Foreground/Background podcast episode 3: Eva Rocha

The latest episode of my Foreground/Background podcast, about the day to day aspects of making a living as an artist, is out now! Take a listen below and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify to get every episode when it comes out.


Eva Rocha is a multimedia artist from Brazil who’s studied Theater, Cultural Studies, and Fine Art. she has an MFA in Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her work has been shown in museums internationally including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Eva also happens to be my neighbor!

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

• Success and stability
• Education
• What makes an artist
• Political art
• Grants
• Art Collectors
• Art Museums
• and more!

If you enjoyed this podcast please leave a comment and let me know what resonates with you and give it a thumbs up or 5 star review wherever you listen to it. And of course if you’re not already a Patreon supporter I hope you’ll check it out at Patreon.com/NoahScalin.

Foreground/Background podcast episode 2: George Ferrandi

The latest episode of my Foreground/Background podcast, about the day to day aspects of making a living as an artist, is out now! Take a listen below and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify to get every episode when it comes out.



George Ferrandi is a Brooklyn based artist whose performative work focuses on experimental approaches to human imperfections. George currently teaches Sculpture and Performance Art at Pratt Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as at the Rhode Island School of Design and runs a small business which specializes in restoring statues at churches.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

• The artist's education
• Making a living 
• Definitions of success
• Priorities and balance
• Selling art
• Career opportunities
• Grants
• and more!

If you enjoyed this podcast please leave a comment and let me know what resonates with you and give it a thumbs up or 5 star review wherever you listen to it. And of course if you’re not already a Patreon supporter I hope you’ll check it out at Patreon.com/NoahScalin.

Flowers and Faces

Jessica Mack (aka BrownPaperBunny) from Seattle, WA is drawing / painting a flower or a face every day, in any medium, on any surface available for her project Flowers and Faces...

Why did you decide to do this project? Drawing and painting flowers and faces is something I enjoy but also something I want to improve, so I’m setting out to draw a flower or face every day.

How has doing a yearlong / daily project affected your life? It has become a habit now, and I start to feel ‘the itch’ if I miss a day because I’m traveling or sick etc. It has also become a little piece of my day that is just for me, which has done wonders for my stress levels. I’d even go so far as to say I’m sleeping better at night because of my daily creative habit.

See all of Jessica's project on Instagram at @100daysofflowersandfaces.

Heart of the Day

Anette Bäck of Skövde, Sweden is creating one heart daily in 2019 for her project Heart of the Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? A few years ago I got the book 365: A Daily Creative Journal by Noah Scalin from a dear friend. A perfect opportunity for me to challenge my creativity. In my professional life I am the head of an IT department, which is a fulfilling and challenging job in many ways and I think I'm pretty good at it. But it isn't the most creative job.

I wanted to start the project on January 1st. But... for several years I had forgotten it, but not this year. This year I started my project. I am going to continue as long as it is challenging and fun. Hopefully I will reach the finish line at December 31st. But if the "want feeling" is replaced with a "must feeling" I have promised myself to change the plan. I don't need any more musts in my life!

I chose hearts as my project for two reasons:
1. It's quite a simple shape
2. I associate it with positive feeling and hope that it will help me carry on if (or rather when) the inspiration comes. 

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have just started my project and so far I have learned that I can't bring myself to destroy books. This project is also teaching me to settle with "good enough". Normally, I am kind of a "good girl type" that always wants to do the best (preferably to perfection), but the time restraint when creating one heart every day while working and taking care of everyday stuff doesn’t leave room for perfection. It is a really valuable experience for me.See all of Anette's project on Instagram at @heartoftheday and on her site HERE