The FASO Podcast

FASO
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  • VISUAL ARTS

Learn the business of visual art from today's finest artists and art marketers.

  1. 178 Alyse Firefly Russell — Show Up & Stay Consistent

    2 DAYS AGO

    178 Alyse Firefly Russell — Show Up & Stay Consistent

    Join our next FASO Show Live! https://artists.boldbrush.com/p/the-faso-show Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- For today's episode we sat down with Alyse Firefly Russell, a figurative painter whose work blends realism with surreal, colorful, often floral elements, a style that was largely shaped by years of live painting at music festivals where she learned to paint intuitively “with the music.” She explains that her path included attending an art magnet school, art college, and then gradually building a career through live painting gigs that evolved into larger festivals and gallery shows. Returning to full-time painting after a break for family health issues, she describes dealing with imposter syndrome and how winning the BoldBrush contest and reconnecting with a gallery reassured her that she is indeed a professional artist. Her core practical advice for becoming a full-time artist is to maintain consistent studio hours, treat art like a real job, and avoid burning out by overworking, since regular rest actually helps the work improve. She also emphasizes the importance of putting yourself out there by showing up at events, talking to people, and learning basic marketing because even highly skilled artists won’t sell if no one sees their work, while less technically skilled but visible artists often do well. Alyse also highlights nurturing relationships with collectors (e.g., newsletters, personal notes, holiday cards) and reminds artists that careers usually grow gradually, through small, steady steps rather than a single “big break.” Finally, Alyse tells us about her upcoming group show “Bloom: A Kaleidoscope of Botanical Beauty” at Threyda Gallery in Denver, opening May 1, 2026 and running through the end of May, with the show also viewable online at the gallery’s website. Alyse's FASO Site: alyserussell.com/ Alyse's Social Media: instagram.com/alysefireflyart facebook.com/AlyseFireflyArt/ Threyda Gallery "Bloom: A Kaleidoscope of Botanical Beauty" threyda.com/pages/gallery

    1 hr
  2. 177 James McGrew — Be True to Your Vision

    22 APR

    177 James McGrew — Be True to Your Vision

    Join our next FASO Show Live! https://artists.boldbrush.com/p/the-faso-show Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- On today's episode we sat down with James McGrew, a landscape oil painter and longtime interpretive Yosemite park ranger whose representational landscapes and wildlife paintings blend rigorous scientific understanding with a deep emotional commitment to environmental education. James shares how a lifelong bond with Yosemite and early encouragement from teachers and family pushed him toward a career in representational painting, even when art schools favored abstraction. He explains how studying biology, geology, chemistry, and environmental education deepened his understanding of light, landforms, and ecosystems, making his landscapes more convincing and meaningful. James describes his dual life as a full-time painter and seasonal Yosemite interpretive ranger, using both roles to connect people emotionally and intellectually to the natural world. He emphasizes the power of working from life, developing visual memory, and truly knowing one’s subject—whether it’s a cliff face, endangered owl, or peregrine falcon. Over time his motivation has shifted from personal inspiration to a clear conservation mission: using art as a vehicle to advocate for fragile ecosystems and endangered species. He also advises aspiring artists to be true to themselves, spend time in nature, focus on long-term perseverance, and on building real human connections—with collectors, galleries, and fellow artists—rather than chasing awards or trends. J Finally, James tells us about his upcoming solo show at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite (opening May 4), as well as group shows including the California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, the Art Renewal Center Salon in New York, and invitational events at Grand Canyon and Zion later this year. James' FASO site: jamesmcgrewfineart.com/ James' Social Media: facebook.com/jamesmcgrewfineart/ instagram.com/jamesmcgrewfineart/

