Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood

There are a multitude of factors that contribute to crafting your personality. The familiar debate of nature versus nurture comes to mind. Just as there are various pieces involved in crafting a personality, so are there in finding artistic inspiration. What inspires one person would never inspire the next and so on. On this episode of Savvy Painter, I have the pleasure of interviewing artist Ginnie Gardiner. In our conversation, we discuss her work as an MTV music video producer, what art books inspire her, her creative process, and much more! I can’t wait for you to hear from this gracious and talented artist - make sure to listen in!

An artist inspired by her work with MTV

You wouldn’t think there was much correlation between working on MTV music videos and developing as a painter. However, that is exactly artist Ginnie Gardiner’s story. She worked as a producer for a video company to take “Flat art” and animate it for videos and television. This job working with digital art and music videos served as her early work experience right out of college from Cornell. On this episode of Savvy Painter, Ginnie shares how this experience influenced her significantly as an artist and later as a painter. Don’t miss out on our fascinating conversation!

Painting inspired by reading

Inspiration can be a difficult thing to come by for many creative people. Once you find what inspires you, it can unleash a flood of productivity. What have you found that inspires you? Is it always the same thing or does it change through different seasons of life? Artist Ginnie Gardiner finds inspiration for her paintings and collage work from reading various books. She loves to read books about artists and by artists. Reading these works have had a huge impact on her creative process. Ginnie has even added reading into her daily routine as she prepares and paints her canvases. To hear more about what motivates and inspires Ginnie, listen to this episode of Savvy Painter!

Finding the right routine and rituals to fuel creativity

When you have done things a certain way for so long, it becomes second nature. You don’t even realize you are practicing particular habits because it’s become part of who you are. These habits and rituals can be extremely helpful in fueling your creative impulses. Some people’s creativity thrives while they are listening to music, some need complete silence. I am always intrigued to find out what makes each artist I get to interview succeed. Artist Ginnie Gardiner has a number of these routines that she practices when she approaches her canvas. I know you will find her habits and rituals as fascinating as I did. Don’t miss my interview with Ginnie on this episode of Savvy Painter.

The magic of viewing art in person

Can you think back to a time when you were truly awe inspired? When was that last time your heart started racing and your jaw dropped? For artist Ginnie Gardiner it's whenever she gets to view world renowned paintings in person. On this episode of Savvy Painter, Ginnie and I discuss the powerful impact art has had on our lives. My hope is that our conversation resonates with you. Ginnie’s awe and wonder of the art world is contagious and had me planning my next trip to Madrid. Listen to this episode of Savvy Painter to hear more from Ginnie!

Outline of This Episode

• [0:36] Background of guest: Ginnie Gardiner.
• [2:13] I introduce Ginnie Gardiner.
• [2:41] Why did Ginnie become an artist?
• [11:03] How working with music videos influenced Ginnie’s painting.
• [16:38] Ginnie talks about the influence of Josef Albers and the use of colors in her art.
• [23:18] The influence of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo on Ginnie’s work.
• [27:19] The use of thumbnail drawings.
• [31:42] Reading good books as inspiration.

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Every artist wants to produce meaningful work. Yet the pressure to constantly do so can be an ironic obstacle to creating art that is meaningful. I want to help alleviate that pressure by showing you that meaningful work doesn’t always need to make a big statement. On this episode, I’ll dive into why that is, how to create our own meaning, and why you might be painting for the wrong people.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:55] The artist’s unnecessary burden
• [4:37] Appreciating the small moments
• [10:00] Being the source of your own meaning
• [18:00] Painting for your people and not your critics
• [21:10] Listening to your voice

Identifying negative thinking

Art is about making sense of what it means to be human and then sharing that with the world. It’s all about connection. Artists want to create meaningful work. They want their work to make an impact and help people feel things or stir their thoughts. However, it’s easy for artists to feel like they have to say something deep or revolutionary all the time with their work. Even though that’s an impossible feat to achieve with every painting, so many of us artists cling to the idea that everything we paint needs to be IMPORTANT. One of the reasons we hold on to this so tightly is because our brains get stuck in black and white thinking. We automatically assume that just because one of our paintings doesn’t have a gigantic meaning, the painting itself is meaningless. What a terrible thought!

Connecting the dots

All art is important. The problem is we think that “important” is measured by whether or not our art makes a big statement. We rely on lightning bolt moments for our work to be filled with deep emotional meaning, and when they don’t happen, we assume whatever ends up on the canvas is less valuable. That’s a total lie! The truth is, art happens in the small moments. It is the culmination of every small step we take in our art practice that creates meaning in our work. For me, art is a life-long love letter to myself. For you, it may be something different. We find the answer when we take the time to appreciate the small moments and connect the dots of our art journey.

