Ross Ticknor

Episode 170: Finding Downtime

March 20th, 2021  |  41 mins 48 secs

advice, art, balance, lifestyle, personal development, rebecca crowell, workflow

As much as we may appreciate living an entrepreneurial lifestyle, juggling its many demands can be exhausting and challenging. Artists who are also involved in the business of art can easily feel scattered and stressed by all the tasks needed to stay productive and on track. But one of the most challenging demands may be stepping away from all of that on a regular basis. Today we will toss around some ideas for the type-A personalities among us who find it hard to relax.

Episode 169: Overworking It

March 13th, 2021  |  29 mins 11 secs

art, creativity, education, rebecca crowell, style, technique

Artists are often cautioned not to overwork their pieces, especially when the medium is drawing or painting. This advice is meant to prevent work that is too fussy or refined, or otherwise lacking energy. But many artists place importance on fine-tuning their work, and on paying close attention to detail. The art-world advice against overworking may not apply to everyone’s approach. Today we’ll take a closer look at how this advice can sometimes get in the way of creating your best work.

Episode 168: Your Body Of Work

March 6th, 2021  |  34 mins 50 secs

As artists, we need ways to organize our work in our minds, on our websites or in our presentations. Where do logical connections exist and how can grouping certain pieces together aid in understanding them? Thinking of your output as “bodies of work” is a useful approach. But this is also one of those vague art terms that means different things to different people. What constitutes a body of work? How many pieces does it include? Is it the same as a series? Today we’ll be examining this term in the hopes of providing some insight into how it applies to your own work.

Episode 167: The Power Of Intentions

February 27th, 2021  |  37 mins 19 secs

art, creativity, focus, fundamentals, intentions, rebecca crowell

A work of art created with intention is compelling--we intuitively recognize when something is done with purpose and inner direction. Yet as artists we are also seekers and explorers in our work. Our creative path is often wandering rather than straight, and it may seem false or against our nature to state a clear intention or meaning behind our work. How can we work with intention yet remain open and flexible? What are the advantages of clarifying intentions?

Episode 166: Reinventing Yourself

February 20th, 2021  |  32 mins 52 secs

advice, art, change, creativity, personal development, rebecca crowell

Many of go through times in our lives when we make radical changes—either by choice or because of something imposed on us by circumstance. But even if the big change is something, we want to make mixed feelings are inevitable and stressful as we let go of the old and step into the new. Big changes challenge the very idea of who we are and how we operate in the world. How can an art practice help us through a time when we either need --or want--to reinvent ourselves?

Episode 165: Creating A Daily Series

February 13th, 2021  |  33 mins 26 secs

art, creativity, daily art practice, habits, personal development, rebecca crowell, series

Working in series is usually an involved process in terms of both time and focus. Artists are often known for series that explore ideas in a sustained, deep way. But the intriguing aspects working in series can also happen in a quicker, more spontaneous way, with a new piece each day. Today we’ll look at working in series with a sketchbook, or using other small or quick formats, and explore how this can be an important part of an artist’s practice.

Episode 164: Abstraction and Your Inner Child

February 7th, 2021  |  37 mins 42 secs

abstraction, art, children's art, creativity, mark making, rebecca crowell, symbols

We all drew, painted, and made things out of playdough and construction paper as little children, in spontaneous and unselfconscious ways. Some of us retain those memories, and we may also have children or grandchildren whose artwork we love. The art of children affords an intriguing view of a very different way of seeing and thinking than we have as adults, and many abstract artists have found it a source of inspiration. Today we look at some special qualities of child art and how it may feed our abstract ideas.

Episode 163: Abstracting With Symbols

January 31st, 2021  |  33 mins 12 secs

abstraction, art, creativity, fundamentals, rebecca crowell, symbolism, symbols

Abstract artists find many ways to bring meaning to their work. For some, this may be purely an investigation of color, line, or other elements. For others—it is the expression of emotion or evoking aspects of the visual world. Today we’re going to look at another powerful way that artists can bring meaning to abstraction—through the use of symbols, whether personal in origin or more universally recognized.

Episode 162: When Is It Finished?

