Art Juice: A podcast for artists, creatives and art lovers

This week, we discuss the recent outage of Facebook, Instagram and Whats App and share our thoughts on the realisations it brought up. We rely on these apps for all sorts of things - we connect with our friends, we share our art, and some of us run our businesses using at least one of these platforms. When they vanish, we can feel lost. But we believe this outage reminds us that there are other ways to stay in touch and other ways to market our work. And that in fact, we could focus our efforts a little more widely. Neither of us believe that we will have to do without social media, but we can make it a little less central. We end our chat with a challenge to you, so stick with us to the end! Mentioned Louise's book from her publishers https://birdeyebooks.com/products/life-force-a-painters-response-to-the-nature-poetry-of-ted-hughes Louise's book from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Force-Painters-Response-Nature/dp/1914079647 George Pointon on Twitter https://twitter.com/GeorgePointon_ Grand Designs https://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs Location, Location, Location https://www.channel4.com/programmes/location-location-location Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, Alice welcomes special guest Jo McCarthy to the podcast. Jo is a small shop mentor who helps creative professionals build their e-commerce businesses and in this episode, she shares her expertise on how to successfully market your work online. Alice and Jo discuss blocks to selling (and how to overcome them) and also discuss the importance of taking small steps rather than trying to make giant leaps.  Jo suggests reframing the idea of productivity, and viewing your business in terms of capacity rather than time. She also explains why she she uses a 'can do' list rather than a 'to do' list. Perhaps most importantly, Alice and Jo discuss the importance of showing up and starting to sell even thought everything is not yet perfect. If you've been feeling unsure about selling online, this episode should make you feel much more comfortable about just getting out there and "evolving in public." Mentioned Find Jo on Instagram at  @jo_at_firain And her website www.firain.com Seth Godin blog post: https://seths.blog/2016/03/show-your-work/ Alice's Time to Shine course: www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

We've all been there - bursting with ideas and new directions! It's exciting, it feels fun BUT when should you follow these nudges or when should you be disciplined and stick to a plan? Ideas can often shift during work in progress and it can be hard to know what's a natural variation or a misleading distraction. We have some pointers to help you identify when things can feel too scattered and some ways you can review and bring yourself back on track, whether that's creating a cohesive group of work, when it's good to say no and how safely 'shelving' an idea may not be as risky as it feels.  Mentioned Find out about Alice's Time to Shine Alice's challenge : www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine or on her website here:  https://alicesheridan.com Barbara Sher: Refuse to Choose book  Katherine Palmers Needham colour sketchbook post on Instagram here Instagram @KatherinePalmersNeedham_art Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

How comfortable are you sharing your art? Are you one of those people who shares regular videos or blog posts? Or do you tend to shy away from being public about your work? Alice is preparing to launch an exciting new visibility challenge and that sparked a discussion about the importance of this facet of our art careers. It's simply not enough to just make wonderful art - we also have to put it out into the world and that means putting ourselves out there too. The truth is that people buy art from artists they can connect with and they can't connect with you if they've never seen you. In this episode we discuss some of the blocks to visibility and share our own thoughts on the importance of making ourselves visible. Mentioned Find out about Alice's Time to Shine Alice's challenge : www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine or on her website here:  https://alicesheridan.com This is my House https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000tjfz/this-is-my-house The Cleaner https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pm3dv/the-cleaner-series-1-1-the-widow Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

How much time should we spend thinking versus painting? Are we wasting time if we simply sit in a chair and look at what we made? And how can we approach analysing our own work? In this episode, we discuss the importance of spending time with our work at various stages - including setting intentions, assessing progress during the making of the work, and reflecting on paintings once they are complete. Time pressures, and a focus on productivity, can make it challenging for some artists to take a pause, but we both agree that it's important to step back and find some distance from our work - whether that is halfway through a painting or once a series is complete. In fact, we think that pause improves our productivity because it allows us to clarify our thoughts and set clear intentions for our next moves.  Mentioned Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjBvRURtc-Q Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

