Art Ladders: The Creative Climb

What a wonderful conversation we had with the effervescent artist and creative entrepreneur, Beverly Todd. It's always remarkable how much we find in common with other artists who are connecting all the dots with artists. Bev connects artists with workshop leaders and/or space to create their work either during a class setting or a totally independent on-site residency. And what better place t...

Have you ever had a mentor or a coach who brought out the best in you and propelled you forward just from their belief in you? It is a wonderful transfer of energy that can be helpful in all works of life but especially so for artists as they navigate the creative process with emotional stamina. The definition of a mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor. Top qualities for an art mentor are g...

Painter Lewis Noble shared an afternoon conversation with us and describes his working methods, his teaching philosophy and outlook on the art world. HIs motivational attitude truly guides him through his successful career as a full-time artist. As you listen, you will discover many of Lewis' thought processes to add to your own creative practice. He has strong opinions on painting what you want--...

So many questions reveal themselves as a painting or drawing comes to life. Val and Armin share a lively conversation on a snowy day in Michigan asking each other questions like how do you start and how do you know when you are finished? They each have predictably contrasting answers but there are definitely some overlaps and common thoughts. The tempo of creation has a different rhythm for each....

Meet painter, calligrapher, and teaching artist, Jaqueline Sullivan during an engaging conversation where we learn more about her art, travels, and classes.  Jacqueline Sullivan has been a teaching artist for 30 years and she loves to teach! She has had the honor to be invited to teach for Art Centers and Studios across North America as well as having been chosen as a faculty member for sever...

We are excited to announce our word of the year for 2023, and it is courage! Last year our word of the year was discover and wow, we did just that. We made many discoveries in ways to up our game in producing art as well as increase our reach through our podcast and online classes. 2022 was a wonderful year of growth and we look forward to 2023. We took some time to land on our new word for this c...

We are joined by fellow artists, Barb Hranilovich, Sal Strom along with a clip from James Steigenga. Sal is a multi-media artist from the coast of Oregon, Barb has worked as a commercial artist, illustrator and now an exhibiting artist, and James is an accomplished photographer who has the patience and timing to capture images that through the lens achieve the intent without filters or manipulatio...

Here we are at 2023! Happy New Year and thank you to everyone who helped make 2022 a wonderful year for Art Ladders. Thanks to guests, our podcast producer Taylor Cramer of Cold Shower Media and our listeners! We appreciate you! In this episode we reveal our resolutions for 2023 and discuss our top painting picks that have influenced us on our creative journeys.  Armin choose Le Gros by Franz...

What a blessing to be with our friend, Jolin Wilks McElroy for a holiday conversation on art and spirituality. Jolin and Armin first met in the 1990s while working together at the art materials and frame store of Good's of Evanston. During her time working at Good's led Jolin to rethink her calling as a artist and pursue another path to attend a theological seminary for a Masters in Divinity.&nbsp...

Val and Armin have been teaching artists for over 30 years each. The role of the teaching artist is to ignite and inspire students, as well as to encourage them to explore their own creativity. Both feel that teaching has added dimension to their own art making through the research they study to create a class plan and the curiosity to explore new techniques and materials. Why does teaching art ma...

This conversation with Cal Cullen, the co-founder and executive director of Wave Pool Art Center in Cincinnati was a reunion of sorts to catch up on the happenings of an art center near and dear to the hearts of Art Ladders. Since 2016, we have been following the fast growth of positivity that radiates from Cal and the team and we are always amazed about the creative programming that is a huge ass...

Valerie and Armin started out as students of art and now are teaching artists. Along the way, they discovered ways to enhance the learning process to get the most out of the class and their instructors. In this episode they share those ideas with their listeners. Topics include joining the community of an art class and learn from both the other students and the instructor, asking questions all alo...

We had the pleasure to spend an enjoyable hour with our artist friends, Nancy and Russell Thayer from their home and studios in Detroit via Zoom as we recorded this podcast. We couldn't help but compare and contrast our lives as artists and partners with them. We talked about sharing studio space, what a typical day would be and how each artist maintains their unique identity. As the conversation...

