What do Tom Hackett and Beric Livingstone have in common?
Tom Hackett is a sculptor who walks around town wheeling large yellow silicon dogs in a wheelbarrow as a pretext for holding conversations with members of the public. He tells me that the resulting chats can be confessional, cathartic and uplifting for both parties, and a means of bringing communities together.
Beric Livingstone is an actor, musician and composer of my podcast jingle. Beric tells me how he became unexpectedly well-known when he took on the role of quiz show host for a UK game show – something that was not part of his game plan – and talks about the ups and downs of trying to find creative success.
What do Tom and Beric have in common? They both get stopped in the street by members of the public.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Tom Hackett
Something To Do With Art – Beric Livingstone
Next week: What do Beric Livingstone and Craig Pinder have in common?
What do Jayne Good and Tom Hackett have in common?
Jayne Good is a certified Bob Ross instructor who teaches beginners how to paint idealised landscapes that frequently feature mountains, trees and lakes. In our conversation Jayne tells me how an unexpected misunderstanding led her to quit her job and take up art. “Bob Ross literally changed my life” she says.
Tom Hackett is a sculptor who uses large yellow silicon dogs as a pretext for holding conversations with members of the public. Tom tells me how he used to work in local government, until one day he was summoned into his manager’s office – and came out wanting to be an artist.
Many artists have somewhat circuitous routes into art. Click the links below to hear how Jayne and Tom found their creative calling.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Jayne Good
Something To Do With Art – Tom Hackett
Next week: What do Tom Hackett and Beric Livingstone have in common?
What do Robert Good and Jayne Good have in common? (Apart from our surname – we are not related as far as we know).
I was introduced to the world of Bob Ross by a friend, and I was hooked. Bob Ross was an an ex US army officer who delivered kitsch art demonstrations in a soothing, reassuring and always positive voice. In the current pandemic he has become a cult figure as people look for ways to reduce their stress and anxiety.
Jayne Good is an accredited Bob Ross instructor, teaching people to paint in the Bob Ross style. I was fascinated to find out that such instructors exist, and wanted to find out more. Does Jayne think that what she does is kitsch? And is it creative to teach everyone to paint in the same way?
Jayne discusses positivity, pleasure, and the importance of quality biscuits.
Links:
Robert Good website
Something To Do With Art – Jayne Good
Next week: What do Jayne Good and Tom Hackett have in common?
What do Lizz Brady and me Robert Good have in common?
Lizz Brady is a fanatical Everton FC supporter, going to matches whenever she can and riding the highs and lows of victory and defeat. In the context of her own mental health, I am intrigued to find out how she copes with being so affected by something that is completely outside of her own control.
I am a Spurs fan, but more of the armchair variety. I follow them closely and get frustrated by their many failings (e.g. against West Ham just a few days ago), but find myself unable (or unwilling?) to invest so much emotional energy into their fortunes.
There are not too many artists that I know of who are also football fans, but there are many links between art and football (“The Beautiful Game”), and in our conversation we discuss a few of them.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Lizz Brady
Robert Good website
Next week: What do I have in common with Jayne Good (no relation)? Hint: it’s not the surname… :)
What do Ellie Breeze and Lizz Brady have in common?
On leaving Cambridge School of Art, Ellie Breeze co-founded the Motion Sickness art collective as a means of staying connected, and also to create opportunities to show work and to make things happen in her own locality.
Lizz Brady also formed her own collective, Broken Grey Wires, to provide a support network for her projects about positive mental health. She has since gone on to curate exhibitions featuring work by both emerging artists and also established names such as Pipilotti Rist, Gillian Wearing, Martin Creed and David Shrigley.
It was great to hear their stories about making art happen and the benefits that their approach can bring.
Links:
Something To Do With Art – Ellie Breeze
Something To Do With Art – Lizz Brady
Next week: What do Lizz Brady and me, Robert Good, have in common?