We've all experienced it - we're working on a painting we love and then ... oops, we make a few wrong moves and the whole thing feels ruined. Or, as recently happened to Louise, we'e working in a painting late at night, feeling really good about it, and then come back in the next morning to find nothing is as we thought. But is this really a problem? In this episode, we discuss that sinking feeling and offer a different viewpoint. During our conversation, we dig into the stages of a painting, discuss whether we have ever actually ruined anything, rail against the use of gesso to 'just cover it up,' and agree on the importance of intention as a guiding principle. We also share our thoughts on a new art book and digress into a slightly nerdy discussion about Mailchimp.  Mentioned Remembering in Paint by David Mankin https://www.david-mankin.com/book Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

We have returned from a break - except was it really a break? We both seem to have been almost as busy and this realisation sparked a discussion about time management, priorities, and what we want from our art - including how important it is to make sales. Over the break, Alice has been developing new ideas in a supportive group while Louise has been considering how she wants to share her work. But we've also been reconsidering where we spend our time (we even allow ourselves a little moan). This isn't an episode with "how to" tips or a focused message - it's an honest conversation about the artist life, including throwing paintings on bonfires, managing "to do" lists, paring back our ideas, and finding time for ourselves. There is also a bonus discussion on finding the perfect coffee mug - you're welcome lol. Mentioned Courtyard Pottery Grassington https://www.instagram.com/david.ashby.ceramics/?hl=en Linda Bloomfield mugs https://lindabloomfield.co.uk/product-category/handmade-porcelain/mugs-cups/ John Hall obituary https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/rip-john-hall-perfect-mancunian-21348415 Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

As we prepare to take our summer break, we discuss the value of rest and recuperation. While some work requires consistency and regularity, we think making art is different and we both find our work ebbs and flows. Sometimes we are inspired and motivated to paint and other times we take a break and do something else, whether that is a vacation or simply a change of focus. Our conversation also turns to the pressure some of us impose upon ourselves to always be producing, and the benefits of just letting go of the idea of 9-5, 365 days a year. We will be testing out our own theories over the next few weeks as we take a summer break. Hopefully we will come back full of vim and vigour and ready to tackle a new season of the Art Juice podcast. See you then! Mentioned How to Paint a Dead Man https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Paint-Dead-Sarah-Hall/dp/0571224903 The Yellow House https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/martin-gayford/yellow-house/9780141016733 Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

