I Like Your Work: Conversations with Artists

Lisa Solomon is a studio artist that moonlights as a college professor and illustrator/graphic designer. Profoundly interested in the idea of hybridization (sparked from her Hapa heritage), Solomon's mixed-media works and large installations revolve thematically around domesticity, craft, and personal histories. She often fuses "wrong" things together--recontextualizing their original purposes, an...

Kyle Hackett's paintings explore race, class, and social standing through approaches to self-representation and the constructed image. Hackett (b. Still Pond, MD) earned his MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art and his BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Delaware. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the DC Commission on the...

Beck Lowry (New Haven, Connecticut, 1980) is a mixed-media artist whose intricate, wall-hung abstractions explore themes of protection, labor, and lineage. Lowry's work has been exhibited at Yossi Milo and Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY; Elijah Wheat Showroom, Newburgh, NY; Headstone Gallery, Kingston, NY; Fred Giampietro Gallery and Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT; and Delawar...

Richard Raiselis is a Boston-based painter known for his perceptive urban landscapes that explore the act of seeing within everyday environments. His work frequently focuses on the city of Boston—its rooftops, streets, power lines, clouds, and architecture—often viewed from unusual vantage points such as high windows or rooftops. Through careful observation and subtle shifts in perspective, Raisel...

Dion Johnson (b. 1975, Bellaire, OH) is based in Los Angeles, CA. Johnson received a BFA from The Ohio State University and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States. His solo exhibitions include: Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA; L.A. Louver, Venice, CA; Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH; W...

Jared Linge received a classical education in Drawing & Painting and Art History at the Laguna College of Art and Design. After eight years of experience working in contemporary art on both coasts, he founded High Noon in New York's Lower East Side in 2017 with an interest in exhibiting under-represented artists. He has curated over 70 exhibitions throughout his career, focusing on work that is gr...

As we begin a new year, we're revisiting one of our most encouraging conversations on  I Like Your Work —my interview with artist, author, and educator  Lisa Congdon .   Lisa's story is a powerful reminder that there is no single timeline for becoming an artist. She didn't begin pursuing art seriously until later in life, and her career unfolded through persistence, curiosity, and a deep commitmen...

Artist residencies play an important role in supporting creative development, professional growth, and sustained studio practice. This episode offers insight into artist residencies through the lens of  Chautauqua Visual Arts , alongside practical guidance for artists preparing strong, thoughtful applications. Chautauqua Visual Arts offers two distinct residency experiences, each designed to suppo...

We're revisiting one of my favorite conversations from the archive with painter  John Walker,  an episode that feels just as relevant now as when it first aired. In this conversation, John reflects on what it means to  stay with the work over decades , how a painting practice evolves over time, and the quiet discipline required to keep showing up to the studio. We talk about the deeply meaningful...

In this New Year episode of  I Like Your Work , I talk about doing the next thing in your art practice by following what genuinely lights you up — even when it means making a change. I share why I chose to refocus my energy on teaching, creating courses, and building spaces for artists, and how that clarity led me to an exciting move to Patreon. This shift makes it easier for more artists to acces...

In this mini episode of  I Like Your Work , I talk about why waiting to feel "ready" or confident keeps so many artists stuck and how planning your artistic year  while feeling afraid  can actually be the most honest place to start. This episode is for artists who: Feel overwhelmed when thinking about the year ahead Struggle with creative fear, doubt, or perfectionism Want to plan their art practi...

Lydia Jenkins Musco's work has been exhibited in galleries and public spaces throughout the United States. With an MFA from Boston University and a BA from Bennington College, her artistic practice has been shaped by international experiences, including stone carving studies in Italy and participation in art symposia in Norway, South Korea, and China. Musco's work has earned recognition through aw...

If you've been watching the Miami energy from afar and wondering what it all means for  your  studio practice, this episode gives you the trends, themes, and takeaways that actually matter for artists. In this episode, Erika covers: • The big-picture trends shaping Miami Art Week 2025:  – Institutional validation and residencies becoming more influential  – The shift toward sustainable careers and...

