But my conversation today with Lilianne isn't only about the book. It's the story of how the book came to be — which is a lesson in itself — and has its roots in her decision to be a copyist at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, copying Courbet's scandalous painting, L'Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World). She learned valuable lessons, exercised her courage muscle, and became a better artist as a result. The experience led to the writing of the book that so engrossed me. Lilianne and I talk about all of that and how she juggles her art and writing. She also shares tips for pitching to podcasts, which are equally valuable for other media pitches.
Highlights
Lilianne shares the timeline of her artist journey. (3:22)
The difference between a consistent studio practice and making consistent work. (5:56)
The premise and genesis of Lilianne’s book L'Origine. (9:15)
A full list of Lilianne’s reasons not to become a copyist of this scandalous painting. (13:08)
The fascinating rules for being a copyist at the Musée d’Orsay. (16:36)
Overcoming the most uncomfortable aspects of this endeavor, including the unsolicited comments from museum visitors. (20:21)
Main differences between male and female reactions to the painting. (25:43)
The inspiration that comes from writing about your painting. (26:55)
Turning a once-in-a-lifetime artist experience — and the painting that provided it — into a novel. (29:40)
What makes a piece of art timeless and relevant? (35:13)
If this artwork is shocking today, imagine how it was received in the 1800s. (40:20)
Lilianne explains why her copy of L'Origine du Monde is not currently on display. (42:12)
Lessons learned from interacting with such famous and controversial artwork. (43:38)
What does Lilianne’s studio practice look like now? (46:43)
The secret to pitching your idea in a way that gets results. (48:10)
Mentioned
Resources
Intro and outro music by Wildermiss
Quotes
“Writing is like painting with words.” — Lilianne Milgrom
“This painting gave me the sense of empowerment, which at the beginning felt like an embarrassment, and it turned out to be this enormous feeling of liberation and empowerment.” — Lilianne Milgrom
“This certainly changed my life. As far as my art, it's made me fairly fearless.” — Lilianne Milgrom
“The written word and art, they can’t be separated because you’re going to need to express yourself.” — Lilianne Milgrom
About My Guest
Lilianne Milgrom was born in Paris, grew up in Australia, and currently resides in the United States. Milgrom holds two degrees from Melbourne University and an associate art degree from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She exhibits her artwork around the world and is the recipient of multiple awards. In 2011, she became the first authorized copyist of Gustave Courbet's controversial painting L'Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World), which hangs in the Orsay Museum in Paris and draws over a million visitors a year. After rendering a near-identical copy of Courbet's masterpiece, she spent close to a decade researching and writing L'Origine.
In this episode I talk with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin about how their Cold Wax Academy got off the ground. They were my guests way back in episode 9 from 2017 when we discussed the publication of their book, Cold Wax Medium. Their collaboration has only deepened since that time, and in this interview you’ll find out what makes their combined efforts work so well.
Rebecca, Jerry, and I discuss the format of Cold Wax Academy, how they make decisions together, how they find new members, and what they would do differently with the benefit of hindsight. We also talk about one of my very favorite topics—systems—and the technology they use to keep their joint venture going.
Highlights
Rebecca and Jerry reflect on the timeline of their collaboration. (2:37)
Rebranding your business with the help of professionals. (6:18)
Making the transition from live teaching to the online Cold Wax Academy. (11:04)
Replacing income lost from cancelled live workshops. (12:37)
The pandemic-induced “oh crap” moment that changed everything. (17:03)
How to know when it’s time to hire help. (20:19)
Collaborating with another person in every important aspect of your business. (24:08)
Tools that maximize your communication efforts. (26:53)
A high level overview of the offerings of Cold Wax Academy. (29:00)
The key to making a paid membership work. (33:57)
How to determine what content to offer for free and what to charge for. (37:58)
Adjusting your offerings starts with knowing what your audience wants. (38:47)
A look at the numbers of the Cold Wax Academy community. (43:37)
Lessons learned from the timing and building of a business. (45:34)
What’s coming up next for Cold Wax Academy. (49:42)
Mentioned
Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations by Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin
Episode #9: How Two Artists Self-Published and Are Promoting a Successful Book Together
Resources
Intro and outro music by Wildermiss
First posted: artbizsuccess.com/collaborating-coldwax-podcast
Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community
Music by https://wildermiss.com
Quotes
“We have this great collaboration and I couldn’t have known ahead of time how exciting it would be to develop this program.” — Rebecca Crowell
“Hiring a third person has given us more energy to devote to the business itself.” — Jerry McLaughlin
“What we produce is infinitely better because we’re both doing it together.” — Jerry McLaughlin
“As we go we’re learning more and more about how to interact with people and how to involve members.” — Rebecca Crowell
About My Guests
Rebecca Crowell has been a professional artist for thirty years and is widely known for her innovative painting techniques involving cold wax medium and oils. She teaches these methods both in the US and internationally. Her work is handled by fine art galleries in Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Telluride, and Dublin, Ireland and is found in hundreds of private, public, and corporate collections. Rebecca holds an MFA in Painting and lives in rural west-central Wisconsin.
Jerry McLaughlin has been a working visual artist for twenty years and has exhibited at galleries throughout the U.S. His work is in collections around the world. An expert in all things cold wax, he focuses his major energies on painting, teaching, and writing. Trained as a pediatric intensive care physician, he also holds a certificate in adult education from the University of Washington. Jerry lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Kelly M. O'Brien has been selling a lot of work since 2015, in a way that surprised her at the time. And while she has continued that work, she has added new work—what she calls emerging work— since deciding to go back to graduate school in 2017 to earn her MFA.
With such great commercial success it seemed like an unusual time to return to grad school, but now that she has been out of school for over a year, Kelly is ready to talk about her decision to take that big step and what she learned in the process. Join our conversation as we talk about the ins and outs of juggling two very different art businesses, what her daily practice is like, and where her work is headed.
Highlights
Kelly M. O’Brien shares her art path and the works that have gone viral. (1:49)
Finding more meaning and depth in your art. (5:47)
Changing the focus of her work resulted in Kelly creating two different practices. (8:08)
Finding the right time and the right approach to return to graduate school. (11:51)
The value of intentional planning sessions to help you grow as an artist. (17:15)
The biggest benefits of returning to school. (20:02)
How to determine if an MFA is right for your career. (23:45)
Balancing money-making ventures with your education. (24:49)
How to respond to the stigma surrounding serious artists who work to make money. (26:27)
Changes in Kelly’s practice as a result of earning her MFA. (28:32)
A look inside Kelly’s approach to her daily practice in the studio. (31:04)
Learning a visual vocabulary that will shape the statement of your work. (34:47)
Kelly shares an overview of what is holding her attention in her studio. (38:18)
Mentioned
Resources
Intro and outro music by Wildermiss
About My Guest
Kelly M. O’Brien is an American mixed-media sculptor who lives and works near Bristol, England. She completed a Master of Fine Art (Distinction) at Bath Spa University in 2019. Kelly is co-founder of A Gathering of Unasked Possibility, a collaborative project fostering active hope through creative practitioners, and runs PaperJoy Studio, offering bespoke paper art originals and hand-embellished prints for hospitality and important residential projects.
First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/mfa-obrien-podcast
Let’s do this together: https://artbizsuccess.com/community
Music by https://wildermiss.com