Creative Contemplation

Suzanne Lago Arthur

Join host Suzanne Lago Arthur for engaging discussions with creative professionals about their art and what inspires and feeds their creativity.

  1. In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith {Continued}

    19 HR AGO

    In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith {Continued}

    Send us a text February 5, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU02.5 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith {Continued} In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best.  In this episode, Suzanne continues her insightful conversation with 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Chris Bennett, ROI and Laura Smith, NEAC.  Chris Bennett Website, Chris Bennett ROI Laura Smith Website, Laura Smith NEAC, Laura Smith Instagram Chris Bennett was born in London in 1957 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the early ‘80s under Euan Uglow, Geoffrey Camp and Philip Sutton.  He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, London. In 2004 Chris signed a publishing contract with DeMontfort Fine Art who license selected works as open and limited editions in the UK, Japan and the USA.  His paintings are exhibited and sold in prestigious galleries around the UK.  A notable commission is a portrait of Sir William Hawthorne, now in the collection of Churchill College, Cambridge, who, with Sir Frank Whittle, designed the first jet engine. Laura Smith trained at The Slade School of Fine Art where she won the Clare Winsten Memorial Award, graduating from her MFA in 2012. A still-life painter working towards the abstract tradition, she is interested in dissolving our familiarity with everyday objects. Her current work explores the idea that repeated motifs enable a deeper and freer investigation of the objects themselves. The paintings often depict emotive gestures and actions, where objects take the place of the loved, the abandoned and the closely held.    "Euan Uglow: An Arc From The Eye" exhibit at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

    1h 6m
  2. In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett & Laura Smith

    29 JAN

    In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett & Laura Smith

    Send us a text January 29, 2026 Creative Contemplation Presents EU02 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Chris Bennett and Laura Smith In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this second episode, Suzanne has a deep and moving conversation with 2 of Euan's students from the Slade, British artists Chris Bennett, ROI and Laura Smith, NEAC.  Chris Bennett Website, Chris Bennett ROI Laura Smith Website, Laura Smith NEAC, Laura Smith Instagram Chris Bennett was born in London in 1957 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the early ‘80s under Euan Uglow, Geoffrey Camp and Philip Sutton.  He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, London. In 2004 Chris signed a publishing contract with DeMontfort Fine Art who license selected works as open and limited editions in the UK, Japan and the USA.  His paintings are exhibited and sold in prestigious galleries around the UK.  A notable commission is a portrait of Sir William Hawthorne, now in the collection of Churchill College, Cambridge, who, with Sir Frank Whittle, designed the first jet engine. Laura Smith trained at The Slade School of Fine Art where she won the Clare Winsten Memorial Award, graduating from her MFA in 2012. A still-life painter working towards the abstract tradition, she is interested in dissolving our familiarity with everyday objects. Her current work explores the idea that repeated motifs enable a deeper and freer investigation of the objects themselves. The paintings often depict emotive gestures and actions, where objects take the place of the loved, the abandoned and the closely held.    BOOKS ON EUAN UGLOW "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall HOST BIO Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo designs by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

    1h 11m
  3. Ayako Shimada; Gathering Inspiration Close to Home

    13 JAN

    Ayako Shimada; Gathering Inspiration Close to Home

    Send us a text January 13, 2026 Creative Contemplation S4E8 Ayako Shimada; Gathering Inspiration Close to Home Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a delightful conversation with Tokyo based painter, Ayako Shimada about her solo show "Painting Diary" at Opa Gallery (1/16/26-1/21/26) of her recent landscape paintings of Inokashira Park and its playgrounds, which subtly hint at her private life beyond the canvas--her role as a mother and caregiver. Opa Gallery, Shibuya Tokyo, Japan Website: Ayakoshimada-art.com Instagram: @Ayakoshimada5050 Influences Mentioned: Erin Raedeke Ed Praybe Lennart Anderson Euan Uglow John Dubrow Ayako Shimada's Artist Statement: For me, painting is an universal language that I can talk with anybody. I am a mother of a little kids and a Japanese teacher. Talking with visual language is such a powerful way to show how I see and think about things.  For my works, finding a mundane moment and working with motifs that are close to me is important. In my painting process, I want to catch a beauty of moments such as daylight shift or atmosphere, find interesting relationships between each motifs and combine those elements into paintings rather than just paint as they are. So that way people would see true moment in terms of colors and feelings from my paintings. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

