This week the award-winning Cinematographer, Shana Hagan, ASC. In the words of fellow cinematographer Gretchen Warthen: “Shana is the biggest documentary female DP/Operator in the world… and one of the kindest DPs I have ever worked with on set. You would never know who she is in the cinematography world without looking her up.” Her work includes D…

The Romanian Botanical Artist Irina Neascu began her career in architecture and now her journey transcends academia, science, art and illustration. Irina says: “I approached botanical art to continue investigating the cultural landscape from a natural perspective of the reciprocal influence and fragile intersections between culture and nature.” Iri…

This week the contemporary impressionist Anne Blair Brown. Her work centers on intimate scenes inspired by local surroundings as well as travel in the US and abroad. She says: “My artwork starts in reality and evolves through my imagination. As an impressionist, I believe in a painting process that enables me to tap into my creativity rather than t…

Colleen Laffey is a camera operator whose credits include: Love is Blind, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, American Grit, Capture, Master Chef, Jersey Shore, The Bachelorette, Kings of Pain, Are You The One, and MotoMaidens. She has, she says, become obsessed with photography, it’s her drug of choice and gets in her flow state when she’s …

This week the Belarusian soft pastel artist Tanya Avchinnikova. Tanya’s love of water and its translucency is the focal point and inspiration for her art. She says: ‘I specialize in seascapes and landscapes – places where you can feel a deep unity with nature, and trying to capture the illusion of presence.’ Tanya was born in Minsk, Belarus in 1988…

This week the Vietnamese photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo. Ngoc was born in Vietnam in 1963 and grew up during the Vietnam War. Her father, Chau Minh Ngo, was a colonel in the South Vietnam Army and her mother Phi Truong became a nurse's aide after raising eight children. Ngoc was the sixth child—she has four sisters and three brothers. Despit…

Arkansas native, Paulette Pearson, is a colored pencil artist who captures whimsy and humor in her drawings. She creates work that she says ‘reflects a unique blend of artistic skill and storytelling,’ and has an eye for detail that harmonizes with originality, authenticity and depth. Paulette was born in Big Bear, California in 1982, the oldest of…

Visual storyteller Flash Rosenberg, is a self described 'Attention Span for Hire' who photographs, draws, writes and talks as a performer. Flash was the pioneering artist in residence for ‘LIVE from the New York Public Library’ for seven years, capturing live-drawings of literary discussions in real-time to create panels and animated summaries know…

This week the figurative painter Lisa Golightly whose work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape and influence change. Lisa was born in Eugene, OR in 1974—one of two children; she has an older brother— to parents Frank, an accountant, and Patty, a teacher. Her father was also an amateur painter and sculptor who guided Lisa’s introduction t…

My guest this week is the National Geographic explorer and award-winning wildlife film-maker, photographer, presenter & founder of Bambee Studios, Aishwarya Sridhar. Aishwarya was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India in 1997, the only child to parents Sridhar Ranganathan and Rani Sridhar. Her father is a chartered accountant and her mother an adverti…

This week the Fine Artist, Michele Usibelli, whose work ranges from landscapes and animals to still life and figurative art. A Washington State native Michele was born in Seattle in 1962 then spent time in Utah and Alaska before returning to Edmonds, WA where she divides her time with another studio in Montana. Michele is the eldest of three childr…

This week the Russian born felt-maker Elena Bondar who has established a second career as an artist in her adopted country of Finland. Elena taught herself the art of wool and felt-making, and since 2010 she has been crafting bespoke wool paintings, infusing them, she says, with the strategic planning, self-reliance, and dedication to excellence ho…

This week the portraiture, mixed-media artist Diana Bittar whose large canvases convey bold, uninhibited figures reflecting the artist’s new found confidence and expression. ‘I am constantly fascinated by faces, and how the personalities and thoughts of each individual inspire me to form delicate relationships with each canvas’, she explains. Diana…

American cinematographer Erin Haynes is making her way in an industry that she believes has a long way to go to increase diversity among its crews. Erin was born in New Orleans in 1999—one of two daughters to Denise and Joe Haynes. She grew up in the 7th Ward of a complex city as a young Black woman mindful of the challenges facing minorities. Erin…

This week the American equestrian artist, oil painter, landscape artist and retreat host Weatherly Stroh. Her unique palette and eye for horses brings a soft light to her work as she captures the gestures and movement of her subjects She says: ‘My paintings reflect the inspiration I find in the world around me, with a deep appreciation for slowing …

This week the filmmaker Kire Godal whose focus on African culture and wildlife has reached audiences through National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, BBC, Amazon Prime among others. Her purpose and goal is to capture and memorialize important stories that she feels need to be recorded for history and to educate a wider public at a time when both…

Carylon Cooper is an American contemporary artist whose work includes abstract, figurative, still life and animal portraits. Carylon was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1948, one of two daughters to Imogene & Herschel Cooper. She attended High School in Nashville and, since she was 19, she has called Chattanooga, TN home. Carylon’s art education began…

