PODCAST · arts
Artists on Art
by Drea Macdonald
Candid conversations with artists of all types, exploring the realities of being an artist in today's world. From Prince Edward Island, Canada, with guests from around the world, local singer-songwriter and art lover Drea Macdonald tries to get to the bottom of how and why art drives us. Like what you hear? Leave a tip with Ko-fi (link below in show notes)
Episodes
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Season 3 Finale! Kristine Irving (Koo De Kir) on the transformative art of interior design
It's the Season 3 finale and it's a very special one with my cousin Kristine Irving. Kristine is an interior designer in Boston and runs the design company Koo De Kir. We talked about her beginnings as an artist and her life as the head of a company that designs spaces around the world, about how...
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Bruce Rooney on the magic of collaboration
If you like to see live music in Charlottetown, then you've probably seen Bruce Rooney playing guitar and singing. He's been in a whole bunch of bands over the years, many of them still going, and prides himself on working at the art of music consistently. We talked about how having a fulfilling...
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Mr. Tom Froese on making art to create joy and how drawing is important
It's episode 50! I would say that I've surprised myself in getting this many episodes done, but I am extremely stubborn and relentless in my creative pursuits. This episode was super fun. Tom Froese is an illustrator based on the West Coast of Canada. He has built a varied and interesting art...
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Dr. Scott Pound on designing learning spaces for students to explore the practice of writing
Scott Pound has been an English professor for over 20 years. He wasn’t sure about being on my podcast but I’ve really enjoyed our chats over the years (we’re cousins) and I knew that we’d have a really great conversation about the craft of writing. We also talked about his journey through school...
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Sue Gilbert (Susan Bird) on getting her work onto the walls of NYC subway stations and how art can change the world
Digital artist Sue Gilbert has been turning heads recently with her “Love in Transit NYC” project - allowing millions of people to see her vibrant, colorful images while making their way through the NYC subway system. We had a wonderful, insightful chat about how that came to be. We also talked...
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Steve Giddings (Steve's Music Room) on pop/rock music in schools and how success breeds success
Steve is a musician, teacher, writer and illustrator of children's books, and author of teaching materials that help schools incorporate pop and rock courses alongside traditional band programs. We had a wonderful chat about how music can set a kid up for success, the value of learning notes…
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Adam O'Fallon Price on the magic and the craft of creative writing
Adam is a writer, teacher and musician based in North Carolina. It was great to meet him and talk about his new collection of short stories which will be published this fall. We also talked about how moving around a lot as a kid informs his stories, what his #1 job is as a creative writing…
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Colour Film (Matthew De Zoete) on "making it" in the music industry and what gives him goosebumps
I met Hamilton's Matthew De Zoete as he toured through PEI to support his first few records. He's not touring as much as he used to, but continues to make music, record albums and play shows. We talked about his favorite venues to play in (and how house concerts break down the barriers between...
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Dave Zackin on his latest "scam" - finding an art practice that's fulfilling and fits into his life
Dave Zackin is based in NYC and is currently selling hand-painted ceramics. He's not great with the pottery wheel though, so he takes the discarded pots and things leftover by people at his community pottery studios and dresses them up as only Dave can. I was smitten with his weird and wonderful...
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Jesse Lee Kercheval on memoir writing, drawing and how it's never too late to learn new things
I'm so glad I was introduced to Jesse Lee's work because I became an instant fan after reading one of her novels (My Life as a Silent Movie). She is a fiction writer, poet, memoirist, translator and visual artist (not to mention a retired professor) and has published over twenty books. We had a...
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Mickey Acorn on his songwriting process, stand-up comedy and the meaning of life
Mickey Acorn is an actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, writer, teacher . . . the list goes on. Since we acted together at UPEI in the late 90's, I've been admiring his work from far away (he's been living in Japan for 18 years). I don't think I've laughed this much in any other episode. We...
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Daniel Baylis on poetry, music and how discomfort can contribute to the creative process
I just love Daniel Baylis' poetry collections and so when he began releasing music over the last year, I was overjoyed. His music is like his poetry - insightful, raw, beautiful and very true. I'm delighted that he agreed to join me on the podcast. We talked about the benefits of traveling as...
