artchatter with Gaynor Leverett-Jaques & Karen George

Chatting with other artists can teach us so much. Not just about them and the way they work, but also how we are, how we work, the way we speak to ourselves and manage expectations and pressure. Listening to ourselves-our needs-has a direct impact on the way we create, appreciating what we do and that we CAN is important too. Thank you, too, to all who listen, DM, send messages and have made the l...

Way back when in 2024 we took a trip to Cheltenham to check out galleries for a joint exhibition… the planning began.  ‘Journey’ came from an idea of Karen’s to show how we work, from sketching in the wild (Karen) to splashing paint and navel gazing (Gaynor) to fully fledged and framed paintings.  It’s been fascinating to see the differences in how we create, but it’s also fun to exhibit together....

Gahhhhh it’s the 100th episode of artchatter. Who knew? So here we are doing something a little different in celebration. Three-ish years, two artists and one question for four (technically five, but for aesthetics) people who inspire us… What’s the question? Simple. Did you have a pivotal moment in your career? A significant moment where something clicked, you grabbed an opportunity or had a real...

The idea that "we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with" is a commonly attributed quote, often associated with motivational speaker Jim Rohn, highlighting the significant influence our social circle has on our lives. This begs the question… who do we turn to when we feel stuck? what makes the difference between a good day and a bad day when we’re constantly facing challenges o...

We talk about pushing ourselves and stepping out of comfort zones, but how does that look, in reality?  How do we know it’s a success and use what we learn from each new experience?  No matter what we try, it’s a win. We get to learn or we get to grow, right? Episode 98 brings the joy of exhibiting somewhere new, and the win of realising it’s all a bit much!  Sign up to receive Karen’s Studio News...

The sun is shining-we are energised! Woo hoo… let’s get sorted, find our sketchbooks and get painting. We are emerging from hibernation and ready to have inspiration land on us. Now the season is turning we’re topping up the vitamin D, getting with the season and flourishing. You ready? Come join us, let’s do this!  Sign up to receive Karen’s Studio News   https://www.karengeorgeart.co.uk/  and Ga...

The beginning of 2025 feels like three years ago. We wrote plans, set intentions, made lists and away we all went. Now it’s edging toward spring and we’re plodding on and wondering why we’re doing what we’re doing. Erm, what’s the point again?  Now’s the time to have a little reset, reread the plans and decide if we were having a mad moment or we need to tweak and realign. Need some inspiration to...

It’s such an icky word to many artists - selling. Why? We need to get over ourselves and let people who like our work, admire our ethos or want to start collecting see it, know it’s for sale and actually have the opportunity to buy it! But how, you ask?  Karen has seen some inspiring stuff lately, and Gaynor has opinions. So here are some ideas to start off your thoughts process.  Sign up to recei...

It’s easy to play it safe, to always rely on routine, but what if we feel the niggle to change things up? When we start to feel stale in life, in work, in paintings… how do we step outside of our comfort zone without traumatising ourselves?  As always you’re invited to join the conversation on social media @artchatterpodcast or comment on the podcast wherever you listen.  Sign up to receive Karen’...

We’re starting 2025 gently. Instead of signing up for all the workshops, courses and reinventing ourselves, (which, lets face it, are all incredibly tempting) we’re merely choosing a word to guide us, provide a reminder of what we want and pull us back to our chosen path when we get sidetracked.  What did we choose? It’s not a surprise that they’re very different, but maybe our intentions are simi...

How many things do you do out of habit? What are you missing out on because you always do something that doesn’t serve you? Who do you want to see more of… let’s make good habits together, build resilience, build great self-care and become creatures of fabulous habits, not victims of our dodgy ones. So, tell us what you think! As always you’re invited to join the conversation on social media @artc...

Sometimes it can be easy to jump into things with FOMO driving us, sometimes we see others doing ALL the things on social media and love it all and want to be just like them. The trouble is, it’s not our thing. Do we plough on regardless, or do we reflect, learn what’s right for us and learn to trust our own judgment? Gut reaction, the click moment, the internal nod are all signs we’re on the righ...

Habits, tried and tested, keep us safe. We’re in our comfort zone and we know what to expect. Karen and Gaynor are noticing patterns - and questioning why they’re doing what they’re doing!  Are you in a rut of habits, too? Let’s reevaluate together!  Both Karen and Gaynor send out regular emails to subscribers - do sign up if you would like to receive them.  Links and mentions: Photo by Maxime Dor...

