The Kerry Spence Art Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kerry Spence
Kerry Spence is an artist from Australia with over 20 years experience. On her podcast, Kerry advocates for drawing, the creative arts and its importance in education, business and life. She also brings easy-to-follow advice and insights to help artists grow their skills.
The judging of the Archibald Prize 2020 this week has stirred controversy yet again and art lovers are having lively discussions about it - nothing unusual for the Archibald!
It's a very common question, although a difficult one to dissect - how long does it take to become a good artist?
In this episode, I tackle this question by asking YOU some questions in return. It may help you think about the outcomes you want from your art.
I hope this episode gives some food for thought!
Our earliest record of drawing and etching is on cave walls worldwide telling our history. Australia has some of the richest from our indigenous people dating back up to 46,000 years - so why was one culturally rich example allowed to be destroyed in May 2020 by the Western Australian government?
This episode looks at how your judgement of your work as an artist can be coloured by your emotions in that moment - and it’s not the best thing for your work.
In the previous episode of the Importance of the Creative Arts in Education with guest, Ngaire Harman, we uncovered some great little gems that I felt we could expand on in this episode. Why develop drawing skills? What are the obvious (and not so obvious) benefits? Listen in as I unpack some thoughts after last week's episode.
I’m very excited to have my first guest on the podcast - my friend, work colleague and art educator Mrs Ngaire Harman from the Senior Arts Dept at St Andrews Lutheran College, a private school on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Today we have a chat over a cup of tea about advocacy for the arts in education, the benefits the arts bring to the kids and adults alike and the battle for recognition of the creative arts as relevant essential subject and its importance for creating empathetic nurturing well rounded human beings.
Earlier this week, I was chatting to a fellow creative about our never-ending well of new ideas, versus the challenge of staying focused.
It got me thinking about the importance of setting our intentions when we take on new challenges and projects.
Does a new idea pass the test? Should it be implemented? Shelved? Scrapped?
The brain - this wonderful, complex part of the body has the biggest task of all our muscles and organs.
But what does this have to do with art - EVERYTHING!
When we process visual information, we have the ability to process art through the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere of the brain.
Listen in as I share how the left/right hemisphere affects how we create, perceive and learn creative practices.
When I was young, my Pop used to say to me "you never stop learning 'til the day you die".
In the art world - just like any other 'world' - I would not have enough hours in the day, let alone the week, to fit all my new learning in.
And, it's still like that to this day!
The more I learn about being an artist, the more I have to learn. And I love that!
Creativity just keeps growing - materials, subject matter, accessibility of choices.
Learning to love the journey of learning means that you have to be okay with starting and making mistakes.
Let me know how you're going with your learning in your art journey!
When you're learning the visual arts, it's common to want to explore different genres, materials, mediums, subject matter. As one door opens, another several doors open - discovering what floats your boat.
But when you're taking on visual arts professionally, you do need to focus and find your consistency of message. Listen in as I explain how.
Life as an artist is precarious and uncertain at times. It teaches you to be financially frugal - it teaches you to have faith in yourself that you will find a way through whatever problem that you come up against. Your creativity will in fact support you - if not in a direct monetary way, then to help heal and give support when you - or someone you may know - needs it. Listen in as I explain creativity's role amongst today's chaos and uncertainty.
In these uncertain times, many of us are being asked to work from home and avoid going out unnecessarily. And how we entertain ourselves is the challenge of the day, for now! Whether it's binging on Netflix, or creating your own games and art, it's been fascinating to watch people return to basics. One thing is for sure, the creatives of the world are keeping us entertained, or inspiring us to start our own thing!
There's no doubt that the recent COVID19 virus has caused a lot of uncertainty, fear and disruption to our everyday lives. In this episode, I want to share my thoughts on staying present amidst the chaos, and reminding ourselves that it is okay to turn off the media alerts - a call to arms to remain creative and do our part to maintain good mental health. Please take care of yourselves!
Being in action is so much better than 'I am going to try this, and I'm going to try that'. When you free yourself from the weight of wanting to know exactly how a project is going to turn out before you even begin, you can with the creative flow of the process. This episode covers my thoughts on procrastination's causes and how to overcome it.
Brin Jones played an important role in my development as an artist - particularly in the way I approach portraits. In this episode, I talk about the process of drawing a portrait and how I apply Brin's learnings.
This is a topic that every creative can relate to. Some days those creative ideas aren't flowing - no matter how deep you dig. Learn how I combat creative exhaustion with some very simple techniques.
Drawing teaches us great observational skills. Your eyes, your brain and your hands are the most superior equipment you'll ever have as an artist. Listen in as I share some helpful insights on drawing's importance to your artistic process.
"What do I draw? Where do I start?" These are common questions I'm asked from beginner artists. In this episode, I share some tips on how to explore different subject matter to help you enjoy your art making process.
One of the joys of being an Artist is the creative process. It 's very meditative and 'in the moment' - that is, if you allow it to be!
Whether you’re starting out as an artist, or grinding your way through the process of becoming a fully fledged commercial artist, mileage is the true indicator of skill.