    1hr 34min
  3. 176 Ellen Howard — Show Up & Say YES

    15 APR

    176 Ellen Howard — Show Up & Say YES

    Join our next FASO Show Live! https://artists.boldbrush.com/p/the-faso-show Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- For today's episode, we sat down with Ellen Howard, a Boise-based landscape painter, instructor, art advocate, and writer who works primarily in oils and gouache, known for her tranquil depictions of nature, water, and luminous skies. In this conversation, Ellen shares how she transitioned from a demanding venture capital career into full-time art, guided by lifelong creative influences—especially her grandfather’s travel illustrations and drawings. She explains how an invitation to an oil painting class reignited her passion, leading to years of focused study, plein air practice, and a deep commitment to painting nature’s peaceful moments, from marshlands and seascapes to sunsets and Idaho’s mountains. Ellen also describes how surgery led her to experiment with gouache, a medium whose quick-drying vibrancy and spontaneity now balances and informs her slower, layered oil work. Drawing on her business background, she emphasizes time management, relationship-building, consistent marketing, particularly newsletter marketing, and “showing up and saying yes” as crucial to building opportunities and gallery representation. She encourages artists to develop a body of work they truly love, understand where it fits in the market, be patient with career growth, and actively create their own opportunities rather than waiting to be discovered. Finally, Ellen tells us about her upcoming gouache workshop in Sun Valley, her France Alps workshop, and her participation in major exhibitions like the California Gold Medal Show and the Brinton Museum invitational. Ellen's FASO site: ellenhowardart.com/ Ellen's Social Media: facebook.com/ellen.howard.5 instagram.com/ellenhowardart/ Sign up for Ellen's Newsletter! ellenhowardart.com/email-newsletter

    51 min
  4. 175 Emma Kalff — Stop Waiting to be Discovered

    8 APR

    175 Emma Kalff — Stop Waiting to be Discovered

    Join our next FASO Show Live! https://artists.boldbrush.com/p/the-faso-show Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- For today's episode we sat down with Emma Kalff, a painter living in a tiny rural town in southwestern Colorado, where she now earns 90–95% of her income from her art after years of gradual building, side jobs, and business education. She began in sociology at Boston University, realized social work wasn’t for her, and followed her heart down to the art world in New Orleans through figure modeling, eventually receiving a rigorous classical training at the Academy of Fine Arts. Her work evolved from plein air landscapes into layered, dreamlike paintings that combine candid photographs of people with Colorado’s dramatic landscapes, allowing compositions to unfold organically rather than from strict pre-planning. Emma is currently working on a series of five large 30x40 inch linen paintings—“who, what, when, where, why”—that explore existential questions about living and making art in a socially, politically, and technologically volatile era, partly through reinterpreting historical symbols in a contemporary context. She emphasizes that a sustainable art career requires treating art as both craft and business: balancing studio time with marketing and education, diversifying income streams, engaging with local communities, and not waiting passively to be “discovered.” Throughout the conversation, she is honest about the psychological challenges—discipline, burnout, distraction from social media—while still affirming that this open-ended, uncertain time offers artists unprecedented freedom and direct access to their own audiences. Finally, Emma encourages us to sign up for her newsletter and Patreon to stay updated on her work! Emma's FASO site: emmakalff.com/ Sign up for Emma's Newsletter! emmakalff.com/page/49408/newsletter-signup Emma's Patreon: patreon.com/cw/EmmaKalff Emma's Social Media: instagram.com/emmakalff/

    1hr 7min
  5. 174 Matthew James Collins — Painting as a Lifelong Odyssey

    25 MAR

    174 Matthew James Collins — Painting as a Lifelong Odyssey

    Join our next FASO Show Live! https://artists.boldbrush.com/p/the-faso-show Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- To end off season 13, we sat down with Matthew James Collins, a figurative painter, portrait painter, and sculptor living and working in Florence, Italy. Matthew traces his path from a creative childhood in Oak Park and frustration with contemporary-focused art school to then find classical, atelier-based training in Florence. Matthew explains how Old Masters like Titian, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Velázquez shaped his devotion to painting from life, Baroque optical effects, and the idea of following their principles—especially observation of nature—rather than copying their style. Matthew also explains how cameras and screens distort our sense of seeing, why young painters should “go cold turkey” from photographic reference when possible, and how experiencing art in person and in context is radically different from viewing it in what Matthew calls “art zoos” (museums stripped of original context). Matthew shares concrete insights on portraiture—sight-size work from life, historical palettes, thoughtful posing and lighting, and the slow, conversational sittings needed to reveal character—as well as his teaching method of painting alongside one or two students and correcting in real time. Underneath it all, the conversation keeps returning to bigger themes: the likeness of artistic voice to a lifelong "Odyssey", the role of culture and curiosity, the practical and emotional difficulty of being an artist today, and the enduring importance of making ambitious, sincere, beautifully crafted work that lives with people in everyday spaces. Matthew's FASO site: matthewjamescollins.com/ Matthew's Social Media: instagram.com/matthewjamescollinsartist/ facebook.com/matthewjamescollinsartist/ Matthew's Articles: Historical Approaches for Contemporary Portrait Practice Dancing Faun of Pompeii: Removed From Habitat, Out of Context

