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 is the author (with Jerry McLaughlin) of the most comprehensive guide to atists using cold wax medium, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations (Squeegee press, Dec. 2016). She currently is co-owner of the online learning platform, Cold Wax Academy.
Rebecca Crowell is represented by fine art galleries in numerous US cities, including Santa Fe, Chicago, Atlanta, and Telluride, Colorado as well as in Dublin, Ireland. Her paintings are included in thousands of private, public and corporate collections. She has been awarded 13 artist residencies since 2001, in the US, Spain, Sweden and Ireland, and has been commissioned by the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, for six 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, Don Ticknor, have recently moved to a 100 year-old adobe home in northern New Mexico, where her new studio is gradually becoming messy. Please visit her website to view her work.
Rebecca Crowell has hosted 270 Episodes.
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Episode 110: Balancing Acts
February 8th, 2020 | 27 mins 39 secs
art, balancing acts, rebecca crowell, style, teaching, technique
We often talk about finding balance with aspects of the creative process that seem to be opposites. For example, finding the balance between working intuitively and working with control and intention. The way each of us finds this balance between different approaches helps to develop the unique character of our individual work and process.
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Episode 109: Interview with Paula Roland: An Uncharted Journey
February 1st, 2020 | 41 mins 18 secs
art, encaustic, entrepreneurship, interview, monotype, new mexico, paula roland, rebecca crowell, travel, workshops
Rebecca Crowell interviews Paula Roland about her life as an artist and entrepreneur.
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Episode 108: Ideas For Your Bookshelf
January 25th, 2020 | 33 mins 19 secs
art, books, reading, rebecca crowell
We talked last time about the role that art-related books play in the lives of artists, and the importance of continuing to educate ourselves in various ways. This week we turn our attention to the specific titles and authors recommended by Rebecca, as well as other artists who weighed in on our Facebook poll asking for input about significant art-related books. Many artists are very passionate about their books and recommendations, which were wide-ranging.
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Episode 107: The Importance Of Art Books
January 18th, 2020 | 32 mins 7 secs
art, books, reading, rebecca crowell
Art related books play an important part in our lives, and many artists have enormous collections. These collections are an investment in the growth of an artist’s creativity and career. They demonstrate curiosity and a desire for deeper understanding. Some artists joke that collecting books is a bit of an addiction. Even a small collection of relevant books can have a profound impact on your thoughts and intentions, and can help us understand our own work, as well as other’s work better.
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Episode 106: Interview With Betsy Williams - The Microseasons Project
January 11th, 2020 | 39 mins 14 secs
art, betsy williams, collaborations, interview, new mexico, rebecca crowell, travel
In today's episode, Rebecca interviews New Mexico artist Betsy Williams about her work and recently published book.
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Episode 105: Why Walk?
January 4th, 2020 | 28 mins 48 secs
art, creative process, rebecca crowell, travel, walking
While this may seem to be an odd topic for the Messy Studio, it is something that is important to Rebecca's creative life and that of many other artists. Walking has numerous and well-known benefits for physical and mental health, but what can it contribute to our lives as artists? In this episode, we explore walking as one of the ways that daily life and art are integrated.
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Episode 104: Questions And The Creative Process
December 28th, 2019 | 30 mins 59 secs
abstraction, art, creative process, questions, rebecca crowell
The questions we ask ourselves as artists are at the root of the creative process. As artists, we are driven by the unknown. Contemplating various possibilities brings energy and change to our work. It keeps our work dynamic, and exciting, and it keeps us engaged in the creative process.
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Episode 103: Intuitive Color
December 21st, 2019 | 31 mins 28 secs
art, color, intuition, painting, rebecca crowell
Color is a very powerful influence in our everyday lives, and certainly in our art. It is the most studied of the visual elements by experts outside of the field of art--in biology, psychology, and in cultural studies, to name a few. As artists, we may work with color in an intuitive way, or more intellectually, each of us finding a way that suits us. There is no single correct system for using color. Our individual approach is linked to our own characters and personalities, and is often a strong aspect of our personal visual voice.
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Episode 102: Studio Struggles
December 14th, 2019 | 30 mins 36 secs
art, creativity, rebecca crowell, struggles, travel
As artists, we accept many day to day challenges as part of the creative process. Even though we all feel frustrated at times, we know that problem solving is how we grow and achieve our goals. Solving creative problems can bring great satisfaction, but some studio struggles are also very difficult and soul-wrenching. Artists at every level experience these times of defeat or despair that go beyond daily frustration.
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Episode 101: Influence Vs Copying
December 7th, 2019 | 39 mins 4 secs
art, business, copying, influence, rebecca crowell
No artist is wholly original. We all owe those who came before us for techniques, ideas, theories, and approaches, and we should honor these influences. Each of us references these influences in our own way. Some of us place ourselves firmly in the tradition of a certain approach to art, or even as followers of a particular artist but with our interpretation and expression, while others work from a combination of many influences. These are healthy aspects of influence. Unfortunately, there are also artists who either deliberately plagiarize another artist's work, or use so many of another artist's ideas that they come uncomfortably close to outright copying.
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Episode 100: The Art Of The Side Hustle
November 30th, 2019 | 34 mins 3 secs
art, art income, business, rebecca crowell, self employment, side hustles
For many artists, some form of outside employment is necessary to make a living. Their day jobs often have little or nothing to do with their creative lives, but some have developed income streams that evolved naturally from their studio practice. This approach leads to a more integrated approach to earning a living. Today we’re focusing on some examples of art related side hustles.
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Episode 99: Branching Out
November 24th, 2019 | 36 mins 26 secs
art, creative process, exploration, medium, rebecca crowell
While most artists have a way of working that is their main focus, many of us also explore other media or approaches on occasion. In general it is good to have something that you stick with. This helps to develop ideas and master techniques. However, these side trips can be very intriguing, and even helpful feeding new ideas back into your main art practice.
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Episode 98: Our Studios, Our Sanctuaries
November 16th, 2019 | 39 mins 28 secs
art, design, rebecca crowell, studio
There are few things artists are more passionate or opinionated about than their personal workspaces. In the past we’ve touched on many aspects of individual studio environments including the kind of sounds that artists prefer as they work (Episode #95 of The Messy Studio Podcast) Today we’re going to further explore what makes studio spaces unique and special to those who work in them.
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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.