After moving from Texas to Oregon in 2022, Joan reignited her passion for painting—now focusing on still life that celebrates food, wine, and joy. She discusses the challenges of relocating, the importance of finding community, and the evolution of her art practice, while emphasizing how her new environment has inspired a fresh perspective on her work.
Iris also shares insights on overcoming doubt, using AI in her creative process, and balancing her art with motherhood. She touches on her time in Taiwan, which was key to her development, and how her income breaks down between originals and reproductions.
The post Establishing Yourself in a New Art Community with Joan Chamberlain (ep. 204) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>One piece of advice I’ve shared with artists over the years is to establish a reputation locally before expanding into new markets—you know the people, and you have existing connections.
But what happens when you relocate and need to start over?
How do you build that reputation in a completely new community?
That’s exactly what my guest, Joan Chamberlain, experienced when she moved from Dallas, Texas, to Eugene, Oregon, in 2022. I’ve enjoyed watching how Joan has increased her visibility in her new community—doing live painting, getting involved in local events, and finding much more happiness in both her art and life.
In this episode of The Art Biz, we discuss:
- The positive impact the move has had on Joan’s art practice and why she insists that location matters for an artist.
- The challenges and benefits of transitioning to a new art community, and how volunteering helped her make key connections in Eugene.
- How Joan found her niche and is excited to develop more work in that direction.
- Her informal audience research to find the best market for her work, including the potential for reproductions.
Whether you’re thinking of moving or looking for fresh inspiration in your practice, this episode offers practical insights and motivation.
Listen
Mentioned
The Dundee hotel
Steven Pressfield, Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be
Quotes
“The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.”—Robert M. Persig
“I’m one of those people with too many ideas and I’m easily bored and want to move on to the next challenge.“—Joan Chamberlain
“The biggest spark really was when the Supreme Court overturned Roe and I was in Texas and I thought, I can’t live here anymore.”—Joan Chamberlain
“When you’re 69 it’s easier to ask now. I don’t have much time left. I’m like, just go for it.”—Joan Chamberlain
“Place does matter and maybe other people know that. It took me moving to realize how, how much it affects your mood, your energy … even your sense of abundance or scarcity.”—Joan Chamberlain
Watch
Related Episodes
These episodes touch on what it’s like to reestablish your art business in a new location.
About My Guest
Joan Chamberlain is happiest with a tool in her hand, so it’s no wonder that she has spent the majority of her life both creating art and practicing dentistry. She retired from dentistry in 2016 and pursued freelance illustration, focusing mainly on culinary themes.
In 2022, after moving from Dallas, Texas to Eugene, Oregon, she discovered that she had serendipitously landed in the center of a vibrant wine culture where she could expand on her fine art practice that features wine and related subject matter.
In her new home, she is enjoying a personal artistic renaissance facilitated by the natural beauty of her surroundings and the welcoming arts community.
Follow Joan on Instagram: @joancdesigns
The post Establishing Yourself in a New Art Community with Joan Chamberlain (ep. 204) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>We discusses how she navigated the transition with resilience—emphasizing the importance of curiosity, relentless pursuit of opportunities, and the value of networking. She also highlights the power of consistent progress and the need to stay adaptable.
The post Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman (ep. 202) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Debra Disman enjoyed a successful career as a decorative painter in San Francisco before relocating to Los Angeles.
Rather than viewing the relocation as an impediment, Debra recognized opportunities in the move. Above all, it was a chance to reignite her studio practice.
In this episode of The Art Biz, Debra shares her journey, revealing how she has navigated this transition with resilience.
Throughout our conversation, several key themes emerge:
- Debra’s fierce curiosity that drives her to explore and understand her surroundings.
- Her drive to pursue new opportunities, no matter the obstacles.
- The critical role of networking and the connections she’s made along the way.
- The power of making consistent progress, even through small, daily actions.
- The importance of staying adaptable in an ever-changing world.
Listen
Mentioned
18th Street Arts Center in L.A.
