Artist, David "Fitzy" Fitzpatrick reflects on his creative journey in Queenstown, Tasmania, and how his practice, Listen to Me Draw, explores the space between light and dark, love and loss.
In this episode, David shares how his art practice has evolved into a deeply spiritual experience — a process using pastels on black paper to capture the energy of the person before him. It’s not portraiture in the traditional sense, but a form of listening, healing, and reflection.
David also discusses using found materials from the mines of Queenstown in his sculptural works, and how being “between things” — light and dark, love and loss, above and below ground — defines his creative world.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome
00:42 Creative beginnings in Queenstown
03:47 David's multidisciplinary practice
08:31 Introducing "Listen to Me Draw"
12:26 How David draws
19:14 How David communicates with participants
21:41 Realising now why he does what he does
🎨 David is one of the participating artists at The Unconformity festival in Queenstown, in 2025. His Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/fitzartist58
More from Queenstown:👉 Inside Artist Collaboration | A Residency Story in Queentown, Tasmania https://youtu.be/-Bugswg-XVU____________🎥 About ConnectCurateCreate (CCC)We share inspiring stories of artists, creatives and communities making a difference in Tasmania and beyond. Each film dives into the creative process, career journeys, and the places that shape them. Whether you’re an artist, maker, creative professional, or simply curious about how people bring ideas to life through the things they make, you’ll find something here to spark your own creativity.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more films about:• How artists & makers build their creative careers• Life and work in Tasmania, Australia• Creative process and inspiration• Stories of art, culture, and community____________📷 Learn how and why we make videos: https://connectcuratecreate.com🌱 CCC is based in lutruwita/Tasmania, working regionally and beyond.
More Than a Portrait
Painter Jen Sweeney creates soulful animal portraits, often commissioned as memorials for beloved pets. In this slow, considered conversation, Jen reflects on her influences, her connection with nature, and why authenticity matters in art.
Connect with Jen at:
https://www.jensweeneyart.com
https://www.instagram.com/jensweeney_art/
https://www.facebook.com/jensweeneyart/
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
01:33 – Jen's practice
09:26 – Painting pet portraits as memorials
15:43 – Connection through giving art as gifts
18:27 – Capturing a pet’s personality
22:21 – The importance of authenticity
31:18 – Getting close to nature
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About The ConnectCurateCreate Podcast
We share inspiring stories of artists, creatives and communities making a difference in Tasmania and beyond. Each episode dives into the creative process, career journeys, and the places that shape them.
Whether you’re an artist, maker, creative professional, or simply curious about how people bring ideas to life through the things they make, you’ll find something here to spark your own creativity.
Subscribe for more content about:
____________
🎧 We also produce short films that we call StoryLabs — check out our YouTube playlist here: https://bit.ly/StoryLabs_On_YouTube
📷 Learn how and why we make videos:
https://connectcuratecreate.com
🌱 CCC is based in lutruwita/Tasmania, working regionally and beyond.
____________
Music by Noosa Sound System.
#JenSweeney #AnimalArt #ConnectCurateCreate #ConnectCurateCreatePodcast #ArtPodcast #TasmaniaArt #WildlifeArt
#ConnectCurateCreate #CreativePodcast #ArtPodcast #TasmanianArtist #AustralianCreatives #CreativeCommunity #ArtistStories #BehindTheArt #CreativeProcess #InspirationForArtists #StorytellingThroughArt #SupportLocalArtists #SlowConversations #AuthenticCreativity #CreativityMatters
#MoreThanAPortrait #AuthenticArt #CreativeConfidence #ArtInspiration #ArtistLife #MakeMoreArt #ArtProcess #AnimalPortraits #PetPortraitArtist #DogArt #PetMemorialArt #AnimalLovers #CloserToNature #CreativeConnection #ConnectCurateCreate #CreativePodcast #ArtPodcast #TasmanianArtist
What happens when an ensemble built on radical equity reimagines theatre and film? Meet Second Echo Ensemble and their recent work, Relache: The Last Dance on Earth.