    1hr 25min
  6. 173 Not Just Buyers — The Power of Collectors

    18 MAR

    173 Not Just Buyers — The Power of Collectors

    Join our next BoldBrush LIVE! Webinar by signing up here: register.boldbrush.com/live-guest Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- In this compilation episode, we are focusing on tips about one of the most important parts of an artistic career: collectors. Our past guests emphasize that fine art is sustained by strong, long-term relationships with collectors, not just technical skill or gallery placement. They describe collectors as people who often want a personal connection and ongoing dialogue—through conversations at shows, home salon events, and gallery openings. Many of our guests highlight using newsletters, social media, and even texting to stay in touch, share new work, and make collectors feel appreciated and involved. Several artists stress the importance of gratitude and reciprocity, from handwritten thank-you notes to remembering birthdays and asking how collectors discovered their work. Overall, collectors are not only buyers but possible friends, supporters, and “connectors” whose loyalty and enthusiasm can sustain an artist’s career over many years. Episodes mentioned in order of appearance: 81 Steve Atkinson87 Johanna Spinks94 Karen Blackwood61 Nanci France-Vaz99 Heather Arenas101 Joseph Gyurcsak120 Kim Casebeer130 Scott Ruthven162 David Griffin166 Miriam Schulman170 Kim Lordier

    41 min
  7. 172 "Aha!" — A Series of Artistic Epiphanies

    11 MAR

    172 "Aha!" — A Series of Artistic Epiphanies

    Join our next BoldBrush LIVE! Webinar by signing up here: register.boldbrush.com/live-guest Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- For today's episode, some of our past guests share the creative “aha” moments that transformed both their work and careers. You’ll hear how structured projects and daily discipline can unlock unexpected growth, and why understanding value matters more than obsessing over color. Our guests reveal how real artistic voice emerges naturally over time, rather than from trying to “find a style.” They also discuss the power of painting from memory and imagination instead of copying reality. Finally, they explore mindset shifts—reframing commissions, embracing the process over the product, and using creativity in marketing—as key breakthroughs on their artistic journeys. Episodes mentioned on this episode: 62 Aaron Schuerr77 Aaron Westerberg79 William Schneider118 Shuang Li129 Brian Bateman137 Chris Krupinski139 Jeff Legg144 Christine Code170 Kim Lordier

    36 min
  8. 171 Nancy Phillips — Build Resilience & Trust the Process

    4 MAR

    171 Nancy Phillips — Build Resilience & Trust the Process

    Join our next BoldBrush LIVE! Webinar by signing up here: register.boldbrush.com/live-guest Learn the magic of marketing  with us here at BoldBrush! boldbrushshow.com Get over 50% off your first year on your artist website with FASO: FASO.com/podcast --- For today's episode we sat down with abstract mixed media artist Nancy Crandall Phillips, who shares her artistic journey from ceramics and fiber arts to the richly layered encaustic and mixed media work she creates today. She explains how a deep interest in the chemistry of materials (acrylic vs. oil, wax, gold leaf, papers, texture paste) and an early education in composition and edges shaped her highly tactile, artifact-like surfaces. Nancy describes her iterative, experimental process, emphasizing cycles of excitement, frustration, destruction, and rescue, and how embracing “happy accidents” and letting materials behave on their own terms is central to her work. She also discusses the emotional side of being an artist, including taking breaks from painting, dealing with frustration, and building resilience and trust in the process. Nancy also talks about the practical realities of an art career—balancing freelance accounting work with painting, entering juried shows, joining art groups, and building relationships that lead to gallery representation and auctions. Nancy closes with advice for aspiring artists to persist, cultivate community, and actively create their own opportunities, and also invites listeners to explore her work on her website and Instagram. Nancy's FASO site: nancycrandallphillips.com Nancy's Social Media: instagram.com/nancycrandallphillips

    1hr 5min
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About

Learn the business of visual art from today's finest artists and art marketers.

Information

  • Creator
    FASO
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    178
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The FASO Podcast
  • Show Website
    The FASO Podcast

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