What's the Point. – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of What's the Point, hosted by Shantell Martin, we welcome Tommy Mitchell, a self-taught portrait artist. Tommy works and lives between Baltimore and Los Angeles with his studio space in Baltimore. His work consists of portraiture with an addition of illustration elements and his two main mediums are ballpoint pens and acrylic paint.

Growing up Tommy felt empowered as a kid by watching cartoons and reading comics. This led him to develop a love and obsession for drawing, which he continues to feel today, along with his love of basketball.

Listen to this week’s episode of What’s the Point with host Shantell Martin and guest Tommy Mitchell to learn more about Tommy’s passions, inspirations, goals, hurdles, and process as an artist.

Follow Tommy Mitchell on @tommymitche11

https://www.tommymitche11.com/

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Welcome Lyndon Barrois Sr, to this week’s episode of What’s the Point with Shantell Martin, where we explore the purpose behind creating and enjoying art! Lyndon is an animation director, filmmaker, and artist, who’s worked on The Matrix, The Thing, and Happy Feet, and is also known for his sculptural series, It’s a Wrapper. He’s been featured in major institutions all over the United States. 

Lyndon’s work, It’s a Wrapper, is unbelievably unique as he creates humanistic sculptures from chewing gum wrappers and brings them to life through stop-motion animation. In It’s a Wrapper Studios, Lyndon is known for sportraits, an animated depiction of athletic figures and events in the history of sports, made from gum wrappers.   

Lock into this week’s episode of What’s the Point to learn more about Lyndon’s upbringing and path to becoming an artist, the work he has accomplished, how he stays inspired, and more!

Follow Lyndon Barrois Sr on @itsawrapper

https://itsawrapper.com/

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Introducing Anna Wingfield, “What’s the Point” Podcast’s sixth guest. Born and raised in Seattle, she works in printmaking, creating monotypes. In this episode, we hear about how Anna became interested in art and her outdoorsy upbringing, which led her to be intrigued by an intense and repetitive creative process. Wingfield graduated from Goucher College and studied fine art at Goldsmiths University of London and The Art Students League in New York. 

Anna’s monotypes consist of a long process of steps involving copper plates, ink, ink wiping, pulling, scraping, building layers, combining, and more. Her work creates layers and layers of ink that builds memory within her final piece. Enjoy this week’s episode of What’s the Point, where Shantell Martin and Anna Wingfield converse about how Wingfield found her passion for printmaking, the obstacles she overcame, and the growth she’s experienced from the changes in life. 

Follow Anna Wingfield at: @awingding  

www.annarwingfield.com

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“What’s the Point” conducts episode five as Shantell Martin sits down with artist Shyama Golden, a Sri Lankan-American painter with a background in design. Born and raised in Texas, Shyama went on to receive her BFA at Texas Tech University in 2004. Over her time as an artist, her work has spanned from graphic design to illustration to painting, with a strong desire to explore more in between. 

Shyama and Shantell discuss the challenge of finding your identity and the relationship between how people perceive you and the way you, as humans, want to be perceived. She goes into further detail about her life’s artistic journey and the desire for change after working to promote companies and doing illustrator jobs. In this episode, she dives into the struggles and rewards of being a painter along with her process when creating art. Join Shantell Martin and Shyama Golden as they discuss culture, change in life paths, identity, and commitment to an artistic process in this episode of What’s the Point. 

Follow Shyama Golden at: @shyamagolden  

www.shyamagolden.com

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Content Warning: Graphic, sensitive, and/or mature content is discussed at the following times 00:18:32 - 00:20:40 Listener discretion is advised.

In the fourth episode of "What’s the Point," we follow artist Dos Mas on his journey to discover and nurture his lifelong passion for art. Joined by Shantell Martin, Dos Mas explores the intricacies of self-improvement, the relentless pursuit of excellence, and his profound connection to art and creation. His artistic expression, characterized by its interplay of lines, movements, and energies, initially favoured monochromatic palettes before embracing the spectrum of colour.
Beyond mere aesthetics, Dos Mas' work serves as a testament to resilience and personal growth, as he strives to inspire and uplift others through his artistry and life experiences. In this compelling episode of What's the Point, join Shantell Martin and Dos Mas as they navigate the complexities of life's challenges and their unwavering dedication to the transformative power of creativity.
Follow Dos Mas at: @dosmasstudios
www.dosmasstudios.com

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Content Warning: The following timestamps discuss crime and criminal activity, graphic, sensitive, and/or mature content.

00:15:10 - 00:17:37

00:38:35 - 00:39:40

00:44:03 - 00:46:15

00:47:43 - 00:47:54

Listener discretion is advised.

