The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell

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?

Episode 153: 2020 Thanksgiving Spectacular!

November 26th, 2020  |  33 mins 43 secs

art, creativity, gratitude, rebecca crowell, specials, thanksgiving

2020 has been a rough year so far for many of us. We don’t need to go into all the ways we’ve experienced anxiety, loss, and other struggles. But today, Thanksgiving Day in the US, is a good day to think about the things we are grateful for and have helped us make it through this difficult year. We’re going to share a few of our thoughts and also include some comments from listeners of the podcast.

Episode 152: Abstracting Our Visual Experience

November 21st, 2020  |  36 mins 45 secs

abstraction, art, creativity, rebecca crowell

Abstraction takes many forms for artists—from working with the visual elements for their own sakes to using emotion and mood as a starting point, to interpreting what they see in the world around them. Many artists combine these approaches to find their own personal voice in abstraction. Today we are going to examine the path favored by many artists who are inspired by the figure, the landscape, or other subjects in the visual world while avoiding literal depiction. What are some things to consider if this is your own direction, or intrigues you with its possibilities?

Episode 151: Breaking The Rules

November 13th, 2020  |  39 mins 52 secs

advice, art, boundaries, creativity, personal development, rebecca crowell, rules, tradition

The limitations and parameters we place for ourselves in the studio can have both positive and negative effects on our work. Like so many aspects of art practice, the challenge is to find a personal balance that suits us—in this case somewhere between being too rigid and too scattered. What rules do we set for ourselves and how well do they serve us? Are there rules that we accept from other people that don’t suit us, personally? Can our own helpful boundaries shift over time?

Episode 150: Studio Tips, Tricks, and Hacks

November 6th, 2020  |  37 mins 3 secs

Once again, our listeners have come through with answers to our Facebook query about ideas for storage, worktops, unusual tools, and other studio tips to make our spaces and processes more efficient and yes—more neat and organized. Even those of us who work happily in messy conditions like to be able to locate our supplies and to use our available space in the best ways. Today we’ll talk about some of the tips people gave us for improving their studio spaces and working methods, and add a few of our own.

Episode 149: Nature's Art Supplies

October 31st, 2020  |  32 mins 9 secs

art, creativity, fundamentals, materials, nature, rebecca crowell

A trip to the art supply store or website is something most of us enjoy. We’re not just stocking up, but entertaining possibilities, wondering what a new color of paint or kind of brush or sculptural tool could bring to our work. Exploring new materials is part of what we do as artists. But there’s also a world of art materials and processes available at no cost, outside in nature. What can be done with sticks, dirt, rocks, feathers, bones, and other bits of nature? Today we’ll toss around some ideas for using natural objects as art materials and tools, and forces of nature as part of the art process.

Episode 148: Thoughts on Creative Process

October 24th, 2020  |  31 mins 56 secs

art, creative stages, creativity, fundamentals, process, rebecca crowell

With all of the ups and downs that we go through in the studio, it may be helpful to know that the creative process involves stages that are fairly predictable and universal--some of which are challenging. Although these stages or steps are usually described as taking place as a linear progression --from initial idea to finished work--most of us find our own process to be more complex. Today we’ll discuss these creative stages as a reminder of what we all go through as artists, while at the same time acknowledging that few things can be described neatly and simply when it comes to creativity.

Episode 147: Confidence

October 18th, 2020  |  34 mins 24 secs

art, confidence, creativity, personal development, rebecca crowell

Confidence often seems to go along with success in the art world—when talking about the business side of things, qualities like self-assurance, decisiveness, and the ability to speak well about your work are important. In the studio, confidence may take a more private form—the ability to try new things, or to carry through with major projects. While there’s no doubt that confidence is a good thing, many artists feel they fall short of having it. Today we’re going to talk about confidence in a somewhat philosophical way that may help see it more broadly.

Episode 146: Older and Wiser: Creativity in Later Years

October 9th, 2020  |  38 mins 1 sec

aging, art, creativity, gratitude, rebecca crowell

In many ways, art is a great leveler of personal differences among those who create it. Along with other personal factors like gender and ethnicity, the age of an artist often has little or no impact on the pure, wordless first encounter between viewer and art. On the other hand, as artists we know that many aspects of our personal lives do affect the content of our work and how we go about making it. Today we are going to talk about some effects of aging on artists and their studio practices.

Episode 145: Exploring Collage

October 2nd, 2020  |  46 mins 17 secs

art, artist interview, collage

A couple of weeks ago we did an episode about working in mixed media, and collage figured prominently among the artists who responded to our Facebook question about the topic. Collage interests many artists because of its potential to bring various materials, images, and processes together in surprising and expressive combinations. Today we’ll look at some of the approaches that artists use who work in collage, and why they are drawn to this way of working.

Episode 144: Cooking Up Something Good

September 26th, 2020  |  48 mins 31 secs

art, collage, creativity, materials, rebecca crowell

In our almost three years of recording podcasts, we have often found ourselves comparing cooking and art in terms of process and outcome. Since our podcast description includes “life in general” we thought it would be fun to move away from the messy studio and into the messy kitchen for an episode that explores the ways that cooking and creating art share aspects of creativity.

Episode 143: Quirky Mashups: Mixed Media Ideas

September 19th, 2020  |  37 mins 44 secs

art, creativity, fundamentals, materials, mixed media, rebecca crowell

Working in mixed media, also called combined media, expands creative possibilities, and intrigues many artists. What materials can be used together in interesting and non-traditional ways? How can you approach the overwhelming number of potential combinations? Mixed media involves the joy of experimentation, the satisfaction of discovering new approaches, and new ways of creating meaning and personal voice in your work. In today’s episode, we will sum up some of the comments made on a recent Facebook post about the topic, and talk about the reasons many artists love to work in mixed media.