Jana Ireijo is an Hawaii born muralist whose passion as a conservation artist is born out of a love of art that started at a very young age. Jana creates vanishing murals using charcoal gathered from areas recently affected by wildfires.  This material, formed by the heat of the flames, carries the story of destruction and renewal that is intrinsic to the natural world.  She says her art is a reflection of the transience and impermanence of life and nature. Born in Honolulu in 1968, Jana has spent most of her life in transit leaving the island for California, before attending grad school in New York, then as a divorced woman to Connecticut where she raised her family, and finally returning to Hawai’i in 2023, where she has come full circle. Jana is the eldest of three children; she has a younger sister and brother. Her parents Rona August, a realtor, father James Ireijo, and step-father Joel August (both attorneys) encouraged Jana as a child to explore the arts, taking her to museums and galleries, and ensuring she always had access to arts and crafts. It was her mother that recognized a natural talent and told Jana she would become an artist. When the time came to choice her career pathway, Jana was drawn to advertising and after graduating from H. P. Baldwin High School (Maui) in 1986, she headed for the University of Hawai’i at Manoa to earn a BFA in Graphic Design in1991.  She then attended Pratt Institute, New York, where she earned an MFA Painting in 1999.  Jana took ten years off from her art to raise a family before turning her hand to public murals and developing her own style. Now back in the islands as an empty nester, Jana has immersed herself in her passion for environmental issues, such as the ocean, deep sea mining, and helping her community. She is also working on her first book for children entitled Vanishing Moon. 
 
Jana’s links:
https://janaireijo.co/
https://www.instagram.com/janaireijo
 
Some favorite female artists:
Gillian Jagger - sculptor - she was my thesis advisor at Pratt, and a huge influence in my practice. Maya Lin
Lita Albuquerque
Nina Bentley 

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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Annemarie Lean-Vercoe is a British Award winning and BAFTA Nominated Cinematographer. Her most recently lensed Outrageous, which follows the lives of the fascinating Mitford Sisters. The show premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2025 and will be airing this summer on UKTV and BritBoxTV.  Annemarie is a graduate of the National Film and Television School (NFTS) with film and TV credits as Cinematographer or Director of Photography spanning more than 26 years. These include Call the Midwife, Breeders, The Chelsea Detective, All Creatures Great and Small, Marilyn Reframed, the BAFTA winner Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley and BAFTA nominated Is There Anybody Out There.  Annemarie was born in Devon, England in 1977 and has an older sister and step siblings. Her parents divorced when she was just four but remarried locally and remained close by, providing Annemarie with an extended family. In his second career her father was a sailing photographer who introduced her to cameras and she soon developed a curiosity as to what was possible behind the lens. She enjoyed an idyllic childhood with freedom to explore the surrounding countryside, learning to ride ponies and how to sail. After Yealmpton Primary School, Annemarie attended the Royal School in Bath but left early to be with her mother. An early interest in arts and crafts then led her to a year-long Foundation Arts Course before attending an under-graduate program at the London College of Printing (University of the Arts London). By now she had developed an interest in film cameras and started to gain some experience as a trainee on productions in the UK. A series of introductions and the benefit of a scholarship led her to the NFTS with an eye to becoming a cinematographer.  After graduating Annemarie has been consistently in demand balancing her career with raising her family, thanks to the help of her mother and mother-in-law. She is a proud member of Illuminatrix and Women Behind The Camera.  Her numerous awards include BAFTA, BIFA and STAR OF TOMORROW.  Annemarie is currently in production on the British TV drama series Bergerac.  She lives in Sussex, England with her husband Finn and two children.
 
Annemarie’s links:
https://cargocollective.com/cinematographer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1233187/
https://www.instagram.com/annemarieleanvercoe1 https://www.illuminatrixdops.com/member/annemarie-lean-vercoe/
 
Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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Email: [email protected]

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This week the Colombian fine artist, Catalina Gomez Beuth.  Catalina says: ‘Through my art I narrate, with brush strokes in people’s faces, each person’s individuality, avoiding the boundaries created by skin color and ethnicity.” She invites the viewer to start a conversation and connect with something deeper to discover the humanity we all share and to feel the raw emotions such as innocence, hopelessness, loneliness, resilience, happiness, determination and more that she portrays in each canvas. Catalina was born in Medellín, Colombia in 1970 to parents Rosita Beuth, a house wife, and Jorge Gomez, a businessman who divorced when she was 17. Catalina has a younger brother and sister. As a child she was constantly drawn to her art which proved her refuge when her family life became challenging. After High School she studied fashion design at the Escuela De Diseño Proyectual (School of Design Proyectual) and further developed her interest for design while studying in Italy. Upon graduating she worked for seven years in her father’s factory, which, she says, was more of a job than a career. However, her true passion has always been painting and she found time to continue her art and begin selling it in Colombia. Catalina met her future husband while on vacation in the US and in 2001 the couple moved to the US where she was able to establish a studio and become a professional artist while raising a family. Catalina lives in Georgia with her husband Jose Pablo Cellario and two children Camilla and Matias.
 
