Artists on Art with Drea Macdonald

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 released three collections of poetry and uploads new poems regularly on his blog; https://mumblinjack.wordpress.com/Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 grounded in a chaotic world. You can find out more about her on her website: https://monicalacey.com/ or on her Instagram account @dancethechanges.Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 her films) on her production company website: https://www.onethousandflowers.tv/Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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arrived on the PEI music scene 20+ years ago and fairly quickly formed one of the East Coast's most beloved (although no longer active) honky-tonk bands, Nudie & The Turks. Nudie came out to the East end of the Island to chat about his musical journey, why he stayed in PEI, and how he sort of "fell into" songwriting. You can find his music on all of the streaming services, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for show updates.Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 can find more about her work at https://www.tessmartinart.com/.Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Logo/Artwork: Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 this project had already been written, and soon after I remembered Tanya's wonderful song "Art". Graciously, she allowed me to use the tune for this season. Our chat covered a lot of ground, including religion, money, and how art can be an important tool in learning about oneself. Please check out Tanya's website to check out her past work or to find out about her current performances. Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis www.tanyadavis.caPodcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse www.birdmouse.ca

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 he still thinks about playing guitar all day, every day. You can find Dan's music on the streaming platforms, and keep an eye out for his (as yet unnamed) new band. Theme Song: "Art" by Tanya Davis www.tanyadavis.caPodcast Logo/Artwork by Birdmouse www.birdmouse.ca

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 Substack: https://shannonlinton.substack.com/ and you can find her music on Bandcamp: https://shannonlinton.bandcamp.com/musicTheme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis www.tanyadavis.caPodcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse www.birdmouse.ca

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 PEI is a popular place for creative people to settle. You can find her books at The Bookmark in Charlottetown, PEI (and order from their website www.bookmarkreads.ca).Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis www.tanyadavis.caPodcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse www.birdmouse.ca

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/painting, how he was much more enamored with photography when it was about developing film in dark rooms, what he's learned about himself through the characters he's played . . . and much more. Art is magic. Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis www.tanyadavis.caPodcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse www.birdmouse.ca

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 Donnalee about making art because she's always had a unique style and is such a champion and a mentor for other artists. She refers to an interview/article by a musician and neither of us could think of who it was. Turns out it was Brian Eno - here is a link to "Composers as Gardeners": https://www.edge.org/conversation/brian_eno-composers-as-gardenersTheme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 the heart has its seasons", this year. We had a great chat about the benefits of sharing/performing artwork, how great it is to have a champion, and how creativity is human nature. You can buy her book in Charlottetown at The Bookmark, The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro, Glass Roots Gallery, and directly from the artist.Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Podcast logo/artwork by Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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 records too and puts on one of the best live shows around. I was surprised to learn that his parents didn't want to buy him his first guitar as a kid, thinking it would just be a phase. Thank goodness it wasn't! You can find out more about Nathan here: https://www.nathanwiley.com/Theme song - "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Podcast logo artwork by Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/

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. You can find out more about his work and upcoming shows at https://www.dennisellsworth.com/Theme song: "Art" by Tanya Davis https://tanyadavis.ca/Podcast logo and artwork by Birdmouse https://www.birdmouse.ca/