Tom Ray's Art Podcast

Tom Ray's Art Podcast (Trailer)

Bonus Episode: Tom Ray on the WFMU Radio Free Culture Podcast

From 2010 - 2018 I used to do a show about creative commons and free culture music with a guy named Doug Whitfield called Music Manumit. Years ago we were interviewed on the WFMU podcast Radio Free Culture with Cheyenne Hohman. I found this episode the other day and thought it would be interesting because I talk about my support of creative commons for art and music. Creative Commons - https://creativecommons.org Music for the podcast "Just in case" by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic...

ReVINYLized: Creating things from old records

ReVINYLized is an account I've been following on Instagram that makes things out of old records and pop-culture items. I got together with Betty who makes all of these items herself and we talk about what she does and how this all got started. Learn more about ReVINYLized on Instagram @revinylizedmadtown Music for the podcast " Just in case " by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com...

American Bandit: A Band Making Music In The Mid-West

American Bandit is a post-hardcore band from Milwaukee WI. I got the chance to talk with them when they came through town to play a show at the High Noon Saloon . I'm a musician myself in the band Lorenzo's Music and I have been making music long before I started this art podcast. One difference about being in a band is it has the advantage of creating as a group. We talk about how working as a group can help as far as promoting yourself and planning and creating new things. Learn more about Ame...

Becky Weber: Mannequin Art, Horror Cosplay & Fashion

Becky Weber is an artist here in Madison, WI who makes things from Mannequins and also makes horror and music-themed clothing. We sit down at a local coffee shop to talk and I find out that her other obsession is horror based cosplay. Learn more about Becky Weber on Instagram @artsybekka Music for the podcast "Just in case" by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Lindsay Kovnat: Animation, Illustration & Man Man Music Video

Linsay Kovnat is an artist I reached out to online because of an animated video I saw she made years ago for the band Man Man. She's been living in New York and we talk about how she ended up creating this video and winning a Nicktoons award for it. Lindsay has also recently been working on a children's book. Learn more about Lindsay Kovnat https://www.lindsaykovnatart.com Man Man "Engrish Bwudd" Video https://youtu.be/wurEDf8z9tc Music for the podcast "Just in case" by Lorenzo's Music - https:/...

Mike Lroy: Murals, Spray Paint & Digital Media

Mike Lroy is an artist living in the Madison area. I had seen his work and was very intrigued by what he was doing on his Instagram. What he was doing there seemed surreal compared to the mural and other artwork he had created around town. I reached out and got to meet him one afternoon at the coffee shop right outside of my train car on West Washington Ave. Learn more about Mike Lroy - https://www.mikelroy.com/ Music "Just in case" by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Mandy Kron: Curator, Artist & Skull Enthusiast

Mandy Kron is an artist in Madison who is also a curator for the UW Health clinic. Mandy creates prints and multi-media artwork that include found objects like seashells and skulls that I find out she gets on Craigslist! Learn more about Mandy Kron on Instagram @atbkart Music "Just in case" by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

T.L. Luke: Illustrator & Selling Prints

T.L. Luke is an artist here in Madison, Fascinated with the potential that children’s picture books have on the development of a child’s creativity, Luke explores this concept via dark and whimsical subjects with the adult viewer in mind. I got the chance to sit down and talk at T.L's home/studio and learn more! Learn more about T.L. Luke at https://www.tl-luke.com Music for the podcast by Lorenzo's Music https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Jenie Gao: From the corporate world to full-time artist

Jenie Gao is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. She specializes in printmaking, murals, public installations, and arts project management. She strives to create records, cultural cornerstones, and community landmarks that claim space for diverse identities and connect us with our ecosystems. I got the chance to meet Jenie and talk at the studio she has here in Madison. Learn more about Jenie Gao at https://jenie.org Music by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Carli Ihde: Comic Drawing Tattoo Artist

Carli Ihde has worked for comic book companies such as DC, IDW and Dynamite. Carli is a freelancer here in Wisconsin and has also created murals, installation art, chalk drawing and currently is working as a tattoo artist. Learn more about Carli Ihde - https://www.carlieyed.com Music by Lorenzo's Music - https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Martel Chapman: Painting And All That Jazz

Martel Chapman is an artist around the Madison area. As a kid, his interests were very similar to what mine were back then, comic book art and listening to rap and metal music. Then he found the music of John Coltrane and it changed everything for him, including artistically. Now his style is more Improvisation in sound; improvisation in form. Learn more about Martel Chapman - https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/martel-chapman Music for this episode by Lorenzo's Music - lorenzosmusic.com

TacoCat Creations: Creating For Cats

TacoCat Creations was born out of a need for cool, quality, and unique cat toys and accessories. Megan started out making products for a pet store she worked at. Eventually, it turned into a full-time business and her partner David was able to leave his job and join Megan to help it grow. Also, I talk about how I have decided to start using my own name for the things I create from now on! Learn more about TacoCat Creations at http://tacocatcreations.com Music for this episode by Lorenzo's Music ...

J.L. Westover: Mr. Lovenstein Webcomics

J.L. Westover is the artist behind the webcomic Mr. Lovenstein. His work is known for its dark humor paired with a soft, cartoonish art style. I got the chance to meet him over a video chat and talk about how he made a living out of posting comics online. Learn more about J. L. Westover at https://www.mrlovenstein.com Music for this episode is by Lorenzo's Music - lorenzosmusic.com

Red Fracture: Air brush and game design

Sean Chappell decided to try and give being a full-time artist a go. Sean created his own brand called Red Fracture and dedicated his time to creating his own work as products. He's also been going through the Shopify training course to get advice and help to learn how to do it. Learn more about Sean and Red Fracture at https://redfracture.com Music for this episode by Lorenzo's Music - lorenzosmusic.com

Gray Miller: From Bondage to Visual Practitioner Artist.

