In this episode of The Creative Kind, I speak with Sydney-based art consultant and educator Laura Brandon about artist opportunities beyond the gallery wall. With over 20 years of experience across public art, education, archiving, and exhibition development, Laura brings deep insight into how artists can meaningfully connect with new platforms, spaces and collaborators.

We talk about everything from public art projects and artist statements to grants, residencies and building your own art ecosystem. Laura offers practical tips for tailoring applications, finding your own voice in written materials, and identifying the opportunities that are actually a good fit for you and your work.We also talk about what makes a strong application, and how to make the most of mentors, peers, and support systems around you.

Find Laura Brandon’s website here and on instagram here

Resources & Links

Here are a few useful organisations and platforms mentioned in this episode:

ArtsHub

Museums & Galleries of NSW

Creative Australia

National Association for the Visual Arts

ArtSupport Australia

Art Prizes (@artprizes) • Instagram 

Art Prizes Planner

Council websites such as:

Opportunities for artists - Inner West Council

Arts opportunities | Bondi Pavilion

Arts & culture - Waverley Council

You can find the podcast here

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This week I’m joined by British-born, New Zealand-based artist Anna Gibbs, whose detailed oil paintings of native birds draw attention not just for their beauty but for what they represent — a deep love for the natural world and a quiet invitation to care more deeply for it.

We talk about how emotional connection can lead to change, and why Anna chooses to focus on hope, wonder, and care rather than guilt or shock when addressing environmental issues through her work. Anna shares how her parents sparked her fascination with New Zealand’s birds, the stories behind some of her most impactful pieces and why she’s committed to using real, ethically sourced gold in her art — not just for its visual warmth, but for what it symbolises.

Find Anna’s website here and on instagram here

Learn more about Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust

You can find the podcast here

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In this studio session I talk to artist Andrew Sleeman and curator Laura Brinin from Side Gallery in Brisbane about preparing for a solo show. Andrew shares his motivations for having his solo show and the learning curve involved, while Laura provides insights into what galleries and curators look for in an artist and their work. The conversation delves into topics such as framing, photography, and the costs associated with putting on a solo exhibition. Both Andrew and Laura touch on the importance of building a supportive community, clear communication, and setting realistic goals for the success of the show.

Andrew's solo show, 'Bare' is set to open at Side Gallery in Brisbane on August 14th.

Find Andrew’s previous episode here

Find Andrews Instagram here and his website here

Find the Side Gallery website here and their instagram here:

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In this episode of The Creative Kind, I chat to UK based artist Frances Featherstone on the realities of entering art prizes. We explore the opportunities prizes can open up, as well as the importance of keeping them in perspective.

Frances shares practical advice on choosing the right prizes for your work, how to photograph your submissions, and the hidden costs artists often forget to factor in. We also talk about how to handle rejection, what really happens once a show opens, and why believing in your work matters more than any shortlist.

Frances reminds us that prizes do have some great benefits and one of the big ones is the community built through participating in them.The connections they can help build and what that gives your practice in ways a prize never could on its own. 

Resources & Links

• Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 
• Green and Stone
• The Gallery Holt
• South East Open Studios
• Jackson’s Art Open Painting Prize

You can find Frances Featherstone’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

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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

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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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