Finding meaning in the mundane

Have you ever gotten lost in the background of a painting? Some of the deepest paintings I’ve ever experienced pay great attention to the mundane details. It’s those details that captivate us and allow us to tell our own stories in the deep green of a forest or the crystal blue of a beautiful seascape. Similarly, it’s in the mundane that we experience life’s most memorable and precious moments. It’s the lazy Sunday mornings and quiet cups of coffee at sunrise that color our world. We miss the joy in our painting when we underestimate the small details while waiting for a big dramatic moment. That’s backwards! The big, dramatic statements actually come from the small, seemingly insignificant moments. Listen to this episode for more insight on creating meaningful paintings!

Resources Mentioned on this episode

• The Savvy Painter Growth Studio
• The Savvy Painter Community

Connect With Antrese

• On Facebook
• On Pinterest
• On Instagram
• On Twitter

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When was the last time you encountered a painting that really moved you? What feelings did the painting evoke? Did your initial impression of the painting remain or change the more you pondered it? I love hearing stories from fellow artists who have found themselves entranced by or enamored with the artwork of their peers. On this special episode, I had the opportunity to speak with a returning Savvy Painter guest, Dean Mitchell as well as Art Patron Kathy Flynn, and Gallery Director Nicole Wolff.

Thinking back to my first conversation with Dean for this podcast, it’s quite appropriate that we discussed the transformative power of art. Dean’s painting and the subject of our conversation, “No Way Out” is a great example of that. Dean's painting was recently added to the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Fine Art.

On this episode, you will hear Dean talk about what this painting means to him, and why he created it. Then you will hear from Kathy Flynn - Kathy's father was involved in the civil rights movement in the '60s, she fell in love with art when she traveled with her parents through Europe visiting museums. Kathy first saw "No Way Out" at the Cutter and Cutter Gallery in St. Augustine, Florida two years ago.

She'll tell us why seeing this painting again after the murder of George Floyd moved her so much that she not only bought it but worked with Dean and our third guest, Nicole Wolff (director of Cutter & Cutter Fine Art ) to get it into the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Art.

What inspired “No Way Out”

Dean Mitchell sees his painting, “No Way Out” as an evolution of his own life, growing up as a Black kid in poverty in the American South. Looking at Dean's painting, it really draws you in and it feels like it almost wants to tell you something. Many people, Dean says, are often surprised when he tells them that the man in the painting is on the other side of the jail cell, he’s not inside where many people assume he is located.

Dean says that he wanted to create this painting to challenge the perception of the Black male in American society. Too often, people bring their assumed narrative and transpose it onto our artwork - for good and for ill. By drawing people in with his minimalist style, Dean is welcoming discerning viewers to joining a necessary and relevant conversation about race.

This needs to be in a museum

Last year’s heartbreaking killing of George Floyd has spurred people with platforms like myself to find a way to shine a light on the stain and legacy of racism in our society. I don’t just want to have the conversation, I want to be part of the solution. In a similar way, my guests Nicole Wolff and Kathy Flynn felt the same way about Dean’s painting. They were so moved and inspired by the message that Dean is sharing and the conversation that his painting has sparked that they knew they needed to get as many people to encounter it as possible. After a lot of hard work, Kathy, Nicole, and Dean were able to get “No Way Out” into the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Art.

Outline of This Episode

• [2:20] I welcome my guests, Kathy Flynn, Nicole Wolff, and Dean Mitchell.
• [5:00] What inspired Dean’s painting, “No Way Out”
• [8:30] Kathy talks about her experience seeing Dean’s painting for the first time.
• [14:30] Nicole talks about how Cutter & Cutter brought Dean into their gallery.
• [21:00] Kathy shares some of her background.
• [25:00] How has “No Way Out” impacted Kathy, Nicole, and Dean?
• [34:20] Dean explains how he feels about his artwork featured in a museum.
• [40:00] When did Dean paint, “No Way Out?”
• [42:20] What

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Have you ever stood in awe of a large scale painting? When was the last time you felt like a painting sucked you in so totally that you could almost say you lost yourself in that painting? I love to explore and encounter the sheer magnificence that large scale paintings have to offer. Here to give us a welcome peek behind the curtain of his large scale paintings is the artist, Jivan Lee.

Jivan Lee is an oil painter based in Taos, NM. He grew up in Woodstock, NY, and studied painting at Bard College. His work explores the nature of paint as raw material, creator of image, and catalyst for emotional response, and is increasingly addressing the complexities of how humans see and shape the environment.

Jivan's paintings have been exhibited nationally and covered in publications such as Fine Art Connoisseur, The Denver Post, Hyperallergic, Southwest Art, Phoenix Home and Garden, Art Business News, and Two Coats of Paint among others. In addition to painting as much as time allows, Jivan occasionally teaches.

