The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell
The podcast at the intersection of art, travel, business, philosophy, and life in general.
We found 10 episodes of The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell with the tag “creativity”.
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Episode 175: Authenticity
April 24th, 2021 | 26 mins 30 secs
art, authenticity, brand, creativity, personal voice, rebecca crowell
The artist’s life is challenging in ways that go beyond producing strong work, as difficult as that may be. An art practice also makes huge demands of us on a personal and emotional level. Although we love what we do, all of us sometimes feel overwhelmed by these demands, which include the need for constant self-examination, brutal honesty, and being willing to push through difficulties. Yet we know that these challenges come with the territory and are the path to true personal expression. Today we will focus on the challenge and rewards of being authentic and honest with ourselves in our studio practice.
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Episode 174: The Messiest Studio... EVER!
April 16th, 2021 | 34 mins 17 secs
art, biography, creativity, francis bacon, history, messy studio, rebecca crowell, uk artists
Did you know there was a well-known artist whose studio was so impressive for its mess that the entire place was reproduced piece by piece in a museum after his death? We are talking about British painter Francis Bacon, famous for his expressionistic figurative work, and whose reproduced studio is permanently housed at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin, Ireland. Today we’re going to look at the story of his studio chaos –and offer words of encouragement for those whose studios may not be famous, but perhaps almost as messy as Francis Bacon’s.
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Episode 172: Building A Connection
April 3rd, 2021 | 31 mins 51 secs
abstraction, art, communication, connection, creativity, process, rebecca crowell, story
Creating art is a way to share our thoughts, the ways we see the world, and experience life. This communication is vital-- even when we’re immersed in our process, thinking only of the next step ahead--our unseen, largely unknown audience is with us. Very few artists work in total isolation, with no desire to connect or communicate with viewers. Yet artists are also encouraged to follow their own vision, to not let other people’s reactions pull them off track. Today we’ll toss around some thoughts about the desire to connect with our viewers, and what this means in the studio.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.