Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

By Dot Cannon: Public Speaker & New-Media ReporterSociety & CultureEducationArts
Download on the App Store

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak episodes

  • “Exploding” With Creativity

    Dave Shelton is an award-winning cartoonist and writer.  He's also a musician, independent filmmaker, voice actor, and comedian.

    "My brain never turns off,"says Dave (pictured here at Mystic Dragon's Book Festival).  And he's sharing some of the resulting creative work in his book, Brain Explosion.

    Brain Explosion is a collection of Dave's cartoons (he worked as Head of Cartoons and senior writer at the National Lampoon in the 1990s) and written work--both prose and poetry.  His observations range from wry to joyful, taking a down-to-earth look at life in general and the Hollywood/Los Angeles environment in particular.

    Dave talked about his background, and shared some of the stories and philosophies behind Brain Explosion.  He also offered an exciting piece of news.  Tonight is a "first" for him: the premiere of his first stage play, in North Hollywood, and you're invited!

     
    Dave's stage play, "Still a Spark", will be one of twelve original  short plays presented this evening in the "Putting On Your Shorts 4"  festival, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Boulevard near Cleon,  in North Hollywood.  Doors open at 7:30, showtime is at 8:00 and admission is whatever you want to pay.  Additional show dates are September 12th, 18th and 19th.
    21 min
  • Inspiration Plus Art
    "Anyone can draw," insists artist and author Luis Escobar.

    Luis, who has worked for twenty years as a storyboard artist on The Simpsons, is using his latest work to prove that statement.

    His new book, The Art of Draw Fu, steps readers past the idea of "natural talent required" and explores the idea of drawing as a skill, like any other, that can be learned-- from beginner level up.

    At the recent Mystic Dragon Book Festival in the City of Industry, Luis talked about his journey as an artist, read from his new book and offered guidance on getting past the fear and beginning to draw.  (Though the principles he discusses could be applied to any creative field!)

     
    Want some free hands-on art lessons?  On "The Drawing Website" Luis takes visitors from total beginner level, through getting confident and exploring the craft of drawing.  And check out his new comic, "The Black Terror Kid", on his blog!
    41 min
  • Aspects of Inspiration
    Multifaceted artist/entrepreneur Jessica Johnson loves to create, and give back through, her art.
    As proprietor of small business  Jessie J Inspirations, Jessica has a full line of graphics based on the pinups of the 1940s--as well as a new line incorporating some twenty-first century influences like Pokemon!
    Jessica  has also expanded her graphic-art talents to book illustration.  Besides creating the cover art for these two pictured books by Ellie Lieberman and Barbara Austin Lieberman, she's currently illustrating new works by both Barbara Austin Lieberman and Evelyn Duran Fuentes.
    At the recent Mystic Dragon Book Festival, Jessica talked about the roots of her artistic inspiration, some of the creative challenges of illustrating a book and the ways in which she would like her work to inspire the next generation of artists.
     
    Want to see Jessica's work firsthand?  She's exhibiting from 7 to 10 pm tonight, August 29, 2015,  in the "Jim Henson Tribute Art Show", at The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach, 1807 1/2 Manhattan Beach Boulevard near Harkness.  Can't make tonight?  Here's a link to her upcoming events!
    24 min
  • “Wild West” Inspiration
    Historian and author C.R. "Randy" King describes himself as a "legendbuster".
    From an early age, he says, the stories of Western gunslingers fascinated him.  His research reveals the facts behind the stories of gunmen like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp.
    So far, Randy has published three books: two volumes of his nonfiction work, A Fraternity of Gunslingers: True Stories of Wild West Gunmen, and his fact-based novel, The Last Deputy.
    At the recent Mystic Dragon Book Festival, Randy talked about the origins of his interest in the Wild West, shared the stories of several of the historic figures in his books and drew a parallel between the "Wild West" of the late 1800s and today's events.
    35 min
  • Inspiration in Her Journey
    Newly-published author Ellie Lieberman writes of pain, alienation--and beauty.
    Her young-adult book, Society's Foundlings, explores the world of Clem, Sampson, Carver and Math--four young men struggling through the harsh realities of early adulthood.    Ellie writes with simplicity and truth, and shows her readers subtle touches of magic and wonder, through her characters' day-to-day lives.
    At the recent Mystic Dragon Book Festival, in Industry, Ellie talked about her journey as a first-time published author, read from Society's Foundlings and offered some insights into both her characters and the process of taking a book from story to publication.  She also gave some great resources for new authors!
     
    Ellie Lieberman currently has three more stories in the works; we'll keep you posted when the publication dates are definite!  Meanwhile,  she's also a talented artist/entrepreneur.  Check out her handmade creations offered through her small business, Acorn Tops.
    18 min
  • Inspiration Takes Flight
    Renowned artist Lucien F.A. Van Oosten captures the intricate patterns of nature in his paintings, pen-and-ink drawings and mixed-media work.
    His latest creative medium?  Words.
    Lucien's imaginative new illustrated book, K-Bridge: A Story About Discovery, explores the lessons of leadership, life and friendship through the perspectives of a flock of whimsical pigeons.
    During an onsite live edition of Over Coffee® at the recent inaugural Mystic Dragon Book Festival,  Lucien talked about his work as both an artist and an author, offered a mini-art lesson, and read a short selection from K-Bridge.
     
