Art Conversations with Lisa Jayne Irvine – Details, episodes & analysis

Barbara Reade lives right beside Lake Ontario in the heart of downtown Burlington. The windows of her my studio space look out on a sweeping vista of sky, water and all the urban elements that make up her vibrant neighbourhood. Barbara’s palette is often influenced by the colours that she sees with a mix of natural hues, highly saturated pigments and the weathered stone neutrals of the local architecture.

When describing her work, describes a powerful interplay between wildness and precision that draws her to abstraction, much like the mix of the natural and urban landscape in which she lives. There is an exhilarating energy that happens when these two opposites coexist. 

Technically, Barbara is a mixed media artist, which means that she uses a variety of materials to layer and build history on the surface of each painting. Every painting that she make begins with play. Barbara never knows where a piece is headed, which keeps her studio practice fresh and unpredictable. One of her goals as an artist is to keep exploring and pushing my limits, whether that be with materials, scale or with new techniques.

On today’s episode Barbara talks about her return to art making after many years away, how her aversion to rectangles lead to her current totem series and launching “No Brush Required”, her weekly artists chats on instagram with Tamara Grand and guest artists. 

Interested in seeing some of Barbara’s work. Go to their website at https://barbarareade.com/

Find Barbara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bdreade_art 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

It’s hard to believe that the podcast is a year old. What started as an idea has evolved into great conversations with artists from across Canada and around the globe. The podcast has now been downloaded in over 26 countries and continues to grow. Thank you to all the artists and individuals who have continued to support the podcast each week. My gratitude is overflowing. 

So for this special Anniversary edition, we have turned the tables. I have invited back my first guest, Lydia Swanson to sit in the host chair and interview me on this special occasion. Tune in as we discuss the conception of the podcast, my creative process and the work I make in my studio. And of course my dreams for the future… 

Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lisajayneirvine

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Laura Peturson holds a BFA from York University and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. With a practice situated in printmaking, drawing and painting, Laura’s works combine multiple print-based techniques with a handmade aesthetic. Laura lives in Callander, Ontario, and teaches printmaking, painting, and drawing at Nipissing University. Her practice includes traditional printmaking disciplines, as well as large-scale print-based mural works that involve layering woodcut, linocut and papercut prints with wheatpaste over hand-painted imagery.

 Laura's work has been presented in recent solo exhibitions at Galerie Atelier Circulaire in Montreal, Station Gallery in Whitby, and Alberta Printmakers Gallery in Calgary as well as numerous group exhibitions in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In addition to exhibiting in galleries, Laura has an active practice in illustration and public art, with large-scale murals in Sudbury, North Bay, and Port Burwell, ON.

On today’s episode Laura talks about her love of printmaking, how she plans her installation works and how her teaching practice informs her art practice. 

Interested in seeing some of Laura’s work. Go to their website at www.laurapeturson.com

Find Laura on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurapeturson/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Victoria lives and paints in Hamilton’s James North art district and cottages on the edge of Algonquin Park and enjoys hiking and paddling the natural spaces of Ontario’s north, be it Muskoka, Algonquin, Haliburton, Kawartha, Madawaska or the length of Bruce Trail. The contrast of sky to rocky cliffs, grand pines and idyllic islands make for great inspiration. Her labyrinth style finds much inspiration in the exposed rock of the Canadian Shield, the grand White Pines and wide open skies. Come join her on land or on water.

Victoria is a professional artist who works from her studio in the Hamilton’s James North art district. Over the last 20 years she has painted oversized, ants eye view florals combined with abstractions and surreal nests floating in the sky. She is currently focused on the Ontario Landscape in all its vast diversity.

As an artist and avid hiker, observing and recording as she hikes or paddles along is an important part of her process. Victoria is an enthusiastic Bruce Trail Conservancy member and cottager on the edge of Algonquin Park. The province boasts so many waterfalls and grand pine forests, silhouetted islands, craggy cliffs and voluminous skies that there will never be time to experience them all, but she tries. Within them she finds the shapes, lines, colours, patterns and forms she so loves.  To play with the interplay of one colour pushing against another or shapes as parts of an overall interconnecting composition is a challenge and a joy. To see the constant movement of all things natural is sometimes easy, as in a waterfall, but more challenging in a wall of granite. She says it’s the geography geek in her that is excited by a ridge of Dolostone or Granite, or the rush of a water cascade, all products of the time glaciers covered the land. Expressing that friction and interconnectedness is what she strives to do. 

Victoria’s labyrinth style of landscape is a unique one. It evokes a myriad of associations from ancient writings to tile or knitted patterns, even mathematical principles to some. 

On today’s episode Victoria talks about her labyrinth style paintings and how her love of hiking the Bruce trail and nature inform her studio practice. 

Interested in seeing some of Victoria’s work. Go to their website at https://www.victoriapearce.ca

Find Victoria  on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/victoriapearceart

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Jorn Schmidt grew up in Germany, where he studied Philosophy. Jorn moved to Canada in 2005. His first contact with screen printing was in Berlin, where he tried to support himself during his  Ph.D studies. He would sell t-shirts and other things on the weekend at a local flea market. The first t-shirt Jorn ever designed and printed depicted the Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, part of what he now calls The 'Philosophers' series.

When Jorn moved to Canada for romantic reasons, he discovered that continuing his  studies proved more difficult and lengthier than anticipated. Again, Jorn turned to making t-shirts, which he sold online, mostly through ebay. Jorn taught himself  basic programming skills and soon launched his own website. At the same time he shifted from the Philosophers to urban scenes, which would attract a larger audience. 