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Renee Laprise on the connection between creativity and Mother Earth
The art that Renee has been making over the past several years is compelling, engaging and tells a story. There's a reason for that! We talked about how she's inspired to paint these days, how she made the move to making art full-time (and how much healthier she is because of it), her oracle deck...
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Molly Whuppie on folk songs, play, and performing for kids
What fun to interview a fellow MRHS alumni, Megan Aho - a singer-songwriter, author and children's entertainer using the stage name Molly Whuppie. We talked about so many things, including where her stage name came from, how the concept of "play" goes hand in hand with allowing space for...
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James Phillips on songwriting, guitar and becoming one with the music
If you regularly see live music in PEI, you've likely seen James on the stage. He's a killer guitarist and one of my favorite songwriters. I finally got him out to the house to record a chat about how he got started playing guitar and writing songs, what he loves about performing and being a...
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Julie Bull on courage, community and following your heart
Julie Bull is poet/writer, mentor, performer and community-builder based in PEI. We got into why they left behind an academic career to focus on creating full-time and have built a practice and a career out of making art and helping others to do the same. There are some great tips in here for...
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Rozalind MacPhail on the beauty of Newfoundland and her long love affair with the flute
I met Rozalind years ago when both of us were younger and totally fine with touring on a nothing budget and sleeping on floors. It was great to reconnect because I’ve been noticing all of the super cool ways she’s using her talents and helping people recognize theirs. We talked about how being a...
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Nikkie Gallant on vulnerability, strength, music and pottery
Nikkie Gallant does many creative and artistic things, and we only touched on a few of them in this episode. She's one of my favorite people to sing with, and we've added vocal tracks to each other's recordings (as well as a bunch of our friend's albums). She has also been dealing with…
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Matt Epp on putting the work in, freedom and spirituality in music
I met Matt Epp years ago as he toured through PEI playing shows and I was glad to share the stage with him several times. We've always had great talks about music and life and art and I'm really glad I could get him on the show. He is a singer-songwriter, father, carpenter/handyman and a bit of a...
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Catherine MacLellan on building her community organically and what keeps her going
Welcome to Season 3! Coincidentally, this episode is #33. Interesting. I’m so happy that I was able to get Catherine MacLellan out to the house for a very nice and long-overdue chat. We talked about growing up with a famous songwriter as a dad, practices for good mental health, and some of our…
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Jeff Eagar (Eagar Bros, Hummingbird Productions) on adventure, family and learning on the fly
I had a lot of fun talking to Jeff Eagar. He is a film and TV producer in PEI, and began his film career with his brothers because they wanted to make money to keep traveling the world. He had some great stories of epic travels that he turned into TV series, and we had a nice talk about what…
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Mark Bragg on songwriting and re-learning how to rock n roll
Songwriter/musician Mark Bragg is very grateful to live in a place like St. John's, Newfoundland. I've been a big fan of his music since I saw him hanging from the rafters at Myron's in Charlottetown while his band ripped it up 20 years ago. We had some good laughs and great talks over Zoom (with...
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JD Hughes on saying "yes", learning on the fly, and the Everly Brothers
JD Hughes is a drummer based in Charlottetown, PEI, and we've played in a few bands together over the years. He has great stories from living and playing music for most of his adult life in New York City, and it was great to find out how he got started playing the drums, the importance of music…
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Jordan Cameron on learning how to concentrate on one thing at a time
I got to know Jordan years ago when I joined his band for a time and I knew that I'd want to talk to him on this show. He's another multi-genre artist that seems to have done everything - illustration, paintings, murals, songwriting, long-form writing, pastry arts, tattooing . . . and we didn't...
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Sara Roach Lewis (SRL Solutions) on creativity and entrepreneurship
Sara Roach Lewis and I have been moving in similar circles for a while - she's a music lover that I've seen at my shows and we've worked together in the non-profit sector. While she doesn't wear the "artist" hat full-time, she is a published writer as well as a former journalist and photographer...
