In this episode I chat to Maria Stoljar, a painter, YouTuber & host of the acclaimed Talking with Painters podcast. We discuss Maria’s experience with interviewing hundreds of art prize winners, and also as a painter herself having been an entrant and a judge. We talk about the significance of art prizes in an artist's career and Maria shares her insights on the motivations behind entering art prizes, the benefits of being shortlisted, and the importance of exposure. We also discuss the role that art prizes play in elevating artists' profiles, the impact of social media, and how to handle rejection. We also chat about the balance between authentic creation and catering to judges, gender balance in the art scene, and the broader implications of art prizes for the art community.

If you want to find out more about Maria Stoljar & Talking with Painters, go and check out:

 her instagram or website   Podcast on apple, spotify (plus all the others)And her You Tube channel

Discussed in the podcast:

art-prizes.com

The National Emerging Art Prize & Amber Cresswell Bell

Countess Report 

Ross Jones episode on Creative Conversations podcast

John McDonald’s : Everything the Art World Doesn’t Want You To Know

Talking with Painters episodes: Every episode seemed relevant to this chat! But I had to limit it to those we referenced!

Ep 115: The Archibald Winners

Ep 120: Robert Malherbe

Ep 110: Robin Eley

Ep 65: Nicholas Harding

Ep 80 : Ben Quilty

Ep 45 : Wendy Sharpe

Ep 41: Megan Seres

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In the season finale of The Creative Kind, we’re joined by Sarah Jane Moon, Rita Stella, Petrina Jose, and Sarah Lubcke, who all share their perspectives on understanding and identifying an audience., We chat about the nuances of ‘audience’ versus ‘market,’ the importance of showing up in person, and how social media and online platforms fit in. We talk about how we each navigate our creative paths while thinking about who connects with our work and how we communicate our work effectively. 

Find out more about this episodes guests:

You can find Sarah Jane Moon’s website here

Sarah Jane Moon, has an upcoming show called ‘Nature/Nurture’ 16th - 21st July (10am - 5pm) PV: Tues 15th July (6 - 9pm) Downstairs, The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Rd, London SW9 8FR

You can find Rita Stella’s work through Art to Art Gallery

You can find Petrina Jose’s artwork here and her Branding & Design page Hearts & Eyes here

You can find Sarah Lubcke here & here website here

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

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In this Studio session I’m joined by Jenny Stringleman and Amanda Billing for another casual and varied discussion. We talk about our evolving work routines, differences in working styles, and the concept of chronotypes. We touch on online art criticism, & explore the impact of social media on artists and the differences, connections and reasons behind the art we create and the art we collect. 

Recommendations :

• Bianca Bosker's book 'Get the Picture' 
• The contemporary British Contemporary Portrait Painters group, 
• Mark Fennell’s podcast  No One Saw it Coming and film ‘The Mission.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Sarah Jane Moon’s episode on The Creative Kind
• Everything The Art World doesn’t want you to know
• Justin Bua’s instagram page
• Andrew Salgado
• Charlotte Robinson

You can find Amanda here, her newsletter here and her earlier interview episode here

You can find Jenni here and her newsletter here and her earlier interview episode here

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

xJB

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In this episode, I’m joined by Mandy Jakich—artist, educator and founder of Creative Matters & Creative Connections Podcas—to talk about the role of community in a creative life.

Mandy shares how her need for connection as a self-taught artist led her to start building her own audiences early on, from hosting exhibitions at home to developing wider educational initiatives. She reflects on her time at Auckland Art Gallery, the role of the Muriwai Artists Collective, and the evolution of her podcast and art education business—all of which have centred around creative connection.

We talk about how artist communities can provide accountability, emotional support and practical motivation, and how small acts of collaboration can create unexpected ripple effects. Mandy also shares how she’s carving out time to return to her own art practice, and the balance between leading others and holding space for herself.

You can find the Creative Connections podcast (previously Creative Matters) here, here on apple and here on spotify 

Creative Connections show at Kumeu Arts From June 23- July 19th

Mentioned in this podcast:

Interview with Sara Langon on Creative Connections

Interview with Sefton Rani on creative Connections

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

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In this episode, I sit down with Richelle Byers & Liz Fraser from Gallery De Novo in Dunedin. Richelle and Liz reflect on how a gallery space can create community and connection when it’s open, conversational, and unintimidating.

We chat about the idea of community and connection and how that can be built and shared through a commercial gallery—what they look for in artists, how relationships form between artists, gallerists and collectors, and how taste, instinct and storytelling shape the work they choose to represent. We talk about what it means to truly “fall” for an artwork, how personal and emotional that process can be for collectors. 

There’s also reflection on what it means to see work in the flesh — why scale, texture, and presence can’t always be captured on a screen — and how that in-person experience helps galleries stay grounded in community.

You can find Gallery De Novo here and here on instagram - Their 20th anniversary show opens on the 28th &29th of June so go along and congratulate them if you can!