January 23rd, 2021  |  35 mins 17 secs

art decisions, creative process, creativity, finishing, messy studio, rebecca crowell

Every time we make a piece of art, we reach the point of deciding if it’s finished --yet as common as this moment is in studio life, it is often one of doubt and second-guessing. What are some meaningful criteria for when something is done? Are there questions to ask ourselves in declaring something finished? Do we have to finish everything, or is it OK to abandon certain pieces? Today we will look at this ordinary but complex process of deciding a work of art is done.

Episode 161: Success

January 16th, 2021  |  43 mins 26 secs

Although most of us wish for success with our work and art careers, defining what that means is tricky, changeable, and very personal. Does success mean selling your work, recognition in the art world, or simply your own satisfaction with what you create? How do our ideas of success shift over time? Can we be satisfied with our current level of success or do we always want more? Today, as we look ahead to a new year, we’ll toss around some ideas about success and what it means for working artists.

Episode 159: Lessons From 2020

January 3rd, 2021  |  38 mins 53 secs

2020, art, change, creativity, growth, learning, personal development, rebecca crowell, retrospective

At the end of 2020, we’re overloaded with reflections in the media about how society has navigated this strange and difficult pandemic year. On a personal level, we all have stories of struggles, loss, insights, and changes. Today we are especially interested in what this time has meant for us as artists. Last week, Rebecca posed the question to our listeners “How did 2020 impact your work?” and today on our first podcast of 2021, we’ll share some of the responses we received as well as our own thoughts.

Episode 158: Abstracting with Emotion

December 26th, 2020  |  39 mins 25 secs

abstraction, art, color, creativity, emotion, fundamentals, line, rebecca crowell

Abstract artists are sometimes stereotyped as uninhibited people who slap paint down in direct response to strong emotion. But this idea is far from true and accurate. While many abstract painters do aim to express emotion and mood, their approaches vary widely --from spontaneous to highly controlled. And even the most intuitive artists need to thoughtfully consider their use of the visual elements and design principles. Today we will look at painting abstractly as an expression of emotion, mood, remembrance, or other states of mind.

Episode 157: Well Being

December 19th, 2020  |  41 mins 49 secs

art, mindset, personal development, rebecca crowell, richard davidson, well being

Every so often, we like to address the ways that creativity and well-being intersect, and it seems appropriate to do so now as we come to the end of a very difficult and stressful year. In a recent seminar on Buddhist philosophy, neuroscientist Richard Davidson spoke about four pillars of well-being—awareness, connection, insight, and purpose—all of which are practiced every day in the studios of artists as part of the creative process. Today we’ll take a closer look at these ideas and consider how an art practice enhances a positive state of mind during stressful times.

Episode 156: Abstracting with Lines and Marks

December 12th, 2020  |  33 mins 8 secs

art, creativity, drawing, elements, fundamentals, line, mark making, rebecca crowell

Lines and marks in a work of art connect the viewer very directly with the hand of the artist. They can express individuality, add structure, and show evidence of the artist’s process. Perhaps because these visual elements can reveal so much, many artists are self-conscious about using them and when they do, the results can appear contrived, awkward, or random. How can we use lines and marks in purposeful ways that feel right to us? What might more intentional use of lines and marks bring to our work?

Episode 155: What Other Artists Teach Us

December 5th, 2020  |  41 mins 16 secs

appreciating art, art, art history, creativity, critique, other artists, rebecca crowell

As artists, we are also appreciators and often consumers of art. We not only buy and trade for art, we also study the art of others through art books, documentary films, exhibits, and lectures. What can we gain from looking deeply at the art of others?

Episode 154: The WOW Factor

November 28th, 2020  |  32 mins 9 secs

art, composition, creativity, fundamentals, practice, rebecca crowell, the wow factor

Words like “wow,” “stunning,” and “amazing” are music to the ears of many artists. We all create plenty of art that elicits no more than a passing glance or Instagram “like” and that’s fine—it’s part of the process. If we are making art constantly, what we make includes a range of qualities and ideas. But what is it about those special pieces that makes them stand out and really engage the viewer? What can we learn from them and what questions do they raise?