Gray Miller got involved with an event known as "Open Space Technology." in a very unconventional way... In the kink and bondage community. He has made that experience into a career doing visual thinking artwork using images, words, and live, in-person visceral drawing to engage with an audience to communicate. Learn more about Gray Miller at https://www.graymillercreative.com Music for the show is by Lorenzo's Music https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

Triangulador: From Street Art to Murals

Triangulador, Liu Szwako is a Mexico City-born street artist and muralist working in Madison, Wisconsin. I got the chance to meet with him in an apartment he turned into an art studio. Learn more about Triangulador at https://www.triangulador.com Music for the show is by Lorenzo's Music https://www.lorenzosmusic.com

John Sanford: From Animation To Webcomics

John Sanford is an animator from California who has made cartoons working for Warner Bros. Animation, Walt Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks Animation & Pixar . And during that time he created a webcomic called Chippy and Loopus. As we talk on facebook messenger he tells me he decided he wanted to try and turn his webcomic into a tv show!

Vicki Liu: Painting pets, traditional to digital.

I recently posted about how we had to say good-bye to our family dog spike in my daily comic . And Vicki Liu, an artist that I follow on Instagram reached out to me and did one of the nicest things ever. She painted a portrait of our dog and gave it to me. You can visit Vicki's website and check out her work at https://www.vicki-liu.com/ Music is by Lorenzo's Music https://www.lorenzosmusic.com...

Margaret Dent: Animal Portraits and Jewelry

Margaret Dent is another person who contacted me from the American Bandito mailing list . Margaret is an artist in Canada who creates several things, including jewelry and portraits. But her favorite type of portraits to work on are of animals, especially horses.

Tim Togstad: Abstract Art and Letting Things Go

Tim Togstad is an artist here in Madison who I actually met right outside of the train car that I'm renting that I'm trying to turn into my own business. He was loading in his paintings into the place next door. So I walked over to introduce myself. His artwork is a style of abstract expressionism, using biomorphic forms with a liberal use of color. He creates paintings and drawings, sculpture and woodworking. Visit Tim's website https://www.timtogstad.com...

Chris Prunckle: A Webcomic Artist Tells What He Really, Really Wants

Chris Prunckle is an artist out of Illinois that makes webcomics. Then one day he started drawing bands and music reviews in his comic called "Wannabe The Comic". And we also talk about what it's like trying to make a living off of artwork that is basically only viewed in an online format.

Brennen Reece: Designing For Games And Tarot Cards

Brennen Reece is an artist and designer from Auburn, Alabama. He has also worked in film and makes music. But what really stood out when he contacted me to be on the show was he told me he designs Tarot cards. I learn more about that and what the word Polymath means when we meet each other.

Jay D'Ici: Writers, Art & Kickstarter

Jay D'Ici is the writer and creator of the comic "Conceptual Heist" a comic that is being created by using Kickstarter to fund it. I've always been too scared to start a Kickstarter myself, so I take the opportunity to ask him more about how he did it. And I would like to add that this is the first time I have talked to a person on this show that is in Canada. So that was kind of cool!

Matty Sheets: Creating a music and art community

Up to this point I’ve only talked to people that are in or around where I am in Madison. Matty Sheets is a musician from Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2016 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and playing music started to become much tougher than they used to be. He wanted to keep doing things to artistically express himself so he decided to take up drawing.

John Porcellino: Creator of the King-Cat minicomics

I mentioned in a previous episode of the show I had participated in an annual zine fest in Madison called Print & Resist . One of the people showcasing his work at the event was John Porcellino, creator of the popular minicomic zine King Kat. Went to his table to introduce myself and I blurted out that I had this podcast and I would love to talk with him. We exchanged information and he was nice enough to talk with me a few weeks later on facebook messenger. John's Website http://www.spitand...

UnderBelly: Turning a zine into an app

I went to a local coffee shop to meet the people I talk with today, Olivia and Elizabeth from the start-up UnderBelly . So from time to time, I like to do a nearby location search on Instagram just to see if there is any interesting artwork that's being posted in the Madison area to try and find some new things to check out. I can’t remember exactly but I think that’s how I discovered underbelly. They have been working with local businesses to give a different view of the city. The hidden gems, ...

Lacey Smith: Artist and Resident Fan

Lacey Smith aka Luluweird is someone that I heard about after I met Lauden from American Trash back in August. I had connected with her on Instagram and asked if we could meet at the train car I recently rented out. Lacey has played synthesizer in bands, traveled, was a cook, was a farmer, collectively ran a grocery co-op and was the zine coordinator at a bookstore. Her artwork is inspired by nature, the mysterious, the strange, animals, handmade, new places, old things, music, people & post...

SmereTactics: Woodcuts Are The Storybook

Sara Meredith and I have actually tried to set up an interview several times in the past year. I don’t know why we kept having trouble doing that. But we finally were able to sit down and talk . She goes by the name SmereTactics and is a Madison-based relief printmaker and teacher. Her black and white woodcut prints have a bold visceral quality while the overlapping subject matter offers a nuanced perspective and layers of meaning....

Scott Pyburn: Joining Comic-Cons and Zine Fests

Scott Pyburn emailed me after he discovered the podcast . He is also someone like me who decided he wanted to get back into drawing and creating again and told me that he was going to be touring with a Comic-Con and one of the stops was going to be right here in Madison. The day the Comic-Con rolled through town I decided to head on over to meet Scott and check out the artwork at his booth. Plus, I also talk about how I participate in my first Zine Fest!...