Art Ladders: The Creative Climb

Welcome to the panel discussion with seven members of the Great Lakes iPhoneography Group better known as GLIG. It is a rare time when we can have so many artists gather together for a discussion on their art. Thank you to speakers Cindy Bancroft, Nancy Brooks-Siebert, Julie Close, Steven Parkhurt, Elizabeth Sullivan, and Janis Taylor. Also thank you to artists Gaylene LeVally and Carol Whitney for being a part of this group.

During the discussion we find out more about the process of iPhoneography, the learning curve in becoming accomplished in the medium, and ways to find inspiration and concept.

If you would like to take a class in iPhonegraphy, follow Art Ladders: The Creative Climb on Facebook to hear announcement on the upcoming online iPhone Class which will meet monthly during the summer months.

The Great Lakes iPhoneography Group Exhibit can be seen at Creative 360 at 5501 Jefferson in Midland, MI. Their hours are 9am - 5pm Monday thru Friday. Call with any questions: 989-837-1885.

Show Notes

Facebook Great Lakes iPhoneography Group

Creative 360 iPhoneography Exhibit

I met Amy Keever at the wonderful ADC Fine Art Gallery in Cincinnati. We were both attending the 2023 Art Summit led by our past podcast guest Litsa Spanos and her sister, Sylvia Rombis. She walked in with the most wonderful hot pink pom-pom earrings and white artist smock and I, of course had to comment. That's all it took for us to hang out for 3 days before the Art Comes Alive Gala. Amy ended up winning Best of Show for that exhibit with her unique style. What a night.

Here is more about Amy in her own words:

"As long as I can remember I have had a passion for artistic expression and love the idea of challenging mediums in ways they aren't exactly created to be used- I love the play of hard and soft , like choosing to manipulate concrete to have a tenderness and elegance, painting in oils to give a work translucency and welding my sculptures that are actually quite strong to have a sense of delicacy. Somehow intuitively, I have chosen to embrace the road less traveled in both the way I think and the creative choices I make on a daily basis. I love to educate young artists on how I work as I don't think its typically a process they've seen before and have mentored young adults for many years now through teaching them an artform or giving them a chance to exhibit in a professional setting and experiencing all parts of being an artist."

Amy is launching a new podcast called "Creatively Audacious" in May with the mission to spread kindness and happiness. She is definitely an #artistshelpingartists person.

She also has a feature in the international "Where Women Create" magazine releasing on April 30th. Be sure to check it out.

Enjoy Episode 72 and our time with Amy!

Show Notes

Amy's Website

Amy's Instagram

Where Women Create Magazine Website

Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AK

Passion can be elusive and it is always a good thing to consider how you can find your muse when times seem rough or even dull. Armin and Val approach art making as a relationship that needs to be cultivated and held in esteem. Let us know how you keep passion alive in the studio.

Show Notes:

Valerie Allen Art

Armin Mersmann

Workshops for the Summer:

Armin at Atelier in April now 20% off until April 12.

Valerie at Grosse Pointe Artists Association for a two-day Print-a-thon.

Creative 360 Experimental Drawing Workshop with Val and Armin

We met Jeannette MacDougall during an exhibition at Calvin College's (106) Gallery at ArtPrize 2015. In this exhibit "Weighing the Landscape", installed by curator Joel Zwart, Jeanette, Armin and I were hanging next to each other. Our friendship began during that time as we all felt our artwork had a very cohesive aesthetic and professionalism.

Jeannette now resides in Texas and continues her travels and artist residencies across the nation and internationally.

Her background in being the director in France for the art residency program of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts has given her the expertise to not only pursue her own residency goals but also advise artist who are looking to pursue that lifestyle in their art practice. She also hosts teaching workshops in the countryside of the south of France and in Scotland.

"I am an Artist-Painter on a gypsy sojourn. I seek the solitude of the landscape; content to travel the distance through my work to capture what I long for; a sanctuary in nature. I come away with what I can carry in memory and inspiration." states Jeannette.

I am a contemporary artist who works in a multitude of mixed paint mediums. My process culminates in the studio but the joyful inspiration comes from seeking out a piece of the landscape that stops me in my tracks. Like a hunter I observe what is hidden. It is in the underbrush and the dark beauty in nature that appeals to me. Dead limbs, fallen trees are evidence of our impermanence. Perfection is unreal but the imperfect is perfectly beautiful.  I build fresco-like paintings in plaster on birch wood panels which can handle the distress of marred surfaces. The application of various layers and removal of pigment is not unlike an excavation. I search for the undiscovered strata beneath the surface only to leave it be and carefully move on to new ground.

Southwest School of Art, San Antonio Texas / Graduate of Parsons School of Art NYC / Trinity University SA Texas 

Jeannette's Plein Air Workshop in Roane, France is June 11 - 18. You can email her for all the details.

Show Notes:

Jeannette's Website

Res Artis: Worldwide network of Arts Residencies

Artist Communities Alliance for artist residencies.

VCAA France: Moulin a Nef

We've been creating this podcast over two years and it's fun to check out the rankings. Here we have a replay of our #1 episode to date with UK artist Sally Hirst while we are installing a new exhibition.

Sally has boundless energy and you can't help but get fired up for your own art as you listen to this replay. She is an artist, teacher, and mentor. She works in painting, collage, printmaking and mixed media. Her use of texture and pattern in her work gives it a global aesthetic that is timely and universal.

Sally Hirst is currently based at her studio in Norwich, UK – where she also co-coordinates an exhibition space called oneuppergoat. She is a Certified Golden Artist Educator and teaches online courses titled Pushing Paint, Urban Explorations , Discover Collagraphy, and Approaches to Abstraction to students worldwide. 