Art and Cake online magazine for the L.A. art scene
A Dual Path as an Artist and Art Reviewer with Philip Hartigan
Debra Disman Quotes
“It isn’t just being able to create. It is being able to cope with that world to engage with that world to embrace that world.”
“I thought it was a reinvention, but I’m finding now that it was simply opening up into a new phase and bringing everything with me into that because it’s a very high-powered environment.”
“All people want the same thing. All people are concerned about being treated well, being treated with respect, being seen, and not being taken advantage of in any way.”
“You cannot underestimate the power of showing up for something on a daily basis in the studio, reaching out and, and just doing it step by step … break it down into manageable chunks.”
“You need to have that enthusiasm for yourself, whether it’s quiet and meditative and in the flow of things in the studio or whether it’s interacting with other people. You have to have that joy because otherwise, why, why are we doing this?”
Related Episodes
These episodes are focused on networking.
About My Guest
Debra Disman is a Los Angeles-based artist known for her work inspired by the book—in her studio practice and in the public sphere of community engagement. As a maker, teaching artist, researcher and writer, she creates work and projects that investigate states of being and connectiveness through intensive engagement with materials, while attempting to fully explore and exploit their haptic properties.
She has served as an artist-in-residence for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs since 2017, was a Santa Monica Artist Fellow in 2021-22, and has been a local artist-in-residence at 18th Street Arts Center since 2018.
Follow Debra on Instagram: @artifactorystudio
The post Adapting through Curiosity and Connection with Debra Disman (ep. 202) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Kelly also discusses her latest solo show and her engagement with her new community, how she maintains a robust art presence both in the US and the UK, and funding sources.
The post Using Her Superpower and Biomaterials with Kelly M. O’Brien (ep. 196) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>One thing is certain about the art business: There are more artists making more art than ever. Where is it all of that art ending up? Where will it be in 5, 10, or 30 years?
Knowing that not all art will be or should be preserved forever, I have become increasingly aware that the materials many artists are using in their work are harmful to our environment. (I know … I’m pretty slow to the party.)
Maybe not in the short term, but what happens to the works or the scraps from their making in the future?
My guest for this episode of The Art Biz has taken this concern to heart and completely changed how she makes work.
Kelly M. O’Brien grows and uses biomaterials for her sculpture.
In this fascinating conversation, we discuss:
- What biomaterials are and how they show up in Kelly’s new work.
- The aesthetics of biomaterials.
- Why Kelly isn’t concerned about the work lasting forever.
- What you can do to incorporate more sustainable sources in your work.
We also discuss Kelly’s recent solo exhibition and why community interaction is a key piece of her exhibitions, and how she funds her non-commercial practice.
[ For some background, listen to my earlier interview with Kelly: Returning to Grad School for an MFA]
Listen
Scroll down to watch the video interview.
Highlights with Audio Timestamps
02:02 Kelly makes a big move from the UK to Upstate New York
04:03 The shift to sustainable art practices
05:51 Understanding biomaterials
09:27 Kelly’s recent solo exhibition
15:36 The role of research in Kelly’s approach to her art
18:25 Exploring the potential of biomaterials
24:50 Public programs and community engagement [ See Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers ]
26:11 The Reading Circle and Mend & Tend for the exhibition
27:45 The importance of connection
30:38 Building a network as an introvert
32:57 Maintaining overseas connections
36:59 Challenges of biomaterials in art
41:38 Resources for artists interested in exploring biomaterials
43:07 Kelly’s upcoming projects
Mentioned + Resources
- Byrdcliffe Artist Residency Program
- Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
- The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry (publication also of the same name)
- When I Am Among the Trees read by Mary Oliver
The Material Way: the course Kelly took in 2023 to expand her biomaterials palette—it has since evolved)
TU Delft in the Netherlands: the academic research on mycelium for making
- Materiom
- Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne
- Dezeen
- Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) Artist Toolkit: practical ideas, actions, and resources to support artists in addressing the climate crisis
- The Artist Resource Index (part of the GCC Artist Toolkit): a Notion-organized set of biomaterials resources and ideas for creating a more environmentally sustainable practice
- Artist Care & Repair: Kelly’s ever-evolving resource collection of books, articles, podcasts, and videos
Kelly M. O'Brien Quotes
“I am very driven by wanting to do less harm to the environment and to myself.”
