I have a special episode for you today with visual artist Shuling Guo. In this episode we hear about her incredible story going from a very traditional, small village in Southern China, and her triumph against a very dominant patriarchal culture structure, to go to art school in Beijing, and ultimately to the United States to pursue her artistic path. We learned about her spiritual influences from the women in her life and how that set the stage for her artistic journey.

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Guo graduated from the Oil Painting Department of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (B.F.A.) in 2010. She moved to the United States in 2019, and currently lives between Philadelphia and aboard the Sailing Vessel Selkie. In 2012, she had her first solo exhibition in Beyond Art Space in Beijing. Since then, her work has been exhibited in New York, Beijing, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Platform Art.

Her works have been included in the permanent collections of Central Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum (Beijing) and Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (Guangzhou). Her work has been selected to appear in New American Paintings, 2025 Issue 172.

Mindy Solomon Gallery

Shuling's Instagram

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Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island⁠⁠⁠ for our podcast theme music!

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In this episode I have an inspiring and fascinating conversation with visual artist Nika Fontaine. We dive deep into her personal history and her exploration of identity and spirituality. We talk about alchemy, transformation, and the ways in which art can become a vehicle for self discovery and ego dissolution.

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Nika Fontaine, born in Montreal 1985, lives and work in Berlin and Villalonga, Spain. She received her master of fine arts degree from the Kunsthochschule Berlin Weissensee in 2013 and subsequently engaged in a post graduate research project funded by the Elsa Neumann Stipendium in Berlin. Her works have been exhibited in North America and largely across Europe. Her works are part of the Royal bank of Canada, Deutsche Bank and City of Laval collections as well as over 100 private collections. In 2010 she co-founded the T10 artists studios in Berlin and in 2019 the organization Aurigin in Berlin and the first Aurigin Center in Spain in 2021. She is currently founding a tokenized real-estate startup to facilitate the acquisition of properties for communities and educational projects. Her artistic and social engagement are working hand in hand to inspire holistic living.

@nikafontaine

@aurigin_center

www.aurigin.org

www.nikafontaine.com

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Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠The Sometimes Island⁠⁠ for our podcast theme music!

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In this episode I am joined by visual artist, Brent Houzenga, where we delve into his journey of discovering old photographs in a trash bin and how that changed the course of his life in profound ways. We discuss how this discovery ignited his artistic path and led him to reflect on themes of consciousness, synchronicity, and the essence of identity.

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Brent Houzenga is New Orleans-based artist originally from Fulton, IL. Houzenga earned his B.A. in printmaking and graphic design from Western Illinois University and his MFA at the University of New Orleans in 2017. Houzenga's art has been exhibited all over the country and world, including Warsaw, Chicago, Kansas City, Washington D.C., Portland, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, and New Orleans.

Houzenga’s work resides in many private and public collections. In 2012 he was commissioned to paint a portrait for Matthew McConaughey's personal collection. He is an accomplished muralist, installation artist, and educator.

Houzenga's work has been featured in publications such as Time Out Chicago, Art and Art Galleries of the South, Art+Design New Orleans, as well as the Rizzoli book Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art. In 2021 his work appeared on the cover of the Image Comics book Primordial. In 2022 he was commissioned by Dark Horse Comics to create a variant cover for a Stranger Things story. In 2024 his work appeared on the cover of the dreampunk anthology Somniscope published by Fractured Mirror. He is the subject of the independent documentary film Brent Houzenga: Hybrid Pioneer.

Brent's Website

Brent's IG

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*To stay updated on the podcast and related content, check out ⁠my Instagram⁠

*To support the show and access exclusive content, consider subscribing for $0.99/month on Instagram (link above).

Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠The Sometimes Island⁠ for our podcast theme music!

Support this podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/martin-l-benson/support

In this episode, I connected with the dynamic duo of Hilma's Ghost, Sharmistha Ray and Dannielle Tegeder, to explore the fascinating intersection of art, spirituality, and community. We dive deep into their collaborative journey, tracing the origins of their partnership that blossomed amidst the challenges of the pandemic and the need for connection. Together we explore the transformative power of art and how spirituality plays a crucial role in their practice.

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For over five years, the Hilma’s Ghost has conducted experimental pedagogy, transcultural dialogue, and collectivity through the lens of feminism and spirituality to build community and reckon with patriarchal art histories that have excluded women, trans, and nonbinary practitioners. Hilma’s Ghost collaborated artistically on ABSTRACT FUTURES TAROT, consisting of 5 paintings, 78 drawings, and an original limited-edition tarot deck that was exhibited at The Armory Show 2021. The exhibition was shortlisted as one of the exhibitions to see by Will Heinrich at The New York Times. In January 2022, the duo curated Cosmic Geometries, a group exhibition of 25 artists at EFA Project Space, whichJillian Steinhauer of The New York Times called “a knockout exhibition.” CHROMAGICK, a series of new collaborative drawings using color magic and crystals was recently exhibited at Expo Chicago 2022. Hilma’s Ghost projects have been positively reviewed in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, and Artnet.

https://www.hilmasghost.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hilmasghost

https://www.dannielletegeder.com/

https://sharmistharay.com/

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Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of The Sometimes Island for our podcast theme music!

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In this episode, I have an enlightening conversation with artist Carla Falb, who shares her unique journey through art, spirituality, and personal growth. We explore the profound influence her father's role as a Methodist minister had on her early understanding of mysticism and creativity, and how these experiences shaped her artistic vision.