    56 min
  4. In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright {Continued}

    30/12/2025

    In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright {Continued}

    Send us a text December 30, 2025 Creative Contemplation  EU01.5 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright {Continued) In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this episode, Suzanne continues her inspired conversation with 3 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner and Lisa Micklewright.  Susannah Fiennes Website, Susannah Fiennes Instagram, Ann Gardner Website, Ann Gardner Instagram,  Lisa Mickelwright Website, Lisa Mickelwright Instagram,  Susannah Fiennes studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London (BA Hons 1st class) 1979-1983. She was awarded a BP Portrait Travel Award (China) in 1993, a British Institution Fund Award, a Royal Academy Award  (London) 1984 and a Boise Travel Scholarship (Italy) in 1983. Ann Gardner was born in 1964 in Bedford and attended Bedford High School for Girls, leaving in 1982 after gaining a place at The Slade School of Fine Art. After achieving a BA (Hons), 2:1, she gained a postgraduate place at The Slade to be started in 1987. Lisa Mickelwright Following in the footsteps of her artists parents, Jane Maltby and Keith Mickelwright, Lisa studied her foundation year at Bournemouth College of Art and Design  (1982-1983) and holds both a BA (Hons) (1983-1987) and Post Graduate Diploma (1987-1989) from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.  "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall "Drawing: Mastering The Language Of Visual Expression" by Keith Mickelwright Host, Suzanne Lago Arthur's Website Logo design and episode cover by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

    43 min
  5. In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright

    18/12/2025

    In The Orbit Of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright

    Send us a text December 18, 2025 Creative Contemplation  EU01 In The Orbit of Euan Uglow; Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner & Lisa Micklewright In this special mini-series host and creator, Suzanne Lago Arthur, seeks to capture the living art history of famed British artist, Euan Uglow by interviewing his students, contemporaries and those who knew him best. In this inaugural episode, Suzanne has an inspired conversation with 3 of Euan's students from the Slade, artists Susannah Fiennes, Ann Gardner and Lisa Micklewright.  Susannah Fiennes Website, Susannah Fiennes Instagram, Ann Gardner Website, Ann Gardner Instagram,  Lisa Mickelwright Website, Lisa Mickelwright Instagram,  Susannah Fiennes studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London (BA Hons 1st class) 1979-1983. She was awarded a BP Portrait Travel Award (China) in 1993, a British Institution Fund Award, a Royal Academy Award  (London) 1984 and a Boise Travel Scholarship (Italy) in 1983. Ann Gardner was born in 1964 in Bedford and attended Bedford High School for Girls, leaving in 1982 after gaining a place at The Slade School of Fine Art. After achieving a BA (Hons), 2:1, she gained a postgraduate place at The Slade to be started in 1987. Lisa Mickelwright Following in the footsteps of her artists parents, Jane Maltby and Keith Mickelwright, Lisa studied her foundation year at Bournemouth College of Art and Design  (1982-1983) and holds both a BA (Hons) (1983-1987) and Post Graduate Diploma (1987-1989) from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.  "Euan Uglow, Some Memories Of The Painter" by Susan Campbell "The Uglow Papers" By Andrew Lambirth "Euan Uglow The Complete Paintings" by Richard Kendall BBC Radio 3 "The Essay" with Martin Gayford and Euan Uglow Host, Suzanne Lago Arthur's Website Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7

    1h 1m
  6. Aaron M. Thompson; Painter Of Observation And Imagining

    20/11/2025

    Aaron M. Thompson; Painter Of Observation And Imagining

    Send us a text November 20, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E7 Aaron M. Thompson; Painter of Observation And Imagining Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast reconnects with Pennsylvania based painter, Aaron M. Thompson to discuss his work, his journey as an artist and the relationships he has forged with his mentors, two exceptional American realist painters--Phillip Geiger and Scott Noel. Website: www.aaronmichaelthompson.com Instagram: @paintlanguage Phillip Geiger Retrospective, Daura Museum of Art, University of Lynchburg Scott Noel talk at the Phillip Geiger Retrospective Bio Aaron M. Thompson is a professional painter whose Paintings and Drawings have been exhibited in P.A.F.A.’s Samuel M. V. Hamilton Museum, the Charles DeMuth Museum, and Provincetown Art Association Museum. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Thompson earned his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and was awarded The Merit Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he later earned a Masters Degree in Painting. As a Gamblin Artist Colors Mid-Atlantic Educational Representative, Aaron has given lectures on “navigating color space” and oil painting “material practices” at Museums and Institutions of Higher Education for a decade. Currently, he is a Full-Time Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design where he teaches drawing and painting in the Fine Art Department. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

