artists:Jennifer O'Connell-KnoerzerCourtney MinorSuzanne Theodora WhiteLouise DumontLea CraigieAnna KarvounariOlga FedorovaConnie HansenUrsula von Rydingsvard  Ana Francisca Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The American photographer Jamie Beck is known for focusing on portraying life and her natural surroundings in the Provence. Jamie is the author of two books: ‘An American in Provence: Art, Life and Photography' published in 2022 which became a New York Times Bestseller, and The Flowers of Provence published in 2024. In the last few years Jamie has created an online marketplace for her custom designs and also founded The Starling Club, an online social club for creative women.  Jamie was born in Arlington, TX, one of two children to James Beck, a law enforcement officer and Gina Pine, an accountant. She has an older brother and a step-father. Her early interest in photography began as a child wanting to memorialize images, which led to taking photos once her mother gave her her first camera. Jamie's love of fashion led her to starting her career in fashion photography once she graduated from the New York Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Fashion Photography. She then worked in New York as a fashion and commercial photographer for 13 years before moving to the South of France. Jamie's raison d'être is to capture the beauty of nature most notably through her love of flowers and the lifestyles of the Provence. Jamie lives in Apt with her husband Kevin and daughter Eloise. Jamie's website:https://jamiebeck.co/Jamie on Instagram: @jamiebeck.cohttps://www.instagram.com/jamiebeck.co/The Starling Club https://club.jamiebeck.co/ Jamie's favorite female artists:Maria RoseNatasshia NearyRonni NicoleKatie Whipple Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the British wildlife artist Lucy Joyce. Lucy's painstaking attention to detail is her signature on portraits of a variety of animals. Her artistry is crafted from photographic images, and in some cases her own compositions, as she meticulously accounts for every hair and whisker. Lucy was born in Northampton in 1979, the oldest of two children—she has a younger brother Robert. Her mother Jackie Smith, is a part-time seamstress, and her father Brian was a precision engineer in motorsport. Lucy completed her GCSE and A Levels at Chenderit School in Oxfordshire including two GCSEs in Art and A Level Art, before working in print and design. She then attended Southampton Solent University where she earned a degree in Marketing Design. Lucy met her husband at uni and upon graduation the couple spent a year working in Canada before returning to the UK. After the birth of her two sons, Lucy returned to her art and built a clientele for pet portraits. In 2016, she became a full-time artist and now has commissions for her wildlife and pet portraits that extend far into next year. Lucy lives near Newbury in Berkshire with her husband Simon, two sons; Jack and Charlie and two Cocker Spaniels. www.mrsjoycedraws.co.ukInstagram: @mrsjoycedrawsTikTok: @mrsjoycedrawsFacebook: www.facebook.com/mrsjoycedraws Some favorite female artists:Carla GraceDina Brodsky Zoe FitchetDemi LangGeorgia HartJennifer Gennari Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the American cinematographer Alicia Robbins who is the first female to become a full-time Director of Photography on a Shondaland series. Alicia was lead DP on  season 17 of GREY'S ANATOMY, and also lensed episodes of season 3 of the Netflix series, ‘BRIDGERTON. Other credits include a 2022 mini-series for Netflix titled KEEP BREATHING. She also shot four episodes of season 2 of the NBC re-boot of Quantum Leap. The feature BABYSPLITTERS, lensed by Alicia, won Best Feature Film at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Best Comedy Feature at the San Diego International Film Festival, and received a mention in Variety for its "sparkling" cinematography. And THE WEDDING INVITATION won Best Romantic Comedy at the Manhattan Film Festival and Best Comedy at Burbank International Festival in 2016. Alicia is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Emerging Cinematographer Award from the Cinematographer's Guild for her work on the short INTERNET GANGSTERS.  Alicia was born in San Diego, California in 1979, the youngest of three children—she has an older sister Theresa and brother Tommy—to parents Mary Lynne and Tommy—both musicians, piano and voice teachers. Her parents lived in San Diego for over 20 years but when Alicia was four years old, the family moved to Trussville, AL where she grew up.  At the age of seven, she became a competitive swimmer through high school. Despite a musical background, Alicia chose a career in cinematography and in 2003, she graduated with an MFA from the American Film Institute (AFI).  Alicia will be returning to BRIDGERTON to shoot Season 4 later this year. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, fellow DP, David Smith. Instagram:@aliciacamchickWebsite: https://www.aliciarobbins.com/IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0730281/?ref_=nv_sr_1 Some favorite women in visual arts:Mary Lynne RobbinsMandy WalkerNatalie KingstonJeanne Tyson Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the painter, singer and poet Jamie Derr.  Jamie says: “I don't usually know what I am visualizing until I see it emerge on the canvas, making me an intuitive artist.” Her portraits are both bold and nuanced depicting characters known and unknown. Jamie was born in Providence, RI in 1981, one of three children to parents Debra and Manuel Ribeiro. Her great-grandparents  emigrated from Portugal in the early 1900s and established Sunset Bakery in Bristol,Rhode Island in 1929. Besides owning the bakery, her father Manny was also an artist and musician which Jamie inherited. She started singing as a child which led to a singing career right out of High School. She later earned a full Davis Scholarship, and graduated from Wellesley School with a Bachelor of Arts continuing to perform till her late 30's. Among her recorded songs under musical name “Jamie LaPearle” are Don't Want to Let You Go, Next to You, and So Torn (all available on Spotify). At the age of 18, she had her daughter Lianna and worked as a make-up artist while continuing writing songs and performing. Jamie later transitioned to becoming a visual artist focusing on landscapes and portraits in both watercolor and oil. She is a member of Oil Painters of America, an Artist Member at the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and was recently accepted as an exhibiting artist at the Providence Art Club. She has received numerous international awards and exhibits frequently. Jamie has an upcoming show in September, 2024 at Deblois Gallery in Middletown,RI and Greenville Library in Greenville, RI in December, 2024. She lives in Cranston, RI with her husband James, two dogs and a cat. https://www.jamiederrart.com/https://www.instagram.com/jamiederrart/@jamiederrart Jamie's favorite female visual artists: Kesja TabaczuckIrena RomanJulia Powell Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the award-winning Cinematographer, Shana Hagan, ASC. In the words of fellow cinematographer Gretchen Warthen: “Shana is the biggest documentary female DP/Operator in the world… and one of the kindest DPs I have ever worked with on set. You would never know who she is in the cinematography world without looking her up.” Her work includes DPing the 1997 Oscar-winning Documentary Short BREATHING LESSONS: THE LIFE & WORK OF MARK O'BRIEN and shooting additional cinematography for the 2014 Oscar-winning Best Documentary Feature: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM.  