Strand, the Story of an Artist

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Strand, the Story of an Artist, is a podcast that explores the intricate motivations and inspirations that drive people to pursue their passion for creating art. Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint

  1. 22h ago

    Episode 117: Kate Schultz

    Kevin Kirkwood sits down with Charlotte-based painter Kate Schultz for a conversation about color, shape, nature, and the experiences that continue to influence her work. Working in acrylic and mixed media, Kate creates paintings inspired by the quiet beauty of the natural world. In this episode, she discusses her current exploration of color relationships, her interest in moving away from conventional ideas of depth, and what it was like growing up in rural Mississippi. She also shares how her flower garden and the wild birds surrounding her Charlotte home continue to find their way into her paintings. Kate earned her BFA in painting from the University of Mississippi and has been creating work professionally for over a decade. Her influences include Paul Klee, Milton Avery, Pablo Picasso, Mary Fedden, and Arthur Dove. Learn more: kateschultzart.com | @katefschultz Shain Gallery: shaingallery.com | @shaingallery Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 117: Kate Schultz

  2. Aug 14

    Episode 116: Lilith Rockett

    Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode a few weeks ago inside the studio of ceramicist, Lilith Rockett.  Lilith is a Portland-based ceramicist who has spent 23 years working primarily in porcelain, creating tableware, teaware, and larger vessels. She spent 15 years collaborating with acclaimed chefs and restaurants. Her work has shown in national juried exhibitions, including the Smithsonian and the Craft Council. She has received the Oregon Arts grant three times. In recent years her practice has expanded into atmospheric wood and wood-soda firings that incorporate wild-foraged ash, clay, and rock. Learn more: lilithrockett.com | @lilithrockett Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 116: Lilith Rockett

  3. Aug 7

    Episode 115: Malia Jensen

    Kevin Kirkwood joined Portland, Oregon-based sculptor and multidisciplinary artist Malia Jensen during his recent recording trip through the Pacific Northwest. Malia’s work is focused primarily in sculpture and video. Her materially driven practice combines the tactile assertions of the hand-made with complex psychological narratives, physical comedy and a quest for beauty and understanding. Her work is held in many public and private collections throughout the Northwest, including the Portland Art Museum, where Three Sisters: Nest, Flee, Swarm, is currently on view, and the City of Beaverton, where Endless Pigeons, can be found on the plaza of the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. Current projects include a large-scale public commission for the City of Seattle, installing in 2027. She has been an Artist in Residence at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (Captiva, FL), Ucross Foundation (Clearmont, WY), Headlands Center for the Arts (Sausalito, CA), Portland Garment Factory and GLEAN (Portland, OR) and visiting artist at Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA), Southern Oregon University (Ashland, OR), Pacific Northwest College of Art (Portland, OR), and Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA). Her work is represented by Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, and Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York.   Learn more: maliajensenstudio.com | @maliajensenstudio Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland | elizabethleach.com @elizabethleachgallery Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York | cristintierney.com @cristintierneygallery Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.   Portrait by Rebekah Johnson @rebekah_johnson_photography

    Episode 115: Malia Jensen

  4. Jul 31

    Episode 114: Kari Merkl

    Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode inside the Portland studio of Kari Merkl to talk about craft, materiality, and building a studio around collaborative problem-solving. Kari has been designing and creating objects of function for over 25 years. She started in the study of architecture, which eventually led her to industrial design. That path shaped her hands on approach to fabrication. She founded Merkled Studio in 2009, a Portland-based design and manufacturing company specializing in contemporary furniture, fixtures, and products for residential and commercial spaces. Her work has been shown at galleries and retail stores around the world, including the NY MOMA Design Store, ICFF, IDS, and NeoCon. Merkled Studio is a process-driven studio. It values collaboration, simplicity, quality, craftsmanship, and material exploration. Her work reflects her own appreciation for materials, mechanics, and craft. She also founded the League of Women Designers, with chapters in Portland and Chicago. Learn more: merkled.com | @merkledstudio Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 114: Kari Merkl