Catallna’s links:
Website: https://www.catalinagomezbeuthart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalinagomezbeuthart/
 
Some of Catalina’s favorite artists:  
Suzy Schultz     
Lene Kilde  
Lita Cabellut 

Produced by Hollowell Studios
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This week we meet the Hollywood makeup artist Farah Bunch whose work has earned her multiple nominations in Daytime and Primetime TV  Awards and Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards. Her work over several seasons on the hugely successful TV Comedy Will & Grace proved a pivotal moment in her career. Other notable credits include Dancing with the Stars, The Oscars, Sunset Beach, Entourage, Fuller House, and Makeup Department Head on Frazier on Paramount +.  Farah was born in 1975 in Toluca Lake, California where she and her brother Justin were raised in the long shadow of the Hollywood sign.  Her parents; the producer and six-time Emmy nominated film and television composer Velton Ray Bunch, and three-time Emmy nominated makeup artist Patricia (Patty) Bunch who were once the Disco Band known as Strut, introduced Farah to a life on set from an early age. She was five years old when she made her set debut. She also has a couple of acting credits to her name. But it was always going to be makeup that would be the foundation of her career from the moment at 18 when she graduated from the Joe Blasco Makeup School. Her mother’s status in the industry and guidance on set steered her into multi-camera shoots, which is the world she loves most of all, despite having early ambitions to be a pop-singer with encouragement from her father. She remains inspired by her music and is currently writing a musical with her father. Farah recently obtained a license from the International College of Beauty in Esthetician and Cosmetology. She lives in Toluca Lake, California with her two cats.
 
Farah’s links: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1095568/
https://www.instagram.com/farahbunch/
@farahbunch 

Some of Farah’s female artists:
Jo Baker
Kathryn Bigelow 

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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This week the Canadian-American actor and filmmaker Leanne Johnson whose philosophy is founded on seeking understanding and sharing truth through bold characters and stories to redefine the narrative about women in film and our world. Since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2011 with a BSc. in Nutrition and Food Science, Leanne has consistently produced a repertoire of diverse and dynamic performances. In May 2025 she made her directorial debut with A Tree Falls in The Forest, which speaks to her raison d’etre as a storyteller. Her performance in the 2024 action-crime movie Extraction, USA resonates with her own story of humble beginnings growing up the daughter of immigrants in rural Alberta.  Her credits range from NBC's Chicago PD to Dracula: The Count’s Kin, Chasing Rabbits, Oregonda and Idle Girl. She has garnered multiple Best Actress awards including Chasing Rabbits (2022), Oregonda (2024) plus best Supporting Actress in Greek Fire-Demon Spirit (2023).  As well as her versatility on screen, Leanne is a Personal Trainer having graduated from the National Academy of Sports Training (NASM), in Lafayette, IN. Her lifelong love for sports is evident in a range of skills, including snowboarding, martial arts and roller derby where she is known as Chariot of Fire. Leanne embraces her queer identity and stereotype-bending on-screen performances while staying true to her faith which remains at her core. Leanne is currently based in Indiana and is a proud mother of two daughters.
 
Leanne’s links:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9786306/
https://www.leannejohnsonofficial.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@leannejohnsonactor
https://www.instagram.com/leannejohnsonofficial 

Some of Leanne's favorite actors: 
Helen Mirren
Kate Winslet
Margot Robbie
Jennifer Lawrence
Frances McDormand
Brie Larson
Chloe Zhao
Julia Roberts
Sandra Bullock

Leanne’s playlist:
Marlee Carpenter
Need To Breathe
Coldplay 
Lady Gaga 
Taya Hozier

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
Follow @theaartpodcast on Instagram
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Email: [email protected]

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This week we meet the Australian painter Sarah Hickey whose bold colors radiate through her expansive canvases expressing an internal world of dreaming and reflection through her spirituality and imagination. We hear how Sarah’s creative soul was evident in her childhood as she explored a range of visual elements from theater to fashion and iconography. Sarah was born in Brisbane in 1975 and grew up in the surrounding area.  She was educated at Queensland College of Art where she earned a BFA in Visual Art and a BEd at Griffith University. Parents Eileen and Paul gave Sarah and her younger brother Sean the freedom to explore, which enabled Sarah to connect with nature in a spiritual sense—something that is constant in her paintings. While in high school, Sarah visited England, France and Spain when she became enthralled by European artists. After she graduated college she spent time in Germany as a nanny living her own version of her favorite film, The Sound of Music. Sarah was always drawn to teaching and has been a High School Art teacher for 23 years. After her marriage to George Hickey, Sarah returned to her art and has participated in numerous shows and exhibitions, and garnered several awards including The Percival Portrait and Sunshine Coast National Art Prize, The Kennedy Art Prize, Redland Art Awards. Sarah lives in Brisbane with her husband George and dog Molly.

