Art Ladders: The Creative Climb

How would you respond to taking a risk of being on stage with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra? Well, like I did, you would say Hell Yes! What a wonderful way to express your creative process, be a collaborative being in our Great Lakes Bay Region community, and expand your horizons. Armin does a great job asking me questions in this episode and lending performance roles he has held in the past. We are both moved by spreading our knowledge about art through communication and teaching that also translates in an entertaining experience for our audience.

We encourage every visual artist to look for opportunities outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes these opportunities need to be invented and visualized through dreams, journaling ---sending it out into the universe. Sound woo woo but actually can manifest to amazing life experiences. Be a dare devil in the arts!

Here are the show notes for this episode!

Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra

Musical director and conductor for the Symphony, Fouad Fakhouri

Composer Michael Torke of Green and Bright Blue Music

Valerie Allen

Armin Mersmann

Join us in this enlightening episode as we dive into the creative mind of renowned conductor and composer Fouad Fakhouri of the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra in Michigan and the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra in Texas. During our conversation we explore the fascinating similarities and contrasts between the worlds of visual arts and music and discover how the principles of art and design transcend these creative disciplines.

Fouad Fakhouri was born in Lebanon and comes from four generations of musicians. His childhood in war-torn Lebanon played a significant role in shaping his musical compositions. The tumultuous civil war deeply influenced his artistic expression. At age seventeen, he traveled to the United States to begin his college studies at University of North Texas where he obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of North Texas, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting, as well as a Master of Music in Composition/Theory from Pennsylvania State University. Currently the influence of living in New York City inspires Fouad. His work often reflects the city's traffic, chaos, and conflict, creating an expressively percussive quality to his music.

On Friday evening, October 25 Fouad will be leading the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra in a program curated by him as the musical director and conductor of the symphony. The evening is titled Green vs. Blue: The Concert Tailgate Experience. Art Lewis, a local radio personality joins the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra to narrate Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. The concert is comprised entirely of music from American composers and  featuring Rouse’s Symphony No. 1. Valerie will be painting live alongside the orchestra for Michael Torke’s pieces Green and Bright Blue Music, and there will be the Michigan Premiere of local pianist Catherine McMichael’s Celestial Navigation. A ticketing link will be in the show notes of this episode. 

Show Notes

Fouad Fakhouri's Website

Saginaw Bay Symphony Website

Wichita Falls Symphony Website

Tickets for October 25 Concert at Temple Theater "Green vs Blue"

Seth Godin's The Practice: Shipping Creative Work Book

Rick Rubin's The Creative Act Book

In this coffee talk style discussion we are focusing on a new direction that Armin is taking with his artwork. Makes sense that we would put the spotlight on each other once in awhile and I had a such a great time coming up with questions for this interview. In October of 2023, we had the good fortune of our downtown studio space opening up with a couple of spaces that would fit our needs. One for a painting studio for Armin and one as a new gallery where we can welcome interested art lovers. This new space allowed Armin to explore his love of abstraction by returning to oil painting. Of course, he continues the graphite drawing practice in his home studio. The shift to abstraction is a natural transition for Armin. Throughout art history artists have made this shift. Think of Picasso, Mondrian, Georgia O'Keeffe. Armin natural ability of achieving stellar compositions works Weill with both the real and the abstract. I deem him the master of composition and it is a joy to work beside him in the studio. We have so much to share on this wonderful journey through the world of art. We hope you enjoy this episode. Please let us know your thoughts. Sincerely, Val

Armin's website

Valerie's website

Armin and I had a great time in conversation with artist Meighen Jackson. I recently heard Meighen give a juror's talk at Anton Art Center for their Michigan Annual. She was the juror of the prestigious exhibition that is now in it's 51st year. After hearing her speak I knew she would be an excellent podcast guest.