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Paper Beat Scissors on traveling and finding the space to create
It was great to catch up with English songwriter and musician Tim Crabtree, AKA Paper Beat Scissors, virtually from his Berlin studio. He lived in Canada for a number of years and we played some shows together when he came through Charlottetown here and there. We talked about his musical…
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Jerry Leger on the recording process, touring in Europe, and playing music with friends
I met Jerry Leger years ago when he began touring through PEI regularly, and have been a fan of his songwriting since then. He's just released another record - "Waves of Desire" - that may be my favorite since 2014's "Early Riser". I caught up to him as he was about to fly back to Europe for a...
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Sonja van Hamel on being inspired by family and how making art helps us understand the universe
When I first heard Sonja's new single, "Goodbye to Mercury", I was an instant fan. And when I saw the music video and read the story behind the lyrics, I was intrigued! It was lovely to have a chat with her (all the way from The Hague, NL) in the lead-up to releasing a new record in 2026. We…
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Adam Gallant (The Hill Sound Studio) on the art of engineering records
Let's start off season two with a heavy-hitter in the Charlottetown music scene - Adam Gallant. He recorded and produced my first full-band record. He recorded and co-produced my third record. He's probably worked with most of the musicians and songwriters on Prince Edward Island and he can't…
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Season 2 Teaser Trailer
I'm back! While Season 2 will officially kick off on December 25th, here is a little preview of this season. You'll hear some clips from interviews with new guests and the debut of the pod's new theme song. Big thanks to Adam Gallant at The Hill Sound Studio for fitting me in quickly and turning…
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Drea Macdonald with Guest Host Sean Kelly
It's the Season 1 finale and I thought I'd use the occasion to have someone interview ME about art. I happen to have a great, old friend who was a reporter (and then held multiple different jobs in the newspaper industry) and is also an artist (musician, writer, and the man can draw) - Sean…
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Janet MacLellan on a lifetime of painting just for fun
When I was in the planning stages of this podcast, I knew I wanted to talk to Janet MacLellan. I wanted to know how a person could spend a whole (long) life making art a priority alongside having a husband, kids and a nursing career. I've always admired her work and was happy to talk about this,...
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Dennis Ellsworth on the art of play in songwriting
It was great to talk to my old buddy and bandmate, Dennis Ellsworth, recently. He's an award-winning songwriter and musician, producer, dad and more. We had a great talk about the art of play, how his writing goes in cycles, his favorite kinds of shows to play, and making art for ourselves first....
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Nathan Wiley on songwriting, producing music, and how art keeps him going
I was really glad to talk with Nathan Wiley about the role that art plays in his life. He produced my third album (alongside superstar producer Adam Gallant) and my latest one (2015's "Lucky"), and continues to produce albums out of his studio in Summerside, PEI. He's released a bunch of solo...
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Ashleigh Tremere on going public with poetry
I know Ashley from when we were both young (we're still pretty young), watching bands at bars. Little did I know that she's been writing and drawing and generally letting her creative side fly free for years. Lately, she's been writing and sharing her poetry, and she released her first book, "But...
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Donnalee Downe on community, folk art and tending to your garden
I met Donnalee Downe a few decades ago when she opened a gallery space attached to her home in Charlottetown, and the Peake Street Collective was born. I attended many of the opening parties over the years, and even submitted one of my early paintings for one of them. I knew I wanted to talk to...
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Richard Haines on theatre, teaching and why art is magic
Richard Haines is an old friend and a multi-disciplinary artist. He is a photographer, visual artist, theatre actor/director, and he teaches art and drama to high school students. We talked about how he got his start in both drawing and painting, how he was much more enamored with photography…
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Jane Ledwell on poetry, family and why artists are important to the world
I've long admired Jane Ledwell's poetry and was so glad that she was able to pop out to St. Peter's Bay for a chat. Our wide-ranging conversation covered the importance of collaboration in finishing projects, how artists are needed more and more in a world that pressures us to conform, and why…
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Shannon Linton on how songwriting and performing fit into a busy life
Another "from away" artist, Shannon Linton spoke to me from her home in Ontario for this episode. We had a great little chat about why she chose not to pursue a career in opera and instead writes folk songs on her farm, advocates and performs in and for her community. She also writes regularly on...