Second Echo Ensemble is a unique arts organisation built on radical equity, in Hobart, Tasmania. In this episode, we talk with Creative Director Kelly Drummond Cawthon and members of the ensemble about their their 20th anniversary celebrations, including their theatrical production and film, Relache: The Last Dance On Earth.
Hear how SEE redefines what inclusive arts can be — and discover stories from the artists themselves.
Thank you to the extended Second Echo family and the artists who feature in this episode (in order of appearance):
Kelly Drummond Cawthon;
Elise Romaszko;
Julia Drouhin;
William Webster;
Lily Alcock;
Michael Fortescue.
Their latest work The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony they Rode Upon opens at the Sydney Opera House this month and the Theatre Royal, Hobart next month.
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Hobart-based painter Maggie Jeffries, who reflects on her creative path, shaped by childhood wonder, night-time focus, and a deep commitment to disability advocacy. A rising force in the Tasmanian art scene, Maggie shares how volunteering at Creative Growth in Oakland, California, transformed her relationship to both art and care.
We explore her magical painting practice — rich in memory, nature, and detail — and how she balances this with a day job supporting artists of all abilities. Maggie opens up about the emotional and practical tensions of working two roles in the arts, the value of feedback from her creative community, and how residencies and prizes have helped her grow as an artist.
This is a must-listen for those interested in the intersections of creativity and caregiving, the power of quiet persistence, and the ways art can offer both escape and responsibility.
Themes: disability arts and advocacy, whimsical painting, Creative Growth Oakland, Tasmanian artists, emerging painters, night-time creativity, art residencies, artist support roles, community and care in art, Maggie Jeffries artist
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with artist and academic Dr Tony Curran about his vibrant abstract art, shaped by a deep interest in psychology, perception, and digital technology. We explore how Tony’s “attention machines” challenge the pace of modern life and invite a more mindful, immersive engagement with the world.
Tony reflects on the intersections between art and academia, the financial challenges of sustaining a creative career, and the collaborative energy behind his recent Collision exhibition. We also discuss his role as a mentor, and the ways he supports emerging artists to develop their own practices.
Themes: abstract painting, creative practice, psychology and art, digital attention, mentoring, regional artists, art and academia
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
In this powerful episode, I revisit my conversation with artist and educator Minami Ivory about the ways art can be used to process trauma, reclaim identity, and build connection. Minami shares her remarkable journey of resilience and creative recovery, from navigating rejection in art competitions to becoming a finalist in the Women’s Art Prize Tasmania.
We explore the emotional depth of her practice, the influence of artists like Keith Haring and Tracey Emin, and the therapeutic potential of collage, photography, and painting. Minami speaks candidly about the emotional toll of working through personal experiences, the courage it takes to share them, and the meaningful feedback she receives from those who see themselves in her work.
Themes: art and trauma, resilience through creativity, women artists, healing through art, collage practice, storytelling and vulnerability, regional arts
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
LINKS
Connect with Minami @minamiivory
Other links:
Intelligence Squared Podcast featuring Tracey Emin
Links to support services:
https://www.respect.gov.au/services/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/partners/pink-elephants-support-network
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Aleks Crossan, who speaks candidly about overcoming creative block, shifting from external validation to inner purpose, and discovering joy in the process rather than the outcome. Her path to artistic empowerment began by embracing fear and rejection, and by learning to tune into what truly matters.
We explore the serendipity of finding her current studio—inside a former apple packing facility in Hobart—and how space and place shape artistic evolution. Aleks also reflects on the vibrant Tasmanian art scene, the role of community, and how digital platforms are empowering younger artists to share their stories on their own terms.
Whether you’re navigating creative uncertainty or seeking inspiration for your own practice, Aleks’ story is a moving reminder that fulfilment often follows when we stop chasing and start listening.
