Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood

With headlines about plans to send people to Mars and other groundbreaking technological accomplishments, do you ever wonder, “What is the role of an artist in this new tech centric age?” This is one of many questions that my guest, Frank Lombardo ponders aloud with me in our conversation. Frank also opens up about how he became interested in art, what draws him to certain subjects, how he approac...

Like most artists you’ve probably wondered how you can sell your art at some point along your journey. Some artists pick it up quickly or partner with someone who can help this navigate the business side of making a living as an artist. Then there are others who really struggle with this aspect of surviving as an artist. Where do you land? Wouldn’t it be great to get some helpful professional insi...

What really goes on behind the scenes when it comes to artistic development? Is it a straight path or are there a number of twists and turns along the way? What part of the process is active and what part of it is passive? My guest, Sally Strand opens up in our conversation about her journey and the process that led to her development as an artist over the last thirty years. Sally is open and tran...

What does a creative journey that starts with graffiti art then moves to video game work and then ends up on a smaller scale working with acrylics look like? What lessons and tips can other artists learn from such a journey? My guest, Greg Simkins opens up about all these various transitions in his life and how he has been able to build a thriving art business with his wife. Greg’s story is fascin...

What is the future of painting? How will the next decade of painting stack up given the current trends compared to what’s come before? Is the painting community on a positive trajectory? Or do we need to make some course corrections? My guest, Burton Silverman joins me for part two of our conversation. Burt opens up about the impact of past artists, how he chooses his subjects, the future of paint...

What does it take to create “Good Art?” Who decides? What elements or components are necessary to deem something good? My guest today is the renowned artist, Burton Silverman. This is part one of our two part conversation where we discuss a wide range of topics from the components of “Good Art,” discovering your artistic voice, the role of setting and presentation in art, racism and the fear of “t...

Do you struggle with putting in the focused and hard work required of you as an artist? You aren’t alone! I’ve struggled with carving out the time and maintaining that focused attention to the craft that I love. All artists struggle at some point with staying focused. What has worked for you? How have you been able to push through the difficulty? My guest, Steve Da Luz opens up and shares how he h...

What comes to mind when you think of narrative painting? Do you think of a particular painting or a series of paintings? What is it about painting with a narrative that captures an audience? My guest, Nathan Lewis is an accomplished narrative painter. In our conversation, Nathan and I spoke about the language of painting, multi figure paintings, painting through frustration and doubt, and so much...

Do you have questions about oil painting and the best materials to use? Look no further, it’s here! Robert Gamblin, Mary, and Pete Cole join me to answer your biggest questions about oil painting and more! I’m so excited for you to hear their helpful insights into some really great topics. You’ll hear them go over questions about pigments, stories about pigment sources, why some paints have more o...

Have you ever wondered what urban paintings out of Tehran might look like? What about the status of the art community in Iran in general? My guest, Ehsan Maleki is an Iranian artist whose painting primarily focus on urban settings and nature. In our conversation, he describes “Iranian Miniature” paintings, the impact that artist Mahmoud Farshchian has had on him, why abstract art is so hard to tal...

Do you find yourself in the abstract or figurative art group? Most artists end up in one group or the other, but there some who start in one group and migrate to the other. My guest, Mario Naves is an accomplished painter, art critic, and teacher. In our conversation, Mario opens up about his journey from starting out as a figurative artist and moving more toward abstract art perspective. Mario al...

What is intuitive painting? How does the intuitive process work? It has been said that the goal of intuitive painting is to allow yourself the space to be inside color, paint, and process while locating the inner core of your creative self. My guest, Alan Feltus is an intuitive painter who has a rich depth of experience to share with our Savvy Painter audience. In our conversation, we discuss the...

Have you ever wondered how a self taught artist fares in today’s art scene? Do they have the same difficulties and opportunities as artists who have been through the traditional route? What unique lessons can we learn from this subset of creators who defy conventional expectations? My guest, Julian Merrow Smith is a self taught artist who has plenty of insight to share about his journey. In our co...

What comes to mind when you think of art and play? Do you consider art as a playful act? Imagine how this shift in mindset can bring forth a wide range of freedom and joy in the creative process. My guest, artist Jeremiah Palecek takes time in our conversation to detail how he appreciates the role of art and play. If you’ve been around the Savvy Painter community for very long, you know that this...

With the impact of social media and the ability to get instant feedback from your audience and fanbase, an important question for artists to consider is “What are you willing to compromise?” If the majority of your followers don’t find your new experimental process or project interesting or if they go so far as giving you negative feedback, what do you do? Do you give in to popular opinion or do y...

Have you discovered your passion in life? What is that one thing that lights you up like nothing in the world can? Imagine going through life without realizing or experiencing your passion in a consistent way. Deborah Paris realized one day that she wasn’t following her passion in life. From that moment on she set out to make a change in her career and focus on what really mattered to her. She wen...

Often it can take an artist years to discover their “Artistic voice.” It comes to each artist in a different way, some find it by learning from mentors and instructors over years, others find it by teaching the nuances of art theory or art history. There are so many beautiful paths that different individuals take to discover their unique artistic voice. My guest, Nancy Gruskin had a fascinating st...

What does “Being present” mean to you? Do you find that it is easy or difficult to be present in your studio time? With the cacophony of noise and distractions in our world, to be is present and in the moment could be considered an act of defiance. Artist Joseph Todorovitch is dedicated to honing in on what it means to be present with his artwork and to center on that place of stillness and focus....

Some artists love to tell a very intentional and direct story with their artwork, and some focus on embracing the unknown. Artist Lani Irwin has a fascinating relationship with her paintings and their seeming tension of embracing the known and embracing the unknown. Lani’s work is very focused when it comes to the shapes and figures she creates but the unknown comes in when you step back and look...

John Seed is an art writer, art and art history professor, and an artist in his own right. In our conversation we discuss his formative experience learning under Nathan Oliveira, his time working in galleries, what it was like hanging paintings by renowned artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Eric Fischl, and so much more. It was an honor to speak with such a gracious and talented artist and writ...

I’ve always been intrigued by layered paintings. I don’t know if you’ve had that same draw but there is something about the textures and the grooves that draw you in and makes you wonder why the artist added that piece or that mark in a way that is unique in its own right. My guest, Chris Liberti has a similar draw and fascination with layered paintings. In our conversation, Chris describes why th...

When most people think of art and spirituality, they think of religious art. But what if there was a more subtle approach to art and spirituality that subverts the more common public expectations? Dozier Bell creates wonderful works of art that often convey a sense of “Presence.” She doesn’t feel the need to overtly draw the viewer's attention to the concept of God, rather she creates in a wa...

Have you ever struggled with “Artist’s block?” We’ve all heard about how difficult and frustrating “Writer’s block” can be for an author who is used to having the words flow out on the page, but do artists ever face a similar difficulty? Jason Cytacki is a talented artist and educator who bravely opens up about his difficulty facing artist’s block at a particular chapter in his career. Jason’s tra...

Why don’t we see more women painting women? The subject of some of the best paintings and sculptures throughout history has been the female form. However, the majority of those works of art have been created by men. This has led to a distinct bias in how women are portrayed in an artistic fashion. My guest, Alia El-Bermani hopes to change that portrayal and give the power of female representation...

You know that art that you love to make, that personal art that you know won’t sell in galleries? Don’t be discouraged, you aren’t alone! My guest Julyan Davis has a personal collection of art that he makes for himself. This is his way of separating his personal art from what he knows will sell on the marketplace. In our conversation we talk about creating art that no one will ever see, making dee...