She worked on the Oscar nominated 2010 Documentary FOOD, INC., and DP'd the 2020 Oscar nominated Documentary Short: WALK RUN CHA-CHA as well as the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Award Special Jury Prize Winner - AFTER INNOCENCE and the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Award Grand Jury Prize nominee - THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES. Shana has firmly embedded herself in the industry. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, to parents Robert Hagan, MD and Peggy Hagan, a Girl Scout Camp Director and Troop Leader, Shana is the middle of three children. Her parents instilled many important values in her which have helped her throughout her life and career. As a schoolgirl, she became a competitive swimmer at the age of five through to her Freshman year at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where she attended film school. It was a natural career path for the enthusiastic young photographer who had already developed a keen eye for filmmaking. Shana was the ‘official' family videographer with a curious mind, appetite for storytelling and a passion that grew as she established the foundation for her craft, opening doors and creating opportunities right out of school. Shana was the first woman to shoot on the hit reality series SURVIVOR and was nominated for an Emmy for her work on SURVIVOR: CHINA. She shot four seasons on NBC's PARKS AND RECREATION, was the 2nd Unit DP on Netflix's ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT and has shot commercial spots for Disney, Electronic Arts, Kohl's, the US Army, Kodak, Verizon and others. Shana's current scripted work includes the critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning series SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE for HBO and Fox's half hour docu-comedy WELCOME TO FLATCH. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Peter, daughter Iris, two dogs and two cats. https://www.shanahagan.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0353248/Instagram: @shanahaganaschttps://www.instagram.com/shanahaganasc/Shana's Playlist:"I love classical: “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland – so cinematic and nostalgic for summers on Grandma and Grandpa's farm in Oklahoma.Saint-Saens' “Carnival of the Animals: 7 / Aquarium”Vivaldi – “Four Seasons / Spring”I love world music:Ali Farka Toure  “Kaira”Cesaria Evora  “Sodade”Buena Vista Social Club  “Chan Chan”The Chieftains  “The Wind That Shakes the Barley / The Reel With the Beryle”More random faves and some new stuff too:Dave Brubeck's  “Take Five”Bill Withers  “Lovely Day”U2  “Beautiful Day” Coldplay  “A Sky Full of Stars”Bonobo  “Recurring”Khruangbin   “Texas Sun”Lord Huron  “The Night We Met”Radiohead  “Big Sleep”Black Pumas  “Colors”Some favorite female artists in visual arts:"I absolutely love Dorothea Lange's photography.  Her work during the depression is some of the best documentary photography there is.  See “Migrant Mother” and it'll rip your heart out.  also love Georgia O'Keeffe – did a doc about her years ago and was just in love with her story, her passion for her work, her friends (Steiglitz, Ansel Adams, etc).  Would love to have a drink with her." Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

The Romanian Botanical Artist Irina Neascu began her career in architecture and now her journey transcends academia, science, art and illustration. Irina says: “I approached botanical art to continue investigating the cultural landscape from a natural perspective of the reciprocal influence and fragile intersections between culture and nature.” Irina was born in Bucharest in 1982, the only child of Daniela and Mihai who are both economists. She attended the Architecture University in Bucharest, Romania where she graduated with both a BA and MA. Irina then earned a postgraduate MA in Fine Arts at Rome University of Fine Arts. Following her graduation, she turned to interior design where her name became an international brand, with exhibitions at various fairs and events throughout Europe. The main collections focus on bespoke upholstery and chairs, crafted with textile collage techniques and digital printing. Irina has worked on both old and new furniture, restoring and customizing items according to the specific needs of her clients. Her interior design collections include home accessories and furniture, in unique series or limited series. In 2016, Irina moved north of Bucharest to the Transylvania area to be closer to nature; hiking is one of her favorite activities. Here, she opened the Irina Neacșu Studio then founded an art school, Cembra School of Botanical Art and Design, where she teaches courses and workshops in painting, drawing, textile art or design and encourages creative knowledge inspired by nature and heritage. Irina is currently  a PhD candidate at the Art University in Bucharest, and later this year she will be a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, History of Art Department. Irina lives in Brasov with her Weimaraner, Scala. Irina's website: https://irinaneacsu.com/Instagram: @irinaneascu https://www.instagram.com/irinaneacsu/ Some favorite feamle artists:Georgia O'KeeffeRachel RuyschGiovanna GarzoniHillary WatersJackie MulderChristiane Fashek Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the contemporary impressionist Anne Blair Brown. Her work centers on intimate scenes inspired by local surroundings as well as travel in the US and abroad. She says: “My artwork starts in reality and evolves through my imagination. As an impressionist, I believe in a painting process that enables me to tap into my creativity rather than trying to copy and perfect. My goal is to invite you, the viewer, to connect to the painting such that you personalize the experience and use your own imagination to complete the story.”  