Meighen has been part of the Detroit art scene for many years and she has seen changes and developments thru those years. She feels the artists are much more collaborative and have found common ground and community thru the years. Michigan has been called a fly over state but Meighen notes that artists from New York started finding studios with more space and cheaper rents as NYC saw gentrification of artist neighborhoods. So the vibe of Detroit has become known thru cutting edge art and music in recent years.

Meighen now divides her time between Detroit and Traverse City and readily states that each city brings a different inspiration to her work. Traverse City is more experimental as 3d work with a nature as inspiration and the studio in Detroit allows her to create her collage style 2D paintings with paper.

Here are links to her website and topics of interest for you to learn more about the artist..

Meighen Jackson's Website

Meighen Jackson Instagram

Detroit Artist Market

Walter Wickiser Gallery

Janice Charach Gallery Facebook page

M Contemporary Gallery

Bill Jackson Photography Exhibit "Homecoming"

Today, we explore the correlation between Olympic athletes and visual artists. Val's research unveiled intriguing connections that could infuse inspiration and resilience into your artistic journey. We identified six categories to spark contemplation for artists aiming to envision the broader scope of their careers. Even artists who use art as a break from daily routines can delve into self-improvement. If this episode resonates with you, let us know and follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for tuning in.

Here are show notes on topics in this conversation.

Six Art Biz lessons we learn from Olympic athletes by Amy Supsic

MSU Professor of Graphic Arts and Olympian Athlete: Kelly Salchow MacArthur

Terry McDermott, Speed Skater from Bay City, Michigan

Pharrell Williams wants Art Category back in Olympics in 2028

Olympics and Art Page

Armin's "go for the gold" pencil!

We are joined by artist John Sabraw for this episode. Armin has known John for quite awhile through their connection of working together at Good's of Evanston, an art supply and frame company. I met John as the curator at Studio 23 when I invited him to participate in the Land to River Exhibit. That exhibit was a collaborative experience with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.

John Sabraw is an artist, activist, and environmentalist. He is a distinguished professor at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and in this podcast interview we are centering on his projects that lead toward solutions for the environment.

"For me, environmentalism and sustainability are intrinsic to our presence within the system of Earth and the universe at large. These terms define a philosophy of Resonance, the butterfly effect, cause and effect – so we need to do the best possible action in moments and situations where we can have positive effect. If I have an opportunity to make a positive impact here, aren’t I charged with the responsibility to do whatever I can for the benefit of all?" states John on his website.

Listen as he share his experiences along the way on his incredible journey of art and activism. I am putting links to many resources to learn more about the artist. Be sure to check out his frequently ask questions link and his involvement with Gamblin's "Reclaimed Earth Colors" in oil paint. One more great project is with The Squibble Art Workshop in New York where John is on the board as project advisor. Please reach out with your comments and questions on this episode.

Show Notes

John's Frequently Asked Questions

John Sabraw's Website

John Sabraw's Instagram

Tedx Talk Video on Toxic Art

"Great Big Story" Video on Turning Toxins into Art

Harvard University Center for the Environment Artist 2023/2024 with the exhibit, VITAL.

Squibble Art Workshop Board Project Advisor

Gamblin Oil "Reclaimed Earth Colors"

Artists, visual and performing, have an extra layer of thought process fueled by energy. Energy is a precious commodity in the art world or in any world where one is passionate about a topic that is beyond the mundane. It can be found in our creative DNA as explained in Twyla Tharp's book The Creative Practice.

In this episode we describe our own relationship with energy as it pertains to our creative process. Energy is such a fine tuned element that can go away with a breeze or come barreling in when we least expect it. It's the vibration, the tingle, the excitement we feel when we are excited to put marks on a canvas or notes on a musical score. Energy influences relationships, affects our sleep patterns, and challenges time management in positive and negative ways. The point is we need to protect energy in our lives and lift up enthusiasm as a way to lead others in the arts and ourselves. It is very worthwhile to become aware of how you use your momentum through your life not only as an artist but as a human .