Keywords: Aleks Crossan, Tasmanian artist, performance to painting, creative resilience, overcoming creative block, finding a studio, art and personal growth, regional art community, social media and youth art, digital storytelling, women artists, visual arts in Tasmania, creative empowerment
🎙️ Connect Curate Create features stories of artists cultivating courage, place, and meaning through creativity in regional Australia.
How do we hold space for creativity while raising kids and navigating grief? I’m revisiting this warm and insightful episode with Launceston-based illustrator and zine maker Bianca Jagoe, who shares her playful, poetic approach to making art rooted in everyday life. From supermarket moments to her children’s antics, Bianca draws inspiration from the ordinary, using zines, mail art and illustration to explore deeper themes like grief, pain, parenting and joy.
We chat about the messy beauty of balancing creativity with adult responsibilities—pen marks on the walls, freelance deadlines, parenting through hard times, and keeping wonder alive in the process. Bianca reflects on how growing up close to nature shaped her worldview, and how living in Launceston offers a community-centred charm that continues to fuel her artistic outlook.
From small creative interventions to deeply personal projects about childhood grief, Bianca’s work invites us to pause, notice, and create meaning from our daily lives. We also unpack the practicalities of maintaining a freelance art practice, the challenges of self-promotion, and how embracing imperfection can make creative work more accessible and authentic.
Themes: parenting and creativity, freelance illustration, zines and grief, mail art, regional arts practice, childhood inspiration, Launceston arts community, everyday storytelling, balancing art and life, CCC podcast
🎙️ Connect Curate Create shares stories of artists and creatives finding courage, connection, and place through creativity in regional Australia.
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Fran Reeve, a multidisciplinary artist from Hobart, Tasmania, whose creative world blends textiles, performance, sculpture, and immersive energy work. In this lively and inspiring episode, Fran opens the doors to her vibrant studio and her ever-evolving art practice—one that includes needle-felted soft sculpture heads, roving performance characters, and interactive festival art.
Fran shares her fascinating journey from art school to circus arts, and how a series of creative pivots led her to invent new ways of combining visual arts with movement, play and expression. Whether she’s transforming spaces at major Tasmanian events or developing hula hooping characters for roving shows, Fran’s work asks how facial expression, gesture, and wearable art can shift the energy of a room—or a field.
Together we explore:
If you’re drawn to performance art, wearable sculpture, festival-making or playful, embodied creativity, Fran’s episode will light you up.
Keywords: Fran Reeve, performance art, soft sculpture, wearable art, roving characters, immersive art, Hobart artist, Tasmanian arts, circus arts, needle felting, festival art, textile sculpture, character design, creative energy, Connect Curate Create, arts festivals, experiential art, movement and storytelling, costume-based performance
🎙️ Connect Curate Create brings you honest conversations with artists working across disciplines—nurturing community, place and creative ecosystems through their work.
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Zara Sully — artist, curator, and Director of Sawtooth ARI in Launceston, Tasmania. We talk about creative practice, identity, and the delicate balance between sustaining a personal arts practice and leading a regional arts organisation.
Zara shares their journey from science student to queer artist, and from the high school darkroom to a leadership role in one of Tasmania’s most vital creative spaces. We explore image-making, mental health, and the slow formation of queer community in regional Australia.
Themes:
queer art, creative practice, arts management, vulnerability, regional identity, Tasmania, curating community, scanner photography, creative ecosystems
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Hobart-based painter George Kennedy, who takes us inside his creative world, where suburban landscapes and childhood memories collide with the rhythms of contemporary life. George opens up about his upcoming solo show The Same as Ever at Despard Gallery and how feedback from fellow artist Maggie Jeffries helped shape this body of work.
We explore George’s journey from academic studies in maths and science to becoming a full-time artist, and how experimentation across mediums helped him find his voice in painting. He shares insights into symbolism in his work — from everyday scenes to iconic references like the golden arches — and how his practice engages with themes of change, memory, and place.
Listeners are invited into George’s studio process, use of unconventional tools, and reflections on artistic discipline and chaos. This episode is a must for anyone interested in how artists grow through community, reflect the places they know, and use painting to understand the world around them.