    The Rescue -- The Irrefutable Saga of K-Bridge Flock,  by Lucien F.A. Van Oosten, is scheduled for publication in mid-November, 2015.   Meanwhile, if you'd like more information on his art classes, "Drawing Without an Eraser" and "Painting With the Primary Colors", the classes are offered through San Dimas Parks and Recreation.
    36 min
  • Special-Edition Inspiration
    Author Barbara Austin Lieberman can transport readers to the 1890s, a fairy-tale world, or a metaphysical one...and that's just in her first three books.
    Barbara was the first of six guests to appear on a special, six-hour live onsite edition of Over Coffee® during the recent inaugural Mystic Dragon Book Festival, in the City of Industry.
    As Over Coffee® served up a special "Inspiration Blend" of authors and artists, Barbara, who is an artist/entrepreneur, talked about "The Inspiration to Write", shared a closer look at her creative process and the experience of self-publishing, and read from her latest novel, Message on the Wind.
     
    Barbara's next novel, To Reap a Whirlwind, is scheduled for a January, 2016 release.  Meanwhile, here are links for her three published books and the handmade products she offers through her small business, Seeds of Inspiration.   And don't miss her writer's blog, Keyboard Musings!
    29 min
  • Talent and Light
    This Saturday is it!
    Over Coffee®'s first full onsite podcast happens at Mystic Dragon's Festival of Books, in the City of Industry, from 9 am to 5 pm.  Please come if you can!
    Due to all the preparations, we're rebroadcasting an early episode of Over Coffee® which you told us you especially enjoyed: a conversation with light-up wearables artist Janet Hansen, founder and president of Enlighted® Designs.
    If you saw the 2008 Grammy Awards, you saw Daft Punk wearing light-up suits Janet created.  While she has also designed costumes for Britney Spears and the Rockettes, Janet does custom orders for just about any occasion.   Light-up wedding gowns and evening wear are among her specialties, and she can also add lights to a favorite outfit, hat, or pair of shoes.
    Here, Janet tells the story of her creative journey.  (Would you like to try making your own light-up wearables?  She also has some tutorials, on instructables.com!)
     
    Mystic Dragon's inaugural Festival of Books runs from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday, August 15th at Frank and Son Collectibles, 19649 East San Jose Avenue, west of Fairway Drive, in the City of Industry.  Hope to see you there!
    20 min
  • Making Music, Making a Difference
    "Versatile" barely begins to describe award-winning Canadian singer and songwriter Ed Roman.
    Ed's compositions incorporate musical styles ranging from a fiery rock guitar riff to a kick-up-your-boots country approach.   Playing 90% of the instruments on his 2014 solo album Letters from High Latitudes, he sounds every bit as much at home against an uptempo jazz background as with a Jamaican reggae beat.
    Not surprisingly, Ed is a two-time Indie Music Channel Award winner, as well as the winner of the 2014 International Music and Entertainment Association Award.   He has performed during SXSW, at the Red Gorilla Music Fest, as well as touring New York and Philadelphia during July of 2015.
    Offstage, he may very well be making almost as great an impact as his thoughtful sociopolitical lyrics do on his fans, who call themselves "Ed Heads".
    In 2014, while creating his music video "Jamaica", Ed traveled to Jamaica to deliver humanitarian aid, as part of an ongoing effort.  He and his wife Kim send supplies on a regular basis--and Ed also uses his musical gifts as an outreach to the youth of a Jamaica most tourists never see.
    Ed talked about his music and his experiences in Jamaica, offered a preview of his third solo album, Red Omen, which he's currently producing, AND shared an exciting vision for a future humanitarian project he's implementing!
    35 min
  • Inspiring the Next Generation
    This summer, there's a brand-new youth organization, pointing kids towards their futures.   Imagination is its key element--backed up by science, technology, engineering and math.
    The organization, Imagine Science, is a first-time collaboration by four youth-serving organizations: the National 4-H Council, Girls Inc. of Orange County,  the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove, and the YMCA of Anaheim.  Their goal: to inspire millions of underserved young people to engage in STEM learning opportunities by the year 2020.
    Jason Suppes is a Community Education Specialist at University of California, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources.  He is also a member of both the UC ANR 4-H Camp Advisory Committee and UC ANR 4-H Youth Science Literacy work group.
    At the Orange County Mini Maker Faire, held at Irvine Valley College in May, Jason talked about Imagine Science, their goals for the future and the ways their community art project, "Happy City", was challenging the next generation of makers to use their creativity.
    11 min

About Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

From the publisher's feed

Would you like to know more about the art of twenty-first century "cool stuff" that's changing our world? Such as: robots, space exploration, new media, wearable technology and other innovations that…