Episodes

Dear Listeners, it's spooky season. In that spirit, I offer you this mini episode about taking a mini break from the career grind. Why not instead light a spell candle while getting clear on what we really want? Shelve the "should's" for a bit and get witchy with me. The ending "Goodbye!" (with cacophonous lighting zaps) is Bette Midler from the movie, Hocus Pocus - Iconic Icon. Thank you for listening. All music by Soundstripe ---------------------------- Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptal...

Charles Burchfield (Chas to his friends) once noted how an oak leaf had fluttered down and stuck upright in the snow in his neighbors yard, like a flag, for the entire winter. It weathered many Buffalo "gales" and storms and thereafter Burchfield used it as a personal symbol of steadfastness. In fact its alternate title is "Steadfast Leaf." The painting he made of it is attached here "Constant Leaf, also known as Steadfast Leaf" 1960, watercolor and graphite on paper. And, speaking of leaves, I...

Today I'm taking us on a space, art and space-art journey. Because, I've been thinking about how when William Shatner recently went up to space in Bezos' rocket, he saw in real life what he had always pretended to see on TV: space and the final frontier. But to his shock and horror, he...sort of hated it: At least he hated the outer space view. He quaked in the face of all that vast emptiness and ended up with a new appreciation for our warm "Mother" Earth. I.e. "Beam me down, Scotty." And in ...

We're back! This is the second part of our deep dive on drawing. I asked my artist-guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty to bring along a fave drawing from art history to share and describe what "drew" them to it (please forgive the pun). It was so fun to see what they selected. See images of all of the works on IG @peptalksforartists The drawings discussed were: 1) "The Grotto of Neptune in Tivoli" ca 1640 by Claude Lorrain 2) Rocks near the caves above Château Noir ...

Join me and my guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty as we discuss the topic of Drawing this week. This discussion was broken up into 2 parts, so keep an eye out for Part 2 coming soon. In Part 1, we discuss the drawing state of mind, drawing as a form of safety, as a tie to our primitive origins, and as a way to express the multitudes of self. We also dissect painter, Amy Sillman's analogy that Draw-ers are beavers and Painters are birds. Find my guests online here: D...

...or the future of our own cultural output? Dear Listener, please enjoy this space-y, star-filled Mini Pep about the infinite freedom that comes from making digital doodles. My Threads App artists doodle harvest can be found here: https://www.threads.net/@talluts/post/CucE58OLSwU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Artists mentioned: Sharon Butler (see all of her digital drawings by searching the hashtag #sbgoodmorningdrawings on IG), Paul Dagostino, Joe Haley, John Avelluto, Keisha Prioleau Martin All ...

This episode is based on an internet slang mantra which translates to "Delusion is the Solution." Find out why healthy artists rely heavily on healthy self-delusion to self-motivate. Like Comedian, Nina Oyama, says, one must create a "self deception turducken" to persevere in a creative pursuit. I also threw in Lady Gaga, David Shrigley and even Salvador Dali who all had excellent quotes. Signed, Amy Your Quote-&-Internet-Meme Magpie Reading/Watch Links: Dali's appearance on "What's Your Lin...

This is my hot take on the seven-year-old (it's new to me!) Eva Hesse doc and the scandalous revelations contained within. Also, I receive further evidence for why we still stan our queen, Sylvia Mangold, as she asks: Is the Home Depot the new Canal Street? The #cerebral, #inspiring and #wondrous documentary, Eva Hesse (2016) directed by Marcie Begleiter, is available to rent/stream on Amazon. All music by Soundstripe ---------------------------- Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartist...

Some ch-ch-changes are coming to Pep Talks! I am going to be taking a break from interviews for a while to focus on studio work, but will still be releasing monthly solo episodes while I'm away. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you! Thank you to all of the wonderful artists who have allowed me to interview them thus far: you've enriched me! Thank you to my terrificly terrific cohost trio: Jennifer Coates, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and Elisabeth Condon. You are, all three, shining lig...

This episode is kindly sponsored by the New York Studio School. Check out their June-July 2024 Summer Marathon courses here: nyss.org So excited to welcome Artist, Frederick Hayes, to the podcast this week. Fred makes graphite drawings and paintings of faces, and he also creates found-material assemblage sculptures that portray the psychological interior of his subjects. Half made up and half based on the street photos that he takes, his portraits conjure up a community of people. These heads f...

O M G. Hold onto your hats (and brooches)! The author of "How to Work a Room" is on the podcast! Susan RoAne, best-selling author and keynote speaker, joined Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and me to talk mingling and networking in the art world. Down-to-earth, hilarious, and a true mensch, Susan continues to bring it as the "Mingling Maven." This is one episode you won't want to miss! We had so much fun! Find Susan online: Web: SusanRoAne.com IG: @susanroane FB: Susan RoAne Twitter: @susanroane Email: ...

So excited to share this fantastic interview with artist, Philemona Williamson! Find out more about Philemona's vibrant paintings that show twisting, gender-bending adolescents "up to stuff," and her fascinating ambiguous poetic sense of narrative (and also why I have appointed her an Honorary New Orleanian!). Philemona also grew up in a famous Art Deco building in NYC, and her childhood stories are not to be missed. Works mentioned: "Branching Eyes" 2023, "The Gathering" 2021, "Verbena Street ...

