Windowsill Chats

Margo chats with the one and only Lisa Congdon to answer questions submitted by you and fellow Windowsill Chats listeners! Lisa is an American fine artist, author and illustrator and has worked for clients including MoMA, Harvard University, Martha Stewart Living, REI, and Chronicle Books among several others.  Lisa delves on: Finding your artistic voice Boundaries and commitments How she manages...

Margo chats with Artist & Designer, Esté MacLeod. Esté's paintings are informed by the real and the imaginary. Her background in textile and ceramic design is noticeable in the stylised, abundant and colourful forms used in still life, landscape and floral paintings. Although shapes are distorted and altered, there is a strong sense of the familiar. The variety of techniques Esté uses to layer col...

Margo chats with Elise Giordano. The long and short of it is, Elise is a photographer. But also a content creator, magic maker + natural light lover based in the PNW and she has some incredible stories. After eventually letting go of the possibility of becoming a veterinarian, she pursued both journalism and marketing, which is what gives her the edge to tell a compelling narrative through photos....

In this episode of Windowsill Chats, it's a dual interview with go-to PR gal, Beth Nydick. Beth has spent over 10 years working as an online entrepreneur and health coach, her acumen for business had been sought out by other solopreneurs that wanted to increase their authority, but their businesses were not set up for success. Beth saw a hole in the foundations of her communities' businesses and k...

Margo is joined by Leigh Standley, the artist, writer and owner of Curly Girl Design, Inc. In its seventeen years, Curly Girl Design and Leigh's line of clever and colorful greeting cards and art have taken the industry by delightful storm. Focused on the magic of the small moments, her product peeks into the corners of life and taps into the hearts of all. Leigh graduated from college around the...

Margo chats with the beautiful, colorful, and wildly creative Dayle Bennett. Dayle hails from Baltimore Maryland and resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She has Bachelor of Arts in fiber/textiles and color theory from Towson University and attended post grad studies at the Portfolio Center where she studied design and art direction and has left her mark on companies such as Hallmark, West Elm, and Center...

Margo chats with a dear friend, Contemporary Artist and Author, Lynn Whipple. Lynn is deeply grateful to live her life as an artist. Play and discovery are her dearest and most constant companions. There are a zillion tiny challenges in each art making experience and she often finds, just as many victories. Lynn and her husband John are a part of the founding family that established McRae Art Stud...

Margo meets a dear friend and mentor in her windowsill, Ingrid Liss. Ingrid is the VP of Product Development & Design at Ganz Midwest CBK - one of the largest wholesale gift holiday and home decor companies in the United States. With over 28 years in the industry and extensive experience in product design and sourcing she has honed her creative talents as an inspiring mentor and leader. Her career...

Mati Rose McDonough joins the Windowsill to talk all about her journey from legal assistant, to artist, to teaching art, and mentoring. Mati (pronounced Matey, like Ahoy!) is an artist and daring adventurer.  After wanting to be an artist for many years, but feeling like it was "impractical," at 29 years Mati took the leap and went back to art school at the California College of the Arts. Now over...

Margo takes to her virtual Windowsill to chat with THE Gary McNatton. In simplicity, the best way to describe Gary is the nose that knows, as for him, every scent tells a story. After studying art history and psychology at Vanderbilt University, Gary lived in Chicago and Los Angeles but now resides in Marin County. His resume notes launching product design firm Mottura, Senior Vice President at Ga...

Meeting Margo on her windowsill today is Eulalia Mejia. Eulalia is an illustrator, graphic designer and mixed media artist living in the rural mountains of Colombia. Eulalia's painterly illustrations are a well balanced mix between traditional and digital mediums, ranging from watercolors, gouache, acrylics and collage to Illustrator, Photoshop and Procreate. Having the ability to work in both wor...

On this episode, Margo speaks with Illustrator and Fine Artist, Kate Endle. Kate has been illustrating professionally for over twenty five years, but art has been her main focus since her toddler years. In 1995 she moved to Seattle to pursue her art career and her early illustration work, rendered in a painterly graphic style, can be found in beginning reader books for children, editorial work for...

#005: Margo sits down with the one and only, Shauna Ahern. Some may know Shauna as Gluten Free Girl, others may know her as Author of Enough. To Margo, she is a dear friend along with being an extremely creative and amazing writer. She has a massive heart, a fascinating curiosity, and holds many titles - mom, teacher, advocate for humans, and so many others.  Shauna shares about:  Being raised in...

Joining Margo in her windowsill today is Misha Zadeh Graham. Misha sketches, paints, and collages from her home studio in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, overlooking the Puget Sound. She is the founder of Turquoise Creative, whose unique line of handmade, cut-paper greeting cards and letterpress note cards debuted at the 2002 National Stationery Show and were soon picked up by high-profile boutiqu...

#003: On this episode, Margo is joined by Nataley Shepherd. Nataley is a handmade brand consultant and owner of Studio Shepherd. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with an art degree (with an emphasis in weaving) and after a few random jobs she found herself landing a job on the ground floor of a local handmade start up company, Two Guys Bow Tie Co. She went from maker to operations ma...

#002: Margo and Mandy get real and honest when it comes to creativity and finding a balance. Mandy Ford is a licensed illustrator, lettering artist, teacher, and all around creative soul living in Indiana with her husband Dan, twin boys Ben & Landon, and Siamese cat Chloe. She specializes in honest & whimsical artwork that encourages living a life grounded in authenticity.   Some topics discussed...

#001: On this episode, Margo chats with Nicole LaRue, a graphic designer and illustrator whose own adventures have taken her across the world from California to South Korea to Japan and more. Now residing in Salt Lake City UT, she spends her days as the Art Director, Designer & Illustrator for Gibbs Smith Publisher & Spumoni Studio. Nicole and Margo discuss: Nicole's graphic design journey The tri...

In this introduction episode to Windowsill Chats, Margo Tantau introduces herself and tells us the premise and goals behind creating it. A podcast for artists and other creatives, Margo tells stories, shares interviews, and gives a behind the scenes glimpse into real people and their creative paths!