Show Note Links:

The Creative Practice by Twyla Tharp

Valerie's Mentor Group through Mastrius.com

Armin Mersmann's Website

Val here, and I had the distinct pleasure of reuniting Armin with his artist friend, Trung Cao. Trung and Armin met in the day of conversation boards specializing in art. Now these conversational threads have reinvented themselves. as groups on Facebook or other social media platforms. Who knew after all those years we would have a wonderful opportunity to interview Trung.

Trung lives and creates his artwork in the Bay Area of California. He specialize in oil and graphite and is inspired by the grandeur of nature and the complexity of man. Being a refugee who dealt with a traumatic immigration at a young age to the United States from Vietnam, he tells us that his art often takes the theme from the classical story form, "A Hero's Journey". Imagination, attention to details, and respect for representative realism shape his artistic aesthetic. He works in portraiture, wildlife, fantasy art, and landscapes.

As a professional artist who also has a scientific career, he can pick and choose his artistic projects with freedom. He touches on the fact that artists who have jobs that support day to day living should really have gratitude for that income. It gives artists time to concentrate on their individual passions without having to sell out.

Trung is also passionate about art nonprofits and serves on the board as Vice President of Blue Lines Art in Roseville, California. You will hear Trung, talk about the importance of artists establishing relationships with others through their art and also their participation and sharing of their skills with art nonprofits. Children in particular have so much to gain by adding art into their lives.

Enjoy this episode! We are honored that Trung spent time with us and truly appreciate his candor and generous spirit in explaining what it means to be an artist in this day and age. Looking forward to keeping up with you, Trung, and happy we could reconnect.

Trung's Website

Trung's Instagram Page

Blue Lines Art

Anna Lemke, author of Dopamine Nation

Trung's interview on the Audible River Podcast

We had a lovely conversation today on the making of art. Each of us has our own process with specific tools and art materials and in this episode we share them with you, our audience. Even if you are not an artist, you may find insights into the creative practice that fires up your imagination to see things in a different light.

This episode is dedicated to visual artist and fine art framing designer, Marilyn Darlene Madden, 1939-2019. She was a designer at Good's of Evanston and worked with Armin. She had exquisite taste in art and design. As a frame designer, her aesthetic was elegant sophistication.

Over the next couple of days I will add links to the supplies we use but for now, I wanted to get this episode up and running for listening. You can always direct message Art Ladders on Facebook or Instagram.

Links:

Art Ladders on Instagram

Art Ladders on Facebook

Our Sponsors: Golden Apple Studio and Residency

Image Transfer Method with Matte Medium by Melanie Matthews on YouTube

Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Mechanical Pencil used by Armin

We are so happy to have artist Rebecca Crowell as a guest on our podcast. She is well known in the world of painting and contemporary abstraction. Her portfolio of paintings in oil and cold wax are a visual feast of atmospheric color, profound depth, and the sense that the works are living and breathing.

Rebecca with co-author, Jerry McLaughlin, wrote the book : Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts, and Conversations. This book has become the "go-to" for artists around the world to delve deeper into the process of using cold wax as a medium for painting.

In this podcast, you will hear more about the early college years and how Rebecca kept art alive in her life while raising a family, traveling the world painting and teaching, and maintaining a robust studio art practice. Lessons learned along the way are shared and the persistence to art certainly paved the way for her career to date.

Here is a beautiful quote from Rebecca on her website, “ I paint in response to ancient and rugged places that I love, interpreting them intuitively, abstractly, through memory and emotion.”

Rebecca's next exhibit, In Place: Recent Paintings, will open July 2, 2024 at Slate Gray Gallery in Telluride.

To learn more about Rebecca follow the links in the show notes to her website, her podcast, The Messy Studio, and Instagram.

Rebecca Crowell Website

The Messy Studio Podcast

Rebecca's Instagram

Rebecca's Facebook

Slate Gray Gallery