Welcome to the third episode of “What’s the Point,” where Shantell Martin meets with artist Forrest Kirk to discuss his experience entering the world of the arts and the driving force behind his desire to create. As a kid, Forrest found his first creative outlets in drawing, skateboarding, and practicing graffiti. Since then, Forrest has mastered his skills in oil painting at an atelier in Paris and continues to expand his medium and approach to art. In this episode, we learn about Forrest’s upbringing, how he became intrigued by art, the work he creates, his future goals, and why he decided to be an artist. Join Shantell Martin and Forrest Kirk as they contemplate the purpose of art and the differing paths that life takes us on in this episode of What’s the Point. Follow Forrest Kirk at: @forrestkirk

www.artbyforrest.com

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In the second episode of What's the Point, Shantell Martin continues her exploration of artistic purpose with guest Noah Humes, a freelance visual artist from Mid City, Los Angeles, CA. Together, they delve into the heart of creative expression, navigating the intricacies of personal narrative, societal commentary, and the timeless pursuit of meaning in a changing world. 

Noah Humes, a graduate of Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Communication Arts, brings a rich tapestry of experiences to his work as a visual artist. Blending storytelling with aesthetics, Noah's creations serve as a conduit for introspection, inviting viewers to engage with the complexities of his unique perspective. Join us for this episode with Shantell Martin and Noah Humes as they delve into the realms of creativity, identity, and the reality of life as an artist on this episode of What's the Point. 

Follow Noah Humes at: @noahhumes
www.noahhumes.com

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Welcome to the inaugural episode of “What's the Point.” A podcast where we embark on the journey to uncover the profound meaning behind artistic expression. In this debut episode, we spotlight Los Angeles-based visual artist Victoria Cassinova. From her captivating murals to her thought-provoking illustrations, Cassinova's work transcends boundaries, inviting viewers to ponder the more profound significance of creativity in our lives. 

Through candid conversation and introspective reflection, we delve into Cassinova's artistic process, her inspirations, her personal story, and the driving forces behind her desire to create art. Join Shantell Martin and Victoria on this episode as they explore creativity, identity, and the enduring quest to uncover what the Point of it all is. 

Follow Victoria Cassinova at: @vcassinova

www.vcassinova.com

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Content Warning: This episode contains mature themes and discussions involving accidents, trauma, grief, death and PTSD that may not be suitable for all audiences. The following timestamps indicate where sensitive content occurs.

00:16:01 - 00:17:57

00:19:20 - 00:21:06

00:46:19 - 00:52:45

Listener discretion is advised.

In this week's episode of What’s the Point, we are lucky enough to uncover the fate of Shantell Martin and Chris Houghton, the co-creator of the Disney Channel Show, Big City Greens, after they met on a flight to LA. Houghton is a storyboard artist, animator, voice actor, writer, producer, and director. He co-created the Disney Channel Show, Big City Greens, with his brother Shane Houghton, and he also voiced the series' main character, Cricket Green. Chris worked in animation at Nickelodeon as a storyboard artist on Fanboy & Chum Chum and Harvey Beaks. He also worked at Disney on huge shows such as Wander Over Yonder, Gravity Falls, and the episode “Clogged” of Mickey Mouse. He and his brother are working on Season 5 of Big City Greens, as it just got greenlighted to continue another season. Big City Greens The Movie: Spacecation was released on June 6, 2024.

Tune into a unique episode of What’s the Point as Shantell and Chris discuss Chris’s upbringing in a small town in the middle of nowhere, his upbringing, the family dynamics within his household, his inspiration, and how he got to where he is today. 

Follow Chris Houghton on @chrischoughton

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Welcome to this week’s episode of What’s the Point with your host, Shantell Martin, and the featured artist of the week, Ozzie Juarez. Ozzie’s work can be described as bold, beautiful, detailed, self-reflectional, uplifting, and informative. His pieces take moments from murals, pre-existing artifacts, landmarks, and more, but are then molded into his style as he adds twists, designs, cartoons, comic books, fashion, and more. Within his art are parts of himself, his native background, indigenous patterns, and things that inspire him. With his work, he strives to find a calmness and sweet spot between maximalism and minimalism.

Juarez’s art discovery story is unique and special as he had worked as a businessman from a young boy with his father at Swap Meets, a special cultural tradition further discussed in today’s episode, and had his first ever art class at age 21. His artwork is powerful and much of his passion simultaneously works to give back to his community and those less fortunate.

Enjoy a great conversation with artists Shantell Martin and Ozzie Juarez in today’s episode of What’s the Point.

Follow Ozzie Juarez on @ozziejuarez

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