Anne was born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island and at the age of four her family moved to Tennessee. Her mother is Rachel Blair, a licensed clinical social worker and caterer, and her father James Brown is a financial advisor. She is the youngest of three children, she has an older brother and sister. Anne attended Saint Henry School and The Harpeth Hall School in Nashville followed by the University of Georgia, and Watkins College of Art & Design, Nashville where she earned an Associate Degree. She began teaching art some 25 years ago and offers online courses and workshops for painters of all skill levels. Her in-person sessions take place at Bluebird Hill Retreat in Santa Fe, TN. Anne lives in Nashville, TN with her husband the impressionist & abstract artist, Trey Finney. Anne's website: anneblairbrown.comInstagram: @ablairbrownstudioFacebook: anneblairbrown & anneblairbrownstudio Some favorite female artists:Haidee-Jo SummersCarolyn AndersonAnn LarsenYer Za VueDawn WhitelawIvetta Lokhmatova Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Colleen Laffey is a camera operator whose credits include: Love is Blind, World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, American Grit, Capture, Master Chef, Jersey Shore, The Bachelorette, Kings of Pain, Are You The One, and MotoMaidens. She has, she says, become obsessed with photography, it's her drug of choice and gets in her flow state when she's shooting. Colleen was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1960, the oldest of three children—she has a brother, Marty, and sister Maureen. Her mother, Dale was a homemaker, and her father Marty a bank loan officer. Colleen's childhood was largely spent outdoors and when it came time to graduate from High School she chose to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Photography.  From there she began working in outdoor recreation as a still photographer, a river guide, video kayaker, ski instructor and ski patrol. She worked 4 years at WVPB, and chance opportunity to run camera on a large show changed the course of her career, and at the age of 44 she settled into the unscripted TV industry becoming a sought-after camera operator. Colleen lives in Fayetteville, WV, in a house she designed, and in her spare time she can be found mountain biking or whitewater kayaking.Colleen's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1837418/Instagram @cococam https://www.instagram.com/cococam/ Colleen's playlist:Talking Heads, A Naive MelodyRestless, James McMurtryCounting Stars, One RepublicI Don't Know, Lisa Hannigan Some favorite female artists in visual arts:Annie Lebowitz, photographerEllen Kuras. cinematographerZaha Hadid, architect Produced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Belarusian soft pastel artist Tanya Avchinnikova. Tanya's love of water and its translucency is the focal point and inspiration for her art. She says: ‘I specialize in seascapes and landscapes – places where you can feel a deep unity with nature, and trying to capture the illusion of presence.'  Tanya was born in Minsk, Belarus in 1988. Her mother Elena is a nurse and she has a brother, Anton.  Tanya studied music and began performing as a pianist from an early age so it was only natural that she would pursue a career in music. Tanya studied music at the Belorussian State Academy of Music and earned her Post Graduate degree in Performance at the Urals Mussorgsky State Conservatoire (Ekaterinburg) in Russia. She spent two years in China teaching piano at the Nanchang Normal University in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.  In 2006, Tanya moved to the UK and earned her Masters Degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatorie.  She currently works as a ballet pianist at the Performers College, which is part of BIMM University. She lives in Birmingham, England with her husband, the classical pianist Roman Kosyakov. Tanya is a Member of The Pastel Society and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. Tanya's website: https://tanyaavchinnikovaart.co.uk/Instagram: tanyaavchinnikovaart Tanya's favorite female artists:Mary CassattMichele AshbyAmy WebberOlivia DunnReisha PerlmutterTanya's playlist:Radiohead (or solo Thom Yorke projects)Kiasmos (or tracks by Olafur Arnalds)Puscifer (or The Perfect Circle)Tomas Dvorak (or his project Floex)Boards of CanadaAphex TwinUlrich SchnaussJon Hopkins  Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Vietnamese photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo. Ngoc was born in Vietnam in 1963 and grew up during the Vietnam War. Her father, Chau Minh Ngo, was a colonel in the South Vietnam Army and her mother Phi Truong became a nurse's aide after raising eight children. Ngoc was the sixth child—she has four sisters and three brothers. Despite enduring a brutal war, Ngoc describes her childhood as enchanting and beautiful. Her parents did all they could to protect their family and offer some normalcy to those troubling times by spending time on the beach. At the age of 12, shortly before the end of the war in 1975, the family were evacuated to the US and settled in Sacramento, California where, with the help of sponsors, they began a new life. Ngoc described herself as a very shy and reserved child but that did not hinder her development. She found her own way to the University of California, Berkeley where she earned a BA followed by a Masters of Landscape Design at Columbia University. After spending some time traveling to Japan and Europe Ngoc made her way to New York with a view to working in painting restoration. But after a chance encounter while working on a feature film she discovered her true passion was to be photography, so she learned black & white photography and developing. Ngoc's images have been published The World of Interiors, T Magazine, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Cabana, and House & Garden UK. She is also the author of five books: Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature; In Bloom: Creating and Living with Flowers, and Eden Revisited: A Garden in Northern Morocco, The House of a Lifetime, and New York Green. She is currently working on a new book entitled Roses in the Garden inspired by her father's death. She has, she says, always been independent and self-contained, paving her own way as a refugee and re-imaging her life as a reflection through the beauty of the images she creates.  