Inspired by the interplay of light and colour with geometric patterns, and the work of the great Catalan artist Gaudi, our guest Siobhan Allen creates multi-hued stained glass mosaics that express the sacredness and divinity inherent in the world around her. Previously a bodywork therapist specializing in massage and cranio-sacral therapy, Siobhan is entirely self-taught in the art of stained glass, bar a few evening classes. What began as a hobby gradually became her full time work in 2015 or 2016. Now from her home [studio?] in North Devon in the UK, Siobhan creates colourful stained glass pieces that are as inspiring as they are inspired.

Find out more about Siobhan's work here:

https://www.siobhanallen.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/SiobhanAllenArts

https://www.instagram.com/siotara

Do you have a question for the Ask Us Anything segment?

Any topic is fine, we love to hear from all our listeners. Email us here and we will do our best to answer your question in one of the episodes.

[email protected]

Paige Baldwin Ando

https://www.wholeselfcreative.com

https://instagram.com/wholeselfcreative

Jordana Matsuda

https://instagram.com/jordanaillustration

https://www.jordana-matsuda.com

Born in Sydney, Australia, self-taught photographer and videographer Lisa Knight now makes her home here in Tokyo, Japan. Through her work for Tokyo Weekender, Tokyo's longest-running English-language magazine, Lisa provides glimpses into life in the capital that reveal the pulsing aliveness of her subjects. But her lens isn't fixed solely on urban life. Through her photos, Lisa shares her travels both within Japan and abroad, and lets us see people, places, and interiors through her exquisitely-rendered perspective. Whether she's sharing ethereal and riveting photos of natural beauty, or highlighting details that might otherwise go unnoticed, Lisa's work invites us to engage more sensitively with what we see. 

Check out Lisa's photographs here

https://www.instagram.com/lisainjapan/?hl=en

Do you have a question for the Ask Us Anything segment?

Any topic is fine, we love to hear from all our listeners. Email us here and we will do our best to answer your question in one of the episodes.

[email protected]

Paige Baldwin Ando

https://www.wholeselfcreative.com

https://instagram.com/wholeselfcreative

Jordana Matsuda

https://instagram.com/jordanaillustration

Having been born and raised in rural Ohio in the United States, Melissa Finkenbiner has now lived and created art in the US, Myanmar, Armenia, Zimbabwe, and Japan. As a cross-disciplined fine artist and metalsmith, all of Melissa's work is linked by recycled and sustainable materials with earthy elements.

In her work as a metalsmith, she repurposes vintage silver and copper, or uses recycled metals, including brass. In other works, Melissa uses a variety of materials, sometimes combining ink with plant-based acrylic, undiluted watercolor, conte, and pastels. Most notably, she uses discarded surfaces from glass bottles to tree bark, or sustainable papers from bamboo and recycled pulp. Sustainable practices are at the heart of her process and her packaging. 

Over the past 12 years, Melissa has had 21 gallery exhibitions including her 2023 solo show “Elements of Nature Between Skyscrapers” in Ginza, Tokyo. In 2019, the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies program purchased three of her mixed media portraits for U.S. Embassy Harare in Zimbabwe.  

https://www.melissafinkenbiner.com

https://www.instagram.com/melissafinkenbiner

Do you have a question for the Ask Us Anything segment? Any topic is fine, we love to hear from all our listeners. Email us here and we will do our best to answer your question in one of the episodes. [email protected]

Paige Baldwin Ando

https://www.wholeselfcreative.com

https://instagram.com/wholeselfcreative

Jordana Matsuda https://instagram.com/jordanaillustration

Originally from Scotland, ceramicist Laura Pearson has lived in Japan for 8 years. Now based in Shonan Kamakura--a seaside town about an hour from Tokyo--Laura creates unique homeware pieces that center the user's connection with the items they use every day. Paying mind to the textural and sensory experiences people have when using her pieces, Laura hopes to bring joy to people's everyday lives as they undertake daily rituals like drinking a cup of coffee. The organic forms and textures of her pieces evoke the forms and textures of the natural world, and allow their users to form a connection with each of them as unique works of functional art. With a background in textiles, costume, and fashion design, Laura also hopes to incorporate her past experiences into fabric homewares for her brand in the future. 

Originally from London, Jo Payne has spent the last ten years living on the North Devon Coast, by way of Surrey and Kent. A self-taught artist, Jo creates atmospheric and elemental sea and sky paintings that are riveting in their scope and emotional impact. Driven and inspired by her coastal surroundings, Jo's paintings explore the endless changing flow of the natural elements present in her daily life. With her intuitive, free style of painting, Jo often has several works on the go at once, and approaches each one as the feeling draws her. 

https://www.seapainterstudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/seapainter_jo

Do you have a question for the Ask Us Anything segment? Any topic is fine, we love to hear from all our listeners.

Email us here and we will do our best to answer your question in one of the episodes.

[email protected]

Paige Baldwin Ando

https://www.wholeselfcreative.com

https://instagram.com/wholeselfcreative

Jordana Matsuda

https://instagram.com/jordanaillustration