Mentioned in this episode:

- Ana Teafilo

- Lee Byford-Daynes

- Ewan McDougal

- Jasmine Middlebrook

- Maria Kemp

- John Badcock

- Marilyn Webb

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

n this episode, we dive into the powerful intersection of art, culture, and community with Lissy and Rudi Robinson-Cole, the duo behind Wharenui Harikoa. From creating spaces that encourage introspection and connection, to collaborating across cultures, Lissy and Rudi share the deeply personal and healing process behind this transformative art installation. We explore the impact of Wharenui Harikoa as a vessel for emotional release, where visitors share their most intimate wishes—a practice that calls to mind the ancient Matariki rituals of letting go and releasing energy into the universe.

We also talk about the ongoing evolution of their work, including a new vision for future Wharenui installations and their upcoming projects, like an international exhibition at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. The conversation also touches on the importance of community involvement and the meditative power of crochet, which is central to their practice.

This episode is a deep exploration of art’s ability to create bridges of understanding, foster dialogue, and invite both the artist and viewer into spaces of healing and connection.

You can Buy a Ball & support to Lissy & Rudi here

You can find their website here: and their instagram here:

Lissy & Rudi Have a Show  on from June 12 - July 5 with Time Melville Gallery in Auckland, Whiria Ngā Kanorau – Weave the Many Colours/Seeds

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

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In this episode, I chat with Melbourne-based artist Rita Stella about navigating the complexities of the emerging artist. We talk about how Rita found gallery representation through a local art prize, why she’s cautious about prints and commissions, and the value of trusting her own pace—even when the art world seems to demand more, faster. We cover the realities of finding time for art around parenting and work, learning to define success on your own terms, and how to tune out the noise and just make what you want to make.

Rita shares what it was like to leave a stable career and commit to painting, and why she’s deliberately resisted pressure to scale her art business too quickly. We also chat about pricing work, and the importance of creative community.

You can find Rita here

People mentioned:

• Art to Art
• David Hamilton from Melbourne Art Class
• Medeline Simson episode
• Wentworth Gallery episode on Pricing
• Ebony Taylor

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

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In this episode, Carrie Scott, an art dealer, shares practical advice for emerging artists. She stresses the importance of tracking sales, clients, and works right from the start, which helps when approaching galleries down the line. Carrie also advises artists to price their work carefully and avoid pricing themselves out of their market.

Carrie talks about the need for persistence in the art world, emphasising that success doesn’t happen overnight. She also highlights the importance of knowing when and how to approach galleries.The conversation also touches on the complexities of social media for artists. Carrie acknowledges its usefulness in discovering and connecting with audiences but points out that it requires a significant amount of effort and can push artists out of their comfort zones. This is a conversation about how patience plays a bigger role than most people expect, and how underneath the labels and everything else, it's about doing the work and not rushing the process.

You can find Carrie Scott Here

You can find the Seen membership here

You can find the Seen Podcast here on apple podcasts or here on spotify

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

Discussed in the episode:

• Airtable
• You can find Carrie’s interview with Lubaina Hamid here

Mentioned in the episode:

• Amy Sherald
• Celia Martine Pickering
• Lindsay Young 
• Lubaina Himid 
• CJ Hendry
• Chris Proctor 
• Ryan Gander

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In this episode Fleur Wickes and Fleur Woods join me for a casual studio session. We discuss the unique challenges and costs associated with pursuing a career in the arts, such as the financial pressure of maintaining studio spaces, the impact of life changes on creative work, and the constant need to balance personal and professional boundaries. We chat about the value of perseverance, the importance of adaptability, and the various ways we have tailored and changed practices to fit our evolving lives.

You can find Fleur Woods website here, previous epsiodes with Fleur Woods here & here

And Fleur Wickes website here, previous episodes with Fleur Wickes here and here.

You can find the podcast here Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

Recommendations from this week

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• Upstream by Mary Oliver
• Poker Face (TV series)
• The Quilters (Netflix documentary)
• The Seen Podcast with Carrie Scott Have You Seen? Annabel Merrett
• Cindy Rizza’s new show Taking Care at Galerie Mokum

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In this episode, Sarah Lubcke discusses her journey into portraiture. Sarah reflects on the many stages of her portrait journey: learning anatomy and likeness, finding a supportive community of portrait artists, and developing an eye not just for faces and skin tones, but for the emotional life inside each image. She also opens up about the challenges of painting backgrounds—and how she’s learning to consider the whole composition, not just the figure.

Sarah also touches on the importance of building a supportive network and finding the right mentors who can help you progress. Sarah talks about the importance of feedback in her artistic growth, discussing how connecting with trusted peers helps refine her work and overcome challenges. She also opens up about the value of self-belief and perseverance, especially during tough times when the work isn’t going as planned.

You can find Sarah Lubcke’s website here and on Instagram here

You can find the podcast here

Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to rate, review & share if you enjoyed it, this helps other people find the show

Previous conversations with Kylie King-Hazel and Penelope Boyd

• Romance Was Born
• Teresa Barnard 
• David Kassan
• Shana Levenson
• Chroma Brush Cleaner ( I think I called it Chromacryl, no idea why..)
• Georgia Loring

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