Ngoc and her husband, the photographer Julian Wass, live in New York. They have a daughter Lily who works in public health and is also a poet. Ngoc's website: https://www.ngocminhngo.com/Instagram: @minh_ngoc https://www.instagram.com/minh_ngoc Ngoc's playlist:"The Rip by Portishead (I love Beth Gibbons, both with Portishead and her solo work)The Spoils by Massive Attack with Hope Sandoval (I'm a fan of both Hope Sandoval and Massive Attack) Wildfires by Sault (A song about George Floyd that happens to be very catchy)Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez (Poignant song about her relationship with Bob Dylan)Purple Rain by Prince (bog fan of Prince for his fearless originality and incomparable talent)Halo by Ane Brun (Ane Brun is brilliant at reinterpreting other people's song in her inimitable way) Hope We Meet Again by Brit Marling (I love her folksy songs)La Rua Madureira (I love this French interpretation of an iconic bossa nova song)Paradis Perdu by Christine and the Queens (I love the way she combines one of the favorite songs of my childhood with a Kanye song and makes it completely her own)." Ngoc's favorite female artists:Agnes MartinAnni AlbersRuth AsawaHilma af KlintKiki Smith Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Arkansas native, Paulette Pearson, is a colored pencil artist who captures whimsy and humor in her drawings. She creates work that she says ‘reflects a unique blend of artistic skill and storytelling,' and has an eye for detail that harmonizes with originality, authenticity and depth.  Paulette was born in Big Bear, California in 1982, the oldest of three children to Ben, an engineer and business/property owner, and her mother Paulette, an artist. She grew up on her family's ranch in Arkansas and as a child, her New Orleans grandmother encouraged her artistic interests as she quietly amused herself not knowing that one day she would become a professional artist. It was journalism and the law that would initially appeal as a career; Paulette earned her BA in English from Lyon College, her MA in Journalism and a JD—both from the University of Arkansas, before spending over a decade as a magazine editor—first in Arkansas and later in Texas, covering luxury interior design and architecture. Paulette met her husband Rich in law school, and after spending time in Washington, DC, the couple moved to Dallas, TX where Paulette most recently served as the Texas editor for Luxe Interiors + Design magazine. Once commissions started to come in and stores picked up her work, she knew she could become the full-time artist she dreamt of being so she decided to take the plunge and return to the art that she loved. Paulette recently held her first exhibition in Austin, TX. By combining realism with imaginative elements, she says: ‘ I invite the audience to embark on a journey of discovery, where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, and where every pencil stroke tells a story.' https://paulettepearson.com/Instagram: @paulettepearsonstudio https://www.instagram.com/paulettepearsonstudio/'Paulette's favorite female artistsJamie BeckBella McGoldrickInslee FerrisKatie RodgersCJ Hendry Paulette's Playlist -The Beatles – My favorite band of all time. I especially love Yesterday, In My Life, Let it Be, Blackbird, Get Back… -Ella Fitzgerald – It's A Lovely Day Today, Dream A Little Dream, etc. -Louis Armstrong – La Vie En Rose, Cheek to Cheek, What a Wonderful World, etc. -Pomplamoose – Les Champs-Elysées, Sympathique -Something's Gotta Give movie soundtrack (Astrud Gilberto - Summer Samba (So Nice), Coralie Clement - Samba de mon Coeur qui bat) -Nat King Cole – Unforgettable, Smile -Billie Holiday – Blue Moon, I'll Be Seeing You.Produced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

Visual storyteller, Flash Rosenberg, is a self described 'Attention Span for Hire' who photographs, draws, writes and talks as a performer. Flash was the pioneering artist in residence for ‘LIVE from the New York Public Library' for seven years, capturing live-drawings of literary discussions in real-time to create panels and animated summaries known as “Conversation Portraits Flash was born in Mt. Vernon, NY; one of three children—she has a younger brother and sister— to Marilyn, an early childhood educator, and David, a chemical engineer and rocket scientist. Her family moved to Delaware when she was four years old. Flash attended the University of Delaware where she graduated with a BS in Graphic Design as a Dean's Scholar in Visual Communication. In 2011, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Creative Arts. Her animations have been commissioned for Broadway shows. Her Main Stage stories for ‘The Moth' have been broadcast nationally on NPR. “FlashThink Cartoons” were a weekly, online feature on the Conde Nast site, Archetypes.com. Flash has had an elaborate and original teaching career, specializing in provocative approaches to art, including workshops in Visual Humor, and a Perception Studies class conducted entirely in the NYC subways for Cooper Union. She lives in Harlem, NY. Websites: http://flashrosenberg.com/ https://www.archetypes.com/flash-rosenberg (http://www.nypl.org/live/conversation-portraitsInstagram: @flashrosenberghttps://www.instagram.com/flashrosenberg/ Flash's playlist: Blackbird - The Beatles The Penguin - Raymond Scott Gymnopédies - Erik Satie Toc - Thom Ze Hot in Heere - Nelly Atomic Dog - Parliament Funkadelic Incense Peppermint - Strawberry Alarm Clock Sunshine Superman - Donovan Hava Neegila - Harry Belafante Oh Yeah - Yello Crazy Women - Jess Korman Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell Old Man - Neil Young Dust in the Wind - Kansas Another One Bites the Dust - Queen In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel Somebody I Used to Know - Gotye You Don't Have to Cry - Crosby, Stills & Nash The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground Gangnam Style - PSY Mustt Mustt- Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn Trigger Hippie - Morcheeba Computer Love - Kraftwerk Drumbone - Blue Man Group Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is - Chicago King Kong - BETTY Tubthumping - Chumbawamba Get Lucky - Daftpunk Happy - Daftpunk Technologic - Daftpunk Yeah! - Usher Calabria 2007 (Club Mix) - Enur (featuring Natasja Scream & Shout - will.i.am (with Britney Spears) Dare - Gorillaz Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz Walking and Falling - Laurie Anderson Super Bon Bon - Soul Coughing/Michael Doughty Ruby Vroom Paint Kiss From a Rose- Seal Here Comes the Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the figurative painter Lisa Golightly whose work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape and influence change. Lisa was born in Eugene, OR in 1974—one of two children; she has an older brother— to parents Frank, an accountant, and Patty, a teacher. Her father was also an amateur painter and sculptor who guided Lisa's introduction to art. She was also a keen rider and enjoyed showing hunter-jumper.  