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

This week, we answer listener questions from Maroulla, Caroline, Helen and Jane, who all wanted to know about finishing and presenting work. We start with titles... how important are they? Is it OK to go with 'untitled' or can a creative title enhance the impact of a painting? And how do we come up with titles for our own work? We also share our secrets for sealing and varnishing work, cover a var...

With only two months until Christmas, this seems the perfect time to revisit a topic we first discussed in episode 43 - how to encourage people to consider giving your art as a holiday gift (or requesting it as one for themselves!) This time, we cover the importance of good copywriting; the benefit of a flexible returns policy; and the value of offering gift certificates. We also suggest ways to c...

Back in March, as we all went into lockdown, we speculated about how the pandemic would affect artists. (see episode 66 ) This week, we are revisiting the topic to find out. The episode was prompted by Cherrie Trelogan, who asked if we knew of any positive lockdown stories and we both rubbed our hands in glee because we know of too many to list in just one hour!  Our discussion begins with ou...

This week’s topic was inspired by a question from Sharon Mayfield who wrote “can you discuss imitation and originality. Is there any such thing as ‘original’ work these days? Is it ‘wrong’ to reflect styles of work or techniques we’ve seen used by other artists?” This week, we discuss the difference between ‘stealing like an artist’ and copying. Of course we are all influenced by those who have go...

This week, we discuss how to attract a following for your art - a topic that was prompted by a question from Maureen, who wrote:  “Could you discuss the challenging task of selling artwork? It’s all very well to produce a good selection of work, maintain a well-designed website, upload to Saatchi (or wherever) and add the best hashtags until you’re blue in the face! However the stumbling bloc...

This week we’re discussing the idea of success… what does it mean to be a successful artist and how do you know if you are achieving your goals? Many of us shy away from numbers and spreadsheets, but we both believe it’s vital to track key metrics in order to measure your progress. These metrics change at different stages of our career - in the early stages we can track the numbers that tell us if...

Is there a perception in the art world that big is better?  Do you gain more respect if you make larger paintings? This week we debate wether size matters and share our own personal experiences of scaling up our work. We discuss the challenges of working larger, including the need to think differently, choose the right substrate and tools, and - most of all - buy enough paint. We also challen...

As we approach "back to school" in the UK and Louise's course comes to end, we are both thinking about transitioning back to studio work. But the  Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll and in this episode, we discuss how that has manifested for each of us. From a general feeling of being scattered (Alice) to a fear of public transport (Louise) and the over-riding sense that very little is cert...

This week, we tackle some of the false beliefs that can bring artists down.  So many of us accept our thoughts without questioning them - especially when it comes to the thoughts that hold us back. To shine a light on this issue, we decided to share some of our own past beliefs (and how we got past them). Louise's false beliefs included the idea that you have to be born with talent, the notio...

This is one of our more contentious episodes. A respected and highly prescient marketing guru says marketing is about to change and at least one of us disagrees. We debate his ideas along with other marketing approaches, to see if we can find the sweet spot for artists. When is it a good idea to create long-form blog posts? How can content curation help with our networking? And when is it preferab...

This week, we’re tackling that most sensitive of topics - money. We didn’t have much of a plan for this episode - we just decided to start talking and see what happened. And what happened was a fascinating conversation about how we view money and why. Where are we generous? Where do we hold back? How does upbringing show up in our current relationship with money? Why will Alice happily buy a new c...

What does it feel like to have a breakthrough in your art? How do you know it’s actually a breakthrough and not just a fluke success? And how do you keep the momentum going once the initial serotonin rush has subsided and you realise there is a lot of work still to do? Last week Alice predicted that a breakthrough was on the way for Louise, and that turned out to be very prescient. In this episode...

This week, we discuss how to handle a slump... those times when you turn up to work, and put in the hours, and yet nothing goes right; somehow the well has run dry, When this happens it's so easy for us to start berating ourselves, but actually we both believe this is a natural part of the process. Alice has always believed in taking breaks, but Louise finds that difficult since painting is the mo...

The idea for this episode was sparked by the book "Coaching the Artist Within" by Eric Maisel which Alice has been revisiting. If you've ever caught yourself thinking you must be 'this' or 'that' in order to be a creative success this might help you shift your ideas. We talk about the author's ideas on dualistic thinking. Too often, Maisel suggests, we feel we must choose one way or another, witho...

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had fewer artist followers on Instagram? Do you worry that you're not reaching enough buyers? Do you strive only for gallery owners and interior designers? This week, we're flipping this issue on it's head to highlight the positive aspects of a strong artist network.  As we discuss this issue, we share our own experiences and the benefits we've gained fro...

Alice just held a virtual open studios and it sparked so many ideas for both of us.  It turns out that when galleries close, and art fairs cancel, and open studios can't happen, we are forced to come up with new ways to market our work. The possibilities are infinite - each of us just need to find our own unique way. Don't feel it all has to be polished and perfect. In this episode, we discus...

This week's topic was inspired by a busy and stressful week for both of us - a week in which we had to learn, adapt, and employ what Alice calls "just-in-time" learning. Our discussion covers growing pains in both our art and our business. We discuss the importance of failure or mistakes (and how we learn from them) and debate Seth Godin's idea that sometimes we are struggling because we are in a...

This week we're discussing creativity and specifically how to spark new ideas or creative energy. For Louise, the impetus seems to come when she is most busy, so that she has less time to think and dabble and is forced to take action quickly. For Alice, space and time and quiet are very important ... without that, she doesn't feel there's room for new ideas. But we both agree that outside input or...

Has over-thinking in your studio ever frozen you in your tracks? But you also want to bring more consideration to you art than pure intuition? This one is for you! During our conversation with Brian last week, Alice asked “Is it enough to just focus on a buttery brush stroke?” and this led to a discussion of the role of the intellect in painting. Brian suggested that thought must only happen outsi...

“You can’t have a thought unless you have a feeling first. So the idea in painting is to freeze the feeling and then let the person have the thought.” Today we are talking with New York painter Brian Rutenberg about all the way in which artists must show up for their work in order to find a deeper truth. Amidst a currently enforced break from his studio it’s reassuring to hear he has the same fear...

This week, we share 3 of the questions that we are most often asked, and discuss why they're really not helpful. Often, especially when we are starting out or when we are switching to a new medium, we ask questions as a kind of shortcut ... it feels easier to ask than to work it out for ourselves. But the truth is that the answers to these questions are unique for each of us. Only you can find the...

This week's main topic was prompted by Alice's decision to lend a painting to a leading home decor magazine. The painting appears on the front cover this month, but some people were critical of her decision to loan the piece free of charge.  So in this episode, we discuss whether it's OK to work for free and what criteria you might apply when deciding. We cover loans like the one Alice made a...

Ever felt that the odds of making art were stacked against you? Busting this myth was what prompted today's guest Marissa Huber to start a series of interviews with other artists. She wasn't prepared to sit back and be told there was no longer time in her life to do what was important for her. Two children later and still with a full time job she has just published 'The Motherhood of Art' with Hea...

This week, we address an email from a listener who writes “Could you and Alice address the “what’s the point of art”, “what do I do with all this crap” sort of issues? I’ve not listened to the news for a while now, but am actually listening to very little at all. Sometimes I find people too jolly, too positive, so I guess I’m looking for gentle, encouraging, empathetic. I can’t seem to pull myself...

You can't sell luxury items like art during a global pandemic. This seems to be a widely held belief and yet artists all over the world are discovering that it's not true. In fact, many artists are now selling online for the first time and finding more success than they ever expected. Indeed, we both  posted work for sale recently as part of the #artistsupportpledge initiative, and we were bo...