From Communist Romania, through the forests of Transylvania, touching down in San Francisco before settling in Austin, MALINA CIPLEU shares her joy of discovering the art of fused glass. After a career in psychology in Romania, Malina’s role as a mother ultimately opened the door to art, first as a hobby and ultimately to a profession in glass. Malina’s evident love for the art form is infectious; she revels in the magic and element of surprise in every project. Perhaps not surprising, elements of her own childhood fascinations continue to find their way into her art forms and ideas.

A love of research, words and books drives Austin-based, mixed media artist KRISTY DARNELL BATTANI’s textile inspired paintings and forms. The host and founder of the ARTish Plunge podcast answers questions about her art journey, from intellectual property lawyer to full-time artist, as part of an artist talk for her recent solo show “How To Be.”

A relentless work ethic, persistence and teamwork are just a few of the qualities football instilled in watercolorist Rich Samuel that have allowed him to create a booming art practice and studio that has grown into an East Austin community hot spot. Rich shares how the responsibility of being the only Black-owned gallery in Austin gives him a sense of purpose that energizes his own art practice. Rich also reveals how he uses TikTok to fuel his art sales.

B SHAWN COX is an artist, trained architect and lawyer whose early experiences in the small West Texas town of Monahans are re-emerging in his artwork through brightly patterned cowboys and sassy bouffanted-ladies. A prolific artist who admittedly creates amongst controlled chaos, Shawn shares how he juggles multiple forms of artistic expression with a need for analytical challenges.

The ARTish Plunge podcast explores how artist JULIE FRITZ creates multi-layered landscapes with her cold wax technique. Julie shares how she developed her art practice after years working in event marketing and authoring two books. Throughout her life, a strong appreciation for place has guided her work.