Lisa's early academic interest was photography and she graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor in Fine Arts leaning towards a career in photography. It was after she married her husband, John, that she turned her attention back to art and progressed to becoming a professional artist. Lisa works exclusively in her studio and shows her work at several galleries, including Billis Williams Los Angeles, CA., George Billis Gallery, NYC/CT, Maya Froedman Gallery Jackson Hole, WY, Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT and the Patricia Rovzar Gallery in Seattle, WA. She lives in Portland, OR with her family and two dogs.Lisa on Instagram: @lisagolightlyarthttps://www.instagram.com/lisagolightlyart Lisa's website: https://www.lisagolightlyart.com/Lisa's playlist:Pixies-Hey Pixies-U Mass Pixies- Monkey Gone to Heaven The Stone Roses- Don't Stop Arcade Fire- Neighborhood (tunnels) Arcade Fire- Wake UP The Verve- Velvet Morning The Temper Trap- Summer's Almost Gone M83- Midnight City Blur- The Universal Radiohead- Thinking About You Radiohead-Let Down Lisa's favorite female artists:Kathryn LynchLynette Yiadom-BoakyeCayce ZavagliaErin LawlorLois DoddBoo SavilleKaye DonachieRose Wylie Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the National Geographic explorer and award-winning wildlife film-maker, photographer, presenter & founder of Bambee Studios, Aishwarya Sridhar. Aishwarya was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India in 1997, the only child to parents Sridhar Ranganathan and Rani Sridhar. Her father is a chartered accountant and her mother an advertising professional. Both her parents help Aishwarya with the business aspects of her film studio and have been instrumental in introducing her to wildlife and conservation from an early age. She has always been passionate about protecting the natural environment, climate change and the impact on India's wildlife. Although career pathways for women in filmmaking in India are limited, Aishwarya created her own opportunities beginning in college at Pillai College of Arts, Science and Commerce where she studied Mass Media. Her first two films were picked up by DD National and National Geographic WILD respectively, and it wasn't long before the awards came her way for her conservation work, including the Sanctuary Asia Young Naturalist Award,,which she won at age 15, The Princess Diana Award for Young Change Makers aged 9-25, the Woman Icon Award, and the International Inspirational Women's Award. In 2020, she became the first Indian woman to win at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award.  Aishwarya also became the youngest conservation storyteller from India to join the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) as an Emerging League Fellow. Her work has been telecast on leading networks like National Geographic WILD, Discovery, Arte, KBS, NHK, Love Nature and BBC Earth and her images have been published worldwide in newspapers and magazines, such as BBC Wildlife, The Guardian, and Times of India. Aishwarya is currently working on.a documentary about a leopard, Rana, in the Jhalana Leopard Reserve. Aishwarya's website: https://www.aishwaryasridhar.com/Instagram: Chikoo_wild https://www.instagram.com/chikoo_wild/ Ash's Playlist:Taylor SwiftMichael JacksonHindi Bollywood Soundtracks  Ash's favorite female artists:Beverly JoubertShannon WildVanessa BerlowitzRathika RamaswamyAlia BhattPriyanka ChopraKartiki GonsalvesGuneet Monga Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on Facebook Email: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Fine Artist, Michele Usibelli, whose work ranges from landscapes and animals to still life and figurative art. A Washington State native Michele was born in Seattle in 1962 then spent time in Utah and Alaska before returning to Edmonds, WA where she divides her time with another studio in Montana. Michele is the eldest of three children—she has two brothers—to John Hampson (d) a former navy serviceman and realtor, and mother Carol who was a home-maker, pianist and seamstress. Michele's childhood was spent mostly outdoors and playing sport. She was she says something of a tomboy, and she also followed in her mother's footsteps by playing the piano and sewing. Michele's interest in fine drawing led her to study architecture at the University of Washington and pursue corporate architecture. She also worked as Director of Marketing for the National Park Service, which involved extensive traveling. It was while she was on a business trip to Denali, AK that she met her husband, and after raising her three children—Nathan, Jacqueline and Angelina, that Michele returned to her love of art. Aside from painting most of the week, she also teaches workshops. Michele has won numerous awards, including the Silver Medal Award at the prestigious Salmagundi Club, NYC and the UCI Institute and Museum of California Art Award. Her work is in the permanent collection at the University of Alaska Fairbanks/Museum of the North the Brinton Museum/Wyoming, and her painting "First Light, Pioneer Mill Smokestack", was acquired by the State of Hawaii for their permanent collection. Michele lives in Edmonds, Washington State with her husband Mitch. Michele's website: https://www.micheleusibelli.com/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/micheleusibelliart/ Michele's playlist: One Eskimo - Kandi, Amazing Amos Lee-Windows Are Rolled Down Lord Huron - The Night We Met Two Feet - Winter Alt J - U&ME BORNS - God Save Our Young Blood Dennis Loyd - Nevermind Absofacto - Dissolve Moby - Love of Strings BORNS - Man Two Feet - Quick Musical Doodles Sir Sly - High Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate Michele's favorite female artists:Susan WoolgarKellie WeeksAbigail GuttingIngrid ChristensenWendy Conklin/UpholsteryAnnie LeibovitzMary Cassatt (d)Berthe Morisot (d) Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the Russian born felt-maker Elena Bondar who has established a second career as an artist in her adopted country of Finland. Elena taught herself the art of wool and felt-making, and since 2010 she has been crafting bespoke wool paintings, infusing them, she says, with the strategic planning, self-reliance, and dedication to excellence honed during her athletic career. Elena was born in the Ural Mountains near Ekaterinburg, Russia in 1981—one of two children—she has an older brother, Andrey, to parents Svetlana Moskovskikh, a technology engineer, and Yuri Moskovskikh, a chemical engineer. She spent a happy childhood learning crafts from her mother and grandmother before attending the School of Art in Novouralsk for eight years. She then turned to sports at the Secondary School for Olympic Reserves, Ekaterinburg as a Specialist in Physical Education and Sports from 1999-2002 followed by the Ekaterinburg State Institute of Education for Physical Education Teaching from 2002-2007.  