The SneakyArt Podcast

Seattle-based artist and traveller Sunil Shinde speaks about retracing the 1839 expedition of British artist David Roberts through the biblical Holy Land. This conversation is at the intersection of travel, history, and art. In this respect, it is really about three distinct journeys - Sunil's journey through the Middle East, the 1839 expedition of David Roberts, and Sunil's effort to combine his...

This conversation was recorded immediately after the recordings for Episodes 38 and 39 in April 2022. Sandi and Nishant draw portraits of one another while tying up some loose ends from their epic conversation. Nishant asks how he can build and sustain a YouTube channel. Sandi has some excellent ideas. ✍🏼 To check out their portraits, a summary of the ideas in this episode, and links to other pre...

Best-selling author Amy Stewart ("Flower Confidential", "Drunken Botanist", "Girl Waits with Gun") talks about her disinclination to pick a lane, the ideas that have helped her navigate a successful writing career, and the role of art in her creative practice. This conversation addresses several dichotomies of the creative life - instant vs delayed gratification, processes vs results, art vs writi...

New York-based artist, educator, and author Samantha Dion Baker shares the profound impact a daily sketchbook practice had on her creative journey. She explains her brave decision to go freelance, and discusses what it means to follow one's own compass. Is art a solitary pursuit? Would you make art on a deserted island? Why or why not? This conversation has some good answers. ******** 🙌🏽 Follow...

We're back! After a refreshing summer hiatus, the SneakyArt Podcast returns with a conversation with Amsterdam-based artist and YouTuber Koosje Koene. They speak about her book "Life is Better when you Draw (it)" and the experience of self-publishing from raw concept to finished product and beyond! 📚  Buy the book! Also find Koosje's work on IG , and YouTube . 🎙 Listen to our previous conversatio...

The SneakyArt Podcast is currently on summer break. During this period, host Nishant Jain offers a second listen to underrated gems from the archives. *** (Originally aired: July 16, 2021) Mumbai-based artist Zainab Tambawalla speaks about her sketch-reportage project to document the lives of various artisans in Mumbai (India) during the first wave of the pandemic. Her project urges us to notice t...

The SneakyArt Podcast is currently on summer break. During this period, host Nishant Jain offers a second listen to underrated gems from the archives. *** (Originally aired: May 7, 2021) Roisin Cure, an urban sketcher and illustrator in Galway (Ireland), talks about learning to draw from comic books and the ways that urban sketching has transformed her art and approach to life. *** ⛳️ Follow Snea...

To celebrate the milestone of 50 episodes, the tables are turned on host Nishant Jain. Uma Kelkar steps in to host an AMA-style (Ask Me Anything) episode, posing the best questions crowdsourced from fans of the show and past guests. Nishant speaks about his journey to be an artist, how the podcast began, and the directions he is now keen to explore. The show is going on a brief summer hiatus. Nish...

Gavin Snider finds stillness in the busy streets of New York. He talks about growing up in Kansas, drawing with his twin brother Grant (cartoonist of Incidental Comics) and the decision to become an architect. We learn about how Gavin came to New York city, how he began to paint his world, and what it is like to paint the most iconic city in the world. 🖊 Find Gavin's work on IG or visit his websit...

Malaysia-based Alvin Chong talks about finding his way back to art as an adult after deciding to become a tattoo artist. This conversation is about the value of chasing your curiosity, and having the courage to chart your own path. 🖊 Find Alvin's work on IG or check out links to his work . ⛳️ Follow SneakyArt on IG, Twitter, and TikTok . 📭 Read the show notes and best insights from this episode:...

Montreal-based artist Marc Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher) speaks about two art challenges organizes for thousands of artists around the world - " OneWeek100People " and " 30x30 Direct Watercolor ". They discuss the value of compounding good ideas through a daily practice, and the benefits of participating with an online community. This episode releases on Day 24 of 30x30 Direct Watercolor . Check...

Matthew Cruickshank (Art Director at Google Doodles) speaks about his sketchbook-ing road-trip down historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles to create a … doodle ! The question that drives the conversation is this - How far will a Doodler go for a Google Doodle? The answer ~2500 miles! But another answer - hundreds of pages of sketchbook drawings. Still another answer - hours under a hot sun...

