Art and Alchemy Lab

Turning Lead Into Gold
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semimonthly

Art and Alchemy Lab explores transformation through creativity. Host Allison Adams talks with Modern Alchemists - artists, healers, and visionaries who have learned to turn lead into creative gold." artandalchemylab.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    Ep. 52 Brina Palencia: Acting with Intention

    “You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions, and your intentions create your reality.”—Dr. Wayne Dyer Today’s guest is someone whose voice you have most likely heard, even if you didn’t know it, especially if you like anime shows. Shes voiced characters in Full-metal Alchemist, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and My Hero Academia — and that’s just the start of a very long list. You may have even spotted her on The Walking Dead, which of course, I ask her about in this interview. But what’s even more exciting is the creativity she brings to her personal projects and performances, the ones not everyone gets to see and hear. Brina with just a handful of her anime characters. I met Brina a few months ago when we were both guests at a comic convention, and I was delighted when she immediately said yes to coming on the show to talk about alchemy and the art of acting. Brina isn’t just an actor — she’s passionate about singing and music-making too… and she is a huge fan of monsters. She’s channeling all of this into a new Halloween album from her alter ego, Mili Muerto: monster expert extraordinaire. We’re talking choreography, video songs, and a healthy dose of shadow work. A professional performer’s career is not an easy path, like any of the arts, so it’s refreshing to hear Brina’s down-to-earth approach to sticking it out over time. In this episode, we talk about the long game of overcoming insecurity through maturity — and staying true to yourself in such a high-pressure industry through maintaining personal creativity and making bold choices. After listening, I know you will want to find out more about the fabulous upcoming Mili Muerto Halloween concept album, which unveils August 1st. You can subscribe early and follow along on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Awesome Indie projects must never go out of style. Please pass these on! There are so many ways to support artists. Now some updates from me: as I mentioned my joy in reading tarot, the Gene Keys, and their animal connections in this episode, I want to let anyone curious about these playful mystery schools to know I am offering sessions on my website. I’m still setting up a few things to make the payments easy, but please have a look. Now that I have an actual deck of these Art and Alchemy cards in my hands, I’ll be offering quick readings for a low price too. Check the Mini Readings option. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Jul 7

    Ep. 51 Alison Dale on Perfection and the Number 7

    Well well well, didn’t I plan this well? Happy 07/07, my friends—aka July 7th. On that note, here is a little throwback art from my 49th birthday. A tin-can of whoopass: 7x7. What a beautiful and oddly-peaceful summer day it is here in southern California as I publish this episode, knowing there could not be a more numerically perfect time to share this conversation with the lovely artist/writer/astrologer extraordinaire, Alison Dale, another brilliant gem I met on the Substack-o-verse. Here is her page, she’s got all kinds of cross-pollinating nuggets of wisdom there. Pick your potion! (And subscribe.) Do you notice her Lucky 7 necklace? I had no idea this was her number when I chose the theme card. Even with all her teaching modalities available, Alison (like myself ) identifies first as an artist, and that is truly what pulled me into her sphere. This is the first painting I saw, “The Heart is a Compass”, which we discuss in the episode, if you’d like to follow along visually— its quite impressive in every way. I loved how she referred to it as a “teaching tool,” because I had just finished the important episode with my first alchemy-mentor, Cyril Coetzee, about a medieval Bavarian princess who commissioned something similar so that alchemical and kabbalistic secrets would not be lost forever.As for the alchemy-card we chose, you can view that and it’s description on my previous newsletter here. (Subscribe for free on Substack for more.) And as for the artwork that Allison chose to share, here is the full FREE text of COSMICOMICS, by Italo Calvino, a book of short stories that was influential in her earlier years. I’m looking forward to the read myself! As usual, this episode is chock-full of esoteric yet practical information, but the two Al(l)isons share our inside scoop of the analytic mind of Virgo as we simultaneously celebrate and commiserate our shared cosmic-diagnosis of being born under the harvest sun. (PS September people LOVE their birthday, I’ve always found…but it does come with some ridiculous challenges….as ALL the signs have. Thankfully, there is no monopoly on shadows or gifts. We all have the potential to sink, swim, and succeed. Allison’s website here. Please follow Art and Alchemy Lab elsewhere. I appreciate the follows as I build my kickstarter campaign for the card deck! It’s so exciting! As a long-time solo parent and entrepreneurial artist, these things get pushed toward the surface and then back off again as life happens,, so forgive my inconsistency. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel and soon these cards will be everywhere! Thanks for being a patient yet potent part of the journey! Love, Allison This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jun 19

    Ep. 50 Stuart Semple on the Color Black

    Happy Solstice! This is the time of year with the most light or the most dark, depending on the hemisphere. It’s a perfect day to release this episode on the blackening stage of alchemy. For this very special 50th episode of Art and Alchemy Lab, my esteemed guest is Stuart Semple, a multidisciplinary British artist whose work spans painting, performance, internet art, and installation, and he’s also the man behind the world’s blackest-black paint, and has earned the title of the ‘Robin Hood of Colour’ for making pigments and materials accessible to artists everywhere. He was absolutely the right guy to talk with me about the all important NIGREDO stage of alchemy. And it turned out we have a mutual friend! What a small world. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to Stuart, and I hope you enjoy the conversation too. I invite you to check out more of Stuart’s fascinating projects on his website or follow him on Substack, on his page: The Diary of an Artist. Or even better, order some of his black paint and join the quality paint revolution. Stuart’s art-share is the incredible painting The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio, painted in 1601. He was another artist that knew a thing or two about the color black. For more goodies and updates on the on the oracle deck, etc. please visit my new LinkTree landing page and/or follow me on Instagram as I’ll be sharing more ways to use the cards, create the kickstarter, and bring more art your way! I ordered the maiden card deck last week! It was such a big deal to finally send it off to be published. This is just a one-off for now, but hopefully by the end of the month, I’ll have it in my hand. I’m one step closer to getting these cards into your hands too. (Thanks to all who have been supportive with their words and interest! It means a lot as this has been a slow journey of a project.) Thanks again for celebrating 50 episodes with me. This is a milestone I’m proud of! And there are more to come! Keep shining, Allison PS Here is a link to my late husband Vernon’s Google fonts, they are free to use if you haven’t already got them! He was a “Robin Hood of Type,” along with our good friend Dave Crossland, as mentioned in this episode. The other names listed on these fonts are type designers who have been part of the necessary updates since his death ten years ago. Its cool that they still have a successful life of their own after all this time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jun 5

    Ep. 49 Aethereal Moods on Magical Realism

    When I discovered this episode’s erudite guest Sophie Cournoyer’s writing about creativity and the occult — I was immediately drawn in. Sophie is the artist behind Aethereal Moods, where she explores the occult dimensions of creativity. In her studio practice she paints surreal yet deeply symbolic portraits. In our conversation we get into the yoga of articulation — the work of finding language for what visual art already knows but can’t always say for itself. We talk about the language of land, and the women artists who have been particular conduits for it — especially the British mystic and surrealist Ithell Colquhoun, who retreated to Cornwall and let the landscape become her collaborator. And we talk about honoring our artistic ancestors — not by blood but by resonance — because sometimes those who came before us are our most faithful guides. You can see more of Sophie’s paintings here. Check out her essays on Ithell Colquhoun and A Magical Theory of Art. For more of my artwork, please visit www.allisonadams.net I keep this platform free for my readers and listeners, but I do appreciate when people are able to support my work as they can. If you want to leave a one-time tip or become a paid subscriber, just click on the options below. Many thanks! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  5. May 22

    Ep. 48 Kirstin Wilson: Self-Awareness through Human Design

    Welcome back the the laboratory! My guest this episode is Kirstin Wilson, calling in all the way from Australia. Kirstin is a business empowerment coach who works with women entrepreneurs through intuitive guidance and personal growth strategies, helping them align with who they actually are rather than who they think they should be. In this conversation she shares how tools like Human Design and the Gene Keys can deepen self-awareness, and we explore the role of archetypes and storytelling in personal evolution — and what it really means to shed an old identity. We also talk about something close to my heart — the way art, symbols, and sacred geometry can serve as mirrors for the self. This is a rich and practical conversation about trusting your own inner wisdom and finding the courage to lead from there. Here is the video version if that’s your preference: To connect with Kirstin and discover more of her generous gifts of consultation and self-empowerment through human design, start here! Join Allison’s new Art and Alchemy Page on Instagram. I’m trying to build more of a following there bc my kickstarter for the deck is coming up soon! I would love to have you on board as that unfolds and blossoms into material form (although I know you are on already on board here…and I appreciate that!). As of this week, I’ve got nearly everything scanned and cleaned up, and once I’ve finished the image the back of the cards, it will be ready to format for first prototype printing! Watch this space to be on deck for that (see what I did there?) :) I also made a page for my voice over/DeeDee presence, if you want to join me there for that newly-adventurous part of my life, it’s right here! I get to use my SAG/AFTRA name there…now a true alter-ego. Here are some other ways to get involved: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  6. May 8