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Dan Currie on growing up, writing songs and feeling the need to rock
I've loved Dan Currie's guitar playing and songwriting for a very long time, and we've played (and recorded) in a number of bands together. It was so great to sit down and talk about how all artists have the innate need to create, when he made the choice to finish what he starts in life, and how…
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Tanya Davis on poetry, music and how art teaches us about ourselves
So glad to have Tanya Davis on the show! Tanya is a writer, poet, songwriter, musician and PEI's currant Poet Laureate. When I was dreaming up this podcast, I attempted to write a new song to use as a theme, but nothing was working. Eventually I had the feeling that the perfect theme song for…
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Tess Martin on animation, film and using the past to make art
Tess Martin is a filmmaker, animator, teacher and visual artist based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. We spoke about a few of her recent short films, the creative process, how your childhood can affect the art you make as an adult, and the challenges (and perks) of being an independent artist. You...
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Nudie on stepping into the limelight later in life, writing for the gig, and why he stays in PEI
Despite knowing each other for years and even playing in a band together, there was much I didn't know about Nudie, who arrived on the PEI music scene 20+ years ago and fairly quickly formed one of the East Coast's most beloved (although no longer active) honky-tonk bands, Nudie & The Turks.…
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Millefiore Clarkes on the film industry and making movies that speak to her
Millefiore Clarkes is an award-winning filmmaker based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We had a fun chat about the film industry, the themes that run through most of her work, how she tends to stick with her "tried and true" methods. You can find out more about her work (and watch some of...
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Luke Leunes on finding creative ways to pay the rent
I first met Luke Leunes several decades ago when he was working in graphic design, selling beautiful paintings of birds and playing music. Since then, he's had many different jobs in various artistic fields, and we had a great chat about making art while making a living. Theme song - "Art" by…
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Monica Lacey on taking photos underwater and how moving her body keeps her in it
Monica Lacey is another multi-genre artist based in Charlottetown, PEI. It's hard to count the number of different ways she makes art, and she has worked very hard to build up PEI's art community. We talked about her photography and visual art, how she finds the time to work, and how she stays...
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John MacKenzie (Mumbling Jack) on his love of the written word and his advice to "just do it"
John and I discuss his no-nonsense approach to the craft of writing poetry, his escape from PEI at a young age and what it takes to get good at anything. His poetry spans a range of subjects from the human condition to nature (the moon, the crows) to the confluence of physics and art. He has...
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Katie McGarry on having the right team around you and how there's an art to everything
Katie McGarry (married name Currie) is one of my favorite humans. She grew up in Iona, PEI (not Belfast, as I say in the interview) and lives there with her family. She is a holistic wellness practitioner and an award-winning singer/songwriter. We've shared many stages together and I was so happy...
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Lenny Gallant (Birdmouse) on free time and the challenges of being a full-time artist
Sacrificing stability to live a simple life, free to allow creativity to flow. Lenny Gallant has found a niche in Atlantic Canada's original art scene by using reclaimed and found materials (mostly discarded organs) to create unique custom furniture, wall hangings and more, which he sells online...
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Mathias Kom (of The Burning Hell) on the music industry, touring in Europe, and writing a good song
Meet Mathias Kom, the man behind the band The Burning Hell. They are based in Eastern Prince Edward Island but you may have seen them in Newfoundland, Germany, Peterborough or Australia. Mathias and I go way back and it was so great to have a chat about creativity, making money making art, and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Candid conversations with artists of all types, exploring the realities of being an artist in today's world. From Prince Edward Island, Canada, with guests from around the world, local singer-songwriter and art lover Drea Macdonald tries to get to the bottom of how and why art drives us. Like what you hear? Leave a tip with Ko-fi (link below in show notes)
HOSTED BY
Drea Macdonald
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Artists on Art have?
Artists on Art currently has 52 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Artists on Art about?
Candid conversations with artists of all types, exploring the realities of being an artist in today's world. From Prince Edward Island, Canada, with guests from around the world, local singer-songwriter and art lover Drea Macdonald tries to get to the bottom of how and why art drives us. Like what...
How often does Artists on Art release new episodes?
Artists on Art has 52 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Artists on Art?
You can listen to Artists on Art on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Artists on Art?
Artists on Art is created and hosted by Drea Macdonald.
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