Production initially  took place at his home until the next big step in 2015. With sales going up and his designs also available in local shops, Jorn opened his own shop in Montreal's Mile End area. Initially the idea was to have a workshop and Jorn hoped that a bit of foot traffic would help to cover the rent. Seven years later, the shop was featured in some of the local  guide books. 

On today’s episode Jorn talks about starting his t-shirt business, his interest in philosophy and his infamous racoon design. 

Interested in seeing some of Jorn’s work. Go to his website at www.tresnormale.com 

Find Jorn on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tresnormale/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Delio Delgado is a Dominican-Canadian artist based out of Hamilton, Ontario

He has a BFA in multidisciplinary studies from The National School of Visual Arts in the Dominican Republic. Delio also graduated from the Altos de Chavon, The School of Design which is affiliated with Parson’s The New School of Design in New York City. Delio also has completed Digital Media Production as a Graphic Designer at  Mohawk College.

Between 1997 and 2021 Delio has exhibited extensively in public and alternative spaces in The Caribbean, Europe, the USA and Canada. Some of the galleries his work has been seen in include The civil Museum of The City of Cremona

In Italy, The Art Gallery of Peterborough, The Houston Museum of African American Culture in United States, The Print Biennial in Varna, Bulgaria, The Biennial of Dominican Republic, The Havana Biennial in Cuba, IDB cultural Center in Washington DC,  and recently at YouMe Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario

Delio has been living in Hamilton, Ontario since 2003.

On today’s episode Delio talks about his journey to Hamilton, Ontario from the Dominican Republic, how Covid not only changed his life but also his work, and what he is currently working on in his studio.

Find Delio on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/deldelgado/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Join me from my studio as I talk about the Artist - Life balance. After a busy week full of events, podcast recordings and studio engagements, I spent a little time reflecting on how best to manage my time without feeling burnt out. So, what does it take to be a full time artist? How do I find balance between teaching, my art practice, recording a podcast and the daily demands of life. I will share some of my musings and insights into how to establish a regular studio routine, and some of the tips and tricks that work for me. So grab a cuppa tea and relax into this weeks episode. 

Interested in seeing some of my work. Go to my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lisajayneirvine/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Peggy Taylor Reid is a photographer using both a traditional and an alternative lens. Her work encompasses constructed photographs, concepts, and the natural world. She holds a BFA from the University of Ottawa and a B.ED from the University of Toronto. She is an educator, and a long-time member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, and presently is a member and past co-chair of The Red Head Gallery collective. Taylor Reid’s work can be found in private and public collections, most notably the Art Gallery of Peel. She received the N.Y. Photo Curator award for her series (re)pair, the Director’s award for the work Strength from the A Smith Gallery in Texas and 2 honourable mentions for the 12th Julia Cameron Awards in Self-portrait and Digital Manipulation & Collage. Her work has been published in The HAND magazine, Prefix photo and she was a featured photographer in Light Journal 05. Recent exhibitions include Resounding Within the Echoes, a group show of gallery artists at the Lonsdale Gallery, and online shows The Portrait (Tussle Projects) curated by Laura Horne and Collage curated by Clare Christie for the B. Aird Gallery in Toronto. Peggy Taylor Reid currently lives and works in Caledon, Ontario and is represented by Lonsdale Gallery in Toronto.

On today’s episode Peggy talks about her interest in digital photography, what it’s like to experiment with new media, and her creative process as a photographer. 

Interested in seeing some ofPeggy’s work. Go to their website at peggytaylorreid.com

Find Peggy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/peggytreid/

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Cole Swanson is an artist and educator based in Toronto, Ontario. Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and materially-focused practice, he explores interspecies dynamics evolving in the anthropocene. 

Cole has exhibited works in national and international institutions on four continents and is two-time arts fellow through the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for his research on natural materials, miniature painting, fresco, and earth pigments. With a sustainable and access-oriented approach to creation and dissemination, Cole often engages conservationists, scientists, and social/community partners to integrate advocacy, education, and lived experience into the creative process. His work has been featured in several media and academic publications and his artistic research on Toronto’s double-crested cormorant colony was a feature on the celebrated program “The Nature of Things” with David Suzuki. He has attended residencies in Canada, India, Brazil, and Spain, and recently contributed to an expansive survey exhibition on art, nature, and ecology at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Galleries called ‘Earthly Observatory,” curated by Giovanni Aloi and Andrew Yang. 

On today’s episode Cole talks about his practice, travel, and the influence of materiality on his process.

Interested in seeing some of Cole’s work. Go to his website at coleswanson.org 

Find Cole on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/coleswansonart/ 

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com

Heather was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She attended McMaster University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Heather then went on to graduate from the well-respected Interpretive Illustration program at Sheridan College.

Heather’s work can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide. A selection of her paintings is now a part of the permanent collection at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, as well as part of the Government of Ontario's permanent collection. Several of Horton’s paintings can be seen in the Lionsgate film “A Simple Favor”, starring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and directed by Paul Feig. Also, Heather has been profiled by Bravo! Canada series The Artist’s Life.

Several of her paintings are headed to the moon as a part of the Lunar Codex Project, which will have art in digital form as a part of the payload of three different missions landing in three locations on the lunar surface. You can read more about this exciting project at http://LunarCodex.com 

Heather has studios in Los Angeles and London, England, where she and her husband live.

On today’s episode Heather talks about her love of the figure, the repeated element of water in her work, and what influenced her early works. 

Interested in seeing some of Heather’’s work. Go to her website at  heather@heatherhorton.com 

Find Heather on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/heather_horton

Find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/artconversationswithlisajayne/ or at my website at www.lisajayneirvine.com