Rebecca Crowell
Co-Host of The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell
Rebecca Crowell has been a professional artist for thirty years, and is widely known for her innovative painting techniques involving cold wax medium and oils. She has taught these methods both in the US and internationally, and has recently published (with co-author Jerry McLaughlin) a comprehensive guide, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations (Squeegee press, Dec. 2016)
Rebecca Crowell is represented by fine art galleries in numerous US cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Telluride, Colorado and Benicia, California) as well as in Dublin, Ireland. Her paintings are included in hundreds of private, public and corporate collections. She has been awarded ten artist residencies since 2001, in the US, Spain, Sweden and Ireland, and was recently commissioned by the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas,for five large paintings. In 2014 she was recognized by John Seed of the Huffington Post in his article, Ten Memorable Paintings of 2014. She holds an MFA in Painting (Arizona State University, 1985.) Rebecca and her husband divide their time between rural Wisconsin and northern New Mexico; she maintains (messy) studios in both locations. Please visit her website to view her work.
Rebecca Crowell has hosted 97 Episodes.
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Episode 97: Cindy Stapper: Between Realism and Abstraction
November 9th, 2019 | 30 mins 57 secs
art, cold wax, interview, landscape, new mexico, rebecca crowell, travel
New Mexico painter Cindy Stapper discusses her work in which she explores the dichotomy of presence and absence through both realistic and more abstracted approaches to the landscape. Other topics that she and Rebecca talk about include the challenges of change, the pull of the wild Irish landscape, her appreciation of cold wax medium and oil, and the influence of poetry and writing on her work.
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Episode 96: Dealing With Rejection
November 2nd, 2019 | 27 mins 4 secs
art, business, rebecca crowell, rejection, self improvement
We’ve all suffered through rejections both major and minor. Like the cycle of ebbs and flows that we talked about in episode 94 of The Messy Studio Podcast, rejection in various forms is a part of an art career that we have to deal with on a regular basis. How can we stay positive and motivated when we are being told we didn’t make the cut? What does rejection really mean in the big picture of our lives as artists?
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Episode 95: What’s On In Your Studio
October 27th, 2019 | 28 mins 46 secs
art, music, rebecca crowell, sound, studio
Artists, as well as other other working professionals, create auditory environments within their work spaces. What enhances their work flow in terms of music, talk, or silence? Some people never consider this question when designing their own studio, and placing careful consideration on how best to optimise a work environment using sound can have a big impact on the quality of work an artist is able to produce.
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Episode 94: Ebbs and Flows
October 18th, 2019 | 32 mins 8 secs
art, business, ebbs and flows, mindset, rebecca crowell, self improvement
The ebbs and flows of income (and other positive events) are challenges for any self-employed person. But we have to learn to deal with slack times if we want to persist. Once you become discouraged it can be easy to lose your motivation and even think about giving up. Today we’ll cover some strategies and thoughts that can help if you’re in the midst of a downturn, and also ways to take the best advantage of the good times.
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Episode 93: Considering Commissions
October 12th, 2019 | 30 mins 51 secs
art, business, commissions, rebecca crowell
Many artists work regularly on commission and depend on this arrangement for income. Yet others find their restrictions challenging, accept them with reservations, and may even refuse them completely. Artists may also be confused about how to proceed the first time they are offered a commission. In this episode we’ll consider both the benefits and drawbacks to working on commission as well as what to consider when accepting one.
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Episode 92: Formal Mentorships
October 5th, 2019 | 28 mins 19 secs
art, business, mentorship, rebecca crowell
We continue our discussion about mentoring, with the emphasis on formal or paid arrangements, how they work for both mentors and mentees, and how they are beneficial.
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Episode 91: Mentor/Friend Relationships
September 27th, 2019 | 28 mins 15 secs
art, friendship, mentorship, rebecca crowell
Working with a mentor is a long tradition in the art world, in which a less experienced artist looks to one who is more experienced for guidance and training. Is art mentoring still important in the age of instructional videos, books, workshops, and artist groups? What do we gain from having a mentor, or from mentoring other people? Today we will talk about the unique offerings of mentorship, and tips for both mentors and mentees. Our focus today is on the more informal kinds of mentoring as opposed to more formal or paying relationships.
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Episode 90: Sharing Studio Secrets
September 21st, 2019 | 31 mins 45 secs
art, art process, art secrets, business, rebecca crowell, technique
Rebecca and Ross discuss why sharing your process and techniques with others helps to advance your own work and career.
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Episode 89: Working On Your Website Part 2
September 12th, 2019 | 30 mins 52 secs
art, business, rebecca crowell, website
Rebecca and Ross continue their discussion on building your artist website.
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Episode 88: Working On Your Website Part 1
September 8th, 2019 | 35 mins 59 secs
art, business, rebecca crowell, websites
Rebecca and Ross discuss common pitfalls in artist websites and why your website is important.
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Episode 87: Making Our Video
September 1st, 2019 | 31 mins 18 secs
art, italy, jerry mclaughlin, rebecca crowell, squeegee press, travel, video, workshops
Rebecca and Jerry discuss the process of making their video (Cold Wax Medium: A Video Workshop)--including behind the scenes stories, the challenges of being on camera, and their motivations and intentions for this huge project. This episode includes a discount coupon code if you wish to purchase the video.
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Episode 86: Meaning in Abstraction
August 25th, 2019 | 30 mins 32 secs
abstraction, art, influences, intentions, italy, rebecca crowell, travel
In a wide-ranging conversation during their recent workshop in Italy, Rebecca talks with Jerry about meaning in abstract painting. They discuss ways to approach abstraction, the desire to find imagery in non-referential art, the work of setting intentions, recognizing influences, and more.
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Episode 85: What is Unique About Abstraction?
August 17th, 2019 | 32 mins 36 secs
abstraction, art, rebecca crowell
Many people find abstraction very challenging to either create or appreciate because it seems so different from more realistic approaches and it seems hard to find a way in. Although in some ways there are radical differences, there are also some basic similarities with representational art. Today we’ll talk about abstraction in a way that may help your efforts to understand it as an artist or art appreciator.
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Episode 84: What the Creative Process Teaches Us
August 10th, 2019 | 25 mins 21 secs
art, learning, rebecca crowell, self improvement, spirituality
A few weeks ago Rebecca posed the question on Facebook, “what has your art practice taught you? Are there things you’ve learned as an artist that help you with other aspects of life? There were a lot of responses that were deep, insightful and passionate. Today we’re going to talk about this topic and some of what the artists said who responded to the question.
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Episode 83: Your Art Stories
August 3rd, 2019 | 29 mins 58 secs
art, journey, mindset, rebecca crowell, self improvement
When we are in the midst of things, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture of our own journey as an artist. We tend to focus on the day to day, the ups and downs of whatever we are currently working on, as well as on future goals and plans. But every now and then it’s good to appreciate the path we’ve walked on to this point, how one thing has led to another.
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Episode 82: Giving an Artist Talk
July 28th, 2019 | 31 mins 50 secs
art, public speaking, rebecca crowell
Public speaking ranks very high when it comes to events in your life that create anxiety. Yet as part of an art career at some point you will be called upon to speak about your work. This could range from an informal gathering of people you know to an interview on widely shared media. Why should you embrace these opportunities and how can you handle them without too much stress?