Mike Shisler speaks about leaving home and career to cycle across the US, work as an artist, and live out of a van. Next week, Mike begins a 4000mi bike-packing trip from the northern tip of Alaska to San Diego, California. He speaks about the incredible physical and mental endurance required for the solo journey, and his plan to make a painting every day along the way. This conversation emphasize...

The second half of the conversation with Florida-based artist, educator, author and architect James Richards, about traveling the world as an architect and as an educator, the concept of "stealing like an artist", and Jim's decision to pick creativity and autonomy at various stages of his professional life. " To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it is still allowed. And I think you'l...

On his website, James Richard says - "I never saw myself as Monet in the studio. I wanted to be Anthony Bourdain with a sketchbook." What was the meaning of art in James' life? How far was Monet, and the world of fine art, from the world in which he grew up? What did it mean to be like Anthony Bourdain … but with a sketchbook? In many ways, this conversation is the long process of unpacking this b...

After completing "30 Days of Vancouver", Nishant looks back at the goals of this self-imposed drawing challenge and considers the lessons he has learned from drawing everyday. He speaks about conversations with Sandi Hester (Ep 38 & 39) and David Morales (Ep 37) that led to the decision to undertake this challenge, the compounding value of good habits, and the incredible importance of stepping out...

Singapore-based comic artist Don Low talks about taking the leap from an engineering career to becoming a full-time creative. He shares stories from his lifelong journey of self-education and explains the role of urban sketching in his work. Find his work on Instagram and visit his website . The episode begins with Nishant sharing his plans after the 30 Days of Vancouver project. Skip ahead to 05:...

Seattle-based artist Eleanor Doughty is an independent artist, illustrator and urban-sketcher whose work includes murals, large canvases, prints, Kickstarter campaigns, and now also a book. This conversation explores how an independent illustrator can chart their path, and find a home for their ideas in work for others and themselves. This episode pairs well with Ep 38 and 39 with Sandi Hester, Ep...

[Re-uploaded to edit a minor overlap in the audio. Sorry!] In the second part of their extended conversation, Sandi Hester explains her creative process, her journey across various mediums and tools, and the role of observation in her art. Find Sandi Hester's work on Instagram and YouTube . 🎁 Have you ever thought about starting a YouTube channel? This conversation was followed by a bonus segment...

Tennessee-based painter Sandi Hester shares her life's journey with art, the ideas behind her wonderful YouTube channel, and how she keeps joy at the centre of her creative process. This episode is the first of a two-part conversation recorded over two days. Find Sandi Hester's work on Instagram and YouTube . 🚀🚀 If you are reading this on April 1, it is Day 1 of 30 Days of Vancouver, Nishant's d...

Today's conversation is about the many things you can gain from having a daily drawing practice. David Morales is an architect and sketcher famous for his linework style, and a daily drawing challenge he has maintained since 2018. There's something about daily practice that pushes us to find subjects of art in ordinary situations, in ordinary places, on ordinary days. Does this make the artist a m...

"The question that you should ask yourself is - why are you drawing this? What are you trying to show? And if the answer is not clear to you, it will never be clear to your audience..." - Rita Sabler. Why is this question important, and is it worth the effort of answering every time? What does the audience stand to gain from this exercise? Rita's thoughts around this become the basis of this lovel...

In this episode, I speak with my good friend Donald Owen Colley, an artist based in Chicago. Like the previous couple of episodes, this one is also a Second Conversation, i.e. a chance to catch up with guests who have already appeared on the show. I share with Don some new ideas I've imbibed from having conversations with so many wonderful guests, and hear his plans and ideas for his work. Jump ah...

Montreal-based urban sketcher and educator Shari Blaukopf shares her journey to becoming a full-time artist, with practical tips, advice, and ideas for anyone on a similar path. In this conversation, Nishant asks Shari about the various decisions that led to her becoming a full-time, independent artist, many years after she had given up on the idea of having an artistic career. Shari explains how...

In this episode, Paul and Nishant discuss specific ideas around being solo independent artists in the creator economy. As a Second Conversation, this episode naturally builds upon their first conversation ( Ep 2 Drawing Lines with Paul Heaston ). They discuss balancing work and play, and finding the ikigai, or beautiful intersection, of the two. Being a trained fine artist, how does Paul perceive...