ARTish Plunge

From Communist Romania, through the forests of Transylvania, touching down in San Francisco before settling in Austin, MALINA CIPLEU shares her joy of discovering the art of fused glass. After a career in psychology in Romania, Malina’s role as a mother ultimately opened the door to art, first as a hobby and ultimately to a profession in glass. Malina’s evident love for the art form is infectious; she revels in the magic and element of surprise in every project. Perhaps not surprising, elemen...

Growing up amongst the airbrushed t-shirts and dolphins of Destin, Florida, muralist TAYLOR SHAW learned how to hustle to make the most of the tourist season. Years of hard work in restaurants and side gigs honed many of the skills that have enabled Taylor to make a career creating site-specific murals which have become their own tourist attractions. But how Taylor got out of the kitchen, through an MFA program and into a custom van ready to install a 120-foot mural is a great yarn best told ...

As Lynne Maphies, former Curatorial Assistant at the Blanton Museum of Art, knows firsthand — for many artists, “day jobs” do more than pay the rent. In this fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation, Lynne shares the 10 year process that Veronica Roberts, former Blanton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, directed to create the standout exhibit “Day Jobs.” A dialogue with conceptual artist Sol LeWitt prompted Roberts to explore the different ways that artists establish relationships or ...

How do you see Brahms Symphony No. 4? For Scottish orchestral bassist and abstract painter Kirsty Matheson, music—like days of the week— have color. Kirsty shares how she balances her professional music life with her painting career that took flight during a 100 Day project in 2021. This fascinating conversation allows us to dip into synesthesia, a neurological condition shared by Kirsty and many other creative minds that creates a crossover between senses, in Kirsty’s case allowing her to pa...

A lifelong love of prairie led sculptor and former architect BILL MCBRIDE to the rolling sea of grass and sunflowers that is Matfield Green, Kansas—population 45. Serendipitous introductions to fellow environmentalist, artists and conservation enthusiasts enabled Bill to find a home for his own work and his ongoing passion project, the Prairie Art Path. Initially lacking a road map, Bill “lived conceptually,” doggedly pursued his artistic dreams, and eventually created the place he imagined.&...

What’s it like to be a “non-traditional” art student at age 55? For Texas-based portrait painter CLIFFORD BUNN, seeking a BFA in Studio Art after a career in law enforcement with the Oakland PD was both cathartic and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. As a police officer, Cliff worked among “the layers of lives existing around us” that most of us don’t see, but he often felt like his own voice was not being heard either. Initially turning to art as a therapeutic way of dealing with gr...

Often associated with haute pate painting, Atlanta-based abstract painter BOB LANDSTROM found his preferred art medium through metaphysics and Southwestern landscapes—hand-colored volcanic rock. After decades juggling a conflicted existence as both an electrical engineer and an evening/weekend painter, Bob’s persistence in getting his artwork seen has paid off. Now, only a few weeks into his new “full-time” painter role, Bob shares how he has built his presence in the art world, including an ...

With her hands in prayer, still life painter MARYAM AMIRYANI begins each day in her studio with the simple request: The courage to start; the courage to persevere; the courage to finish. From her childhood in Iran to Paris, Washington and New York, Maryam followed a professional career path in and around the arts, helping to show and sell other artists’ work before she finally settled into her own painting practice. Sharing her elegantly sparse, light-filled studio in Marfa, Texas wit...

How has a small peasant woman with rudimentary art supplies and childlike paintings of fantastical beasts forced the world to acknowledge the absurdity of war? Ukrainian folk artist MARIA PRYMACHENKO (1908-1997) —dubbed the People’s Artist of Ukraine—produced hundreds of small, colorful gouache paintings of imaginary creatures, flowers and village scenes filled with traditional Ukrainian decorative patterns that captured the heart and soul of a nation. In this ARTish Words episode, we d...

As in the sea, so in the studio. In this ARTish WORDS episode, Cornwall painter and educator TARA LEAVER shares what the sea has taught her and how it provides a roadmap for the artist journey. Using three simple words “I don’t know” followed by one word “just,” Tara works her way through things that initially seem daunting, as in: “I don’t know” what I will paint today, so I will “just” go in and clean my brushes. Tara insists that she is not a superhero or even unusually brave; rather, sh...

Wisconsin-based ROB STANGROOM, a former marine biologist turned intuitive painter, gets a thrill having one foot in the known and the other in the unknown. From tracking whale migration to landscape architecture, Rob has learned to see the “open doors” in life and never hesitates to explore what is on the other side. Inspired by a lifelong love of nature and a persistent desire to work with his hands, Rob shares how he has crafted his art career, never being afraid to ask for help to get to t...

What can an artist learn inside a football huddle? A lot, if you are former professional football player turned watercolorist RICH SAMUEL. A relentless work ethic, persistence and teamwork are just a few of the qualities football instilled in Rich —or “Sweet Feet” as he was known in the day—that have allowed him to create a booming art practice and studio that has grown into an East Austin community hot spot. With effusive positive energy, Rich juggles his own painting and clothing line with ...

As an up and coming painter and singer-songwriter, Mothh (formerly known as Adelaide Tai) intentionally shapes her work and identity to match the energy she wants in her life. Splitting her time between Atlanta and Los Angeles, Mothh’s artwork is as fluid and bold as her own personal choices. Using enamel, oil, acrylic, and resin, Mothh creates dreamy, celestial forms. Seeking wisdom from I Ching hexagrams and Human Design for self-knowledge, Mothh appreciates all parts of her own personal jo...