Ms Mystic

How do we get to the point where we fully trust? Trust that things will work out, trust that the thing that calls you will lead you right where you need to be? Dive deep with me into these topics with California based visual artist Cosette Grider.  Cosette took that leap and in this talk she shares openly about her trials and victories and how with a little patience and grit you can do it too.

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Have you ever felt like it's too late for you to do something you have always wanted to do?  I felt that way about a lot of things! We cast spells with our thoughts and beliefs, to make new magic you must cast new spells. Elaine inspires us to use positive thinking and remember that this one life is all we have, your days are a canvas, your experiences are the paint, and the clock is ticking so choose wisely! It's never too late to reshape the masterpiece of art that is your life.  Don't wait until it's over!! Do that thing NOW, take that leap of faith and trust that things will work out for you.  Elaine invites us to come alive with that inner guidance and passion and to do and be that dream.

The queen behind Amanda Ruth Art, Amanda Burns, is a beautiful acrylic and oil painter from Southern California.  In this talk we cover topics such as mental health, the double edge sword of social media, and burnt toast (lol).  A funny yet deep conversation and at the core we find the power of art.

From Amanda: I am a work from home artist who mainly paints fan art, pet portraits, and Bob Ross style landscapes. I use mainly acrylic paints, and then oils for the landscapes. I began painting when I was in about 5th grade. I had a very creative teacher who sparked a creative passion in me and I have been painting ever since.

I took as many art classes as I could in high school and went on to study media arts and animation. I did not complete my animation degree because the more I studied it the more I realized that digital art was not for me. I missed the hands on messiness of traditional painting. So I left college to pursue other art dreams.

For about 5 years I worked as a paint and sip party host. I would host art parties at different restaurants and venues and lead people through beginner paintings while they all drank and had a great time. I stepped away from that and I am now living my dream of being a self employed, work from home artist. Huzzah!

I have an amazing husband who treats me like a queen, a corgi named Olimar, and a cat named Midna. We are huge Nintendo fans and all around geeks. I like to paint the things that make me happy, which means a lot of fan art and corgis!

I recently became a Certified Ross Instructor (CRI) and am now able to teach other people the Joy of Painting using the Bob Ross techniques.

I live stream all of my paintings and process on Twitch where you can watch me paint and chat with me. I love to get to know new people so come say hi!

Microbiology major and art teacher? Let's find out how these two things merge in our beautiful guest Rose Laverdure.  We will explore the need for art as a universal language and mode of communication that could change the world as we know it!

From Rose about herself: "I was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I was engaged in the arts at a young age. Dance was one of my first passions. I did competitive Irish dancing for most of my childhood and fell in love with ballroom and Latin dancing as a teen. I auditioned to get into an art high school (De La Salle), where I ended up specializing in a newfound passion: visual and media arts.

I’ve always been inspired by the natural world, and that is reflected in my art. My portfolio mainly consists of watercolour and acrylic paintings of landscapes, trees, water, flowers and animals. Van Gogh, Monet, Emily Carr and the “Group of Seven” served as inspirations. I’ve always loved impressionism, post-impressionism and naturalism. My love of nature translated into my academics. I developed a love for the sciences, namely biology, and pursued a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Biology at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

After my bachelor’s, I moved to Montréal, Québec to complete a Master’s degree in Applied Microbiology. The 2020 pandemic hit in the middle of my degree, and I rediscovered my love of art as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty. Once I picked up my paintbrush after a nearly 10-year hiatus, I have not been able to put it down since. I started teaching online painting classes with Yaymaker and have started commissioning art work for people across Ontario. I moved back to Ottawa and plan to continue teaching and painting post-graduation. I’m active on Instagram where I share my artwork and events.

Shannon is an artist of many mediums, but painting ignites her soul. In this talk we will explore Shannons views on art and how you can contribute in your own community as an advocate for the arts AKA an "Art Soldier". Why is art something to fight for anyways? Let's dive in and find out together! 

From Shannon: " I paint impressionist pieces - with some abstraction mixed-in. I live and work in beautiful western Massachusetts where I derive much inspiration. My work explores the natural world and color-play. A piece can transform from a light and airy watercolor to richer and defined oils, and then on to highly colorized acrylics. Many artists are encouraged to 'settle' on a style. For me, my mind aches to continually explore. I hope you enjoy my works that each capture a piece of my soul within them."

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In this episode Michelle talks about her journey as a professional artist. She shares plenty of insights and wisdom about what has helped her grow in the art world and find her voice as a creator. 

Michelle Smith is a Southern California based figurative artist. She studied studio art at Oral Roberts University. She has since displayed and sold art across the United States and has begun shipping sold works of art to other countries including, Japan, Australia, Canada and Switzerland.

Since 2007, Michelle has explored many mediums and has created collections in both watercolor and oils. Her preferred medium is traditional oils on canvas.

