The Laura Horn Art Podcast

My guest today, Kellee Wynne Conrad , took her time to develop her art because she wanted it to be a lifelong habit and process. A 100 day artwork challenge and a year-long passion project (Color Crush Creative) paved the way for the online art program she now runs, Experience True Colors . In this episode we chat about her journey and how she juggles being an artist, mother of three and creative...

This past month has been one of the busiest Richie and I have had in a long time. We launched a new online class and pulled everything together for my SALA exhibition. All while juggling our kids being at home on school holidays! Makes me sweat just thinking about it. Phew, kind of glad it is a new month! A fresh start. Speaking of fresh starts, that’s what this podcast is all about. After we hung...

This week Richie and I are celebrating a special milestone - one year of podcasting! We had grand plans for a fancy episode but when the time rolled around we were up to our eyeballs in exhibition prep!  If you’ve ever had an exhibition, you probably know what I am talking about. Frantically finishing things, painting edges, varnishing, trying to think of titles, printing labels and so on. &n...

Instagram. Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and change things up again. If you live in Australia, your probably know what I am alluding to! Last week, Instagram started hiding the number of likes on posts. I have to admit, it threw me a bit at first. On the one hand, I could see the argument for less comparison and pressure on the platform but I was also worried about the impact it...

Are you dragging your heels when it comes to email marketing? Maybe you've gone down a rabbit hole of researching platforms? Or are you stuck trying to figure out what to write and how often to send emails?  If you answered yes, stay tuned. I've got a 30 minute crash course in email marketing for you.  Find out ... Why you need an email list.  How to get started.  Strategi...

My guest today, is mixed media artist, Kelly Berghella from @bergerandstuff . Kelly recently left her marketing job to focus on her art full-time. A decision she didn’t make lightly. In fact, Kelly held onto her day job for as long as possible, all the time building the waiting list for her family portrait commissions. With Kelly now ‘all-in’, we caught up and talked about her transition to being...

We've just wrapped up the filming of our latest online class, Braver Things. As Richie was editing the videos, he had a few questions that he thought might be of interest to you guys so we sat down over a cup of tea and had a good chat.  Tune in to hear about how the class came to be and what it's all about! For more details, check out https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/braver-things . Also,...

As the days get colder here in Australia, all I want to do is snuggle up, read books and bake cakes. Not a bad thing, except ... I have an art business to run! I posted about it recently on Instagram and well, let's just say, I am not alone. So what do you do when your energy levels are low? How do you navigate the ebb and flow of creative life, get past slumps and make the most of the times when...

This week, I am excited to share with you that I have another artist guest. I am speaking with Wendy Solganik (also known as @willawatercolors over on Instagram).  Wendy has a wealth of experience. She ran her own fine stationery and invitation design and printing business for many years and it was super successful, but she left it all behind to focus on her own art and on her family. Since t...

We know marketing is key to and yet it is so hard to find the time and energy to make it happen. Other things take priority and let's be honest, often we'd rather be making art than sitting in-front of a computer writing a newsletter or planning out a social media post.  That's why I am all about 'less is more' marketing.  Today I am sharing five strategies that I have been using to save...

This week, I am thrilled to welcome artist, Ange Miller, to the podcast! Ange hosts in-person workshops, runs two Instagram accounts, provides one-on-one coaching and has recently launched an online training portal called the Art Flow Sessions. She is also mother to four kids under the age of 13! You might be asking, how does she do it? I know I was and without giving too much away, I can tell you...

On the podcast today I am sharing 10 things that have improved my painting over the past few years. Some might seem obvious but as a self-taught artist there’s a lot of bumbling through that happens and unknown gaps in knowledge! From making sure I have multiple containers of water around me when I paint to taping the edges of my watercolour paintings, these are the little things that when combine...

