Being An Artist With Tom Judd

Gail Ann Dorsey, most famous for being David Bowie's bass player and collaborator, has, with her voice and stage presence, made an art of being a session player with other top bands and artists, bringing her unique sound to a long list of important bands and recordings, including Tears for Fears, The National, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Ferry, Ani Difranco, to name a few.

She has written, recorded, and performed her own material as well, creating the 2004 lyrical masterwork, “I Used to Be.” Originally from West Philadelphia, Dorsey, at the age of 22, moved to London to pursue her musical career, where she was in a musical collaboration with many bands, including her first high-profile job as a guest vocalist in the original lineup of The Charlie Watts Big Band and its 1985 premiere at London's famous West End jazz club. Dorsey went on to become a world-renowned session player, singer, and writer.

Stuart Rome, a world-renowned photographer, has produced one of the most eclectic and compelling bodies of work imaginable. He also established the photography department at Drexel University, exhibited his work in top galleries, and is featured in the collections of many major museums. Moreover, he has published books of his work and has been featured in numerous art publications. In 2015, he received the Simon Guggenheim Foundation Award for his current project, Oculus.

Mahogany L. Browne, poet, writer, and artist, is currently the executive director at Bowery Poetry Club and the artistic director at Urban Word NYC. She is also the author of several books, including children's books, stage plays, articles, and audio recordings. As the founder of Penmanship Books, Browne holds the distinction of being the first-ever poet-in-residence at New York City's Lincoln Center.

On today’s episode I’ll be talking to Rosanne Cash; singer, songwriter and author. 

She has reinvented herself and her art many times, on her way to finding her own very original voice. 

Derrick Velasquez is an artist and exhibition organizer who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. His most recent exhibitions include solo shows at The Herron School of Art and Design, The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Robischon Gallery, Pentimenti, and The Black Cube Nomadic Museum. He has had recent group exhibitions at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Carvalho Park and Transmitter in New York, and was a 2017 recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painters and Sculptors and a 2019 MacDowell Fellow. Derrick also runs Yes Ma’am Projects, an artist-run gallery in the basement of his Athmar Park home and Friend of a Friend, a project space in the Evans School in the Golden Triangle.

Host Tom Judd speaks with Eileen Neff about how literature has influenced her work, including the poetry of Wallace Stevens.

Neff, a Philadelphia based artist, began as a painter until she discovered photography was the pathway to her expression as an artist in the early 80s. Known also as a sought after art critic and writer, she went on to develop an astounding body of work over a 40 year period.

You can learn more about her on her website eileenneff.com

Two powerful artists by themselves , the married couple love to mix it up including collaborating on paintings and sharing ideas about art and artmaking.

Established contemporary artists, they are both published writers and love to play music together. The interview reveals an expansive studio practice between their two homes, New York City and a country house in rural Pennsylvania. 

The COVID outbreak impacted them immediately when Jennifer came down with the virus and was bed ridden for a month back in March. She talks of how she drew her way out of it with drawings from bed which later led to a whole series of large paintings. 

David produced an astounding body of work for his show at Fredericks and Freiser in the fall with a Title surprisingly appropriate "Arms of the Law." He also completed an extensive monograph of his long career, "David Humphrey" edited by Davy Lauterbach.

You can learn more about them on their websites davidhumphreynyc.com and jenniferlcoates.com

Host Tom Judd sits down with painter Tim McFarlane to discuss the importance of putting in the work, and showing up. Tim also talks about the daily challenges with a painting, even when it's not going well, and how to listen to the painting instead of your busy mind.

Your can learn more about Tim on his website timmcfarlane.com

On this episode of Being an Artist, host Tom Judd talks to sculptor Darla Jackson about her love for clay and sculpting, quitting her full time job to pursue art while pregnant, getting endorsed by Courtney Love and more!

Darla ran Philadelphia Sculpting Gym. It was a coworking space for sculpting that ran for four years. She is currently working on her show Enter the 36 Chambers, a series of 36 bird sculptures that tells a blend of Kung Fu, Wu-Tang and fairytales through the lens of her brain.

Check Darla Jackson out at DarlaJacksonSculpture.com