Large scale paintings

Jivan says he always gets chuckles from people when he tells them that his approach to large scale paintings doesn’t differ very much to his approach with smaller-scale paintings. Of course, the real challenge when it comes to painting these large projects is the logistics - where, when, and how become a bit more complicated on a large scale. While it might sound complicated and a bit of a nightmare, the way that Jivan describes it, the process sort of unfolded before him - as he takes each logical step at a time. Make sure to check out the images of Jivan’s artwork located at the end of this post!

Letting your light shine

I know, we are all sick and tired of hearing about how COVID has impacted and changed everything - we get it. I don’t want to dwell too much on how much COVID continues to impact the shape of things in the art community but I thought it was really helpful to get Jivan’s perspective. Many of us find ourselves with a ton of emotions and anxieties around our finances, the state of global and national politics, and of course COVID. Jivan was kind enough to open up about some of the personal struggles he has experienced over the last couple of months. He shared that when he takes the time to get alone with his canvas, it allows for emotional catharsis. I have felt that way too when it comes to painting during COVID - don’t want to let my light fade, I have something to share with the world and so do you!

Creating art is a marathon, not a sprint

As Jivan encourages us to keep shining our light even when the darkness feels like it’s closing in, it’s good to also keep in mind that the creative process is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t have to do your best work now or consistently - just stay at it. Even when it gets challenging, remember, we need your voice. I get it, sometimes it feels like you just want to throw in the towel but every artist that I’ve talked to over the years have told me that staying in the game is worth it. What keeps you in the game? How do you stay motivated when times get tough? I want to hear from you, make sure to leave a comment!

Outline of This Episode

• [1:30] I introduce my guest, Jivan Lee.
• [2:45] What led Jivan to his career as an artist?
• [8:30] Jivan talks about why he pursued grants as he got started.
• [10:45] Getting students engaged with art.
• [15:50] What is the point of painting during a time of crisis.
• [29:30] Jivan opens up about his solo exhibit, “Dynamics of change.”
• [40:15] How COVID has impacted Jivan’s schedule.
• [44:30] Why you need to think of your creative journey as a marathon, not a sprint.
• [52:00] Jivan explains his process in the studio when it comes to large scale projects.
• [1:04:00]

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These are common beliefs that I hear from members of the Savvy Painter Community on a regular basis. In this episode, I want to get out the magnifying glass and take a deeper look at what we believe and to question those beliefs. Why? So we can identify the beliefs we have that are not serving us, holding us back, or limiting our creativity and success.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:14] A peek into my world here in Argentina
• [0:57] How beliefs impact the way we live and do our art
• [4:10] Beliefs usually come to us from outside influences
• [8:57] We become what we believe — how it works and why it matters
• [11:13] Empowering beliefs shared by Savvy Painter Community members
• [14:51] Beliefs that create results that are not so positive
• [19:00] Limiting beliefs

The hidden beliefs that are running our lives

Studying and putting into practice daily. It’s like peeling an onion, there’s so much to discover about how we think and how it impacts our lives. In addition to those random thoughts we have, there are “inner scripts” or hidden beliefs that run our lives. We are not always aware they exist and don’t recognize the impact they have on the way we live. Here’s my definition of a belief...

A belief is a thought that you keep thinking over and over again.

This includes our thoughts about who we are as an artist, what people think of artists, what artists are supposed to do, how we are supposed to act, etc. When we decide those thoughts are true we create a belief-system. They are built by habit or we’ve actively chosen to believe it.

Where do our beliefs come from?

If you take a moment to think about where beliefs come from, you’ll realize that there is a huge array of influences that feed us things to believe: our families, upbringing, culture, religion, advertising, social media, etc. and even self-created beliefs. Any time we receive these things, think about them, and internalize them, they become our beliefs and we don’t think about them consciously anymore. They just play in the background over and over and over in a constant “belief-loop.” For this reason, beliefs shape the way we experience the world, the way we see ourselves, others, and the world.

Let’s take some examples from the world of art:

There are groups that believe that painting is dead, that everything that can be said using paint on canvas has already been said. There are groups that believe painting is a living, breathing force and there is still much more to be done with it. And even within those systems there are people who believe that abstract expressionism is the only way to authentically express yourself. On a different note, some people believe that you are either born with artistic talent or you aren’t, while others believe the skills to make great art can be learned. Then there are beliefs surrounding money and art that I get into on this episode. These are all examples of “collective beliefs” and they can greatly impact the results that you get in your own studio practice.

Many beliefs you hold are helpful but some are not

The point of this episode is not to encourage you to rip apart every belief you hold. There are many beliefs we have that serve us well. But if you find things that do NOT serve you well, or things that cause you to repeatedly do things in a compulsive manner, or that you do or refrain from doing things because they don’t feel like thi

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