As a creative business owner, it’s ’s easy to fall into the trap of pushing hard all of the time. I don’t know how many times I say things like, ‘I’ll just do one more thing and then I’ll relax’. Of course that one thing turns into ten things and before I know it, hours have gone by and I I haven’t come up for air.  Sound familiar? This ‘one more thing’ mentality is dangerous especially in a...

Ooh, I have a special episode for you this week. I am talking with abstract artist, Andrea Soos!  Andrea lives in Victoria, British Columbia where she makes art nearly every day from her backyard studio. With vibrant colours and playful marks, it’s the type of work that makes you want to grab a paintbrush and start painting!  I had so many questions for Andrea, I'll admit it it was hard...

What’s harder, making art or marketing it? For many artists, it’s the latter.  Hands up if you have some artwork sitting around that could be listed for sale? If you answered yes, stay tuned. In today’s episode I’m sharing five specific strategies for selling art online.  Marketing doesn’t have to be icky, with the right strategy you can increase your sales while also cultivating your cr...

Have you ever wondered what it is like to work with your partner? A year ago Richie and I pooled our talents in art and videography and started making online classes. We didn't know where it would go but we both knew in our hearts that if we didn't try we'd regret it. A year on and we're still here!  It wasn't always easy though. We dropped the ball and created many things that ended up on th...

Have you ever wanted to paint a big canvas? Or maybe painting big is already your thing and you are hooked (I can definitely relate to that)! If you answered yes, stay tuned. I've just got back from teaching my process for painting a large-scale abstract over in Bali (woo hoo, how exciting is that) and I also have a new online class called Layer by Layer !   With painting big fresh on my mind...

This week we are continuing our conversation about fear. Last week we tackled creative fears and this time we are diving into the business side of things. Top of our list is the fear of not making enough money. Why is it so hard to talk about money? Or more to the point be honest about money and how important it is?  It was only recently that Richie confided in me that he was seriously worrie...

What is your biggest fear as an artist? Is it not making enough money or maybe you are worried that you will never create work that you are truly proud of. Recently, I asked this question over on Instagram and let's just say the fears came flying in! So this week and next week (yep we are doing another 2 part series), we thought we'd tackle a few of them head on.  In today's episode you will...

Aside from making art, one of my favourite ways to while away a few hours is to work on my website. Yep I am a website geek. Give me all the colours, font combinations and cool little features. To be honest, I spend a bit too much time tweaking my website when I should be doing other things but this week I get to shamelessly talk websites!  Now I know there are artists that sell directly off...

Branding! What's that got to do with being an artist? Well, in this day and age, it is often the difference between struggling or thriving as an artist. In other words, it's super important!   Successful artists have a strong sense of who they are and what they offer. This clarity and confidence is reflected in everything that they do. From how they put together an exhibition to the way they...

Today is Part 2 in our conversation about cultivating a healthy creative practice. Last week we talked about the work that goes on outside of the studio. This week we are diving into the juicy art-making side of things.  In this episode we chat about ... Taking responsibility for your practice. Establishing rituals for starting and finishing. Using challenges and parameters to stretch your id...

How do you cultivate a healthy creative practice? It's a big topic, so big that we are devoting two episodes to it!  In Part 1 we are chatting about the creative magic that happens outside the studio . The work that you do that often doesn't feel like work but plays an important role in developing your artistic style. Whether you are visiting an exhibition, taking a hike or even browsing thro...

There are so many reasons to run an in-person workshop. It's a wonderful way to connect with other artists, build your confidence, generate income and promote your brand. So how do you go about it?  From finding a space, to what to bring and how to plan, this week I am sharing all my tips.  You will also hear the story of how I built my confidence in this area over the past ten years thr...

When you stop making art in your studio because the mess is giving you bad vibes, there’s a good chance it needs more than a tidy up!  That was the case for my studio and last weekend it got the treatment. We painted, cleaned, de-cluttered and re-organised the entire space! Join us this week as we share the ins and outs of what we did including all the nifty storage ideas that are helping us...