English portrait artist and sculptor, Eleanor Cardozo, is known for her bronze sculptures and the dynamic movement in her work. Eleanor was born in London in 1965, the second of 10 children to Colonel Benedict Cardozo, a Military Attaché in the British Army, and Caroline Cardozo, an artist and musician. Her childhood was subjected to the typical ad…

This week's guest is the media artist Kasumi whose career ranges from musician, filmmaker, author, designer, illustrator and painter. Her work features short and feature length experimental films, live shows, VJ, and public art projection, creating looping electronic sculptures, designing motion graphics and animated gifs, producing immersive 360 v…

Anna Echols is a cake artist, designer and bakery owner who creates life-like cakes celebrating every occasion. With painstaking attention to detail, her goal is to produce a cake that is hard to decipher from the real thing; almost too good to eat. Anna was born in Wilmington, NC in 1984 to Douglas and DeLonna Echols. She has one brother Douglas E…

Felicity Starr is a contemporary realism artist who seeks to ‘celebrate life and excite the soul’ through her paintings, which portray still life, landscapes and portraits. Felicity was born in Colchester, England in 1982, the eldest of three daughters to Steve and Fiona Menadue. Her father was in IT and her Fiona a stay-at-home mom. At the age of …

Tamar Cohen is a self-taught creator of miniatures and diorama. Her work reflects her passion for architecture, particularly European gothic, castles and art nouveau. Tamar was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1981, one of four children; she has an older sister who lives in New York, and an older brother and younger sister who live in Israel. She descri…

Marit van Ekelenburg is a macro photographer who specializes in photographing insects and spiders in their natural habitat. She seeks out her subjects in the early morning light creating colorful backgrounds that compliment each creature. Marit works as an editor and enjoys combining her skills as a writer and photographer to tell stories. But phot…

Kerry September is a British Hair Stylist & Make-up Artist who has worked in theater, film, TV, music, fashion and beyond in her 30-year career. Kerry was born in 1971 in Bridgend, Wales. the oldest of five children; she has three sisters and a brother. Her father, Gideon September, emigrated to the UK from South Africa and worked as a service engi…

Julia Bangert is a book illustrator who crafts hand-made designs into text. Her work with the Gutenberg Society led to combine her passion for painting with theoretical knowledge and she worked for the Gutenberg Shop in Mainz, which reproduces individual pages from the Gutenberg Bible. Julia was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany in 1987. Her m…

Jana Büttner is a figurative sculptor who focuses on sculpting from life from her studios in Salzburg and Florence. Jana was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1997 and has what she describes as three half siblings. Her mother Petra, an art teacher is from Prague and her father Uwe is from Dortmund. She grew up in an artistic and musical family, learning…

Chris Wairegi is a New York based cinematographer, local 600 camera operator, ASC Mentee and creator of 600 Black Women. Chris was born in Cleveland, OH to parents, who are both entrepreneurs, and she has an older brother. A keen student, she enjoyed art and history as well as excelling at a number of sports. During high school she developed an int…

Christine Lashley is a American landscape oil painter who says the beauty of a moment held in memory and fusing reality and the abstract, are key elements of her style. Christine was born in San Francisco in 1967 but moved when she was still a baby. Her father Charles worked for the US government which involved being frequented relocated. Her mothe…

Our first guest of season two is Emmy-nominated TV producer, showrunner, and director Natalee Watts. Among her many credits, Natalee was Chef Jamie Oliver’s Producer for two seasons of ABC’s Emmy Award winning, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and was a producer-director on his 7-part British documentary series Dream School for Channel 4. She was th…

My guest this week is filmmaker and cinematographer Hope Hall who has built a career that includes assuming the role as Principal Presidential Videographer to President Obama, a position that she considered was the best job in the world. Her journey however started a long way from the White House in a different world as a modern dancer. Hope was bo…

American artist Aimee Erickson, is an internationally renowned oil painter, teacher, and author. Aimee has exhibited and painted all over the world, and has won numerous awards. Aimee was born in 1967 at the American Hospital in Paris’s 16th arrondissement. She is the second of five children born to Ed, an astrophysicist and Beth Erickson, a high s…

This week’s guest is Director of Photography and Cinematographer Hannah Epstein has been with National Football League (NFL) since 2012 and is the first female camera operator on the staff. Hannah was born in Pennington, NJ in 1990 to Terri, a writer and artist, and Jonathan, a lawyer. She has a brother Harrison who works in finance. In her youth, …

American sculptor Leah Jeffery transforms scrap metal into beautiful pieces of art depicting birds and animals. Leah was born in 2000 in Tampa, Florida one of eight children to Suzanne, a home-maker and home-schooler, and Craig, a business consultant. At the age of six months her family moved to Peachtree City, Georgia where she grew up. Her metalw…

