The FASO Podcast

By FASOBusiness Arts Marketing Visual Arts

The FASO Podcast episodes

October 28 202 Trent Gudmundsen — Do the Scary Thing
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For today's episode we sat down with Trent Gudmundsen, a professional oil painter whose life and work are shaped by his family, rural Idaho surroundings, and decades of experience. He says plein air painting taught him more about composition, color, and light than classroom study, and advises beginners to use inexpensive panels so they can experiment without worrying about wasting materials. For artists pursuing a career, he stresses keeping expenses low because income from art can be unpredictable. His career advice is to focus on a recognizable subject or style at first, then broaden your work once people know what you do. He also encourages artists to take creative risks, let go of imagined criticism, and make room for interests beyond their main art form to allow them to grow their creative expression. Finally Trent tells us about his participation at the upcoming public Zion’s Bank art show in the Salt Lake City area.
Trent's FASO site:
https://www.trentgudmundsen.com/
Trent's Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/trentgudmundsen/
Trent's Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@TrentGudmundsen
Trent and Lorajean's Sculptures:
https://www.frosthollowfarm.com/
1 hr 11 min
October 22 201 Mick McAndrews — Get Out of the Studio and Into the World
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For today's episode we sat down with Mick McAndrews, a professional watercolor artist from Pennsylvania who turned to painting after a long career in IT and has spent decades developing his craft. He credits practice, design fundamentals, workshops, and learning from failed paintings with helping him grow as an artist. His watercolor approach embraces the medium’s unpredictability and aims for “sophisticated simplicity,” using shapes, values, and edges to suggest rather than depict every detail. Mick encourages artists to paint regularly, keep learning, and approach their work with confidence, even when the result is uncertain. For those seeking a professional career, he recommends sharing work through exhibitions, art organizations, networking, and a well-maintained website and newsletter, in other words: get out of the studio and into the world. He also described his teaching, plein air experience, Alaska-inspired paintings, and involvement with the Whiskey Painters of America. Finally, Mick mentions that he teaches workshops throughout the year at the Wayne Art Center in Pennsylvania, with more planned in New Jersey, Georgia, and Maryland, and is exploring a possible upcoming workshop in Italy.
Mick's FASO site:
https://www.mickmcandrewsfineart.com/
Mick's Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/mickmcandrewsfineart/
The Whiskey Painters of America:
https://whiskeypainters.org/
1 hr 4 min
October 14 200 Brenda Boylan — Creating is the Goal
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In this episode, we sat down with Brenda Boylan, a lifelong creator who moved from corporate graphic design into fine art, working primarily in oil painting in recent years while continuing to value pastel. Brenda discusses her journey from studying applied art and working as a graphic designer for Nike and Jantzen to building a career in fine art. She describes discovering pastel through local artists and workshops, and explains its vivid, tactile qualities as well as the care it requires in framing and handling. Reflecting on her career, Brenda says corporate work taught her discipline, while creating itself—not sales—is what keeps her going; she also highlights people skills and self-care as important for an art business. She encourages artists to connect with other creatives through local groups, plein air painting, conventions, and open studios, where they can learn from one another and build relationships. For growing an art business, she says people skills matter: building genuine connections with collectors and fellow artists can help sustain a career. Finally, Brenda tells us about her participation in Portland Open Studios, where visitors can see her work and oil and pastel stations.
Brenda's FASO site:
brendaboylan.com/
Brenda's Social Media:
facebook.com/tendustyfingers/
instagram.com/brendaboylanart/
1 hr 7 min
October 07 199 Donna Montgomery — Be Fearless & Do the Work
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To kick off season 16, we sat down with Donna Montgomery, a retired teacher and accomplished watercolorist who looked at her own landscapes and felt something was missing. What she found was play: she now treats her studio days like a kid's day at the playground, layering line, color, collage, and more into intuitive abstracts. Donna says letting go of the fear of mistakes—and embracing the messy middle—helped her find greater creative freedom. She encourages artists to make time for regular studio practice, try things without worrying about wasting materials, and learn to recognize when a painting feels finished. She also highlights the value of community for learning the business of art, finding opportunities, and staying connected. Her advice to aspiring artists is to do the work, discover what feels authentic, build a cohesive body of work, and have the courage to put it out into the world. Finally, Donna tells us about her watercolor workshops at Simcoe Woods Community Center.