“It’s the immersion in the woodlands and in nature that really held me together. And it was the beginning of a spell against despair.”
“I spent so much time outside during the pandemic and felt very cared for. A lot of solace in that.”
“I had to look outside of fine art to see who was making things that are enduring and working.”
“I’m interested in connecting the dots between paying attention to something and falling in love with it and wanting to take care of it.”
“I don’t feel like we can just sit back. It feels to me really urgent that we take whatever our superpower is and use it.”
Related Episodes
These episodes center around the artists’ studio practices.
About My Guest
Kelly M O’Brien is a mixed media artist with two strands to her practice: contemporary fine art sculpture and a commercial line that serves the hospitality art industry. After living overseas for 12 years, she recently returned to the US to settle in the Hudson Valley, New York.
Kelly completed an MFA in 2019 and received the Royal Society of Sculptors Gilbert Bayes Award for high-potential sculptors in 2023. She exhibits her work in the US and UK, and her commercial work is in corporate and hospitality projects worldwide.
Follow Kelly on Instagram: @kellyobrienart
The post Using Her Superpower and Biomaterials with Kelly M. O’Brien (ep. 196) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Heather has learned to navigate the art world with intention, which has led to her current solo show at the Chrysler Museum of Art. We discuss funding, being prepared for opportunities, and building authentic relationships.
The post Overcoming anxiety about making art world connections with Heather Beardsley (160) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Heather Beardsley’s art has been influenced by extensive travel and residencies in diverse cultures. This started with her year in Vienna as a Fulbright Scholar and then continued for several years until the pandemic shut down her residency in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Like everyone else, Heather had to pivot upon returning to the U.S. She used the downtime to her advantage by getting organized and shaping her career path.
In our conversation in this episode of The Art Biz, you’ll hear how she managed to transform her social anxiety into opportunities—realizing that real growth could only happen when she overcame the urge to play it safe by sticking to open calls for entry.
Heather has learned to navigate the complex art world with intention while connecting with institutions and curators to propel her career.
She shares her experiences of the following:
- Securing exhibition fees, grants, and residencies while managing expectations.
- The importance of being organized and ready for opportunities.
- Using Microsoft OneNote to organize opportunities and deadlines.
- Building authentic relationships within the art world where so much can seem transactional.
You’ll also hear about Heather’s current solo show at the Chrysler Museum of Art and how it came about.
Listen
One of my four core beliefs for art business success is that your network is your #1 marketing asset.
[ Read or listen to my core beliefs for art business success. ]
Mentioned
Quotes
“I think it just forces you to grow as a person being in other cultures constantly. It’s very easy when you’re in one place to surround yourself with people who are like you, who think like you, and so it takes much more effort to force yourself out of your comfort zone, but when you’re traveling that just has to happen.”—Heather Beardsley
On anxiety about reaching out to art world players: “The people that reach out too much, they’re not worried that they’re reaching out too much. So the fact that we’re conscientious enough to have some concerns and think through it means that you’re probably okay.”—Heather Beardsley
“You have to just keep applying year after year. And in the meantime you still need to be doing things.”—Heather Beardsley
“There’s a difference between making professional connections and using people.”—Alyson Stanfield
Related Posts and Episodes
These are related to curating and museums.
About My Guest
Heather Beardsley creates mixed-media projects at the intersection of art, science, and environmental issues, resulting in her first solo museum exhibition, Heather Beardsley: Strange Plants, at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA in 2023.
Upon receiving her MFA in fiber from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015, Heather spent a year in Vienna, Austria on a Fulbright Scholarship for Installation Art. She has shown her work both nationally and internationally, including group exhibitions at Science Gallery Dublin, Museo del Traje in Madrid, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, and Museum Rijswijk in the Netherlands.
Follow her on Instagram @heather_beardsley
The post Overcoming anxiety about making art world connections with Heather Beardsley (160) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
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