John Dalton - gently does it . . .

I had a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with iconic pop artist Ron English. Ron has been painting for the last 35 years. He was making street art before it was hip or cool, before that term had even been coined. Back in the 80’s he was liberating billboards by altering their ads to highlight what the […]

I had a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with iconic pop artist Ron English. Ron has been painting for the last 35 years. He was making street art before it was hip or cool, before that term had even been coined.

Back in the 80’s he was liberating billboards by altering their ads to highlight what the manufacturer didn’t want you to know. His billboard work famously brought about the end of Joe the camel, the cartoon character created by camel cigarettes to capture the pre-teen market.

Ron’s art is whimsical, satirical, and courageous. His skill level is high. He can oil paint with the best of them. As well as fine art he produces art books, art toys, and in the last couple of years he’s been creating satirical consumer products and placing them in supermarkets.

The time flew by, we talked about many thing, see the list below, yet we only scratched the surface of the huge body of work Ron has made, and the depths of the person.

I had a great conversation with artist Vanessa Prager in California. Vanessa paints, “dripping, melting, fading out portraits. ” Some of her portraits are big, 10 foot square while others are much smaller. Big or small they are all oil and the paint is thick, really thick.  Vanessa has had solo shows in California and […]

I had a great conversation with artist Vanessa Prager in California. Vanessa paints, "dripping, melting, fading out portraits. " Some of her portraits are big, 10 foot square while others are much smaller. Big or small they are all oil and the paint is thick, really thick. Vanessa has had solo shows in California and just recently in New York. We talk about being self taught, the properties of oil paint, the solitude of the studio, reaching a mass audience, fainting goats, and a lot more . . .

Here are the main points of what we talk about:

Creative heroes,

What art exists,

The role of the artist,

Creative process,

Color palette,

Paint,

Drying times,

Being self taught,

Learning resources,

Imposter syndrome,

Social interaction,

Exposure,

Celebrity hostings,

Peephole installations,

Social media,

Collectors,

Most moving...

I had a lovely chat with artist Joseph Lorusso in Kansas. His warm, romantic paintings of people in everyday situations are expertly crafted and atmospheric. His ten years working in the greeting card company Hallmark have give him an impressive command of emotional evocation. He talked about his Italian heritage, the art business, watercolor painting, […]

I had a lovely chat with artist Joseph Lorusso in Kansas. His warm, romantic paintings of people in everyday situations are expertly crafted and atmospheric. His ten years working in the greeting card company Hallmark have give him an impressive command of emotional evocation. He talked about his Italian heritage, the art business, watercolor painting, his own personal tips and tricks, the weather in Ireland, and a lot more . . .

Here is what we talk about:

Showing in group shows,

Italian origins,

Creative origins,

Representational art in the art market,

Artistic process,

Favorite tools,

Watercolor,

Drawing, value, color and edges,

Romance,

Wine,

Leaving space for the viewer,

Most moving picture to make,

Artistic challenges,

To find out more about Joseph his work

I had a great chat with fellow Irishman and abstract artist Richard Hearns. Richard has been described as one of the best-kept secrets in Irish contemporary art. He is represented by galleries in New York, Paris, Beirut, San Francisco, London, and Dublin. He is collected around the world and he has had regular solo exhibitions […]

I had a great chat with fellow Irishman and abstract artist Richard Hearns. Richard has been described as one of the best-kept secrets in Irish contemporary art. He is represented by galleries in New York, Paris, Beirut, San Francisco, London, and Dublin. He is collected around the world and he has had regular solo exhibitions in New york. We go right into abstraction and how it works for him, the spiritual side of his art practice, his representational work and a lot more . . .

Being visible and approachable as an artist,

The role of an artist in the community,

Creative heroes,

Abstraction,

Childlike approach to painting,

Abstract art criticisms,

Evaluating abstract art,

Creative process,

The spirit in art,

Meditation,

The influence of martial arts,

Art business,

Blogging and social media,

Collectors,

Getting out of...

In this episode I’m chatting with Colin Davidson in Belfast, Ireland. Colin is known for his portraits, particularly of celebrities like Liam Neeson, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Ed Sheeran, and Brad Pitt. He was recently asked by Time magazine to paint a portrait of Chancellor Angela Merkel for the cover of their person of the year […]

In this episode I’m chatting with Colin Davidson in Belfast, Ireland. Colin is known for his portraits, particularly of celebrities like Liam Neeson, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Ed Sheeran, and Brad Pitt. He was recently asked by Time magazine to paint a portrait of Chancellor Angela Merkel for the cover of their person of the year edition.

Throughout our conversation his passion for capturing the human being under the skin is evident. He talks about his latest solo exhibition called, Silent testimony, which is comprised of 18 portraits of people who lost someone during the 30 year conflict in Northern Ireland.

All that and the usual nitty gritty of his painting practice and how he navigates being a professional artist.

Here is what we talk about:

Recent exhibitions,

Creative heroes,

Artistic awakening,

Art training,

10 years in design,

Going pro,

Creative process,

The value of the unguarded...