Artist the Tracy Piper has spent five years asking people what it means to feel seen. In this episode of the Create Podcast, she shares how the SEEN portrait project began, what she has learned from painting over 250 people, and why the work is rooted in community, belonging, and connection.

Suzanne V Paddock didn't set out to become an animal painter, she arrived there through grief, isolation, and a household that grew to nine cats and a dog. In this interview, the Virginia-based oil painter talks about what her pets have taught her about trust and social dynamics, how a devastating loss during the pandemic realigned her sense of purpose, and why the most meaningful moments in her work are the ones that are easy to overlook.

San Francisco Bay Area artist Chelsea Tikotsky paints the moments we almost miss, golden light on water, a shift in the sky, the quiet magic of a landscape at dusk. Working primarily with a palette knife, she builds richly textured oil paintings that move between serene landscapes and lush botanicals, each carrying its own emotional register. In this interview, she reflects on the experiences that shaped her practice, the literature and films that inspire her botanical work, and what she hopes to explore next.

Studio artist Robyn Palescandolo (signed R Palesca) finds the extraordinary in everyday objects, painting with a quiet intensity rooted in minimalism and classical technique. In this interview, she reflects on her years running a painting retreat in rural Italy, the tension between precision and spontaneity in her work, and what draws her back to figurative painting next.

In this interview, Bucharest-based artist Alexandra Niculescu reflects on the influence of Calea Victoriei, the emergence of her "Arcs of Hope," and how painting became a space for transformation, healing, and resilience.

Alice d'Apolito paints visual diaries on wood, populating them with an alter ego, a childhood rabbit, and five pet snails. In this interview, the Italian global nomad talks about whimsy as emotional architecture, the slow philosophy of snails, and what it means to build a dream studio without walls.

Nicole Shannon's practice began at a jeweler's bench and has since expanded into an inquiry spanning painting, sculpture, writing, and research. In this interview, she reflects on Creative Wayfinding, the tension between fragility and possibility, and what it means to use creativity not just to make art, but to navigate life.

Philadelphia artist Jo Gamel joins the Create! Podcast to talk daily painting habits, building a pluridisciplinary practice, her miniatures series from the 100-Day Challenge, and how a dream she set in coaching led her from the Louvre to the Stockholm Affordable Art Fair.

Artist, photographer, and curator Indira Cesarine, founder of The Untitled Space in Tribeca, New York, joins the Create Podcast to discuss eleven years of exhibitions, financial sustainability in the arts, championing women artists, and returning to her own painting practice.

Explore Vanessa McKernan’s latest exhibition, The Wanderer, featuring intuitive oil paintings that intermingle dreams, personal history, and the archetypal feminine psyche. Discover the artist’s process of "archaeological" layering and her recent move to the Ottawa Valley.

Andrea Mitchell has spent decades at the intersection of visual art, somatic therapy, and energy healing. Working in collage, watercolor, stained glass, and mixed media from New York City, she builds layered works that ask viewers to sense what they cannot immediately see. In this interview, she talks about intuition as a creative tool, color as a carrier of frequency, and why the best art — like the best healing — unfolds at the pace the viewer is ready for.

Abstract impressionist painter Emily Jeffords returns to the Create! Podcast to share how she built a sustainable six-figure art business on her own terms, her approach to commissions, and how to protect your creative energy for the long haul.

Chefas Projects presents Meet Me at the Mothership, a new solo exhibition by Portland-based artist Emily Wise. Through radiant, high-chroma paintings, Wise explores femininity, maternal presence, and the symbolic language of nature. Blending mythology, memory, and surreal landscapes, her work invites viewers into contemplative spaces where connection, care, and transformation unfold.

Create! Collective presents In Good Company, a group exhibition featuring 45 contemporary artists on Artsy. Explore original paintings, mixed media, and works on paper.

For Bay Area painter Ali Hall, the California coastline is both subject and sanctuary. Working in atmospheric abstract realism, she transforms ocean horizons and shifting skies into softened, immersive memories shaped by light and emotion. What began as a personal return to painting during a period of recovery has evolved into a deeply intentional practice centered on restoration, reflection, and connection. In this conversation, Hall shares how acrylic layering, intuitive mark-making, and creative wellness workshops all stem from a desire to create moments of stillness in a fast-moving world.

Under vast prairie skies and shimmering northern lights, Nicki Ault finds her deepest sense of belonging. Based in Saskatoon, the contemporary Canadian painter creates luminous landscapes that act as visual love letters to the Earth. Guided by intuition, memory, and a profound emotional connection to the natural world, Ault translates late afternoon light, boreal forests, and endless grasslands into paintings filled with warmth and humanity. In this heartfelt conversation, she reflects on discovering her identity as a Highly Sensitive Person, embracing spontaneity in the studio, and reaching major milestones that affirmed her path as a full-time artist.

Artist and curator Jessica Libor shares how she navigated art school pressure, developed her signature fairy tale aesthetic, and built a creative career on her own terms. A must-listen for artists looking to find their unique voice and stay true to their vision.

In her luminous paintings of smoke, shifting light, and dense Pacific Northwest forests, Kendra Larson invites viewers into a space where landscape becomes both emotional mirror and living system. Based in Portland, Oregon, Larson reflects on awe, folklore, environmental consciousness, and the thin boundary between the visible and invisible. In this thoughtful conversation, she shares how residencies, teaching, and gallery leadership inform a practice grounded in presence, wonder, and the quiet intelligence of place.

For Aunia Kahn, art began as a lifeline. What started as a deeply personal act of survival has grown into a vibrant, multidisciplinary practice grounded in symbolism, sanctuary, and transformation. In this intimate conversation, Kahn reflects on navigating chronic illness, rediscovering traditional media after years of digital work, and finding joy alongside resilience in a career spanning more than two decades.

What happens when you let your subconscious lead the way? Internationally acclaimed artist August Vilella shares how he went from self-taught painter to Art Basel, his accidental five year residence in Japan, and why showing up is the most important career move you can make.