Kyra and Jamin field some listener questions (some serious, some not so serious) in this Q&A episode. Show Notes The quote from George Eliot that Kyra did indeed butcher: “We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it, if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers as we sat lisping to ourselves on the grass, the same hips and haws on the autumn hedgerows, the same redbreasts that we used to call ‘God’s birds’ because they did no harm to the precious crops. What novelty is worth that sweet monotony where everything is known and loved because it is known?” Find a transcript for this episode at https://www.dropbox.com/s/8b6ix7ec5tzm4sq/A%260105_V1.docx?dl=0

In this episode of the Artists & Podcast, co-hosts Kyra Hinton and Jamin Still channel archeological metaphors to discuss the relationship between artistic voice and an artist’s style. Show Notes Sunga Park, the artist referenced by Kyra: http://www.parksunga.com/watercolor_a1.html Park’s painting that inspired Kyra: http://www.parksunga.com/watercolor/a1/tomgate.jpg Close up of sky texture referenced by Jamin: https://www.instagram.com/p/CcYCbMMLBoD/ An archaeological dig: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/archaeologist-in-the-field-gm471833521-26608740 An example of an evidence board (Jamin called it a “murder board”) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3pz765XoAg_Ub3?format=jpg&name=medium Find transcripts for the Artists & Podcast at RabbitRoom.com/podcast.

On this episode of the Artists & Podcast, Kyra and Jamin are joined by Tim Joyner and Ella Mine. They talk about creativity and discuss their views on inspiration: what it is, how they foster it, and what they do to move forward when it’s gone. This episode’s guests: Ella Mine With a mesmerizing combination of musical fluency and lyrical vulnerability, Ella Mine divines and names depths of the human experience that often go unnamed, creating a hospitable space where the listener might untangle the mystery of their own emotions. Her debut record, a concept album titled Dream War, weaves a surreal and otherworldly tapestry of poetic melodies and storytelling, sifting the ruins of devastating personal experience for shimmering gems of hope. You can learn more about Ella and view some of her art on her website at EllaMineMusic.com and on her Instagram page @ellamine.music. Tim Joyner Tim Joyner is an artist based in New England. Working primarily with natural pigments and inks derived from locally-foraged materials, his paintings are an inquiry into the mysterious, inner nature of the raw elements he uses. In elevating the most simple of materials to the status of “fine art,” things we often take for granted—stone, lichen, seaweed—are given voice to remind us of the sacredness of place and the beauty and goodness woven through all living things. You can follow Tim and his work on his Instagram page @ravus.portus. Find transcripts for the Artists & Podcast at RabbitRoom.com/podcast.

Being an artist can be lonely work. Not only do we often work alone, but we frequently find ourselves in community with people who may not have as intimate a relationship with their own creativity as we do. Sometimes we don’t know how to talk about our creative work, and our loved ones don’t know how to ask about it. If our friends don’t know how to ask why we love the things we love, and we don’t know how to bridge the gap from our side, then how can we be truly known? In this episode, Kyra and Jamin are joined by Orion Dyson-Smith in a conversation that explores being known. Along the way they discuss questions they wish people would ask them, their favorite paint color pairings, and fishing. Orion Dyson-Smith is a part time nurse anesthetist and part time visual artist, working with graphite, watercolor, and oil paint. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from Wichita State University in 2005 and currently lives and works in Wichita, Kansas. You can learn more about Orion and view some of his work at oriondysonsmith.squarespace.com and on Instagram at instagram.com/oriondysonsmith.

Who gets to call themselves an artist? Are there qualifications? Does someone else bestow that title, or can we give it to ourselves? Kyra and Jamin talk to painter Jess Velarde about the internal and external factors that shape how we think about our identity as artists. Jess Velarde is a fine artist and art instructor who creates expressive figurative and botanical oil paintings. She earned her MFA in painting from Academy of Art University in 2020 and currently works and teaches from her studio in Los Angeles. You can learn more about Jess and experience her work at jessvelarde.com/paintings. Curious what phthalo blue looks like? Go here. Now, you might look at this blue and say, “It’s not THAT bad.” And here we run into you not being able to see this color in person. Because if you were looking at it in person, you’d say, “That’s heinous.” Trust me. And also, to Jess’s point, this particular blue interacts with other colors in a really overpowering way. Like, if you try to mix in some white to lighten it, you have to mix in A LOT. It’s kind of a bully color. Transcripts for The Artists & Podcast are available at RabbitRoom.com/podcast.

Kyra Hinton and Jamin Still introduce us to the Artists & Podcast, share about their own journeys as visual artists, and clue us into the kinds of conversations they'll be hosting in the coming months. Transcripts for The Artists & Podcast are available at RabbitRoom.com/podcast.