Tasmanian artist and arts advocate Emily-Rose Wills joins Tim Butcher to talk about the threads that connect her painting practice, her work as Arts Officer for George Town Council, and her commitment to nurturing the next generation of local artists.

In this heartfelt chat, Emily-Rose opens up about:

• how art and advocacy intertwine in her life,

• her experience as an artist on the autism spectrum,

• the mentors who shaped her path, and

• the power of generosity in Tasmania’s creative community.

🎧 Plus, some fun moments with Emily-Rose’s dog, Albus and Bjarni — because creativity and life always mix.

Find out more about Emily-Rose on Instagram.

Chapters:
0:00 Advocating for the Arts
6:14 Getting Back to Painting
9:00 An Interlude with the Dogs
9:55 Documenting Life as an Artist with Autism
10:48 Being Introduced to Contemporary Art & Passing on the Knowledge
13:06 Using Art to Process Memory & Place Attachment
15:43 “I’m Only Who I Am Because of My Teachers”
22:02 Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation of Tasmanian Artists
26:34 Bonus Content — Emily-Rose Shows Us Her Recent Work

Learn more about ConnectCurateCreate on our website.

#EmilyRoseWills #TasmanianArtist #ArtsAdvocacy #AbstractPainting #Watercolour #Gouache #ArtsInTasmania #CreativeMentorship #AutismAndArt #ArtPodcast #CCCPodcast #TimButcher #ConnectCurateCreate #TasmanianCreatives #ArtistInterview #AustralianArt #CreativeCommunity

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 memorial

13:35 – Balancing sketching with family and career

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

____________

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:

• ​How artists & makers build their creative careers
• ​Life and work in Tasmania, Australia
• ​Creative process and inspiration
• ​Stories of art, culture, and community

____________

🎧 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.

👉 Watch the full video version on our YouTube channel, and subscribe for new StoryLabs and podcast films every month.

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.

Tickets available now here.

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:

⁠Photobook Launceston⁠

⁠Women’s Art Prize Tasmania⁠

⁠Blaze by Del Kathryn Barton⁠

⁠Intelligence Squared Podcast featuring Tracey Emin⁠

Links to support services:

https://www.respect.gov.au/support-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.