Her work is strongly representative of and inspired by her faith. Her most recent collection, The Royalty Series, uses color and complex layering, to showcase the intrinsic value of all people; exploring how God sees humanity verses how people see themselves.

Smith loves all things art and believes art provides a very powerful and unique lens into viewing, expressing and influencing the world around us.

Michelle is married and a mother of three. When she is not painting she is busy with her family. She is also a devoted dog mama. Her fur child/studio pup, Blue, never misses a painting session.

Art is more powerful than we might realize, in this talk with Alyson we'll dive deep into the transformative gift of the arts, and how it can empower you now.

Alyson McCrink is a contemporary abstract painter who lives and works in Seattle, Washington. A native of the west coast, her colorful representations of nature pay homage to her homeland. Her distinctive personal style emanates curiosity among her viewers.

Her artwork can be viewed as a topographical depiction of the Earth, an underwater perspective, or a landscape of a far away horizon. All views are all brought to life with contrasting and harmonious colors and bold compositions. As the artist explains, “I’m trying to show aspects of the natural world that need attention brought to them. I welcome the viewer to contemplate the visual journey of each painting.”

As a child Alyson took any object she could find to color or paint on. From a young age she has believed, “You can create the world you see in your mind, to show others a better way.” She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boise State University and has been an active artist, showing her work in galleries, fine art festivals, and public spaces.

Just go for it! One of the biggest and best steps to take as an artist is finding the courage to show your work and put yourself out there! In this episode we will explore the benefits and set backs of this process among other topics.  

From Jennuhlee: "I have been practicing art in all forms since I can remember. My art ranges from pretty dark themes dealing with sexual abuse, addiction, and trauma to overly colorful pet portraits and fan art. For me, painting is an outlet, it’s therapy and it’s my meditation. If I go too long without painting I feel drained like I’m going through withdrawal. Luckily I am at a point in my life after years of taking orders in a drive thru to get through college and trying to get my art out there where I can paint everyday".   

In this episode we explore some of the more practical considerations of the arts, as well as the playful. Robert is an Artist, Designer and all-around Craft Nerd. He is also the Senior Production Designer at Taco Bell Design. With his hands on almost all of Taco Bell Design’s creative output, he has quickly established himself as the leader of TBD’s creative-culture team. Robert also founded Taco Bell’s first Employee Resource Group (ERG) championing LGBTQ+ partnerships and education, among his many other culture-leading contributions.

" The action of creation is a necessity", let's find out why and how "happy brain chemicals" are one of the awesome side effects of making art.

Jessi has been an artist for the past 10 years, specializing in painting and sculpture. She enjoys teaching art to students young and young at heart, because she believes that practicing art can benefit anyone of any age and any background. Though she is originally from the US, she is currently studying to be an art therapist in Canada. You can check out her Instagram @jessis_palette and connect with her to commission a piece or for private art lessons!

Why we should all be making more art!  In this conversation I speak with Devon Gonteski, a full time engineer, on how she has made a side-gig involving art a priority and why art is essential.  Having a passion for science, Devon’s choice career path was engineering. With a strong background in art, yet her hobbies still remain creatively based; she enjoys various forms of art, and is a self-taught acrylic painter who occasionally teaches paint-n-sips.

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Yulia Tsinko is a visual artist, living and working in Calgary, Alberta. She has travelled extensively and lived in several countries prior to settling down among the picturesque Rocky Mountains. As far back as she can remember, Yulia always had a pencil or a brush in her hand. However, after elementary school success, her art career took a bit of a detour. Even though she always felt the tug, she didn't come back to art until later in her life after a science degree and several jobs in that field. She has studied art at the University of Calgary, ACAD, Emily Carr Institute and took workshops with several prominent North American artists: Henri Yan, Juan Martinez, Martinho Correa. Yulia works in inks, acrylics and oils. Her inspiration comes from observing living things and trying to capture their essence with a brush. She describes her art as emotional realism.

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Here we touch on the personal journey of Wendy Anderson, a long time teacher in the fields of art and yoga, she talks about the link between spiritual awareness, creativity, and personal empowerment.  Ponder questions like arts influence in mental health, and communication.  Listen in to discover some insight into the creative process and the new ideas that we could consider as our ideas about the role of art expand. 

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In this episode I'll talk to Carmen Deanna, who is an incredibly gifted painter and peer in the paint and sip industry. We cover topics such as mental illness and education, among other things, in regards to our experience in the arts and entertainment industry. 

Carmen was born in Winnipeg, MB but currently resides in White City, SK.  She is a self taught artist and has always used arts as a means to express herself.  Although she started her University career in Fine Arts, she graduated with her Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree and spent a few years as a personal trainer.  Yet her true passion always comes back to the arts no matter how far she drifts away. 

She believes that art should not only be esthetically pleasing but also tell a story and make you FEEL something. Colorful and imaginative landscapes are her specialty, and enjoys combining both realism and abstract ideas in her paintings.  She currently works as Paint Nite Artist and Original Art Creator in Regina teaching others how to paint in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

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