In addition to music and art school Elena also participated in sports such as volleyball and track and field. However, it wasn't until she was16, with encouragement from her new coach, that she started taking sports seriously. Elena subsequently began a professional career, which led to becoming the 2009 European Rogaining Champion. She also competed in the 2009 World Ski-Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, Japan, and Adventure Racing World Series in South Africa, Portugal, Sweden and Turkey. After retiring from pro sports, Elena moved to Finland where she met her partner Ville Rissanen, and decided to revisit her interest in art. She attended the JEDU Vocational Education Centre, Piippola from 2015 - 2017 earning a Bachelor of Arts and Crafts degree. And she is currently undergoing specialized vocational education specializing in industrial arts and design in Jyväskylä. As well as crafting her wool and felt-making, Elena teaches the art in person and online both in Finnish and English. She lives in Palonurmi, Finland with her family and three dogs.Elena;s website: https://woolrealm.com/ Instagram: @ellunhuopa Elena's playlist:INOSSI (Somewhere)Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon)50 Cent (Candy Shop)Simon & Garfunkel (the Sound of Silence)Guano Apes (Big in Japan)Elena's favorite female artists in visual arts:Feltmaker Marjolein DallingaFingerpainter Iris ScottCeramist Heather KnightCeramicist Iris ApfelHost: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the portraiture, mixed-media artist Diana Bittar whose large canvases convey bold, uninhibited figures reflecting the artist's new found confidence and expression. ‘I am constantly fascinated by faces, and how the personalities and thoughts of each individual inspire me to form delicate relationships with each canvas', she explains. Diana was born in London in 1974, the middle of three children—she has an older sister and younger brother. Her father Doraid is Syrian and her mother Helen, a Czech, who met while studying mechanical engineering in Prague. Diana was born during her parents' visit to London for her father who needed medical attention following the loss of a leg when the oil refinery at which he was working in Syria was targeted during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The family returned to Prague until 1980 when they moved to Syria. From the age of two, when her mother first gave her crayons, Diana has shown a natural talent for the fine details of her art. By the age of 17, despite being an introvert, she was receiving her first commissions. Meanwhile, following a chance encounter in the pool, Diana proved to be a natural swimmer and would go on to win national championships. But it was her passion for art that would eventually decide her career path. She chose to major in Visual Communications and Graphic Design at the Fine Art University in Damascus, graduating in 1995. Shortly after, she met her Syrian husband, Tarek, an orthopedic surgeon, and followed him back to California. Diana took a break from her art to raise her three sons. When she returned to her easel she changed her focus from landscapes to what she describes as Abstract Realism in Portraiture. She lives in Granada Hills, Los Angeles where she has held a number of shows in the area. Diana Bittar Website: https://www.dianabittar.art/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/diana_bittar_art/Diana's playlist:The Weather ReportLettuceThe BlackyardsAlfa MistOtis McDonaldHerbie HancockMiles DavisRon CarterPat Metheny"I mainly listen to instrumental, like fusion Jazz or old traditional Arabic music. Also love old school rap and hip hop. At times my heart craves 80s music every now and then." - Diana Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

American cinematographer Erin Haynes is making her way in an industry that she believes has a long way to go to increase diversity among its crews. Erin was born in New Orleans in 1999—one of two daughters to Denise and Joe Haynes. She grew up in the 7th Ward of a complex city as a young Black woman mindful of the challenges facing minorities. Erin attended Cabrini High School in the shadow of New Orleans Museum of Art where she was drawn to English Literature, writing, art and film. She developed a talent as a sketch artist and at Loyola University she studied Mass Communications; Journalism and French.  Erin describes herself as a ‘shy, nerdy kid' who surprised everyone by leaving the Big Easy for the Big Apple in pursuit of modeling opportunities; something she is still open to today alongside her day job. Her immersion in fashion modeling led to an interest in the photography and filmmaking. She prefers film that makes you think like psychological thrillers and horror. Her early inspiration in filmmaking came when she discovered Greta Gerwig's work in the 2017 Comedy Romance Lady Bird, and Christopher Nolan's 2014 SciFi/Adventure Interstellar, which captured her imagination for its visuals and soundtrack. Erin's career path has so far led to being a Second Camera Assistant, FAA Drone Pilot and an emerging Steadicam and Underwater Camera Operator at the age of 24. She says: ‘I want to be a complete master of the camera.'  Erin's ambitions align with her mission to champion the need for diversity, visibility and possibilities for women of color in the film industry. Erin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinhaynesofficial/ Some Female Visual Artists Erin admires:Supermodel Coco RochaSupermodel Naomi CampbellCinematographer, Camera Operator, and Founder of 600 Black Women, Chris Wairegi Cinematographer, Camera Operator, and Founder of @ladycameraguy on Instagram, Gretchen WarthenCinematographer and Steadicam Operator, Megan MasurActress ZendayaDirector and Cinematographer Chloe WeaverCinematographer Mandy WalkerFashion Model and Activist Bethann Hardison (whose film Invisible Beauty was shot by Cinematographer Mia Cioffi Henry)Photographer Nadia Lee CohenFashion and Beauty Influencer: Karen Blanchard (@karenbritchick on Instagram and YouTube)Singer, songwriter, entertainer, performer and business woman Beyoncé Knowles CarterFilmmaker Ava DuVernayFilmmaker Shonda RhimesFashion Designer Donatella VersaceVisual Artist and Painter Hill SprigginsPhotographer Kris DavidsonActress, Filmmaker, Fashion Icon, and Founder of PATTERN Beauty Tracee Ellis RossDirector, Writer, and Actress Greta GerwigActress, Writer, and Producer Meryl Streep Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the American equestrian artist, oil painter, landscape artist and retreat host Weatherly Stroh. Her unique palette and eye for horses brings a soft light to her work as she captures the gestures and movement of her subjects She says: ‘My paintings reflect the inspiration I find in the world around me, with a deep appreciation for slowing down to capture and appreciate the everyday magic that surrounds us.'  