Willy (Wilamina) Russo

@lil.montefiore www.lilimontefiore.com My guest this week is artist Lili Montefiore. I first came across Lili at the 2020 National Art School Grad show. Lili had these eye-catching works. Her paintings were these everyday settings but in vibrant pinks and greens and oranges. And the hooped skirt that had slogans embroidered and embossed all over it. Phrases like, give us a smile and you’re too pre...

@gretalaundyart www.gretalaundyart.com Greta paints and draws stunning colour filled abstract works. Working intuitively, Greta gets her pieces started and then hands the reigns over to them to finish, likening the process to being carried away on the energy of the colours. Don’t be fooled though. It’s not all about what colours sit best beside each other. Greta’s work begins from a deeper place o...

@adamnorton64 www.adamnorton.net UK born, Australian based artist Adam Norton creates work in a mix of forms such as installations, painting and film. His creative practice revolves around how technology impacts the human experience. The perfect question to marry his love of science and art. In today’s episode of Interview With An Artist, we chat about Adam’s childhood in Africa and how it influen...

@christinalowryartist www.christinalowryartist.com Christina Lowry is a Queensland based artist working in fine art photography. And yes, she has a license to collect dead things. “Don’t look in the bottom draw of the freezer!" is a common warning in her household. Christina also has a bug collection and has studied the practice of preserving and pinning bugs. You see, Christina takes inspiration...

@kowneart www.kateowenartwork.com.au When Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors slides into your DM's saying "Hey, I like your work, let's chat," it's a BIG moment.  Kate Owen cracked the champagne that evening and has been painting her heart out ever since. Creating everyday, showing up on socials, and generally doing her best to make the most of the fantastic opportunity that is being represe...

2022 was another big year in the art scene. Gallery openings got canceled, digital viewings had to continue to suffice, and NFT's exploded on to the market. It was really Beeple’s collage work,  Everydays: The First 5000 Days , sold via Christie’s for $69 US million that got everyone stirred up. That was March. Since then, the NFT/crypto market has been a rollercoaster ride. And I'll be...

Adelaide based artist Tom Keukenmeester learnt the ropes working as an apprentice of sorts for artist Lucy Bonnin.  A move to Sydney, a hung over meeting with legendary art dealer Rex Irwin, and years of continually doing the work and today the painter and sculptor is now with Martin Browne Contemporary . In today’s Interview With An Artist, Tom and I talk about the importance of mentors and...

Sarrita King almost fell into painting. Her late father was the highly respected  artist, William King Jungala, a man from the Gurindji clan. Before he died in 2007, he passed on to Sarrita and her sister Tarrise King, a love of art, community and storytelling. Sarrita lives in Garramilla, or Darwin, with her partner and her two young children, painting amongst the chaos of family life. With...

Kirthana Selvaraj is exploring her place in the world through her art. Painting herself into the halls of some of the longest standing and most traditional institutions. Her self portrait, The Green Suit, was an Archibald finalist in 2021 and a Portia Geach finalist in 2020. I remember seeing it and there was just something about the expression in her face and the way the suit hung on her that hit...

The 2021 National Emerging Art Prize was the hottest Australian prize for emerging artists. Victorian based artist Andrea Sinclair took out the painting prize with her portrait of Flossie. So who is Andrea? How long has she been painting for? And what’s been her career trajectory to date? In today’s Interview With An Artist, Andrea and I talk about: how she started art studying in the 80’s only to...

S.A.S Veer is the brainchild of Sally Veer, an artist working in the realms of quilting and watercolour painting. Sally's quilts are pushing the boundaries into the art world and challenging the traditional depiction of "just a blanket". With a genuine desire to create sustainably, S.A.S Veer is partnering with Australian designer Lee Matthews to work with their offcuts.  In today’s episode o...

Performance artist Ida Sophia is based in Adelaide, South Australia. Her 2021 show Regret was an emotional tribute and reckoning with one of the heaviest emotions we have.  For 28 days Ida sat for 6 hours a day, not speaking, not eating, not making eye contact. She faced a huge floral installation and wore a cape upon which people pinned small plaster tablets they had written their regrets on...