⁠Click here to read more on Sally's website.⁠ 

⁠Visit Sally's Instagram Account by clicking here.⁠

⁠Facebook Page for Sally Hirst Artist and Tutor⁠  

Here are links to artists mentioned by Sally in the podcast. 

⁠Instagram for artist Daryl Burtnett⁠

⁠Instagram for JFK Turner⁠

⁠Instagram for Karen Stamper⁠

⁠Instagram for Nicholas Wilton⁠

⁠Instagram for Louise Fletcher⁠

⁠Instagram for Alice Sheridan⁠

⁠Instagram for David Mankin⁠

⁠Instagram for Jane Davies⁠

Finding time to create artwork can be a real challenge just for one artist in the family. This becomes even more challenging when others depend on you as a family member, studio group or community. Events appear, marketing needs to be processed, household chores get in the way and the never-ending pick up and drop off of artwork to exhibits. In themselves these are all worthy and even celebratory activities but when your intent is to wake up and get in the studio as fast as you can, well, then you experience the rub.

In this episode, Armin and Val discuss ways to handle the stress and offer coping skills to make the extracurricular activities that artists participate in joyful. It's not always sunshine and lollipops but we are finding ways to not turn positives into negatives. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Artist Kenneth Hershenson found his muse in a set of ball and jacks that qualifies him to say, he does know Jack! So much so that he feels he has enough conceptual ideas to keep him painting for another 20 paintings or so.

In this episode we hear the many twists and turns he took in his career. Those bends taught him lots about the business of art as well as honed a work ethic that values clean and concise professionalism combined with a communication style that is natural to teach other artists. He will be announcing summer workshops in painting with acrylics, in particular, slow drying acrylics.

Kenneth Hershenson is a contemporary fine artist who creates photorealistic acrylic paintings. He has been painting and drawing for over 50 years. The majority of those years were spent teaching himself how to paint and draw and taking workshops from some notable West Coast artists: Eric Weigardt and Lee Wexler (watercolor), Butch Krieger (life drawing), Ned Mueller (portraiture and gouache), and Ann Kullberg and Gary Greene (colored pencil). Kenneth’s artistic approach is rooted in the twin disciplines of realism and illustration. Architectural design and illustration are the basis of much of his professional life, which included serving as an architectural designer with Disneyland and designing Japan stores for Starbucks while living in Seattle. His art influences include 17th century Flemish realists, the creativity and surrealistic styles of Dali and Magritte as well as the craftsmanship and humor of early Donald Roller Wilson.

Kenneth has participated in many juried art shows and has won a number of awards in watercolor, drawing and painting. His acrylic painting A Pair of Jacks has won several People’s Choice Awards and a Best in Show Award. It also won an Honorable Mention in the December 2015 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. His most recent painting, Pepper Jack Cheese, won the People's Choice Award  in the 2023 Richeson75 International Still Life & Floral Competition. The first 5 paintings in the “I DO Know Jack!” series was in the final Top 25 Public Vote (out of nearly 1,000 entries) in ArtPrize 7, the largest international art competition and exhibition.

Kenneth is a member of the National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society and the International Guild of Realism. He also teaches acrylic painting at the Atelier School of Art in Royal Oak, Michigan. 

Follow Kenneth on Instagram to learn the latest news on his classes, workshops, exhibits, and awards.

Show notes:

Kenneth Hershenson's Website

Kenneth Hershenson's Instagram

International Guild of Realism

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society

Thank you to our sponsor: Golden Apple Studio and Residency

Get ready for a java-sipping chat with Val and Armin in Episode 66! These two art aficionados spill the beans on networking for artists - from schmoozing the room to FaceTiming with fellow creatives. We all know that feeling of stage fright and self-doubt that can hit when we enter a room full of art-world movers and shakers. But fear not! It's all about how we show up and make the most of opportunities. Val and Armin share some great tips on how to ace events, whether they're in-person or virtual. Plus, they discuss how to build a community of like-minded artists. Let's keep the conversation brewing - tell us your networking secrets.

Here is the collection of online classes that Val and Armin are teaching starting in February. The Art Ladders Online Class Collection

Driven by a passion for art and the desire to bring beauty into as many homes, healthcare facilities, and corporate offices as possible, Litsa Spanos opened the doors of Art Design Consultants, Inc. (ADC) thirty years ago. With just two clients and limited space, her ultimate goal was to create exquisite and inspiring environments. Litsa has an uncanny ability to select beautiful artwork and discover talented artists for her clients. This success has lead her to amass a desirable collection of fine art for a wide range of clientele.
Her vision continues to grow even bigger, opening a 13,000 square foot mega-gallery and framing facility in the West End of Cincinnati.  
As the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, ADC currently ranks in the top 2% of all women-owned business in the nation. Thanks to her company’s continued success, Litsa is uniquely positioned to support many nonprofit organizations that she cares passionately about.

Valerie and Armin brought their questions to Litsa in this episode on the business of art. As an industry expert, she has answers that only someone in the field would have. This is valuable information for Art Ladders' listening audience of artists and art lovers.

Thank you, Litsa, for sharing your knowledge and time with us for Episode 65. Here's to a prosperous 2024!

Show Notes:

ADC Fine Art in Cincinnati, Ohio Website

ADC Fine Art Instagram

ADC Fine Art Facebook

Litsa Spanos Instagram

Secrets of the Art World by Litsa Spanos

SmartSell Artists led by Litsa Spanos