There are many ways that art is mysterious both in the making and the meaning. Val and Armin discuss the categories in this episode that include symbolism, titles, history, content, elements and personality. Here are some show notes of topics discussed in this podcast. Andrew Wyeth's art Edward Hopper's art Claude Monet Cathedral Series Robert Rauschenberg erases a De Kooning drawing Frances...

After following California artist, Bibby Gignilliat on Instagram, Val reached out to her for a possible interview. We were thrilled when she agreed! During the afternoon conversation-morning for her- we had a complete discussion of her creative art process, her studio in the ICB Building in Sausalito, California and her mentors.  Bibby (rhymes with Libby) Gignilliat (sounds like Gin a lot!) i...

We recently returned from an unforgettable three weeks at Golden Apple Studio and Residency. It is a joy to relive this experience with our listeners. We cover six topics during this podcast.  1. Flow of the Day with the other participating artists. 2. Gallery Trips in Down East, Maine 3. Influences of the Environment 4. Trials and Tribulations 5. Workshops 6. Magical Moments while traveling....

In this episode Val and Armin discuss getting ready for their residencies at Golden Apple Studio in Harrington, Maine. Packing for a trip like this involves lots of thinking, lists and reminders. Not only do they need to anticipate the process they will land on when in Maine but they are also teaching workshops which adds another layer of supplies. To keep it not so overwhelming, they have devised...

This episode features the talented and generous artist and author, Tesia Blackburn. She is a true believer of abundance and shares her wealth of knowledge with artists all over the world. Val recently took a class with Tesia earlier this year and as a result launched her own Abstraction Now! online class. Tesia is Val's mentor during the further development of an online presence for Art Ladders an...

Whether you are a painter, draughtsman, sculptor or potter, you most likely have used drawing to begin, refine or examine your finished work. In this hour, Val and Armin discuss the many ways drawing has played important roles in their art journeys. Sketching can be the spark of an idea that will ultimately become a detailed graphite drawing in Armin's world, while a gestural charcoal mark-making...

Alan Maciag's rural landscapes are a balance between form, distance, color and content. This balance creates a sense of calm and bucolic reverence for the rural heritage of Michigan, for the wonderland of it's vacation lakes, or for the sanctuary within a garden or public space. It is as though you have been given a gift - to simply "step in" for a moment and be surrounded by the spirit captured o...

Valerie and Armin recreate one of their weekend art talks and explore the topic of developing ideas. You can think of it as the aha moments or the  lightbulb moments that can motivate artists to push forward new plans. Not every lightbulb flash is destined to be the next big deal but the point is to recognize it and examine to see if it has lasting power.  After a series of successful in...

Val and Armin spent an enjoyable afternoon with Cindy Patrick and William Mays of the Port Austin Artist Residency Program. Val is spending two weeks in the residency program and staying at the history Bee Barn, the headquarters for the program. Port Austin is very much an artist-centric community with projects ranging from architecturally converted barns, to sculpture gardens, residency programs...

Valerie and Armin are joined by friend and colleague, Todd Burroughs of Atelier School of Art in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. Todd conceptualized the Atelier School of Art from dream to reality with a passion that coincides with his immense enthusiasm for visual art. Just read this mission of the school to further understand Atelier School of Art's philosophy. "We are committed to helping people...

This episode was recorded from the Frederick Holmes and Company Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seattle, Washington. Abstract painter and printmaker Elise Wagner opened her solo exhibition at this gallery on Friday, May 5, 2022. The title of her exhibit is TIPPING POINTS showcasing Wagner's artworks that give the artistic perspective on the science of our changing planet, and convergence...

During this episode the dynamic artist Sergio Gomez joined Val and Armin for an in-depth interview on his mission of art, collaboration and using technology to further your art career. We learned more about NFTs, curating, how to organize International exhibits and his many collaborations with artists around the world.  We encourage you to read his journey in his own words on his website and...