Themes: painting and memory, suburban symbolism, Despard Gallery artists, art career beginnings, Tasmanian painters, Hobart art scene, academic-to-artist journey, place and transformation in art, artistic community and feedback, George Kennedy artist
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Audrey Carter on Painting Nature, Colour & Climate Emotions in Contemporary Art
In this episode, I speak with painter Audrey Carter, whose observational art practice explores the natural world, saturated colour, and the emotional currents of climate anxiety. Currently undertaking an Honours degree, Audrey reflects on how childhood wonder, impressionist influences, and supportive parenting helped shape her creative worldview.
We explore how her vivid palette draws viewers in, creating a portal to look more closely at the environment — and how her paintings aim to inspire both connection and action. Audrey also shares how she documents her practice online, blending the roles of artist and content creator with authenticity and care.
Themes: painting and climate, saturated colour in art, nature as muse, creative ecology, documenting art practice, art and content creation, observational painting, childlike wonder, contemporary impressionism
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
You can connect with Audrey at:
https://www.instagram.com/earthtoauds
Brooke van Ruiswyk on Art, Memory & Reconnecting with Place Through Collage
In this episode, I speak with multidisciplinary artist Brooke van Ruiswyk about how memory, landscape, and lived experience shape her creative practice. Through collage and intuitive mark-making, Brooke creates work that connects her to rural places she once called home — and to the stories that live in those remembered spaces.
We discuss the influence of art teachers, the impact of parenthood on creative time, and the slow work of overcoming perfectionism by simply putting work into the world. Brooke also reflects on how positive audience feedback has helped her trust her own voice and keep creating.
Themes: collage and memory, creative practice, regional landscapes, parenting and art, art teaching, overcoming perfectionism, connection to place
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
You can connect with Brooke at:
https://www.instagram.com/brookevanruiswyk
https://www.facebook.com/BrookevanRuiswykGallery
Image credits: Louise Middleton
Ursula Woods on Cinematography, Collaboration & Making Films with Friends
In this episode, I speak with cinematographer and film artist Ursula Woods about the intersections between her arts practice and her work in filmmaking. Ursula shares her journey from teaching into film, and how experimenting with analogue techniques has opened up new creative and professional opportunities.
We explore the value of learning through making, the rewards of working collaboratively, and the simple but powerful idea that film gets better when made with friends. Ursula’s perspective is warm, grounded, and generous — a reminder that community is at the heart of creative growth.
Themes: cinematography, analogue film, collaborative filmmaking, creative community, learning by doing, arts practice, regional film
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
NOTE: Ursula mentions her role at Director of Photography on the multi award-winning Rebecca Thompson film, A Green Affair, but refers to it by its original working title. You can watch the trailer for the A Green Affair and other films at Ursula’s portfolio:
Jason Ball on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Mental Health & Building a Life in the Arts
In this episode, I speak with artist and arts worker Jason Ball about the lifelong role that art has played in supporting his mental health, shaping his voice, and helping him navigate vulnerability. Jason shares how comic books, heavy metal, and creative expression helped him come to terms with past trauma — and how generosity in sharing his work has opened up unexpected opportunities.
We explore the emotional weight of imposter syndrome, how support from others has helped him build a sustainable arts career, and why embracing imperfection is at the core of his evolving practice.
Themes: imposter syndrome, art and mental health, trauma and creativity, comic book influences, vulnerability in practice, finding your voice, creative confidence
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Check out Jason’s Instagram profile:
https://www.instagram.com/jasonball_art
Magie Khameneh on Illustration, Storytelling & Choosing the Creative Path
In this episode, I speak with illustrator and motion designer Magie Khameneh about the steps she took to build a creative life — and how she continues to balance a full-time design job with an evolving personal arts practice.
We talk about the challenges of showing work for the first time, how motion design complements her illustration process, and the quiet power of storytelling through children’s books. Magie’s journey is thoughtful, grounded, and a gentle reminder that every creative step counts.
