Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood

What subject matter do you love to paint? For you maybe it’s going outdoors and painting en plein air or to a crowded marketplace. Each artist has to find their own source of inspiration and motivation as they travel on their artistic journey - for Ricky Mujica - it’s all about family.  Ricky is an award-winning artist whose work appears in collections all around the world including Africa, Norway...

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase, “Taking up space?” Does your mind go to something large and inviting or intimidating and serious? Too often the idea of “Taking up space” has been reserved for negative connotations - what if we flipped the script? This week’s guest focuses a lot of her time in the studio creating large-scale oil paintings and is no stranger to the idea of “Taking u...

What does it take to hone your visual memory skills as an artist? Can you really build a successful business by selling your artwork? Isn’t (insert any age here) too old to get started as an artist? What am I supposed to do with all this time at home caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)?  Thankfully, my guest, Lucy Kalian was kind enough to take the time to discuss her answers to these questions a...

What type of magic happens in the artist’s studio? Is there some special formula that “Successful” artists use that helps them maximize their creativity and studio time?  I wanted to take this opportunity to explore this critical topic with the vast spectrum of artists we have represented in the Savvy Painter community. From all over the country and the world, artists like you have shared their st...

When you approach the canvas do you find yourself trying to tell a story with your artwork? Do you think you are telling a story with your art whether you like it or not? Here to explore these questions and many more is my guest and fellow artist, Rob Rey.  Rob’s artwork is often inspired by his interests in both natural sciences like astronomy and physics as well as social sciences like psycholog...

Webster’s Dictionary defines Resistance as, “an act or instance of resisting: opposition. b: a means of resisting. 2: the power or capacity to resist.”  What comes to mind when you think about resistance? Do you start thinking about all the things that are giving your resistance in your life? Do you have a resistant family member? What about that project that keeps giving you a headache? Imagine w...

As you look at your career as an artist, do you notice how much you’ve grown and changed over the years? What led to the big moments of growth and change for you? It was a joy to sit down with my guest and fellow artist, Shana Levenson. In our conversation, Shana opens up about her experience as an art instructor, how her children have influenced her art, how she’s grown over the years, and much m...

If you are anything like me, you find yourself fighting back the feeling of overwhelm from time to time. What do you usually do when you start to feel overwhelmed? How do you cut through the usual complexity that life brings and find clarity? As we start the New Year, I wanted to take some time to go over some helpful tools and insights that I've gained over the years through experience and l...

It is difficult to honestly talk about the most painful places of life - the times when cannot avoid facing our mortality or need to come to grips with our value as human beings. But in this conversation, Erin McGee Ferrell spoke about those issues with such ease that I was grateful. The ease with which she deals with those subjects is a testament to the healthy way in which she's faced those...

Do you ever find yourself wondering why you feel like a square peg forced into a round hole when it comes to following art “Rules?” Is there something wrong with you, the system, gatekeepers, or all the above? I was thrilled to sit down and discuss this topic and much more with my friend, Michael McCaffrey. In our conversation, we also touch on his work inspired by his father, the difference betwe...

Can you think back to a point in your career where you started to appreciate the transformative power of art? Maybe for you, it was the first time you went to an art museum or that one art class that opened your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. From early childhood experiences to forging his own path in the art world - my guest, Dean Mitchell, came prepared to explore the whole spectrum...

When was the last time you found yourself moved deep in the core of your being by a work of art or natural beauty? As an artist, you can appreciate the power that we have to draw on people’s perceptions and emotions. It was a pleasure to speak with the talented Nashville based landscape artist, Adam Hall. In our conversation, Adam was kind enough to open up about his connection to the ocean, how h...

Normally when I do these question and answer episodes, I get anywhere from 20 to 30 questions to ask my guest - for this topic - the questions numbered in the 100’s! Thankfully, Jake Hawley from Picture Salon was willing to take time out of his schedule to answer many of your questions here on the podcast. In our conversation, Jake touches on file sizes, how to take the best pictures of your art,...

