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

This week, we're diving into the world of Instagram. This is perhaps the most popular social media platform for artists, but it can feel overwhelming, confusing or just downright frustrating. What are the right hashtags? Why do some posts do better than others? How can you increase your following? Do your clothes have to match your paintings? And what on earth is a reel? In this wide-ranging discussion, we share our own strategies for success on Instagram and explain how we have built up a following over time. Our tips include taking things slowly, considering your grid, having conversations, and only using extra features such as stories, reels and IGTV if they really appeal to you. We also discuss the dreaded algorithm and explain the simple secret to making it work for you. This might not be the definitive guide to Instagram - we'd need more time for that! - but we hope it sparks some ideas, eliminates some fears, or inspires you to get more active on the platform. Instagram really can be fun! Mentioned Heavyweight podcast: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/heavyweight Bibby G: www.bibbyart.com Word Hippo https://www.wordhippo.com/ Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

We recorded this episode in response to a listener question about the ways in which we both use sketchbooks. The ensuing discussion demonstrated how different we are in this regard. Louise uses many of her sketchbooks as judgement-free playgrounds, places in which to relax and explore while Alice does this kind of work on loose sheets of paper and keeps her sketchbook for a more thoughtful development of ideas. We both also have a practice of journalling about our art, although again in slightly different ways. During today's chat, we also share how we've worked in the past, debate our favourite sketchbooks, and share the different ways that our sketchbook work feeds into our finished paintings. As always, we agree that sketchbooks are intensely personal - there is no right or wrong - and we hope our ideas help to make sense of your own feelings about your sketchbooks (or lack thereof!) Mentioned: Seawhite sketchbooks (regular): https://www.amazon.co.uk/SEAWHITE-Hardback-Artists-Sketchbook-195X195/dp/B0067JPQR0 Seawhite concertina: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seawhite-A5-Concertina-Sketchbook-Case/dp/B00BUPIPMO Moleskine sketchbooks: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=moleskin+art+sketchbook&adgrpid=54075308395 Stillman & Birn books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Stillman+%26+Birn&ref=bl_dp_s_web_3818381031 Hannemuehle sketchbooks: https://www.hahnemuehle.com/en/artist-papers/sketch-drawing/sketch-books.html Handbook sketchbooks: https://www.jacksonsart.com/brands/hand-book-journal-company Robert Motherwell Storming the Citadel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9V1ccTOBoQ Artholes Podcast: https://artholespodcast.com/ Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week's main topic was inspired by some recent events within online art communities. These included an anonymous letter intended to hurt and intimidate one artist, an ill-informed discussion of Cy Twombley's work, and an angry email that turned out to be the result of a mistake. We discuss how our attitudes shape our experience of the world. It is true that our assumptions often determine not only the outcome of any situation, but how we feel on a day-to-day basis. Neither of us is perfect (no really!!) but we share how we look at challenging situations and some of the ways we turn things around in our minds.  We also answer a listener question about the amount of work we produce - do we just have lots of ideas or is it something about our process that allows us to produce so many paintings in a year? This leads to a discussion about the value of working in series, and the extent to which one idea can feed many paintings. Mentioned Elaine Tobin on Instagram Jon Clayton's website (look under books) Joan Mitchell book Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at:  www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we are joined by representational painter Gabriel Lipper who has been painting professionally for over 20 years and teaching for more than 15 years. In this conversation, we discuss Gabe's transition from classical figurative work to a much looser style that brings in elements of abstraction and he shares his reasoning for making this move. During our chat, we learn about Gabe's passion for daily drawing an, his desire to portray the beauty of our world, and his commitment to sharing more of himself in his work. (We also discover that Alice has an aversion to the word "sketch!") Gabe is about to teach his "Learning to See" course, which ran for the first time last year, and we discuss both the course content and his experience of teaching it. Finally, we share two inspirational artists for you to check out. Mentioned: Get access to the Learning to See free workshop classes HERE Perfect for exploring that hybrid between realism and abstraction Learning to See course is now open (end Feb 2021) Gabe would love you to watch the free classes first which you can do on the link above. Find out more about joining the full program  HERE Gabe's website Roger Cecil: A Secret Artist  Raimonds Staprans: Full Spectrum (out of print) Find our websites:  www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we're digging into the subject of abstract and non-objective art. We consider the different types of abstraction, from its beginnings with Hilda F. Klimt through the abstract expressionists and their focus on emotion, all the way to the more conceptual modern day abstraction. We also consider where to draw the line between art and simply making marks, and we share our own experiences with abstraction. Finally, we offer suggestions for those artists interested in abstraction, but unsure how to go about it, including the importance of identifying your 'why.' We explain why having an idea behind the work will sustain you when things get challenging and how it helps you make decisions, strengthens your desire to keep working, and protects you against ill-informed criticism. This feels like a topic we need to come back to again and again, because there is so much to discuss. But we hope this first conversation sparks some ideas or spurs a discussion. Mentioned: Join the free Art2Life workshop HERE. (started February 15th but you can still join) Vitamin D:New Perspectives in Drawing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-New-Perspectives-Drawing-Themes/dp/0714845450 Ways of Drawing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ways-Drawing-Royal-School/dp/0500021902/ Anna Sigmond Gudmundsdottir https://www.gudmundsdottir.com/ Find our websites:  www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week saw us both experiencing self-doubt brought on by limiting beliefs. This inspired us to create a list of the most common beliefs that we feel hold artists back. This is so important, because these beliefs are often unspoken and we might even experience them, not as beliefs but as facts of life. When this happens, we don't even realise there is anything we can do about them. By bringing them out into the light and questioning them, we can often gather the courage to move forward despite our fears or doubts. So, join us as we discuss these pesky beliefs and share our thoughts on how to manage them.  