So we had a pretty big event called over this past weekend. The US Presidential election was called on Saturday in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden. I don't know about you but the sense of relief and joy in our home was palpable. It's as if a dark cloud had been lifted on our spirits. Not it's time for the transition to a new administration.

With all the weight of politics in the US the past six or seven months, I thought it would be pleasant to take a break. I don't know about you but this year has taken a toll on me psychologically.

Today's guest is Artist Mia Risberg.  Born in Sweden, Mia came to the US as a young adult. She attended Hunter College (NY) where she received a BA in Fine Arts.

My conversation with Mia is a deeper dive in to the creativity of a painter. Mia likes to experiment with different formats, styles and mediums as a painter. She says it helps her keep a fresh perspective with when she translates works on a larger canvas to something smaller, like 6x6.

Mia is a painter who also likes to investigate the nuances of a vision. She doesn't just do one painting and call it good. Mia says she likes to explore moments--Glimpses she calls them--in series of paintings. She currently is exploring a cache of photographs from her past and starting to paint from these.

While she started out as an abstract painter, she says her work turned figurative as she mines emotions from scenes and memories.

Mia and I talk not only about creativity in painting but also practical matters, like what the hell do you do with works in process and when finished--framing canvases, wiring, packing and storing. When you work for yourself as a creative you find out you need left brain and right brain skills. And she reveals she has a music playlist she likes to have on while she paints.

We also discuss how the coronavirus has impacted working as a solo artist--she has some ideas about how the pandemic has affected the art world, including galleries--and what the future might hold..

Our conversation is a window into the world of a working creative: her focus, her challenges, her loves and her concerns. I hope you enjoy meeting Mia Risberg.

Painting of George Floyd for Hatch Art (online exhibit): http://www.hatchart.org/say-their-names
The Mandali Exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library (curated by Mia Risberg): https://aadl.org/mandali
Call and Response, A Collaboration with photographer Jessica Chappe: https://shoeboxpr.com/2020/11/07/call-and-response-collaboration-at-a-distance-round-8/
Working with Artist Jennifer Pochinski
Admiration for Artist Yakoi Kusama
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miarisbergart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.risberg

Website: https://christianrward.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianrward/