One artist joined the voting push with 26 votes while another submission had more than 300. Another almost skipped the application altogether. In this Golden Brush Awards roundtable, Eugene O’Neill, Sophie Groenstein, Julia Kenyon, Sydney Rae, and Sabah Bardhan unpack the decisions behind five winning pieces: painting a monumental portrait of Buddhist nun Jun Son while working until 2 a.m., layering exterior house paint to create a saturated hometown portrait, earning a client’s trust for bright orange-and-blue peacocks, experimenting on the wall to recreate coffee-watercolor texture, and wrestling with a human figure and one particularly stubborn set of hands inside a Denver restaurant. The recognition gave each artist fresh evidence that the risky idea, unfamiliar technique, or last-minute submission was worth following through. Eugene O’Neill, Sophie Groenstein, Julia Kenyon, Sydney Rae, and Sabah Bardhan are the artists behind five winning projects from Zibra’s 2025 Golden Brush Awards. Their work spans large-scale community murals, portraiture, restaurant interiors, coffee-inspired realism, and a peacock-covered anniversary chest. Connect with the 2025 Golden Brush Award winners: Eugene O’Neill – Transformation of the Year IGWebsite Sophie Groenstein – Color Crush IGWebsite Julia Kenyon – Vision to Reality IGWebsiteTikTok Sydney Rae – Stroke of Genius IGWebsiteFacebookMy Mural Studio Sabah Bardhan – Detail Devotion IGWebsiteFacebook Creative finds: The 2025 Golden Brush AwardsMuralgartenSunny Dayz Mural FestivalMy Mural Studio A Quick Note from Zibra: 🚨 Zibra’s most-requested brush size drops July 30… The NEW 1/8-inch Detail Brush will be available in square, triangle, and round. Use code BANTER10 for 10% off when you shop the launch at enjoyzibra.com! In this episode, we discuss: How Eugene rallied real-life community groups after seeing his 26 votes next to another entry’s 300-plusWhy full creative freedom became its own challenge when Eugene chose to paint Buddhist nun and peace activist Jun SonHow Sophie layered exterior house paint to give Tulsi its saturated color and velvety softnessHow sample swatches helped Sabah earn a client’s trust for a bold orange-and-blue peacock designWhy Sydney spent extra time experimenting with coffee-inspired texture instead of falling back on her usual crisp linesHow Julia used a human figure, difficult hands, flowing smoke, and white space to create movement inside a Denver restaurantHow recognition helped Sophie advocate for bolder color, Julia pursue travel work, and Sydney seek more textured commercial muralsWelcome to Brush & Banter—the podcast where creativity meets real-life hustle. Brought to you by Zibra, we go beyond perfect brushstrokes to explore the messy, magical, and meaningful side of being an artist. We’re here to bring you conversations with working artists, practical tips to grow your creative business, and a built-in painting companion for your next project. Brush & Banter is co-hosted by Brie Hansen, President of Zibra; Annie Bolding, Founder of It’s a Disco Day Designs; and Lauren Cooper, Founder of Rosemont Lane Design Studio. Connect with Zibra: WebsiteInstagramTikTokFacebook YouTubeBlog