Sweden’s Sandra Wörding has established herself as a leading Director of Photography in the male dominated world of sports photography. In 2021 she was named the Sports Photographer of the Year and is regarded as the top female sports camera operator in the world. Sandra was born in 1981 in Dalarna, Sweden to Elisabet and Mauritz Lindström. She has…

Zoey Frank is a Colorado-based painter who works one large multiple figure compositions and still lifes in oil. And a new mother. She received her MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design, California after studying for four years with Juliette Aristides at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, Washington. Zoey has received three Elizabeth Gr…

Ana Amortegui, ADFC DP, is a Colombian Director of Photography with a string of credits, including Resident Alien, Black Lightning, Into the Dark, Twenties S2, Gentrified, the web series, Heal and Quantum Leap S1 and S2 which is currently in production. Ana defines passion, determination and focus in her ambitions never letting anything or anyone s…

Poppy Balser is a Canadian painter of maritime life and seascapes centered around the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Poppy was born in St Stephen, New Brunswick growing up in its environs before crossing the bay to settle in Nova Scotia. She has spent a lifetime close to the sea developing a natural connection to its shoreline, which has given her a …

Ashley Barron ACS is an international, award-winning Director of Photography with a string of credits across commercials, music videos, short films, TV and feature films. She is known for her work on Starz/Lionsgate's production Dangerous Liaisons, as well as the Australian Academy Award-winning series The Tailings, All Creatures Great & Small S2 f…

English artist Amy Dury paints people by extracting figures from photographs from the pre-digital age found in family photographs or home movies. She is most often drawn to peoples’ roles in society, the hierarchies and dynamics of power. Amy says: “Our history instructs, seduces and tethers us, and I look to use paint to examine these emotive memo…

Gretchen Warthen is an American cinematographer whose work has taken her from Hollywood sound stages to shooting from the back of a camel in India, an elephant in Thailand, the bow of a boat off Venezuela, hovering over Alaskan glaciers and the deserts of the Sahara in a helicopter. Gretchen was born in Idaho, the only child of parents Kathryn Wart…

Nazafarin Lotfi is an Iranian multi-disciplinary artist who studies how the self and notions of identity are understood in relationship to architecture, landscape, space, and place. She explores humanness in relation to non-human bodies and places that are defined by practices of map-making and gardening. Nazafarin was born in Mashhad, Iran in 1984…

This week’s guest is Cammi Climaco a ceramicist, multidisciplinary artist, educator and erstwhile stand-up comedian based in New York. Cammi’s art moves between performance, sculptural and functional pieces and ruminates on the history of women in ceramics, finding joy in unreachable places and ancient love poems. Cammi was born in Cleveland, OH in…

Robin Antar is an American rock sculptor who moves seamlessly between Realism and Expressionism. From hyper-realistic icons of American pop culture influenced by Robin’s wry sense of humor, her art explores personal and social trauma and conflict. Robin’s parallel and intertwining bodies of work span her 40-year career as an artist-observer of huma…

Chris & Nancy are back with a round-up of news which includes the Solheim Cup, which, once again favored Europe, the Berlin Marathon where Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa smashed women's marathon world record, a review of the Tennis Grand Slams which featured new and different champions: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarusia) Australian Open, Iga Swiatek (POL) Frenc…

This week the English contemporary abstract artist Genevieve Leavold. A self-taught painter who draws on her love of eastern philosophy and organic forms found in nature as foundations for her work. Her intuitive process has developed initially through deep observation of nature and subsequent abstraction of essential qualities of form and color fr…

This week guest is Korean-American ceramicist Michelle Im aka RATxCHICKS. Michelle was born in Atlanta, GA in 1984 to Kun Sook Im, a home-maker, and Jong Seong Im, an environmental engineer. She has one brother; Sewon Im, who is a financial consultant also living in the US. Her grandmother was a poet and calligraphy artist in South Korea. As a chil…

Madeleine Bunbury is an English equine artist who paints life portraits of horses and ponies. At just 28, Madeleine is aspiring to follow in the footsteps of her idol, George Stubbs, aligning with other great equine painters, such as Agasse, Munnings and Herring. Madeleine was born on the island of Mustique in 1995, one of four children; her mother…

Sarah Rossetti, aka Invader Girl, is a Contemporary Acrylic Artist painting evocative scenes of war, veterans, law enforcement and, more recently, horses. Sarah was born in Nonnweiler, Germany in 1987, the oldest of five children—she has a younger sister and two younger brothers. Sarah’s other young sister Lisa was tragically killed in 2004; a trau…

Maria Josenhans is a landscape artist working both outdoors and in her studio. An artist for nearly four decades, Maria's work plays back and forth between representational and abstract as she allows each painting to find its own unique path. Maria was born in New Jersey, one of two daughters to parents James and Janet. Her mother was a librarian, …

Chris & Nancy are back with a recap of the FIFA Women’s World Cup—a round up of the highs and lows of a tournament that broke records for number of nations competing and global audience. It was a festival of football, a feast for footie fans and a boost for women’s sport around the world. There were plenty of surprises with some of the giants of th…