  5. Jul 23

    Episode 113: Christopher Rauschenberg

    Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode in Portland, Oregon. This conversation covers fifty years of curating, a lifelong photographic documentation of a city, and what it means to grow up inside a family of working artists. Christopher Rauschenberg is a Portland-based photographer and curator. He is a founding member of Blue Sky Gallery, where he has co-curated and co-produced over a thousand exhibitions since 1975. He also co-founded Photolucida and the Nine Gallery co-op. In 1995 he launched the Portland Grid Project, a systematic photographic survey of the city now in its fourth round. His own photographs have appeared in 131 solo shows across eight countries and live in the collections of thirteen major museums. At the center of Christopher's practice is a commitment to looking closely at communities. Learn more: blueskygallery.org Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

  6. Jul 17

    Episode 112: Bryan Yonki

    Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode in Portland, Oregon, in a conversation covering craft, self-taught mastery, and the survival of a nearly lost trade. Bryan Yonki is a Chilean sign painter, educator, and author based in Portland, Oregon. Inspired by the hand-painted signs he grew up seeing in Santiago, he moved to Los Angeles in 2014, taught himself the craft, and founded Well Done Signs in 2016, painting signs, murals, and storefronts for businesses across the West Coast under the motto "Always Hand Painted." He also teaches sign painting workshops nationally and documents vernacular lettering through books, photography, and printmaking. At the center of Bryan's practice is a commitment to preserving traditional sign painting, not just as a livelihood, but as a living heritage worth passing on. In this conversation, Bryan reflects on the Santiago signs that first shaped his eye, what it took to teach himself a craft with few living teachers left, and how his publishing and photography work fit into a larger effort to keep the tradition alive for future generations. Learn more: welldonesigns.com | @welldonesigns Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 112: Bryan Yonki

  7. Jul 10

    Episode 111: Ivan McLean

    Kevin Kirkwood recorded this episode in Portland, Oregon during a weeklong trip through the Pacific Northwest, opening a new series of conversations with six regional artists and beginning with sculptor Ivan McLean. Ivan took an unconventional road into art, from studying farm management at Cal Poly to the Peace Corps, a sheep station in Australia, and a furniture business run with his brother. He first learned to weld out of necessity, fixing machinery on Northern California ranches, and moved into sculpture full time only after the furniture business hit a downturn in 2001. Since then he has become known for his intricate sculptures, working across steel, bronze, kiln-formed glass, wood, and stone. In this conversation, Ivan reflects on the winding path that led him to sculpture, the moment welding stopped being a repair skill and became a creative language, and what he is making in the studio these days. Learn more: ivanmclean.com | @ivanmcleanart artelementsgallery.com | @artelements sculpturesite.com | @sculpturesite Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand at Kevin-Kirkwood.com , Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 111: Ivan McLean

  8. Jun 19

    Episode 110: Nikole Nelson

    Kevin Kirkwood recently sat down with Savannah-based artist and designer Nikole Nelson. Nikole Nelson is the founder of BLKCORAL, an interdisciplinary studio renowned for crafting immersive, thought-provoking environments that bridge fine art, interior architecture, and set design. A SCAD graduate, she has collaborated with premier global brands including Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Coach, and NBC Universal. In 2022, she debuted her Botanical Collection as an Artist in Residence at SCAD Lacoste in France. Nelson's practice is rooted in transforming organic elements and conceptual environments into experiences that invite a deeper connection to space and the natural world. In this conversation, Nikole reflects on her journey from Hawaii to New York and Miami, and how each place shaped her creative voice. She also speaks to the mentors who recognized her potential early on, and what she hopes people feel when they first encounter her work. Learn more: blkcoral.com | @blkcoral Follow the host: kevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint | @strandpodcast Listen to The Strand on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

    Episode 110: Nikole Nelson
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About

Strand, the Story of an Artist, is a podcast that explores the intricate motivations and inspirations that drive people to pursue their passion for creating art. Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint

Information

  • Creator
    kevinwillpaint.com
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Strand, the Story of an Artist