Donna's FASO site:
https://donnamontgomeryart.com/
Donna's Workshops:
https://donnamontgomeryart.com/events
Donna's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/donnamontgomeryart/
52 min
September 22 198 Nicole Troup — How Saying "YES" Can Open Doors
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For today's episode, we sat down with Nicole Troup, a Pennsylvania-based portrait artist and instructor who specializes in oil and charcoal commissions, leads workshops both online and in person, and runs her storytelling-driven nonprofit initiative, Portraits for a Cause. Nicole emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities such as exhibitions, workshops, and collaborations, even when they feel outside your comfort zone, because those “yeses” often open unexpected doors for your career. She advises artists to join local and national art organizations, both for community and for the practical benefits of newsletters, exhibition calls, teaching opportunities, and referrals. Nicole stresses branding yourself clearly (for her, branding herself as a portrait artist) so that when someone needs that specific kind of work, your name comes to mind. In terms of style and artistic voice, she recommends looking more at your own work than at others online, building on what feels natural such as your own brushstrokes, colors, and tendencies, instead of constantly comparing yourself. For balance, she suggests setting clear work hours and boundaries so art doesn’t eclipse health and family, and using a separate studio space if possible to reduce distractions and increase focus. Finally, she encourages artists to follow what genuinely excites them because that intrinsic motivation is what sustains a long-term, meaningful art career. Don't forget to check out her website to see her upcoming workshops such as her upcoming online workshop with the Scottsdale Artists’ School, and her art retreat “Sketchbook Adventures in Italy".
Nicole's FASO site:
nicoletroupmasterpiece.com/
Nicole's "Portraits for a Cause":
nicoletroupmasterpiece.com/collections/139905
Nicole's Upcoming Workshop "Sketchbook Adventures in Italy":
hotelleonemarche.com/en/retreats/art-retreat-italy/sketchbook-adventure-in-italy-nicole-troup/
Nicole's Social Media:
instagram.com/nicoletroupmasterpiece/
facebook.com/nicoletroupmasterpiece/
Nicole's YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/@nicoletroupmasterpiece
1 hr 17 min
September 16 197 JM Brodrick — Invest in Yourself First
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For today's episode we sat down with JM Brodrick, a wildlife painter originally from Detroit, Michigan, who trained early under her Finnish grandmother and now creates large, ethereal acrylic works that often get mistaken for oils. She explains her deep connection to wildlife—especially birds and white animals—and how she merges realism with abstraction, inspired by double-negative film accidents and her dislike of traditional, detailed backgrounds. JM describes her years in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she balanced single motherhood, a full-time career in commercial insurance, and work as a composite artist for law enforcement, all while steadily pursuing her art on evenings and weekends. She talks about the fear and liberation of going full-time in 2005, emphasizing how competitions, self-criticism, and painting faster pushed her to continually “up her game.” As business advice, she recommends watching the market while staying true to your voice, using an 80/20 balance between gallery-friendly work and more experimental competition pieces, and always investing in archival, professional materials. For artists who want to go full-time, her core guidance is to never give up on yourself, build strong drawing and color foundations, learn from “failed” paintings, be disciplined with time, and accept that a job along the way can be part of what ultimately makes you a better, more resilient artist. Finally, JM tells us about her upcoming participation at an exhibition with the American Professional Artists League at the Salmagundi Club and an upcoming group show at Cole Gallery.
JM's FASO website:
jmbrodrick.com/
JM's Instagram:
instagram.com/j.m.brodrick/
1 hr 4 min
September 11196 Marketing for Artists Who Hate Marketing
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Welcome back to another compilation episode. Today's topic is the one almost every artist either loves to hate or just quietly avoids: marketing. Social media, email lists, galleries versus going direct. We pulled the most practical, most repeatable advice on this from across the show's run. No growth hacks, no algorithm tricks that'll be outdated by the time you hear this; just the stuff that actually holds up. Let's get into it.