Weatherly was born and raised in Metamora, Michigan in 1974 the youngest of four children—including two step-siblings—to Gari Melchers Stroh (d) and Susanne Stroh. Her parents' love of horses brought them together and they subsequently conveyed their passion for riding to a young Weatherly who became a competitive rider. Her mother is also an artist and sculptor who instilled an artistic eye in her daughter so it was not surprising that, after high school at Cranbrook-Kingswood (affiliated to the renowned art academy graduate school) in Michigan,  Weatherly chose to major in art and photography at the University of Colorado. Whilst in college she spent a year in Florence, which stoked her interest in travel as well as inspiring her art. After college, she pursued various personal and professional directions including: racing mountain bikes, working for a magazine, a non-profit organization and teaching elementary school. It was during her twenty years in Colorado (Boulder for 10 years and then in the Vail Valley for 10) that Weatherly would also negotiate a divorce before she made a decision to relocate to Florida in 2011 where she has established herself as a professional artist. When she is not in her studio in Wellington, Weatherly is riding, playing tennis, and organizing Art of Life creative retreats.  Weatherly's website: https://weatherlystroh.comInstagram: @weatherlystroh Some favorite female artists:CJ HendryLizzie LarockClaudia RillingJill Soukup Weatherly's playlist:Fleetwood MacTracy ChapmanCountryClassicalPop “Depending on my mood, I listen to pop music in my studio when I need energy, classical music for focus or a random mix of opera, country, oldies, and pop.” - Weatherly Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

This week the filmmaker Kire Godal whose focus on African culture and wildlife has reached audiences through National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, BBC, Amazon Prime among others. Her purpose and goal is to capture and memorialize important stories that she feels need to be recorded for history and to educate a wider public at a time when both people and animals are under threat of radical social and environmental changes or extinction.  Kire was born in Aspen, Colorado in 1962, one of three children—she has two brothers—to Norwegian immigrants Inge and Bente Godal . Her childhood was spent exploring the back country of Colorado, riding and skiing. She soon developed a passion for the outdoors and animals, which drew her to ambitions of being an explorer. But first, after High School, she was going to find herself in the Big Apple, drawn to the world of modeling after being talent spotted on the slopes by the American modeling agency executive, Eileen Ford. Whilst on fashion shoots, and catwalks of New York, Kire became fascinated in the art of photography and was soon drawn to being behind the camera. It was also at this time that Kire met her first husband, the Italian model agent, Giogio Piazzi, which would take her in a new direction. Kire found herself living in Aguilla BWI and Caracas, Venezuela while raising her first two children before returning to the US. She had decided by now that she wanted a career in filmmaking and took herself back to school at UCLA to study broadcast journalism. From there she worked in TV news, but it was the draw of the wild that led her to Kenya where she met her second husband and started her own production company Malaika Media as an independent filmmaker while raising three children but by now as a single parent. Her dreams and ambitions led to make her own self-funded films, which gradually led to bigger and more ambitious productions. Her portfolio includes Maasai The Last Dance of the Warriors for National Geographic, Lion Warriors for National Geographic Wild, Skypaths, and many more ethnographic, and natural history wildlife productions. Kire lives in Kenya and is currently working on two productions; Tolstoy, The Tomato Thief about a Super Tusker Elephant, and Maasai Eunoto featuring the important Maasai Warrior passage to elderhood ceremony. Kire's website:https://www.kiregodal.com/Kira on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiregodal_filmmaker_in_africa/ Tolstoy The Tomato Thief:  https://www.tolstoythetomatothief.com/ Kire's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323701/Kire's playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4gzA9O48M99t6ddwJfhgdU?si=j9pCGQA0T-C8W3srs3ij9A&pi=u-1bohYGWNTsuR&nd=1&dlsi=152ed12c0d9a4342 Women whose work Kire admires:Mirella RiccardiLeni ReifenstahlAngela FisherCarol BeckwithAnnie LeibowitzMandy WalkerDame Jane Campion Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.com

Carylon Cooper is an American contemporary artist whose work includes abstract, figurative, still life and animal portraits. Carylon was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1948, one of two daughters to Imogene & Herschel Cooper. She attended High School in Nashville and, since she was 19, she has called Chattanooga, TN home. Carylon's art education began at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and she followed that by majoring in art at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga (UTC) where she audited classes in printmaking and mono-printing. She spent time as a model in New York City before marriage and raising three children took priority. During a difficult first marriage, Carylon found peace in focusing on her fitness and became an endurance runner.  Her art proved to be her salvation through a second marriage, which ended after 30 years. Carylon is now happily single and feels stronger than she has ever been, She says: ”every single day of my life has been ordained.”  We hear about her discipline in the studio, and the profound impact of faith and perseverance on her life and legacy. Carylon now enjoys a happy mix of art, yoga, hiking and exercise routines. She also keeps busy as a grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of 4 children. Carylon's playlist:Vivaldi Four SeasonsAndres SegoviaChris BottiBrandenburg Concerto No. 61SantanaNora JonesChris StapletonBonnie RaittEro RamazzottiPodcasts including AART Favorite female artists:Louise Bourgeois (Camille HenrotTracey ErminSunny ApinchapongPeggy Kroll RobertsNancy ChabounMargaret Dyer Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.com