From Broken Hill to Florence to Bronte, Melanie Vugich has made the most of the opportunities that have come her way. The Australian painter works in vibrant, rich colour combinations, which is a nod to her career in fabric design. 2021 has been a great year for Melanie with two strong solos and three amazing collaborations. And although it may have seemed to all come quite quickly for the artist,...

Bluethumb was founded by brothers Ed and George Hartley and their uni mate Phil. The tech company is based out of Adelaide, is about to turn ten years old and has over 15,000 artists on the platform. Earlier this year Bluethumb announced they are launching a new platform for the secondary art market called Podium. I was keen to chat to them about the new venture and the inspiration behind it. Ed H...

Australian born, LA based artist George Byrne is a man of many talents. You most likely know his work via his Instagram feed @george_byrne or his stunning book Post Truth. It took George a few years to get into his groove but now that he's there, his art is going from strength to strength.  In today's episode we talk about how he left photography but eventually found his way back, how LA beca...

A blown up car engine. A suspended drivers licence. The offer to paint a portrait or two.  It doesn't sound like the genesis for one of the most important exhibitions of our times, but it is. Sydney based artist Justine Muller shares her story of how she became connected to the people of Wilcannia and well known artist Badger Bates. A friendship that lead to the creation of the exhibition ' B...

Today we’re talking creative accounting. No, not tax dodging or illegitimate expense claims, accounting for creatives. Jodie Dean founded AccountArts after a long career in the corporate world. The business is a marriage of Jodie’s love for design and creativity with her expertise in bookkeeping and accounting. We talk about how she got started and the type of support she provides. Also we discuss...

Sydney based artist Matilda Michell loves reading 17th Century painting texts. That is, when she can get her hands on them and when she can make sense of them! Matilda has a real affection for the classics and Dutch masters. This is definitely one of the most technically focused conversations on the podcast and I think that speaks to what really drives Matilda. In today’s episode we cover a range...

Melbourne based maker James Price creates work that makes him happy. And in return, it makes his collectors happy too. It hasn’t always been that way though. There is so much in this episode thanks to James’s generosity. I’m a big fan of the deep feelers and the big thinkers, and James Price definitely falls into that category. James spent a decade in New York, climbing the corporate ladder of the...

Allison Bellinger is the driving force behind AK Bellinger Gallery . A conversation with a good friend, artist Vanessa Stockard, helped spark the gallery into life. That was in 2016. Fast forward to today and Allison is looked up as one of the leading Australian galleries. Be it to Russia, South Africa, Asia, America, or her Inverell locals, Allison is bringing some of the most exciting art to the...

Sydney based, UK born artist Sarah Waghorn and I bonded over a flower - the angel trumpet. And it seems I'm not the only to bond with Sarah over flowers and the way she conveys them in her paintings. What began as an excuse to get away from domestic drudgery has now turned into Sarah's second career. Today we talk about flowers, art prizes, securing her first solo and how the favourite thing in he...

Artbank is one of the cornerstones of the Australian art scene. Headed up by Director Zoë Rodriguez, each year they search the country to buy 100's of 1000's of dollars worth of art, to lease back out. So if you're an artist, how can you get in on the action? And if you're an art lover, what kind of money do you need to lease a piece of art? And do they even lease to individuals or is it just big...

This episode has it all. Action, adventure, celebrity encounters (of the art world type at least) and some really beautiful advice about how to decide what you should paint. Carly LeCerf gives us a quick intro to Mt Barker and then shares her stories about painting plein air, coffee inspired initiatives and how her mum helped her secure a show at Michael Reid Murrurundi . Go mum!  Check out C...

What is the definition of an emerging artist? Does art need to tell a story? How do I know what prizes to apply for? If you have ever asked yourself these questions this episode is for you. I chatted with Amber Creswell Bell , the Program Director for Michael Reid Northern Beaches and the driving force behind this new prize to answer these questions and more. The National Emerging Art Prize is ope...

Emerging Sydney based painter Shaan Bulha is the creator of a body of work featuring half eaten food. And can I tell you, a half eaten burger has never looked so beautiful. Shaan doesn't classify himself as an artist, he doesn't even classify himself as a painter. In his words, he's just a really patient guy who is good at fixing mistakes. I want you to pay attention to the language Shaan uses. Be...