Art Juice: A podcast for artists, creatives and art lovers

Does art need a gimmick to succeed? If art has a quickly recognisable ‘hook’ does that make it easier to sell?  This week Alice has been learning the value of taking detours - Louise is in flow with her work and both have been working together to share a free art workshop with Nicholas Wilton which will show you the three most powerful principles you can use to transform your art. Sound good?...

A question from a listener leads us into a wide-ranging discussion about the artist life. Many feel a frustration about limited time to spend on their work and don't feel it counts alongside another career, but a recent study by The Arts council found that 68% of artists support themselves with other jobs.  What is it really like to work as an artist? What is the fantasy and how does it stack...

There is great merit in sticking with something long enough that you actually benefit from your own mistakes. But we hope to make things a bit easier by sharing some of the mistakes we've made - from email marketing, understanding how to talk about yourself and your work and simply not knowing how to sell paintings because they are so mysteriously different. We have a great listener question: “Whe...

Framing can be a challenge for us all. It’s expensive and there are so many options. If you paint on board or canvas, is it necessary? If you do decide to add a frame, what style works best? Today we’re going to delve into this topic, discuss our own approaches, and share some inside tips. We consider buying pre-made frames, having frames made online, and working with a professional framer.  ...

This is really a juicy one. What happens when your work culminates in a show - but you’re still feeling dissatisfied? There is no doubt that making art is an emotional journey. Showing or selling it can feel even more raw - but it depends on your attitude. Hashtags and starlings all have a helping hand this week. Louise is managing all the elements needed to hang a show and Alice wonders if gettin...

We all struggle with time. Some of us have young children, or elderly parents or a full-time job, and even those who work full time as artists also have the pressures of marketing, gallery relations, art fairs etc. We discuss the challenges we face in terms of managing time on a day-to-day basis, and also consider the larger question of how much time we have left in our lives. If we knew we only h...

We can all recognise this sorry state of affairs, and it’s not fun! We discuss the difference between procrastinating, being temporarily frozen, or being truly blocked. Is a real block caused by a disconnect  between what you ‘want’ and what you are actually doing? Is it a result of losing your connection with your deeper self? While a pause is OK - and sometimes needed and necessary - we com...

This week we tackle a topic faced by artists the world over ... how do you deal with older work when your style has moved on? What do you do with that pile of old canvases or sheets of paper that no longer feel like you? Is it a waste to throw them out? Is it OK to show them with your newer work? Or can you find a way to offload them so that someone else can enjoy them? We also wrestle with the be...

This week finds us at different ends of the process. Louise has just finished several paintings in her latest series while Alice is preparing to begin new work. As she prepares to start, we talk about the importance of making a leap into the unknown - in art and in life. The impressionist Edgar Degas is quoted as saying “only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good thing...

What’s Your Studio Space Like?  Some artists work in giant, light-filled spaces, others make room on the dining room table. But whatever the size, your studio set-up is a crucial aspect of your work. We discuss how to make the most of your space, why it’s important to keep making changes, and practical tips on flooring and lighting solutions. We also answer this listener question: How can I s...

Have you ever felt selfish about your art making practice? Do you worry that it’s taking up time you should be spending on other things?  We discuss whether this is a problem unique to women, we share our own personal experiences, and we wonder if our attitude to this question only changes when we begin to understand the positive effect our art-making has on others. The knock-on effects can b...

Welcome to a new podcast for creatives with behind the scenes conversations about making art and the creative life with Alice Sheridan and Louise Fletcher . This podcast will be an honest insight into what it takes to be an artist. Alice and Louise are both practicing artists figuring out how to develop their creative approach and balance the business side of a rewarding creative life.  If yo...