Episode 77: Michael Grimaldi

Ted and Tony sit down with their dear friend and brilliant painter Travis Schlaht to talk Paris adventures, father-son art collaborations, NCAA basketball memories, and the inspiration fueling his latest body of work.

We are honored to have been included in another Drawing Discourse at UNC Asheville. We are joined this year by Michael Grimaldi, who returns for his second appearance on Suggested Donation Podcast. A lot has changed since his first visit, and while the flying cars and colonies on Europa haven’t panned out,  Grimaldi is as insightful and inspiring as ever. Thanks to Tamie Beldue at UNC Asheville for organizing this one!

We’re thrilled to present a new episode of Suggested Donation Podcast, featuring Oscar-nominated special effects maestro Mike Marino! Join us as we explore Mike’s journey into the world of special makeup effects, the enduring impact of practical effects, and the inspirations that shaped his career. We also dive into his incredible work on HBO’s The Penguin and his Oscar-nominated makeup design for A Different Man. Mike has worked with some of Hollywood’s most visionary filmmakers and biggest stars, including Martin Scorsese, Darren Aronofsky, Eddie Murphy, Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, John Travolta, and many more. Don’t miss this deep dive into the art of transformation and storytelling through makeup effects. Tune in and be inspired!

Ted and Tony have a conversation with Michael Klein, artist and Director of the New Salem Museum and Academy of Fine Art in New Salem, Massachusetts. They discuss Michael's new responsibilities as director and curator of the collection, his teaching role, and an exciting painting competition that the museum will host, which is open to the public.

Tony and Ted hang out with legendary painting support craftsman and guru Simon Liu. When it comes to stretched canvas, there is only one person to talk to. We are grateful to Simon for sitting down and recording with us. Simon set us straight on how to properly stretch a canvas and talked shop about all fine painting supports. He backs all of this information up with unassailable logic built on a foundation of a few variables. Super fun conversation - we learned a lot and hope you will too.

The Suggested Donation Podcast is back with all-new episodes! Our first guest is the incredibly talented artist Greg "Craola" Simkins. In this episode, we discuss Greg’s early influences and inspirations, including his experiences in the Southern California graffiti scene. He also shares insights into his creative process, which enables him to produce amazing paintings. We’re sure you’ll enjoy this fantastic episode!

In collaboration with UNC Asheville’s 15th Annual Drawing Discourse, we sat down with the great artist, Christopher Gallego. We had a wide ranging conversation that centered on but not limited to drawing. Chris is incredibly knowledgeable and generous with sharing his ideas and experience. We are excited to share this episode with you all.  Thanks to Chris, UNC Asheville, and Tamie Beldue! We hope you enjoy it!

We sit down with our dear friend, Artist, and Author Patricia Watwood and chat about her excellent new book, “ The Path Of Drawing. Lessons for Everyday Creativity and Mindfulness”. The book Introduces a practice to enhance mental and spiritual well-being to enrich one’s life through drawing and creativity. A beautiful and thoughtful book and we enjoyed talking to Patty about it.

Suggested Donation is back with celebrated sculptor and Athens Sculpture Atelier Director Robert Bodem. We discuss Rob’s approach, called “Drawing in Space” which he developed as the Director of Sculpture at the Florence Academy of Art and has continued to refine in Athens. He has a book coming soon that covers his approach for anyone unable to study in person with him. Rob discusses his journey from abstract to figurative sculptor and how this informed his process and perspective on working from life from the figure. Rob is a great friend and we hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

In collaboration with UNC Asheville’s 14th Annual Drawing Discourse, we recorded with Israeli artist Sigal Tsabari. While our conversation focused on drawing, Sigal has a profound way of thinking and talking about art in general that we are excited to share. Thanks to Sigal, UNC Asheville, and Tamie Beldue! We hope you enjoy it!