Themes: illustration and storytelling, motion design, creative balance, children’s books, emerging artists, making time for art, creative pathfinding
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Check out Magie's portfolio:
https://www.instagram.com/magiekhameneh
Life After Art School: Jacob O’Shannassy & Jeremy Hemming on Creative Practice, Vulnerability & Collaboration
In this episode, I speak with emerging artists Jacob O’Shannassy and Jeremy Hemming about their transition from art school into independent practice. We explore what art school gave them — and what it couldn’t — as they navigate creative life beyond the studio walls of formal education.
Together, they reflect on the importance of vulnerability, belonging, and collaboration for both artistic growth and personal wellbeing. This conversation touches on the emotional and practical realities of building a creative life after graduation.
Themes: life after art school, emerging artists, creative collaboration, vulnerability in art, regional practice, artist wellbeing, studio culture
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Many thanks to Jeremy and Jacob for sharing their story with us.
Check out their artwork on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/hemmingblad
https://www.instagram.com/jacob.oshan
Videography: Rachel Kail https://www.instagram.com/rach.kail
Sarah L. Stewart on Painting, Creative Reinvention & Finding Her Voice Through Colour
In this episode, I speak with emerging visual artist Sarah L. Stewart about her transition from a former career into full-time creative practice. Sarah shares how she found a new voice through painting — exploring emotion, memory, and landscape through layered brushwork and seasonal palettes.
We discuss the influence of other artists on her learning, how the shifting Tasmanian seasons shape her use of colour, and what it means to begin again as a creative adult. Her story is one of quiet reinvention, and the power of persistence in building something new.
Themes: painting practice, creative reinvention, learning from other artists, seasonal influence on art, emerging artists, Tasmania, colour and landscape
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Check out Sarah's portfolio:
https://www.sarahstewartart.com.au/
In this episode, I speak with musician and vocal coach Tilley about the healing power of singing, the craft of songwriting, and the realities of life as a freelance artist. Tilley shares her journey through the music industry — including working with Damon Albarn — and how vocal coaching became a tool for wellbeing, recovery, and self-expression.
We discuss the role of performance as more than entertainment, the emotional and physical dimensions of voice work, and why a business mindset matters for sustaining creative careers. Tilley’s insights are both generous and grounded — offering guidance for anyone pursuing music as a life practice.
Themes: music and wellbeing, voice and trauma recovery, songwriting, vocal coaching, freelance artist life, creative sustainability, performance as storytelling
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
For Tilley’s music:
Subscribe to Signs of Life: the Tilley mailing listhttp://eepurl.com/nrOhb
https://www.instagram.com/tilleysong/
http://www.youtube.com/tilleysong
https://www.facebook.com/tilleysong
Stream on Spotify:https://tinyurl.com/bdzwan7m
If you love to support artists, purchase Tilley's music here:http://tilleysong.bandcamp.com/
moving & musing: Tilley on substackhttps://tilley.substack.com/
learn more:tilleysong.com
For Bec Tilley: Voice Coach:
https://www.instagram.com/bectilleyvoice/
https://www.youtube.com/@bectilleyvoice
Cinematography by @rachkailfilm
Tom Chapman on Filmmaking, Teamwork & Crafting a Cinematography Career in Tasmania
In this episode, I sit down with director and cinematographer Tom Chapman to explore his 15-year journey in filmmaking — from early creative sparks to building a sustainable and collaborative career in the industry. Tom shares practical advice for aspiring filmmakers on learning the craft, building reputation, and staying creatively energised over time.
We also discuss the evolving landscape of the screen industry, the unique strengths of the filmmaking community in Tasmania, and the importance of building strong teams and trusting collaborations on set.
Themes: cinematography career path, filmmaking in Tasmania, collaboration in film, director/cinematographer workflow, creative reputation-building, film industry trends, teamwork in filmmaking, regional screen culture
🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.
Check out Tom's portfolio:
Thanks also to Freyja, Conor & Jenni at Rooke for inviting us on set to shoot our intro b-roll: https://www.wearerooke.com