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Since 2002, Carla Falb has been creating paintings of roller coasters from images she captures on her GoPro while riding in the front car. Facing the initial fear and the adrenaline rush of the ride is infused into her work – like a 21st century J.M.W. Turner tied to the mast of a ship witnessing a storm at sea. To the casual viewer, her series depicts mere amusements, yet her underlying intention is that the roller coasters symbolize our experience in this life, with all its peaks and valleys. After the death of her mother on Christmas in 2016, her emphasis shifted to nighttime imagery with light bursting through the darkness. For Falb, the light in her paintings represents our divine sparks or higher selves, connected to one another in a universal field of consciousness.

Carla Falb was raised in Philadelphia and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She was very close to her father, a Methodist minister, who shared his interest in mysticism with her, as well as his quirky sense of humor, love of art, music, dancing, and amusement parks! Falb received a B.F.A. from the Philadelphia College of Art and a Certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1983. During that time, after learning traditional drawing and painting techniques, she created paintings based on imagery from her dreams and visions. Twenty years later, Falb returned to Philadelphia and attended the University of the Arts for her M.F.A. where she began painting roller coaster structures.

In addition to her painting practice, Falb has taught art full time since 1987. She received a Dodge Foundation Fellowship for Artists/Educators that funded her travel to Southern California in 2009 to record source imagery for her Roller Coaster Series. During her visit, Falb fell in love with the area, and relocated to Orange County in 2017 where she is currently a tenured professor at Fullerton College.

Exhibition highlights include solo exhibits at the Billis Williams Gallery in Los Angeles, where she is represented, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Alumni Gallery. Her work was also featured in exhibits at the Preston Contemporary Art Center in New Mexico, and at the Noyes Museum of Art in New Jersey. The Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts recently commissioned and acquired one of her HangTime paintings, which feature the light streams of a roller coaster captured on a nighttime helicopter ride.

Discover more about Carla and her work:

Carla's Website

Carla's Instagram

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Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of The Sometimes Island for our podcast theme music!

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In this episode, I engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with Fallon Morningstar and Ian Morris from Listening to Smile, an innovative platform dedicated to the healing powers of art and music. We delve into the profound relationship between creativity and healing, exploring how vibrational music can serve as a transformative medium for mental and physical well-being.

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Listening To Smile is a pioneering company that focuses on transforming the lives of individuals through the healing power of sound frequencies. By offering a unique licensing system, the company empowers holistic practitioners around the globe to provide Frequency Minded services to their clients.The Frequency Minded Music, featured in the company's Frequency Minded Magazine, highlights the LTS method, which is Listening To Smile's innovative approach to frequency therapy. This method offers a scalable and adaptable solution, providing practitioners with the tools to tailor treatments according to their clients' needs.With a presence in 13 countries, Listening To Smile is revolutionizing the field of frequency therapy through the scalability and effectiveness of its LTS method. By fostering a community of practitioners and music enthusiasts, the company continues to expand its reach, enabling more people to experience the life-changing benefits of Frequency Minded Music and sound healing.

Discover more about Listening to Smile:

Listening to Smile

Falyn Morningstar and Ian Morris are trailblazing entrepreneurs whose dedication to innovation and global wellness has made them influential leaders in the industry. Falyn's Radiant Balance System, seamlessly integrating Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, clinical testing, somatic practices, sound healing, and meditation, is a testament to her revolutionary approach to women's health and well-being.

Ian Morris, an acclaimed artist known for his Frequency Minded Music™ and LTS Method from Listening to Smile, has pushed the boundaries of sound therapy and stress reduction, garnering global recognition.

Together, they have multiple companies and continue to redefine the wellness landscape through Listening to Smile's recently expanded networks: Frequency Minded Magazine, LTS Podcast, and LTS Records. Their commitment to fostering connections within the art, music, and well-being communities solidifies their status as pioneers in this new world of holistic wellness and innovation.

https://falynmorningstar.com/

instagrams:https://www.instagram.com/listeningtosmile/ andhttps://www.instagram.com/falynhuntermorningstar/

youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@listeningtosmilemusic

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Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of The Sometimes Island for our podcast theme music!

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Podcast update!

Lots of exciting things on the horizon. Please continue to follow the show and do me a favor and share it out to people who might be interested. Leave a comment, rating, subscribe...all that stuff !

Love always,

Martin

In this episode, I have a profound conversation with visual artist Kelly Joy Ladd, diving deep into her transformative journey of healing and creativity. We explore her traumatic head injury and how it catalyzed a significant shift in her life and art practice, leading her to embrace her spirituality and authenticity fully.

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Ladd‘s work responds to themes of cosmic and creative mysteries, exploring inner and outer space, spiritually, the connection of all things and understanding the universe and our roles and purpose in it.

Ladd’s Liberal Studies degree from the University of Central Florida allowed her to opportunity to explore the subjects that peaked her curiosity like astronomy, physics and creative writing. During this time, she also discovered eastern philosophies and meditation, which has been a staple and major influence in her life and art practice.

Before becoming a full-time artist in 2019, she worked as a Disney World parade performer, music writer for HardRock.com, an editor and prop stylist for Parenting magazine and a freelance craft designer and blogger. All the while, she was developing her own style and unique techniques using paper as her main medium, due to her husband’s adverse health reactions to chemicals and paint.

In March 2020, Ladd experienced a significant head injury, which greatly affected her vision. Since then, she has been retraining her brain and eyes to refocus and track again. During her recovery when she wasn’t able to read, watch TV, or look at phones and computers, Ladd used this time, without outside distractions or influences, to devote her full attention to her art and meditation practices.

Her 3-D paper and mixed media work has been exhibited in the Mennello Museum of American Art and the Cummer Museum Art and Gardens.

Ladd’s intuitive artistic approach aligns her with her influences transcendental artists Hilma af Klint, Agnes Pelton and Emma Kunz.

Follow Kelly and her work:

Artists on Couches Instagram

Kelly's Instagram

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*Credits: Big Thanks to Matthew Blankenship of The Sometimes Island for the podcast theme music!

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