Today I am sharing an interview I did with Jersey City writer and photographer Grant Hardeway. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.

I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.

I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?

Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.

A little bit about this video: Grant Hardeway is a photographer who lives and works in Jersey City, and whose work I found on instagram. In this interview Grant discusses his earliest artistic project (an art class stunt that turned out pretty successful), the importance of intention when he’s photographing the world, and his reluctance to call himself a photographer. He talks about using both film and digital, his love of composition and light, and the power of photos to evoke a mood or feeling and a memory of another time and place. We discuss the duty that artists have to document life (especially during crisis times like today) and also the importance of slowing down and being more aware of life. Grant is a very thoughtful person and I absolutely loved speaking with him. I hope you enjoy!

You can learn more about Grant and see his gorgeous work at: https://www.instagram.com/digital_taxidermy/

Nat

Today I am sharing an interview I did with watercolor artist Mario Robinson. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.

I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.

I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?

Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.

A little bit about this video: I met Mario years ago through our work with Winsor Newton/Liquitex and I always love catching up with him. He is a super talented watercolor artist and just a great friend to chat with about all things art related and beyond. In this interview, Mario talks about a recent move, the positive side to disruptions in artmaking, his changing source of inspiration and artistic drive, and dealing with the emotional weight of the global pandemic. Mario discusses his craft as a watercolor artist, the challenges of working big showing us his unbelievably cool and mind blowing project he is working on, and the role that the arts community is playing these days to help the world cope.

You can learn more about Mario here on his website: https://www.marioarobinson.com and here on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marioarobinson/

Nat

Today I am sharing an interview I did with author, educator, and artist Danny Gregory. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.

I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.

I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?

Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.

A little bit about this video: I met Danny through Sketchbook Skool, his online educational platform that is a great resource for workshops, inspiration and advice. In this interview Danny talks about his experience sheltering in a state other than his own, cobbling together art supplies to continue his practice (including a surprising donation of supplies from a Sketchbook Skool student coming to the rescue), and using technology to fill in the gaps. He discusses the changing nature of his online business in response to the situation and the increasing need for online support communities and the responsibility he feels towards artists and their personal growth. We talk about talent, obstacles, motivation, and hard work. We do a bit of joking too, so definitely tune in until the end.

You can learn more about Danny (including a link to Sketchbook Skool) here: https://www.instagram.com/dannyobadiah/

Nat

Today I am sharing an interview I did with artist Jimmy Leslie. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.

I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.

I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?

Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.

A little bit about this video: I met Jimmy years ago at a trade show in Germany and have enjoyed ever since following his art, working on special projects with him, and just being friends with such an enthusiastic and supportive person. In this interview, Jimmy talks about his role as a Resident Artist for an art materials company, his passion for sharing his artistic knowledge in a judgement-free way, and the variety in his day-today activities as a working artist. He discusses the ups and downs of putting yourself out there and connecting through technology, the challenges that artists can face with creating in this climate of crisis, and his own artistic journey that is ongoing. We chat about inspiration, working in sketchbooks, and the benefits of working with different media.

You can learn more about Jimmy and see his gorgeous work at: https://www.instagram.com/jimmyleslieart/

Nat

Today I am sharing an interview I did with friend and watercolor artist John DuVal. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.

I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.

I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?

Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.

A little bit about this video:  John DuVal is a very talented watercolor artist who paints urban landscapes and dabbles in other media as well. He is a teacher at the Jersey City Art School and also a teacher on Creative JumpStart. In this interview John discusses the challenges of now working on his artwork at home, away from his regular studio, including working at a smaller scale, choosing specific materials that can be taken out and packed away more easily, and dealing with lighting issues. He also talks about using technology and how that has become a new way for him to more easily create as he works as an artist from home, but also discusses it as a double edged sword and is careful with how he lets technology influence his practice as an artist.

You can learn more about John and see his gorgeous work at: https://www.instagram.com/duval.artist/

Nat