In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Ruobing Liao, a Toronto-based oil painter whose work combines vivid color with expressive, deeply emotional figurative forms. Through luminous palettes and fluid compositions, Ruobing creates atmospheric dreamlike scenes where female figures intertwine with organic elements, thorny plants and branching forms—blurring the boundary between inner experience and the natural world. A Sheridan College-trained artist, she has exhibited across Canada and was recognized as Second Place in the Artists to Watch Competition.

We explore Ruobing's artistic journey, her distinctive visual language, and what it means to paint emotion into being. We dive into her process—how she conceives of her dreamlike scenes, the role of color and natural imagery, and the conversations she's trying to have with viewers through the human form. We also discuss her relationship with the Toronto art community, the recognition that has shaped her trajectory, and what continues to drive her practice forward.

Follow Ruobing Liao: https://www.instagram.com/ruobing_liao

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Crista Cloutier, an American artist, writer, gallerist, and mentor whose career spans continents, disciplines, and decades of shaping how artists think about their practice.

From her early years as a dealer and curator to producing award-winning documentary art films and writing for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Gallimard, Crista has become one of the contemporary art world's most generous teachers. Her groundbreaking online course, The Working Artist, has empowered artists in over eighty countries to build sustainable creative lives. Now based in the South of France, and recently honored with the French Academy's Gold Medal- she continues to mentor creative entrepreneurs and expand what's possible for working artists everywhere.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to move fluidly between roles in the art ecosystem, the philosophy behind teaching artists the business of art, and how to sustain a creative practice in an ever-shifting world. We talk about institutional recognition, the demystification of the art market, and what it takes to keep creating when you're giving so much to others.

Follow Crista Cloutier: https://www.instagram.com/cristacloutier/

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Michael — the self-taught artist-programmer behind Fractalspace — where mathematics becomes immersive visual art.

Drawing on two decades of computer programming and a profound fascination with fractal geometry, Michael translates the infinite complexity of Mandelbrot's mathematics into luminous large-format prints and virtual reality experiences that take viewers deep into imagined cosmos. We explore the origins of his self-educated practice, the alchemy between code and color, the frontier of VR as an artistic medium, and what it means to make art from the very edge of mathematical imagination.

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Kaeli Yarwood...

Kaeli is the gallerist at Steffich Fine Art, a gallery on Salt Spring Island founded in 1992 by her mentor Matt Steffich. Since his passing in 2020, Kaeli has carried the gallery's legacy forward, traveling to fairs like Art Vancouver in search of emerging and seasoned artists whose work is the right fit for representation.

We talk about what curators are really looking for when they walk an art fair floor, how artists can set themselves up for gallery representation locally and internationally and why physical galleries and art fairs still matter at every stage of an artist's career.

Follow Kaeli: SteffichFineArt

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Iqra Adam, a Calgary-based mixed-media artist whose work explores the balance between joy, memory, and emotion.

Through a combination of bold, vibrant paintings and deeply reflective monotone pieces, Iqra captures both the beauty of everyday moments and the quiet intensity of memory. Her intuitive process, guided by feeling and experimentation, allows each piece to evolve organically — embracing texture, imperfection, and authenticity.

Rooted in her philosophy of being “imperfect, yet undeniably perfect in its uniqueness,” Iqra’s work invites viewers into a space where color brings joy and monotone evokes nostalgia, creating a powerful dialogue between different sides of life.

In this conversation, we explore creative intuition, emotional storytelling, and how art can transform even the smallest memories into something meaningful.

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Thank you for listening to the Art Stories Podcast, where we celebrate the stories behind the art.

In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Adam Silver — photographer, Hollywood location scout, and a man who has spent his life looking at the world with rare intentionality. Largely self-taught, Adam left home as a teenager in a station wagon, honed his eye across the Hawaiian Islands and the Colorado Rockies, and eventually built a career in California scouting locations for some of Hollywood's most celebrated directors, including Quentin Tarantino and Alejandro González Iñárritu.

In this conversation, we explore the relationship between scouting and seeing — how a career finding locations for Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Revenant shaped Adam's approach to large format fine art photography. We dig into what it means to be self-taught, the lessons of his early apprenticeship with Canadian photographer Deborah Samuel, and the philosophy behind transforming a cinematic eye into images that stand alone as art.

Follow Adam Silver: adamsilverphotos.com

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Tessa Haywood, a New Zealand-born, Port Coquitlam-based artist whose vibrant, slightly surreal paintings carry the memory of 22 countries and the intuitive spirit of a practice in constant evolution. Trained in Digital Media and shaped by studies at OCAD University in Toronto and the University of Leeds in the UK, Tessa works in acrylic, oil, and oil pastel — creating layered, textural works that bridge natural forms, cultural exchange, and personal identity.

In this conversation, we explore the experience of building a creative life across continents, the meditative act of painting over and recycling her own canvases, and the deeply personal journey of reconnecting with her Māori heritage. Tessa opens up about how travel, junk journaling, embroidery, and photography all find their way into her paintings — and what it means to let older work evolve rather than disappear.

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Lara Shecter — Vancouver-based artist working in acrylic and mixed media, known for her luminous, resin-finished paintings rooted in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.

Her canvases explore memory, solitude, and the quiet tension of place — capturing Jericho Beach at low tide, the working ships of the harbour, and the mountains and forests that define life in Vancouver. With a background in graphic design and a formative chapter shooting photo essays in Bangkok, Lara brings rare visual intelligence to every surface she works on.

In this conversation, we explore how place becomes memory, how memory becomes paint, and what it means to build a practice out of the world right outside your window.

Follow Lara:

vanwrk.com

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, hosted by Sky Lilah (@skylilah), we sit down with Erica Marrello, a Vancouver-based multidisciplinary artist whose work pushes the boundaries between painting, performance, and immersive experience.

As the creator of GET MELTED, Erica transforms the human body into a living canvas, creating powerful, real-time works that explore identity, sensuality, vulnerability, and transformation. What began as an intimate photoshoot series has evolved into large-scale live performances that captivate audiences and challenge traditional ideas of art.

Through both her canvas work and immersive experiences, Erica creates art that is visceral, bold, and unapologetically expressive — inviting viewers into moments of intensity, connection, and personal reinvention.

In this conversation, we explore creative risk, the power of the body as a medium, and what it means to create art that is truly alive.

Follow Erica:

@emm.gallery

@emm.erica

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In this episode of the Art Stories Podcast, we speak with Jonathan Gomez - Confluent Studios, a contemporary artist whose work transforms inner awareness into visual form. Working with traditional decorative techniques like verre églomisé and raised lacquer, Jonathan and his wife, Tomoki, have spent over 15 years bridging historical craftsmanship with contemporary expression.

Jonathan’s art emphasizes presence, material integrity, and contemplative awareness. Each piece is built slowly, layer by layer, inviting both maker and viewer into reflection. We talk about his creative process, philosophy, collaboration, and how these traditional methods can thrive as a living fine art practice today.

Follow Jonathan: Instagram

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