What do a comment made on the Great British Bake-Off, a 1970's television interview with southern author, Eudora Welty, and a Michigan Mer-man have in common? Glad you asked! They all explore ideas of monstrousness, the topic of this episode -- specifically channeling our inner monstrous creative selves to create work that is rich, bold, memorable and unique. [Evil laugh of Nosferatu] Come along with me on my search for aspirational creative monstrosity. Television programs mentioned: "Great ...

This week, painter and installation artist, Jesse Bransford, joins me to discuss his magic and occult-inspired work. We discussed the meanings behind the sigils and circles he embeds in his work, his fascination with the magician Surrealist, Kurt Seligmann, and his thoughts on the role of the artist as a practitioner of vision, generosity and belief. Find Jesse Bransford online at: web: https://www.jessebransford.com/ ig: @jessebransford get his book: UK: https://fulgur.co.uk/books/fourthandfi...

We're back with Part 2 of our review of "The Artists Way" by Julia Cameron! In this half of our deep dive into the book, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and I finish recounting our experiences following the program of this famous creativity self-help juggernaut. Today in Part 2, we discuss: 1. Sychronicity & Carl Jung 2. Our personal artist dates 3. What writing the Morning Pages felt like 4. Things in The Artist's Way that we disliked 5. “Clusters” & those who charge to run AW groups 6. Amy's "The ...

Book Talks is back! And so is artist, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen, to help me tackle the OG creativity self help book: "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. We gave ourselves over body and soul to The Way for 12 weeks and lived to tell the tale...in two parts. Please join us as we share our experiences with the book (and some sprinkled-in context gleaned from Cameron's autobiography "Floor Sample"). Today in Part 1, we discuss: 1. Each of our favorite sections/quotes 2. The most challenging parts of ...

This episode is all about a fascinating British TV art reality show that I once gleefully watched completely pirated, through the kindness of Cherzo, a modern day Robin Reddit-Hood. You can check out the show: "Portrait Artist of the Year" on Amazon, if you are so intrigued! Artists mentioned: Alice Neel, Frederick Hayes, and Tai Shan Schierenberg (Judge for the show). Thank you, Listeners! Thank you, Pep Talks Patrons! All music by Soundstripe ---------------------------- Peps has a Patreo...

Artist, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen, is back with me for another Book Talks episode! In this episode, we are reading Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists," published 1550/1568 which profiles famous High Renaissance, mostly Florentine artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Boticcelli, and a few lesser-knowns. We were so excited about the book that we ran deliciously long and decided to cut it up and make it a two-parter. In Part 1, we cover Vasari's takes on Giotto, Masaccio, Piero Della Francesca, ...

We're baaacckk! Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and I have returned for Part 2 to finish our report on Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists," a combo-bio of Florentine High Renaissance artists from the 1580's. Pull up a carved high-backed chair, grab yourself a goblet of watered-down wine and join us for the continuation of our journey back to this fabled time in Italian art. In Part 2, we cover Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Jacopo da Pontormo, Michelangelo, and Titian (with some discu...

Happy Holidays! It's the Peppiest of the Peps! Please enjoy this collection of plummy sugar plum quotes by the some of the guests of Pep Talks Past. Some cherished encouraging words have been said over the years, and I have gathered them for us here. Also, listen to the end to hear a 3 minute Shakespearean radio play I made with ChatGPT based on the podcast tagline: "to all those shuffling along the artists' road." Find out what a computer thinks will inspire us. Thank you to all of the artist...

So happy to have painter (and sculptor!), Elisabeth Condon, back on the podcast on the eve of her solo show opening in Miami! A huge fan of her work, I was excited to learn more about her process and influences. Catch her new work in person at: "Tempus Fugit" Emerson Dorsch Gallery : Dec 3, 2023 - Feb 3, 2024 Untitled Fair / Emerson Dorsch / Booth A23: Dec 6-10, 2023 Elisabeth's works that we mentioned in this episode were: "Lupine" 2023, "Post-Epistemic Flower" 2023, "Forest" 2023, "Transpor...

Today, it's a brand new installment of the "Interview the Interviewer" series and I'm excited to reveal that this episode's Interviewee is ... me! Thank you so much to artist, Catherine Haggarty, for generously suggesting this collaboration and for asking such wonderful questions about my work. More info about Amy (your beloved host's) work online: amytalluto.com and @talluts Works mentioned (AT unless noted): "The Princesse de Broglie" (Ingres), "Bending Figure & Ingres Eye" 2023, "Rain Cloud...

Today I make the case that artists have a lot in common with stand-up comedians. Comics give excellent pep talks and advice to each other about staying the creative course and weathering career setbacks and I think we can benefit from eavesdropping on some of their road-honed wisdom. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, The New York Studio School, for their support. Please check out their Fall MFA and Certificate Programs at nyss.org Comedians quoted in the episode: Justine Marino, Caitlin Pel...

The band's back together! And this time, Elisabeth Condon, Jennifer Coates and I discuss "Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth," a recent Munch survey exhibition at the Clark Institute. We each chose a single painting/print to discuss within the context of Munch's Monistic melancholy, love of clumps, and repetitious reveries. Thank you to The New York Studio School for sponsoring this episode. Deadlines for MFA/Certificate are approaching Jan 15. Elisabeth spoke about: "White Night" oil on canvas 190...