Massachusetts-based artist Sarah Valinezhad speaks with Create! Magazine about her research-driven practice centered on Iranian women's lived experiences, the emotional weight of interior spaces, and why she sees painting as an act of witnessing rather than representation.

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.