In this episode, Erika explores how observation, travel, and memory shape artistic practice, inspired by her upcoming class in Italy,  The Symbolic Landscape . Drawing from Corot's plein air studies and Goethe's  Italian Journey , she reflects on how artists discover themselves through what they see—whether in a distant landscape or a simple daily moment. The episode invites listeners to make spac...

Gail Spaien (b. 1958, Hartford, Connecticut)  is an American artist and educator based in Maine. Her studio practice centers around the idea that a painting is a site of connection; an object that transmits emotion from one person to another. She is of a lineage of artists who think craft and beauty shape and build a more relational world. Spaien has been the recipient of numerous fellowships, inc...

In this episode, I'm diving into open calls including what jurors look for when reviewing applications, and why the description box is crucial for providing context about your artwork. I'm also sharing practical tips on how artists can use detailed descriptions to make their submissions stand out and highlighting resources for artists to improve their application process.   I Like Your Work Links:...

Gwen Strahle is a painter living and working in northeast CT. She teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. She shows her work at Nancy Devine Gallery in RI. Strahle has received several awards including the Connecticut Artist Fellowship, the Purchase Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Honorarium from the Drawing Center. Strahle earned her MF...

In this episode, I touch on mystery in art—the space between knowing and not knowing that drives us to create and share Philip Guston's essay  "Faith, Hope, and Impossibility". Faith, Hope, and Impossibility- Philip Guston "There are so many things in the world—in the cities—so much to see. Does art need to represent this variety and contribute to its proliferation? Can art be that free? The diffi...

Madge Evers (b. 1961, Norwalk, CT) explores the transformative cycles of dormancy, decay, and ecstatic growth in plant life. Her work combines alternative photography, mushroom spores, and painting to depict landscape details and imagined flora. Evers earned a BA from Suffolk University in Boston and an MA from the University of Rhode Island. Her work has been exhibited at the New Britain Museum o...

Hannah Cole is a tax expert who specializes in working with self-employed people, especially creative and mission-driven ones. A long-time working artist herself, she's helped tens of thousands of self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education, through her Money Bootcamp program, tax workshops from Florida to Alaska, and on the Sunlight Tax podcast. Her forthcoming book, Tax...

Joe Wardwell is currently a Professor of Painting at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) and is the founder the Brandeis-in-Siena program. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). He received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Boston University (Boston, MA). Currently on view, Wardwell has a large-scal...

In this mini episode of  I Like Your Work,  I'm talking about the myths and limiting beliefs that often hold artists back. I'm also exploring the importance of building stability and confidence as an artist by challenging outdated tropes and taking small, proactive steps toward the life and practice you want.   I Like Your Work Links: Thank you to our Sponsor,  Rise and Repaint. Ever wish your big...

Susan Klein is an artist living in Charleston, SC. Recent exhibitions include I Should Have Been a Pair of Ragged Claws at the Wassaic Project, A Window Scrubbed for the Moon at Asya Geisberg Gallery, NYC, and Volcano Lovers at Frontviews, Berlin. Klein is a 2020-2021 recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. Other awards include an Artist-in-Residence at the Dunedin School of Art in New Ze...

In this mini episode of  I Like Your Work , I explore the superpower artists share: our ability to create  alternative spaces and community . From non-traditional classrooms and DIY galleries to zines and podcasts, these platforms expand the art ecosystem. As artists, our superpower is creating the spaces we wish existed. When we act, we make room for others, build community, and keep the art worl...

Sam King has exhibited at galleries, artist-run spaces, and universities across the country, including The Painting Center (NYC), Unrequited Leisure (Nashville), Manifest Gallery (Cincinnati), Oneoneone Gallery (Chapel Hill), Laconia Gallery (Boston), The Provincial (Kaleva, MI), Living Arts of Tulsa, MIXD (Rogers, AR), the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the University of Tulsa, Lower Co...