    Ep. 47 Eva Yaa Asantewaa: How to Dwell in Possibility

    The Architecture of Poetry This episode is a really fun one for me. I only knew my guest Eva Yaa Asantewaa from a handful of interactions on Substack. I always enjoyed the things she wrote or restacked, and I noticed her generous enthusiasm for amplifying other voices. Since Eva does so many things — writer, editor, dance critic, novelist, Tarot guide, animist spirit worker — I wasn’t sure how to approach the theme of this conversation. Then I noticed a very familiar line at the end of her bio — one that coincided with a gift I made my best friend, whose birthday happens to be shared with the poet of that line, Emily Dickinson. I DWELL IN POSSIBILITY artwork. So instead of analizing alchemical idioms, in this conversation, we spent our time like two friends visiting rooms in a museum, wading in the words of this poem and in the visual branches of a treehouse painted by Francesco Clemente, and opening up to the realm of possibility. MY TREEHOUSE by Francisco Clemente Eva recommended The NY TIMES 10-Minute Challenge if you’d like to increase your visual insightfulness like we experienced in this episode. For you visual peeps, we also have video. Please subscribe on youtube if you are there! If you enjoy this audio podcast, please like, follow, subscribe, rate, or write a quick review on whatever platform you listen. (Substack, Apple, Spotify, etc. It just takes a second and helps me out a lot. Emily Dickinson (by Me) Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Apr 24

    Ep. 46 Artist Scott Erikson on Visual Vocabulary

    This episode’s guest is “Curator or Awesomeness,” Scott Erikson (aka Scott the Painter on his popular instagram account.) Scott is an artist, author, and performance speaker, who is passionate about creating a visual vocabulary for spiritual contemplation. He’s the writer and performer of two one-man shows, the author of 5 books, and the illustrator of countless “visual prayers.” We talk about the alchemical symbol of the peacock, the process of transmuting painful seasons into glimmering insights, and how that transformation lights the path forward for each of us. Check out more of Scott’s work and life on his website. If you would like to watch this interview on Youtube, you can do that here: https://youtu.be/mPFWE_gtlX8 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Apr 10

    Ep. 45 British Painter Claudia Bonney on Seeing the Unseen

    Today’s guest is Claudia Bonnie — a painter based in southwest England, whose artwork conjures mythical heroines, saints, goddesses, and epic animal icons. Her paintings live in that delicious space between mysticism and myth, where superstition is sacred, relics can heal, and a painting can work like medicine. With a background in education and therapy, Claudia is endlessly drawn to what’s happening just under the surface — the real, raw stuff of human experience. When she’s not in the studio, she’s also the official hedgehog rescuer in her area, which honestly feels very on brand for someone whose entire life seems like a waking fairytale. In today’s conversation, we get into the fascinating differences between American and British mythology, and ask the very important question: is spotting Bigfoot in the woods really any different from a fairy sighting in the English countryside? You can follow her wild and wonderful world on Instagram at Claudia.Bonnie. If you are in the area, you can see her paintings in person at the Kittoe Contemporary Gallery in London. In this episode, we touch on the alchemical theme of SUBLIMATION (more on that here), and we discuss some of these images as well. Our Days Were a Joy and Our Paths Through Flowers (1971-72) by David Inshaw King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archeypes of the Mature Masculine by Douglas Gillette and Robert Johnson Sasquatch Chronicles Podcast Claudia’s Instagram Allison’s website. Hope you enjoyed! Come back soon! Allison Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Art and Alchemy Lab explores transformation through creativity. Host Allison Adams talks with Modern Alchemists - artists, healers, and visionaries who have learned to turn lead into creative gold." artandalchemylab.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Turning Lead Into Gold
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Allison Adams
  • Show Website
    Art and Alchemy Lab

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