In this episode of ArtCollab Sarah and Nat talk about some of the people who have helped them become who they are today and most importantly they take the time to share their gratitude for these amazing people. Many along the way have been pivotal sources of inspiration, encouragement, advice, opportunity, and friendship, and all have played a big part in both Nat and Sarah’s artistic (and life) journeys. Educators, artists, spouses, advocates, and personal friends are all called out in this episode, and stories are shared to describe the positive impact that others can often have when it comes to shaping a life. In addition to the people, this discussion also touches upon technology as a lifeline for connections when physical interactions aren’t possible, and the resurgence of the handwritten note during recent times. In the end, Sarah and Nat show some artwork inspired by Showing Gratitude and they ask the audience for input on future ArtCollab topics. ArtCollab will resume in February 2022. https://nathaliesstudio.com/​ https://www.iamsarahmatthews.com/

In this episode of ArtCollab Sarah and Nat get their ink on! It is Inktober after all so they shared some of their favorite basic printmaking techniques. Sarah showed how she uses Stampbuddies to create gradient prints, and how she loves to partially print over older prints to create a layered abstract look. Nat showed how to use ArtFoamies with a Gelli Plate and how to reverse images and mix colors while printing. They answered audience questions about foam stamps and Stampbuddies and talked about how to make your own foam stamps. They also announced their next topic and asked the audience for feedback regarding future topic ideas as ArtCollab will be taking a break after the November episode to come back in February.

In this episode of ArtCollab, Sarah and Nat are going Back to School. As teachers, they usually find themselves at the front of the class but sometimes stepping back and taking on the role of student can be incredibly beneficial and inspiring. In fact, artists can always learn something new from other artists and engaging in these role reversals is a great way to try a different medium, sharpen skills, approach ideas from a new angle, and maybe even get the inside scoop on tips and tricks from other practicing artists. Taking classes and attending educational events such as artist retreats are also perfect opportunities to forge new friendships and partnerships in creativity. In addition to this discussion, Sarah and Nat will also teach each other a mini lesson in this episode and attendees can enjoy watching and engaging with them as they play both teacher and student.

ArtCollab Episode 6: Pass the Brush

In this episode, Sarah and Nat are meeting with Pass the Brush organizer Rachel Juanita Bellamy. In 2020 the Pass the Brush event paired up Sarah and Nat and it prompted them to get to know each other better. Pretty soon they had forged a lovely new friendship and jumped into several creative projects together (including these ArtCollab zoomcasts). They will chat with Rachel about the benefits of artistic collaboration, the importance of elevating others, what has changed since the Pass the Brush event last year, and what challenges remain.

Rachel's links:

bit.ly/joyofmotif

https://soulreign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/queenpreneur/ https://www.instagram.com/soulreignart/

Let’s not forget to take time to breathe, reset, and make sure that our artistic practice is aligning with our purpose. It is time to talk about the Art of Self Care! As artists, we have a go go go mentality and frequently wear many different hats as we juggle various projects, obligations, and revenue streams. When you are this busy, it is easy to forget to take breaks, but we are here to remind you that self-care is crucial to success. We’ll discuss how to make sure rest is a part of the schedule and share our personal favorite ways to take a break. Most importantly, we’ll talk about how rest can help refine your focus as an artist – allowing you a moment to reflect on what you are creating, why you are creating, and any adjustments that you might need to make.

In this episode, Sarah and Nat talk about that classic creative debate Art vs Craft, and how it affects and influences how we work and what we make. Sarah shares her frustrations with having to make the distinction between art and craft in her own work. Nat feels that art and craft work together in what she is doing and explains, “There is no art without craft.” We talk about craft and craftsmanship as a set of skills, learned from another artist/culture/source, and when we make it our own we feel we are creating art, and that sometimes comes with our desire to honor the source of inspiration.

We look at artwork that has touched us and made us aware of new stories and perspectives and then we also share some of our own artwork that has made people react and feel (both positively and negatively). We discuss how art can be a mirror of our experiences, an expression of ideas and emotions, a way to facilitate thought and discourse, and fuel for curiosity. Our conversation gets intense as we share our desire and conviction to use art as a platform and tool for facilitating the discussion of important and sometimes difficult topics.

In this third episode of ArtCollab, we kick things off by sharing some of the April ArtFoamies Challenge posts from Instagram. Then we jump right into our topic for the day and talk about how our own similar life experiences have helped us move past the negative mindset of “I can’t do it.” We also offer additional suggestions on how to get beyond it such as just jumping in, starting small, and using accountability with a partner or friend who you share your goals with. We discuss how the TV show The Great Pottery Throwdown actually has some really useful lessons in it with regards to this topic, and we talk about the benefits of taking classes in a new discipline and how you can always get something out of the experience. Finally, we both agree that as soon as someone says, “You can’t do that”, that is the ultimate motivation. To close, we share what we made with the items from the boxes we exchanged during the last episode and we introduce the topic for Episode 4. Follow us at instagram.com/natkalbach/ and instagram.com/iamsarahmatthews/

We are artists Nathalie Kalbach and Sarah Matthews and in this second ArtCollab ZoomCast episode we focus our conversation on the topic of challenges.

In this live zoomcast we discuss why we do challenges, how to have fun with them (and not stress), and all the benefits we get out of them as artists. We share our latest collaboration – the April ArtFoamies Challenge (as we are both ArtFoamies stamp designers) that we put together for the month of April. We show you our artwork so far, explain some of our creative choices and the other challenges we encountered along the way, talk about why we wanted to collaborate on a challenge in the first place, and why you don't need a reason to create.

We also chat about thrifting, our love for vintage items, the enjoyment we get out of our artistic journey, and at the end, we surprise each other with boxes we sent each other for the next ArtCollab ZoomCast.

Follow us at instagram.com/natkalbach/ and instagram.com/iamsarahmatthews/

Sign up for my Newsletter for info on the next episode: bit.ly/NatNewsletter

New episodes are LIVE so we hope you tune in :)

ArtCollab is a monthly zoomcast with artists Sarah Matthews and Nathalie Kalbach (and occasionally other special guests too).

Each episode Sarah and Nat get together, collaborate on all sorts of unique artsy projects, share their process and offer updates and sneak peeks along the way, and of course, they chat about all stuff art-related and topics that go way beyond that too.

ArtCollab is a real-life look into the process of creating, collaborating, and the ins and outs of living an artistic life that is touched by others.

Join in for an entertaining and inspiring interlude into the world of two artists who are working together in conversation and practice. New zoomcasts will be live and happen every first Tuesday of the month.

ArtCollab - Episode 1

Get to know us! We are artists Nathalie Kalbach and Sarah Matthews. In this first episode of our new ArtCollab zoomcast we begin with a little bit about ourselves and how we came to work together.

Then we dive right into what ArtCollab is all about - 2 artists, collaborating on any number of artsy projects, insight into how that works, how we work, and a look at what magic comes out of it all.

In this episode, we share a book exchange project that we created and explain how along with our artistic marks, trust, respect, and friendship also played a major role. We reveal to each other the finished books for the first time. The emotional reveal highlights all the best aspects of any artistic collaboration: enrichment, inspiration, excitement, and the motivation to do it again!

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/YTRgqx-qcIk