English portrait artist and sculptor, Eleanor Cardozo, is known for her bronze sculptures and the dynamic movement in her work. Eleanor was born in London in 1965, the second of 10 children to Colonel Benedict Cardozo, a Military Attaché in the British Army, and Caroline Cardozo, an artist and musician. Her childhood was subjected to the typical adventures of a military family when her father was posted overseas to Aden, Malaysia, Germany, Malawi, Ghana, Cyprus and Gibraltar. Eleanor's education began at a French school in Ghana, followed by boarding school from ages 8 -18 at St Mary's Convent in Dorset. Her interest in art began as a small child so it was with a degree of inevitability that she chose the City & Guilds School of Art London for Fine Art in Sculpture, followed by the Florence Academy and Cecil Graves School in Italy for portraiture. She says: ”I think because I respected my parents so much and they had very high expectations, pretty much everything we did, whether it was piano or art or academics, they wanted it to be at the highest level.” This episode is more than an interview; it's an intimate portrait of an artist's life, filled with anecdotes that make you laugh, moments that inspire, and revelations that make you ponder the nature of creativity. Eleanor's reflections on her boarding school days, her family's musical legacy, and her spiritual journey add layers to her persona, revealing a woman who is as multifaceted as the sculptures she creates. We hear how being a gymnast and dancer through her teens informed her appreciation for athletic movement. Her love of beauty is evident in her work, which has adorned venues such as the Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne, Cirque du Soleil, Harrods in London, Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Westminster Abbey, the Palais Wilson in Geneva to name a few. Her work is primarily commission based but, as she explains, she is also keen to explore other art forms. Eleanor and her husband Rupert live in Geneva and have three children, Cosima, Daniel and Harry. Eleanor's wedsite: https://www.eleanorcardozo.com/ Instagram: @eleanorcardozo Playlist:Ennio Morricone - Cinema ParadisoCamille Saint-Saëns - The SwanStan Getz & Gilberto - Girl from Ipanema ( my phone ring!)Diana Krall - Why Should I CareAmy MacDonald - This Is The LifePharrell Williams - HappyPietro Mascagni - Cavalleria RusticanaThe Godfather Love Theme Favorite women artists:Camille ClaudeElizabeth FrinkLuo Li Rong So many more paintersHost: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.com

This week's guest is the media artist Kasumi whose career ranges from musician, filmmaker, author, designer, illustrator and painter. Her work features short and feature length experimental films, live shows, VJ, and public art projection, creating looping electronic sculptures, designing motion graphics and animated gifs, producing immersive 360 virtual reality pieces and making fine art prints and wearable art. Kasumi studied music at the Stadliche Musik Hochschule in Cologne, Germany playing the lute. She then moved to Japan, where she lived for 12 years and taught Baroque music at the Tokyo College of Music. Kasumi performed as a soloist throughout Japan, Europe and the U.S., recorded four albums, and performed twice at the Carnegie Hall. Whilst living in Japan, Kasumi explored her writing and published her first book; The Way of the Urban Samurai, in 1992. Kasumi married and raised her son, Kitao Sakurai who became a renown filmmaker. While simultaneously pursuing her work in painting and set design she continued to publish writings on music, politics and social issues for among others; the Asahi Shimbun, The Japan Financial Journal, The Early Music Quarterly Tokyo, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee. From prints and collage to films and video art installations at the Rocket Mortgage Field House; at the Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall; performances with Grandmaster Flash and DJ Spooky; public art at The Cleveland Museum of Art, DC Tower, Vienna, and Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires; VR 360, post-production, and gifs for The Eric Andre Show; and interactive art-making apps. Kasumi's work Surfacing, developed at The Cleveland Museum of Art, was expanded into a solo exhibition for The Sculpture Center. Perhaps her most impactful production came after being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 when she embarked on the feature-length film project, ‘Shockwaves', which included 25,000 plus short public domain film samples. It proved to be a life-changing project, which she says ‘was like being in therapy for five years'. Kasumi's next production is ‘Farandole', an hour long cinematic assemblage, selected as part of Lincoln Center Presents Women and Non-binary Artists in Tech. It will screen at 6:30 pm on March 14 at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center.- free and open to the public.Kasumi's website - http://kasumiartstudios.com/ Kasumi'sInstagram: @kasumifilms Kasumi's favorite women artists:Amanda BluglassFlash RosenbergLeslie SwackhamerJulie Patton Kasumi's playlist:Lil Cherry & Goldbuuda - Mukkbang!Miles DavisDavid Starfire / CobraHarsh Kale / One Step BeyondRicardo Imperatore / Omelet BananaCheb i Sabbah / Ganga DevNightnoise / FionnghualaElectronic World MusicDublicator Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.com

Anna Echols is a cake artist, designer and bakery owner who creates life-like cakes celebrating every occasion. With painstaking attention to detail, her goal is to produce a cake that is hard to decipher from the real thing; almost too good to eat. Anna was born in Wilmington, NC in 1984 to Douglas and DeLonna Echols. She has one brother Douglas Echols, Jnr., a custom home renovator. Her father, who passed away in 2006, was a Commercial Real Estate Developer and entrepreneur who loved cooking, and Delonna, a stay-at-home mom. Her father once owned the shopping center where Anna's bakery business is now based although he sadly did not live to see her business develop. Anna attended Cape Fear Academy for pre-k-12th grade in Wilmington and Meredith College, Raleigh, NC for her bachelors degree before she went to Orlando Culinary Academy for the Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Program. It was while she was there that she took part in TLC's “The Ultimate Bake-Off”, which Anna says was a defining moment in her career. In 2011, she returned home to Wilmington to her mother's house where she started her bakery business and operated for the first two years. One Belle Bakery took off and she expanded her space for customers and, which now, has eight full-time staff whom Anna considers her family. Anna's creativity has attracted celebrity clients, including the late Country Music singer Charlie Daniels who gave her a cowboy hat in return. https://www.onebellebakery.comInstagram: @onebellebakery Anna's favorite women artists:Liz MarekNatalie SideserfMaggie AustinBrooke HeltonBrooke LuptonJennifer Rose Playlist:Faith (with Dolly Parton ft. Mr. Probz)Wake Me Up (Avicii)I Just Wanna Shine (Fitz and the Tantrums)Take a Walk (Passion Pit)Sugar, Sugar (The Archies) Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: hollowellstudios@gmail.com