As an artist, one of the hardest things you can do is to push past your limits and dive right into exploring creativity. Do you find pushing the boundaries of your abilities exciting or nerve-racking? My guest, Andy J. Pizza, is ready to explore this question and a whole lot more. In our conversation, Andy opens up about his creative journey, what it’s like to embrace his ADHD, the challenge of co...

Do you ever find yourself fascinated by the stories of artists who paint from sketch drawings? What do those artists look for when they sketch? How do they remember the right colors or where the light was coming from? Hoping to get some answers to these questions and a whole lot more, I was pleased to sit down with the artist, Tom Hughes. In our conversation, Tom opens up about how he found his pa...

When was the last time you really took a moment to slow down and notice your surroundings? Do you find that you are easily distracted by your cell phone notifications or the million other things demanding your attention? You aren’t alone! I’ve struggled with managing my distractions for years, so I was thrilled to hear my guest, Michelle Dunaway address this critical topic. In our conversation, we...

Have you found artists who paint Americana inspiring? Are you drawn to the romanticism and grandeur of the genre? How do artists who focus on painting Americana feel about their genre of work? I was thrilled to sit down with the talented and generous artist, Susan Lyon. In our conversation, Susan opened up about what led her to her career as an artist, why she decides to change things up, her drea...

What does it take to branch out from traditional practices and sell your art on platforms like Etsy? Can you make a living off of an Etsy business? What should you look out for? Good news! I put all these questions and more to my returning guest, Jenni Waldrop.  In our conversation, Jenni opens up about realistic expectations, why it’s not enough to just build a shop on Etsy, how to plan for seaso...

I still can’t believe that it’s been five years since I started the Savvy Painter podcast. Back when I first started, there were hardly any podcasts about, by, or for artists. Today, there are a ton of options out there, and I’m happy to call many of them friends! On this episode - I decided to do something different - I sat down with a handful of fellow podcasters to answer three questions.   Wha...

When was the last time that you found deep and abiding joy in your artwork? Have you explored the joy of painting animals and pets? Most of you know how excited I am about Trekell’s new Pet Portrait Competition. Guess what? I’ve got the judge for that competition joining me for this episode of the podcast!  Jennifer Gennari is a classically trained figurative artist. She graduated in 2005 from Rin...

If you are anything like me - you’ve struggled with how to deal with your inner critic over the years. There are a few things that have helped me deal with my inner critic, but I am always excited to hear what my peers have done to address this common issue in the art community. Here to share his unique and valuable perspective is the artist - Danny Gregory.  Danny is an artist, and he has written...

What does it look like to see your career take off as an artist on Instagram? Is it a sustainable model or has Facebook’s acquisition taken all fun and profitability out the platform? I put all of these questions and a lot more to my guest, Kate Zambrano.  Kate is a fine artist based in California specializing in realistic portrait art and figurative art, made up mostly of females. Sometimes descr...

Imagine living on a boat in the San Francisco Bay area - doesn’t that sound AMAZING? How would you optimize your working area? What materials would you use? Instead of guessing the answers to this beautiful scenario - I got to ask my friend Kaethe Bealer all about it! Kaethe is a long time listener of Savvy Painter and she’s participated in several of my workshops over the years. I have been so im...

I’ve got a special episode in store for you all this week including questions and answers to a few select topics. I wanted to experiment with a new format, and I’m glad to have you along for the ride! On this episode - I cover how artists like you can navigate art competitions, I give an update about my move to Argentina, and I go over some productivity tips. I’m so thankful to all of you who have...

When was the last time you decided to quite all the voices and just focus on your desire to create art? Is it hard for you to carve out the time in your life or have you found the right formula to make it work? Wherever you are at in your journey, I know you’ll appreciate hearing from the amazing Jacksonville based artist - Kristin Cronic. In our conversation, Kristin opens up about how she got st...