INSIGHTS is the series I've always wanted to do. It's the series you keep telling me you want—that you want to hear how other artists do it. Listen in on these intimate conversations with artists who have achieved success in one area or another.
Michael Shane Neal
82 minutes
Shane and I talked about how his portrait career started and took off, how he promotes his work, portrait brokers, the commission process, dealing with people, and more.
Michael Shane Neal is one of the most sought-after portrait painters today, having completed over 400 portrait commissions. He's a self-described "people person" and just a super nice guy. His recent commissions include portraits of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former Majority Leader and U.S. Senator Bill Frist, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, and U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. The Artist Magazine listed Neal among 20 rising stars in the world of art.
Shane lives in Nashville, Tennessee. |
Michael Shane Neal shakes hands with Senator Robert S. Byrd, with Shane's portrait of the senator as a backdrop.
5 MP3 audio programs
described on this page
$21 $77 
Not available after
July 16, 2010
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Sunni Mercer
one hour
Sunni Mercer gets PAID to have assistants in her studio. She doesn't pay them!
Sunni shares a unique program she designed to bring assistants into her studio. It's a win-win! She gets paid, receives help from students, and they get college credit while learning all that is involved in being a full-time artist. You'll be amazed at how it all works.
Sunni Mercer's path as an artist has taken her from graduate school to the directorship of an artist organization and then directorship of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center. Her painting, sculpture, and installation art is informed by the people she comes across through her networking and community involvement. Community is particularly vital to her installations, which often include an aspect of working directly with non-artists. Sunni is an NEA Regional Follow and has exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S. and abroad.
Sunni lives in Oklahoma City, OK. |
Sunni Mercer, Folly. Found objects, glass, wood, bones, text, and photos. ©The Artist.
5 MP3 audio programs
described on this page
$21 $77
Not available after
July 16, 2010
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MORE AUDIO NOW ON SALE
Close-Out Sale Ends July 16! |
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Evon Zerbetz
approximately 1 hour
Evon Zerbetz is a children's book illustrator and fine-printmaker who has also tasted success in snagging museum exhibitions and public art commissions.
Evon and I discussed her multi-pronged approach to
making a living as a full-time artist:
fine art/galleries (she's represented by 8 galleries); books (she's illustrated 5 children's books and one novel); public art (she's received four public art commissions); graphics line; and museum exhibits (she's touring an exhibit around the country right now). She says, "I recognize there is not one recipe. The important action is to put ourselves out there at every opportunity—with little tie to the results, but knowing that eventually you will make some good matches." We'll also talk about living in a remote area because . . .
Evon lives in Ketchikan, Alaska, so we also talked about working as an artist "from a distance." |
Evon Zerbetz with the end of the sentence in her public commission, Punctuate. ©The Artist
5 MP3 audio programs
described on this page
$21 $77
Not available after
July 16, 2010 |
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Hilary Pfeifer
approximately 1 hour
Hilary Pfeifer uses humor and expert craftsmanship to connect with her audiences. Her painted wood sculptures are grounded in nature and her vivid imagination. While she has had successful gallery and museum exhibits, Hilary helps pay the bills with a production line called Bunny with a Toolbelt. In our conversation, we talked extensively about production work vs. her fine art.
She has created large-scale installations for the Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), the Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR), the Indianapolis Art Center, and has been represented by Velvet da Vinci Gallery for the past nine years. Her installation Natural Selection (at right) can currently be seen at Portland's Ogle Gallery and is mentioned in American Craft magazine. It's a four-year project she has dreamed about and we talked about how it came together and how she funded it. In addition, I asked Hilary about about the artist residencies she has received in the U.S., Central America, and Finland.
Hilary lives in Portland, Oregon. Her Bunny with a Toolbelt line was recently featured in the Style section of the New York Times. |
Hilary Pfeifer. ©The Artist.
5 MP3 audio programs
described on this page
$21 $77
(includes 13 pages of notes that supplement the content on the call)
Not available after
July 16, 2010 |
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Sunni Mercer
approximately 1 hour
In this call, Sunni and I focused on her collaborative approach to making art, what it means to be on the "museum track" (and how to get on that track), and how she has generated income using her creative talents without focusing on selling art.
Sunni Mercer's path as an artist has taken her from graduate school to the directorship of an artist organization and then directorship of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center. Her painting, sculpture, and installation art is informed by the people she comes across through her networking and community involvement. Community is particularly vital to her installations, which often include an aspect of working directly with non-artists. She says she's always looking for a way to get the work outside of herself. Sunni is an NEA Regional Follow and has exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S. and abroad.
Sunni lives in Oklahoma City, OK. |
Sunni Mercer, Federal Employees Credit Union Remembrance Garden, Oklahoma City. ©The Artist.
5 MP3 audio programs
described on this page
$21 $77
Not available after
July 16, 2010 |
MORE AUDIO NOW ON SALE
Close-Out Sale Ends July 16! |
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