Tough on Art

Jen chats with Virginia based artist Sarah Boyts Yoder for a casual conversation that rambles from desert light, homeschooling during the pandemic as an artist/mom, connecting with viewers, joyfulness in work, and her working process. Sarah Boyts Yoder is a painter based in Charlottesville, VA. She received a BFA in Painting from Eastern New Mexico University in 2003 and an MFA in painting from James Madison University in 2006. Her work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitio...

Today I chat with abstract expressionist painter Natalie Dadamio, who has a very special view on art, art making, and the business of art. We discuss a lot about how art and spirituality intermingle, can heal, and the power of vulnerability and authenticity. Natalie embraced the Artist Alliance's 100 Rejections Challenge, and discusses how it empowered her and opened her up to new possibilities and opportunities.Follow Natalie on Instagram: @Natalie.Dadamio.artAre you interested in joining Je...

Jen talks with Austin based artist Laura Klopfenstein, discussing what it's like to work full time in the science world, be a mom, and create her strange and beautiful pieces (often that contain teeth!). Laura creates collages and paintings that are intricate and curious, often reflecting her science-based life. Her work can be subtly political and often humorous, with subjects about climate change, American over consumption and cultural commentary. Check out Laura's work on her website, or a...

Today Jen Tough dives into the most common mistakes artists make and gives a variety of simple solutions and helpful advice on how to avoid them. The top mistakes are:1. Out of date website2. Confusing online name identification3. Not networking enough4. Not entering enough juried shows5. Not having a spreadsheet to keep track of gallery approaches6. Not having a simple annual marketing plan7. Not tracking time spent in the studio and time spent on marketing8. Not interacting enough with gall...

Today my guest is Gina Tuzzi, one of my favorite artists (and humans). Gina lives in Blue Lake, California and teaches art at Humboldt State University. Gina was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, has an MFA from Mills College in Oakland, and a BA from Humboldt State University. Gina's paintings are both magical and energetic: her bright saturated palette with complex detailed and dream-like imagery explore a world rich with symbolism with a touch of the psychedelic. Lush with a mixtu...

In this episode, Jen Tough answers questions from artists about how to get art galleries. Unscripted and off the cuff!Sign up for Jen's April 24th live workshop (via Zoom), "The Tough Method for Getting Galleries". You'll have a chance to ask questions relevant to you and your situation, get email scripts, a spreadsheet template, a printable workbook, and more! Go to JenTough.com to sign up today! Interested in being part of the Artist Alliance's Instagram Challenge? Go to JenTough.com to sig...

On today’s show, I’ll be speaking to Marie Cameron. Marie Iis a realist painter and mixed media assemblage artist living and working in Los Gatos, California. Her work ranges from large scale realist paintings with images from the natural world, some creating a repetitive kaleidoscopic image, others that involve quiet contemplation such as birds perched on dainty teacups. During the pandemic, Marie created and launched her “Rainbow Project”, where she embroidered rainbows on found vintage pho...

Laurie Blessen lives in San Francisco and focuses on minimalist, color-field monotypes. Her works are bright and bold, with rectangular or square fields bumping against each other while intermingling with more delicate textures and pattern. Reminiscent of aerial views of landscapes and fields, Laurie says she creates with intuition leading the way. She says the “magic happens” when a 1500 pound steel roller presses her designs onto dense paper, and no matter how many prints she pulls, th...

Unscripted and "off the cuff Tough" for episode 9 of Gallerist Q&A!Questions include:Making prints, and does it devalue workPricing on websitesHow to get a galleryBest online places to sellAre online shows worth it?And more!Submit your own question here and it may be answered on the podcast!https://airtable.com/shrCGnbW4gHtctcKaBecome a member of one of Jen's artist communities:Artist Alliance: https://www.jentough.com/communities Kindling Art Marketing: https://www.jentough.com/communiti...

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Ellen Dieter’s interest in art began at an early age. After graduating high school, she began traveling in between studies at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Cooper School of Art. llen settled in Paris, France for over a decade and studied part time at L’Ecole des Art Appliqué.Over the years, Ellen has worked as a seamstress/designer in a leather shop, a fashion model in the US and abroad, she has taught art for ages k-9, portfolio class for seniors ...