Sarah's website: https://sarahhickey.com.au/
Instagram:@sarahhickeyart 

Some of Sarah’s favorite artists:
Frida Kahlo
Lucy Culliton (Australian painter)
Clairy Laurence (sculptor)
Laura Jones (Australian painter)
Yvette Coppersmith
Julie Fragar
Judith Nangala Crispin
Olivia Godbee 
Alicia Cornwell 
Penelope Boyd 
Wendy Sharpe 

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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This week the American Landscape Painter Kim Casebeer whose career spans some 25 years and whose work is shown in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the United States. Kim is represented in galleries from Colorado to Wyoming, Montana, Arizona and her home state of Kansas. She is, she says, in a good place in her career now balancing her time between studio commissioned work, plein air painting and teaching workshops. Kim was born in Newton, KS in 1970 and grew up in the tiny town of Goessel, KS with her two younger sisters Trish and Jenny. Her father Lloyd is a retired farmer and mother Marlene, a retired nurse. Kim’s family are fifth generation farmers so her childhood was spent learning to grow a variety of crops and compete in the local 4H club where her talent as a horticulturist was noteworthy. An early interest in all things artistic was encouraged by her parents from drawing tractors with her dad to learning a variety of mediums through high school. It was a natural progression for Kim to choose art school as she laid the foundation for her career by graduating with a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Kansas State University with an emphasis in Graphic Design in 1992. It was here that she met Shannon and the couple recently celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary. Upon graduating, Kim’s first jobs were in graphic design with her art work pursued as a hobby. It was only when her paintings were generating more income than her employment that Kim decided it was time to quit her day job and focus on being a full-time artist in 2001. Kim is a Master Signature Member of the American Women Artists, and a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and the Pastel Society of America. She has received multiple awards and publicity for her work that focuses on the big skies and wide open spaces of the western United States. Kim lives in Manhattan, KS with her husband Shannon, sons Collin and Lucas, and Australian Shepherd, Matilda.
 
Kim’s links:
https://www.kimcasebeer.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kimcasebeerartist/
 
Some favorite female artists in visual arts:
Kami Mendlik
Chula Beauregard
Jane Hunt
Cindy Baron
Shanna Hernandez
Melissa Scott Miller 
Jan Beaney 
Chiharu Shiota 
 
Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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Email: [email protected]

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This week the American Director of Photography and Cinematographer Theresa Vitale whose resume spans all genres of film and TV productions. Theresa is passionate about elevating women both in her love of sport and her dedication to the industry; two paths that have merged as she crossed the bridge from the US U23 National Rugby Team to film and TV production. As we will hear, sport taught her so much that has helped her in her career not least of all the value of team work and collaboration. Theresa was born in 1982 in Wallingford, CT, the eldest of two daughters; she has a sister Rosanne. Shortly after her parents Mario Vitale and Karen Weeks moved to Lawrence, NJ where her father could commute to New York, while her mother was the home care provider. Sports and music dominated her childhood—she played trombone for nine years — and tried every sport she could, eventually, and accidentally, discovering rugby. Her natural talent was soon recognized and within six months she made the squad which was competing for the national championships. Despite coming up short that year she did win the national championship with the US women’s U23 national team in 2005.  Alas, her career called and she chose the University of Massachusetts for its BA in Communications degree with a focus on TV/Film, graduating in 2005. An internship with MTV in New York convinced her that she wanted to be a camera operator and from that point on doors opened and led the way to a highly successful career.  Her work has been featured on major broadcast, cable, and streaming networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, HBO Max, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Showtime, Bravo, to name a few, specializing in docu-series, competition reality, cooking shows, studio shows, live music, documentaries, BTS and women’s sports. Theresa also takes great pride in helping women find and properly fit personal protective equipment (PPE). As an ambassador for EasyRig, she continues the legacy of her mentor, Cat Cummings, by empowering women with the right gear and ensuring it fits them correctly. Theresa lives in Long Beach California with her wife Heidi and son Barron.
 
Theresa’s website: www.TheresaVitale.com
IMDB -  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2922553/
Instagram: TheresaVitale21 & TheresaVitale_DP 

Theresa’s favorite female artists: 
Gretchen Warthen
Jen Morton
Meagan Stockemer 

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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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 - painter
Jan Beaney - Textile Artist
Chiharu Shiota - Installation Artist   

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
Follow @theaartpodcast on Instagram
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Email: [email protected]


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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 - painter
Jan Beaney - Textile Artist
Chiharu Shiota - Installation Artist 
 
Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
Follow @theaartpodcast on Instagram
The AART Podcast on YouTube
Email: [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.