Mentioned:  Join the free Art2Life workshop HERE. Starts February 15th Find our websites: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram:@alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week our special guest is Californian artist and Art2Life founder Nicholas Wilton. Nick has been helping artists to raise their game for many years and he has been a pivotal figure in both our careers. In this conversation, we discuss what it takes to elevate your work, whether talent has anything to do with success, and the magic that can happen when you start to make unique and personal work. The conversation goes deeper when Nick reveals the personal issues that made him finally commit to his art, and he also shares the vulnerabilities that come with greater success. Finally, Nick explains why teaching is so important to him and his art practice. This is a conversation you won't want to miss - and be sure to sign up for the free workshop he is teaching later this month. This once a year event has the power to transform your life (as we know all too well!) Mentioned: Join the free Art2Life workshop HERE. Starts February 15th Find our websites: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Have you found your creative well has run dry of inspiration? Especially recently? This week we have two projects to share with you which will help inspire and re-invigorate your art. The 100-day project was started by the designer Michael Beirut and has since become an annual free global art project for creatives. Just pick an action, do it consistently for 100 days and share it. Today we meet Lindsay Thomson who has been involved in co-ordinating the project since 2017 We talk through some tips on how to pick your project - maybe choosing one of the three key areas projects often cover: play, practice or produce. We also discuss how specific to make it, how figuring out your motivation can really help, what your starting point might be, and how to find time. The project kicks off on 31st Jan and runs until May 10th. What to do now: 1. There are some great FAQs and tips on the website page where you can also sign up for the newsletter.  http://the100dayproject.org 2. Go to @dothe100dayproject account on Instagram to share one of their recent posts to announce your commitment :-) Look in the Stories for a Q&A session done earlier this month 3. Think of your project and share using #the100dayproject and your own personal invented hashtag Artist, psychologist and creativity coach Rachel Davis, who some of you may know from her AJ visits, will be offering free support, accountability, inspiration and humour through her IG account @racheldavisart.bayarea as she embarks on her third #100 day project. Rachel knows this terrain really well and is ready to help you stay on the creative track, even when self doubt, boredom and frustration show up, as they inevitably will. Follow #100daysupportwithrachel to keep up with what she’s offering and so she can comment on your journey. Mentioned: Don't forget to join the free Art2Life workshop HERE which starts on 15th February. These online lessons are a great guide for you to learn a new approach to making personal, powerful and authentic art. If you follow and learn from these we are happy!  Follow and find Lindsay @lindsayjeanthomson  “Does this sound like fun? I'm not sure. But some years, up to two dozen students start the assignment. And some years, more than half drop out before the end. Everyone starts with high hopes. But things get repetitive by day ten. By day twenty, no matter what you've decided to do, it feels like you've been doing it forever. And bridging the end-of-year break is always a big challenge. But the students who get past day thirty or forty tend to get in a groove that will take them through to the end. Here's a sampling of what's been done through the years, including some of my favorites. Read about the original Michael Beirut project here: https://designobserver.com/feature/five-years-of-100-days/24678 Find our websites: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we answer a listener question from Maxine, who asked about the best ways to sell art online. This is a huge topic and perhaps a little ambitious for a one-hour episode, but we decided to give it our best shot! In a wide-ranging discussion, we discuss the importance of a website and email list as a "home base" for your marketing, so that no matter where people find you, they can sign up to stay in touch. But we also cover other options and ways to get started if you don't yet have a website, including social media, licensing opportunities and third party websites such as Saatchi Art.  And we stress that even when you do have a website, it's not enough to just set it up and then wait for people to arrive. You will always need to drive traffic to your site and finding ways to do this is an important element of your marketing strategy. Mentioned Louise's Art Tribe membership group is currently accepting new members. Join for a free trial month at: https://thispaintinglife.mykajabi.com/art-tribe Find us and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Support the podcast with a small donation at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

As working artists, we have both used social media to build an audience and make sales. In this episode, we discuss how we approached social media when we first started, what we learned along the way, and how it plays into our marketing strategies today. This is an honest and open discussion that includes what we didn't understand, what we got wrong, and where we still need to improve. But having built solid and loyal followings on platforms such as Instagram, Youtube and Facebook, we both have sound advice about different ways to leverage these free resources to build your art career.  Building a following on social media is a slow process, but the results speak for themselves.  These platforms certainly have their downsides, but artists have never been able to take such strong control of their own marketing or been able to reach so many people free of charge. We hope you find our conversation thought-provoking and perhaps inspirational. Mentioned: Sketchbook Project: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/ Patrick Gale book 'Take Nothing With You': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-Nothing-with-You/dp/B07C2V4F5N/ Link to episode 59: https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/eb63c0 Mini Seawhite concertina sketchbook: https://www.cassart.co.uk/drawing/paper-3/sketchbooks/seawhite-concertina-sketchbook-70-pages-140gsm.htm Find us and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com www.louisefletcherart.com Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Support the podcast with a small donation at: https://ko-fi.com/artjuice Follow us on Instagram: Alice @alicesheridanstudio Louise @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License