If you have ever wondered "Should I make prints of my art?" this episode will help unpick some of the things to consider. We're talking reproduction giclée prints (not to be confused with the prints made by printmakers). Alice has built a good revenue stream from prints of her original paintings while Louise has not made the leap and we share our reasons and lessons. Our conversation covers: the difficulty of choosing which paintings to reproduce the importance of good photography how you might find someone to help you create prints the challenge of keeping your print collection current the logistics of numbering and shipping how to price for profit We also discuss the importance of knowing your 'why' for adding prints to the art you offer as this will help direct your decision making... And we have a suggestion for an easier way to dip your toe into the water. Mentioned The Yellow House by Martin Gayford https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yellow-House-Gauguin-Turbulent-Weeks/dp/0141016736/ref=asc_df_0141016736 Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Last week's conversation with David Mankin sparked a conversation about process. This week, we're sharing our own processes and discussing our own ideas about, and approaches to, painting. As you might have guessed there are some differences, but we both share a belief in the importance of process in art-making. We think knowing what works for you is a vital piece of the artistic puzzle. In a wide-ranging conversation we cover the role of ideas in our art-making and discuss the assertion that all artists must know what they are exploring in their work. We also discuss whether inspiration comes externally or internally (or both) and the importance of reflection and thought in our work. Finally, we share the questions we are currently asking ourselves in order to move our work forward.  Mentioned Louise's book Life Force can be pre-ordered at: https://www.louisefletcherart.com/book  In the Heights trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0CL-ZSuCrQ Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In this episode, Louise chats with Cornish painter David Mankin about his new book Remembering in Paint. The book brings the reader inside Mankin's process, from initial inspiration all the way through to finished paintings, and the idea of the artistic process is central to the book. We begin the conversation with an introduction to David's career and the importance of chance encounters, and then move on to delve into process. David poses a question he believes every artist must answer; describes the importance of his process to his work; explains the balance of thought vs. feeling in his paintings; and shares his passion for the Cornish coast. Finally, we learn why he is currently excited about cauliflowers and smiles. This is a conversation not to be missed with an artist who is most definitely on the rise. Mentioned  David's book can be pre-ordered on his website at https://www.david-mankin.com/book  You can also find him at https://linktr.ee/davidmankinart  Louise's book Life Force can be pre-ordered at: https://www.louisefletcherart.com/book  All About Process by Kim Grant https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780271077451? Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com   Follow us on Instagram:  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art  Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Do you struggle to let paintings go? This week we're answering a question from Gill Allen, who says "Why do I find it so hard to part with my work? I know I need to get over this impending feeling of loss but just how do I do that? Why do I feel like I'm losing part of myself even contemplating selling a piece of work?" We discuss this question from a number of different angles and also share our own experiences. Neither of us has struggled to let work go, but we have sometimes chosen to keep breakthrough paintings for a while. As we discuss Gill's question, we ponder the idea of selling work - maybe some people don't want to do that? We also ask whether there are underlying issues behind a desire to keep everything and we suggest a simple reframe that might be helpful. If you feel your paintings are precious babies to be held on to at all costs, this episode is for you. Mentioned Gill Allen: https://gillallen.co.nz/ Arvon Foundation Writers Centers https://www.arvon.org/ Mark Steel's in Hull https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV8-lktieDs Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week Alice is joined by Emily (or Emz) Finch an artist and mother from London to discuss the power nature, but also how finding a really strong driver in your work can propel your ideas. Trigger warning, we mention miscarriage briefly as this is the start of Emily’s story and project. The work Emily is doing now was prompted by a particular moment after a difficult series of personal experiences. Emily has found the power of nature to has helped with her PTSD flashbacks and has an ambition to build an installation that will hopefully start conversations about loss during COVID and will offer a multi-sensual space to explore the healing quality of trees and nature and reflect on what we all might have lost during this difficult time at a point the world is starting to emerge from lockdown. This is an inspiring story - on a personal level, and for artists I hope this will encourage you that sharing what you can have such a positive impact in the world.... look what started from that painted pebble! Mentioned Emily’s website: www.emzfinchart.co.uk If you want to talk to Emily about this project, do get in touch via her website. Do this and hear more about the project by singing up to her newsletter Tickets for Somerset House - https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/london-design-biennale-2021 More about the Forest for change https://forestforchange.globalgoals.org/ If you have been affected by miscarriage, Tommy’s, the miscarriage association are just two of the amazing organisations that can give support. Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we are talking Teflon bubbles, and how to be completely normal to avoid all criticism! We had some listener feedback which prompted us to consider how we manage to stay focused, and also feeling less hurt when you receive feedback which could throw you off-track. In the 'old' days we both would have felt this harder - so what's changed?  As artists one of the things we need to learn is how to keep going and not be swayed by opinions. We recognise that some feedback can be helpful and share how we distinguish between them, two opposing views to keep at arms length, and a magic question to keep asking yourself so that you can get more grounded in whatever YOU are showing up and sharing.  It's the last chance to join Louise's Find Your Joy 2021 and if you take one thing from this week - go out and do one bit of promotion for yourself. xx Mentioned Last chance to join Louise's Find Your Joy here: https://www.louisefletcherart.com/find-your-joy Just Bloody Post it podcast from Helen Perry (look for Episode 4 with Nat Lue) https://www.helen-perry.co.uk/the-just-bloody-post-it-podcast/ Robert Pagliarini article in the Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-tribu-pagliarini-stop-pleasing-everyone-column-column.html Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com  Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we're responding to a question from Sara, a listener who recently exhibited a series of paintings. Sara hung 49 paintings in a "gallery wall" style display and she asked "do you think less is more when it comes to displaying your work?" This prompted a great discussion about curation when it comes to our art and why it matters so much. We both believe that curating our work is a way to guide the viewer's experience. Just as we edit a painting, we should also edit our exhibitions or online galleries in order to guide the viewer and help them understand or appreciate the work. But how to do that is the question? What do you include and what do you omit? We discuss the idea of creating a coherent story, the importance of not creating a visual onslaught, and the value of putting yourself into the shoes of buyers in order to understand what they are experiencing when they look at your work. Our key question is 'what do you want people to think or feel when they look at your work?' Mentioned Jason Stephenson meditations on Youtube I Can't Believe it's Not Bhudda Podcast  Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com  Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License