Guests in order of appearance:
32 Jason Polins
114 Kyle Stuckey
12 Clint Watson
132 Keith Bond
61 Nanci France-Vaz
14 Jeanne Rosier Smith
33 Diego Glazer
71 Matthew White
125 Mary Aslin
117 Poppy Balser
118 Shuang Li
133 Ginny Butcher
52 Sarah Sedwick
63 Noah Buchanan
64 Oliver Sin
37 Catherine Bobkoski
165 Cindy Baron
32 Jason Polins
129 Brian Bateman
89 Orlando Whitfield
60 Gladys Roldan-De-Moras
94 Karen Blackwood
105 SC Mummert
34 Christopher Remmers
49 min
September 09195 Gallery Representation 101 — How to Approach, Apply, and Build Relationships
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Welcome back to another compilation episode. Today we're going deep on one relationship that shapes many painting careers, whether you love it or dread it: the one between an artist and a gallery. We pulled the best, most specific moments on this topic from across the show's run, from first impressions to knowing when to walk away. No new guest today, just the collected wisdom of the artists who've actually lived this. Let's get into it.
Guests in order of appearance:
111 Matt Smith
138 Michelle Dunaway
124 Hilarie Couture
184 Jennifer Balkan
176 Ellen Howard
121 Paul Batch
112 Philippe Gandiol
122 Russell Gordon
128 Sarah Yeoman
118 Shuang Li
105 S.C. Mummert
168 Stacey Peterson
164 Sandra Duran Wilson
123 Michael Orwick
144 Christine Code
111 Matt Smith
145 Erik Koeppel
132 Keith Bond
111 Matt Smith
110 Robert Johnson
138 Michelle Dunaway
170 Kim Lordier
45 min
September 02 194 Rich Nelson — Get Really Good, Then Get It Out There
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For today's episode we sat down with Rich Nelson, a signature member of both the Portrait Society of America and Oil Painters of America, with a career that grew out of an unlikely start playing in a rock band before formal illustration training pulled him toward fine art. In this episode, he breaks down Sargent's blunt advice that you can't shortcut your way into portraiture: you have to become a real, all-around artist first, mastering anatomy, landscape, and still life before you ever specialize. He'll also make you rethink what goes in your portfolio, with a simple rule: never show work you don't want to get hired to do more of, because clients will always call back asking for exactly what they saw. And he shares the deceptively simple habit that's opened more doors for him than almost anything else: reaching out to other artists and asking real questions, and maybe even visiting their studio. If you're anywhere near Tryon, North Carolina, don't miss Rich's stacked 42-piece solo show at the Tryon Fine Arts Center — up through October 17th and almost entirely painted from life. And this October, his Plein Air Painters of the East crew rolls into Charleston for a week that culminates in a can't-miss group show at the Meyer Vogel Gallery.
Rich's FASO site:
richardchristiannelson.com/
Rich's Social Media:
instagram.com/richardchristiannelson/
facebook.com/RichardChristianNelson/
Rich's YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/@richnelsonpainter
Rich's Band:
richnelsonband.com/
1 hr 17 min
August 26193 So You Wanna Be a Full-Time Artist — Our Best Advice
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Welcome to a special edition of The FASO Show. If you've listened for a while, you already know the drill: near the end of almost every conversation, we ask our guest some version of the same question. What advice would you give to someone who wants to make this a full time life? Over a hundred episodes, we've collected a hundred different answers. So today, we're doing something different. No new guest, no new interview. Just the best of that advice, all in one place, back to back. Consider this your one-stop pep talk from a room full of working painters. Let's get into it!
Episodes mentioned (in order of appearance):
156 Shanna Kunz
165 Cindy Baron
112 Philippe Gandiol
179 Tanner Steed
142 Grace DeVito
144 Christine Code
137 Chris Krupinski
104 Thomas Schaller
121 Paul Batch
120 Kim Casebeer
145 Erik Koeppel
175 Emma Kalff
159 Barbara Jaenicke
167 Stephanie Marzella
165 Cindy Baron
133 Ginny Butcher
126 Scott Tallman Powers
116 Liz Haywood Sullivan
114 Kyle Stuckey
105 S.C. Mummert
190 Robert Goldman
48 min