    1h 10m
  7. Morgan Irons; Painter of Archetypal Symbolism Within The Western Landscape

    08/10/2025

    Morgan Irons; Painter of Archetypal Symbolism Within The Western Landscape

    Send us a text October 8, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E6 Morgan Irons; Painter of Archetypal Symbolism Within The Western Landscape Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast has a moving and at times astonishing conversation with Montana based painter, Morgan Irons about her psychologically charged work set within the Western landscape that she lives in. Don't miss this inspiring episode that will have you listening with bated breath. Website: www.morganirons.com Instagram: @morganirons Old Main Gallery, Bozeman Motana Bio Primarily a self taught painter, Morgan Irons began studying painting in 2015 following her move to a rural piece of land in Montana. It was then she began studying the work of master painters and has since sought out workshops with some of the top representational painters today. A figurative painter by nature, Irons believes in painting solely what she knows best, life on the land she lives. Her paintings are narrative and timeless in theme and palette.  Morgan Irons has been a featured artist in Fine Art Connoisseur's "Artists to Watch", Southwest Art Magazine’s “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch in 2017”, and Big Sky Journal's "Ones to Watch". She is a two-time recipient of the 2018 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for emerging figurative painters. Irons is represented by Old Main Gallery in Bozeman, Montana where she currently lives and paints in a cabin on a mountaintop. Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation"

    1h 2m
  8. Lenny Campello; Artist, Gallerist & Curator

    02/09/2025

    Lenny Campello; Artist, Gallerist & Curator

    Send us a text September 2, 2025 Creative Contemplation S4E5 Lenny Campello; Artist, Gallerist & Curator Suzanne Lago Arthur, host and creator of The Creative Contemplation Podcast talks with Cuban born, American Artist, Gallerist & Curator-Lenny Campello. Lenny shares his journey to becoming the artist he is today in this engaging episode as well as discusses his largest curatorial project to date; a multi-venue Washington DC area survey show happening this Fall 2025 entitled "Women Artists of the DMV". Website: www.lennycampello.com Facebook: @lenny.campello Instagram: @lennycampello "Women Artists of The DMV" Exhibit Bio Lenny Campello (Florencio Lennox Campello) was born in Guantanamo, Cuba and studied art at the University of Washington School of Art in Seattle, Washington from which he graduated in 1981. While there Campello helped to create the Arts NW Student Gallery in Seattle, the area’s first art gallery focused on student artwork. He also organized several exhibitions at the School of Art.  In 1996 Campello opened the Fraser Gallery in Washington, DC. Within five years the gallery had become one of the most important independent fine arts commercial galleries in the city and in 2000 became one of only three DC area art galleries to be invited to become a Sotheby’s Associate Dealer. In 2002 Campello opened a second Fraser Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland, at the time the largest art gallery in the Greater DC area. In addition to organizing and curating several hundred exhibitions for the Fraser Gallery, he is also an independent curator and has organized many important shows in the Washington D.C. capital city area, and other places such as the 2001 “Survey of Washington Realists” at the Athenaeum in Alexandria, a huge salon style show that for the first time catalogued together the artists working in the realist tradition in the DC area. He also organized a worldwide homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in association with the Cultural Institute of Mexico and most recently he reviewed the work of over 2,000 artists and organized a seven-gallery show for the Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran in Washington, DC.  Host Bio: Suzanne Lago Arthur is a contemporary realist painter from Northern Virginia. Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban-American parents, her artistic explorations were nurtured from an early age by her family. Through her paintings Suzanne explores the themes of beauty, transience and memory.  She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in such venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC, Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA, the United States Interests Section, Havana, Cuba and in art galleries across the United States. She holds a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art and an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Website: www.lagoarthurstudio.com Instagram: Suzanne Lago Arthur (@lagoarthurstudio) Logo design by Elisa Nader,  Mag7 Artwork, "Abby in Contemplation" by artist Suzanne Lago Arthur Theme Music by Up North Music

    51 min
5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join host Suzanne Lago Arthur for engaging discussions with creative professionals about their art and what inspires and feeds their creativity.

You Might Also Like