@karengeorgeart and I spend a lovely amount of time with other artists, so get to learn tons of great stuff from them. One amazing thing that we’ve realised lately is that those who do well consistently, are those who do things with intention.  Actions have consequences and all that…so let’s make our actions count.  Whatever and whenever we do things towards our art businesses, let’s do it with pu...

Are you like us having regular accountability calls, creating a to-do list and rushing to get it all done?  Well, hold on a second…here’s a thought; are you caught up in a cycle of doing but not achieving? Are your accountability calls lovely chatty catch-ups with lots of encouragement but no action.  Is it time to reevaluate, ask some difficult questions and see if what you’re actually doing coun...

Art exhibitions and trails are always worth a visit, there’s so much talent around, so many choices to be made. The difficulty arises when there’s so many exhibitions to see and schedule clashes for local art trails (it’s the season).  So, how can an artist add a little something to engage visitors, explain their work and encourage interaction. Gaynor and Karen have differing approaches (as always...

Okay… you’ve done thing. Now to promote it. We have to let people know, right?  Instagram: do a reel, a still, a carousel, onto Pinterest, email, Facebook, a quick Instagram live, and then onto stories. Oh and maybe YouTube. Phew. All done. Don’t make me tell people again… but algorithms. What if no one sees any of it? Hmmmm… Did the email go to ‘junk’?  So, we all get onto social media again and...

Okay. Phew. We did summer…and survived. Kids, families, holidays, down time… and now we have to find our footing again. Let’s get into some sort of routine, get our practice back, post on the socials, gather our harvest and display it to the world. Well, maybe just book in some rl events and get selling.  We’ve got this. Planners ready… Let’s go!  As a bonus, our wonderful editor ( Ben Leverett-Ja...

Who decides what’s good and what’s not worth looking at - who are the gatekeepers? Why does some work sell for tens of thousands, and others hold no value to the curators, historians and galleries?  Why do artists of one genre openly dismiss another?  What triggers you?  This week Gaynor and Karen were triggered by opinions stated as facts. Do join the conversation as we’d love to know what you th...

Does summer throw you a curveball, does it disrupt your art when other family members are around? How easy do you find it to block off time for your work during holidays, when trips abound, the sun shines or friends offer coffee dates?  This week Karen and Gaynor find ways to protect their creative time, although suggestions are always welcome.  Links and mentions: Photo by  Gonard Fluit  on  Unsp...

Artists need to be on Instagram daily, apparently. Oh and Facebook. Maybe chuck in some threads, Substack and X for good measure. We HAVE to be seen. Anyone else exhausted?  Who is making the rules? What if we just go with the flow, find our own rhythm and natural online home?  This week Karen and Gaynor tease out what is working for them and how to accommodate the pressures of social media expect...

Declutterring our studios highlighted all sorts of things we’d been holding onto, physically and metaphorically! Both realised old practices, old beliefs, old habits needed to be shown the door too. Time for a rethink! We’d once again like to thank the adorable @annafmacdonaldart for her help, guidance and sense of humour!  Links and mentions: Photo by  The Jopwell Collection  on  Unsplash Anna F...

Is brave being ‘gung-ho’ or stepping back and trusting intuition?  Let’s give ourselves some credit. We all do something most people aren’t courageous enough to… we open up our souls to be judged. Too dramatic? What about risking criticism, earning a living in a challenging climate, facing our own self-doubt… or just showing up on social media on the daily? If you enjoy the podcast, please do give...

As we dance merrily into our studios and sing happily opening our sketchbooks, loading our easels or mixing paint, there’s something joyous about studio time *sighs happily à la Snow White*. Except if you haven’t tidied. If you have your rubbish scattered on the floor, dirty brushes and erm where’s the cad red I love so much?! Can we ever really create in a space that isn’t clear enough for us to...

We natter about self-worth, valuing ourselves, valuing our work, pricing and mindfulness… all as a result of attending an event with Alice Sheridan we’re both considering alllll the things - and invite you to do the same.  This week’s links and mentions:  Photo by  Gustavo Torres  on  Unsplash Alan Partridge   Soul Made -  Alice Sheridan   Kellee Wynne   BS9 arts trail  https://www.bs9arts.co.uk B...