Strand, the Story of an Artist

Episode 084: Bibby Gignilliat

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with Bibby Gignilliat, a Northern California–based artist whose work radiates color, texture, and fearless creativity. They met in her Sausalito studio, a small waterfront town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Bibby built a thriving culinary team-building business in four major cities. In 2017, she sold the company to dedicate herself entirely to painting. Her mixed-media works have since been exhibited at the DeYoung Museum, Triton Museum, and featured in galleries across the country. She also shares her innovative techniques with thousands of students, both online and in her studio, encouraging others to create boldly and without hesitation.
Today, she is represented by the Portland Art Gallery. Their website has a wide selection of Bibby’s available work.
If you’re near the San Francisco Bay Area, stop by her open studio on November 15.
portlandartgallery.com   |   @portlandartgallery
bibbyart.com   |   @bibbygart.kevin-kirkwood.com   |   @kevinwillpaint   |   @strandpodcast
Listen to The Strand via all major platforms. Including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood
This episode was recorded October 1st, 2025 in Sausalito, California.
 
 

Episode 083: Nina Katz

Kevin Kirkwood recently sat down with Nina Katz, a Berkeley-based painter whose work explores the figure and portraiture. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Hong Kong, Nina studied in Boston before settling in the Bay Area. Largely self-taught, she’s been painting full time for the past 15 years; creating deeply expressive and intimate works.
Nina’s latest exhibition, Figures and Fragments, is now on view at Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco through November 15.
Learn more at ninakatz.com and jackfischergallery.com.
"I am motivated by the process of painting and the dialogue that develops between me and the paint.  Over the years my work has moved between representation to figurative abstraction and back again. My work continues to resist categorization. It shifts, evolves, and refuses to settle into a tidy theme or style. I try not to chase what’s expected or popular; instead, I follow the work itself—its moods, its materials, its surprises. I still love to do commissioned portraits as well as revisit unfamiliar topics. This path is not always comfortable, but it is the most honest one I know. I trust the paint and I’m fueled, always, by a little angst—and maybe the occasional nudge from the goddess of creativity." – Nina Katz
 
Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint  |  @strandpodcast
 
Listen to The Strand via all major platforms. Including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon.
 
This episode was recorded September 28, 2025 in Berkeley California.

Episode 082: Fernanda Martinez Gutierrez

Kevin Kirkwood shared a conversation with Fernanda Martínez Gutierrez, an Oakland based painter and muralist; In her work, she incorporates nature elements as themes, organic shapes, bold textures, and deconstructed patterns to develop intrinsic narratives. Recently her practice expanded to sculptures, where she experiments with different materials to translate her distinguishable shapes and mastery in color into delightful 3D pieces.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Fernanda moved to the Bay Area in 2015 where she founded La Tinta. Under this name, she collaborated with brands such as Anthropologie, Lulu and Georgia, World Market Plus by licensing her work for a variety of products.
Fernanda has exhibited her paintings throughout galleries; she has also created Mural installations at Meta, Google, Unity among other companies. Fernanda’s art and murals can be found across the Bay Area and select online platforms.
www.fernandamartinezart.com
@tinta_art
A special thank-you to @victoriacgildersleeve_projects for making this conversation possible.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint
Listen to The Strand via the link in bio or at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strandAvailable on all major platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon.

Episode 081: Fanny Wu

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Fanny Wu, an architect and artist who lives and works in San Jose California. This episode is particularly meaningful to me because Fanny and I spent many afternoons sketching various locations of the communities that we helped design.
Fanny is passionate in building and creating spaces that promote creativity and well-being.  She believes architecture surpasses the construction of materials and it fosters inspiring collective memories in one’s heart and brings the best out of the community. During the pandemic she started leading art sessions to help the community heal through art making and story-telling.Living and growing up in three different countries – Taiwan, New Zealand and America, she is constantly adjusting and relearning about her identity.  The more she engages with the community, the more she realizes a healthy environment begins with a healthy mindset. She believes a true sustainable future can be crafted when individuals are empowered to share the richness of their stories and cultures. This has pivoted her focus to the pursuit of Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry (BSSM). She graduated second year in 2025 and is a certified Art SOZO Facilitator. Her heart is to see revival happen through art and healing in one's soul.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaintfannyfjwu.wixsite.com/art-for-the-soul| @fannyfjwu

Episode 080: Lenny Grant

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lenny Grant, an architect who lives and works in San Luis Obispo, California. This episode is particularly meaningful to me because Lenny played an important role in my early growth as an architectural designer.
With over thirty years of experience, Lenny brings a thoughtful perspective to his role as Managing Partner at RRM Design Group. His work—primarily focused on housing—draws inspiration from travels across Europe, Africa, and Asia, reflecting a passion for timeless, community-centered design.
Beyond architecture, Lenny is deeply engaged in local initiatives, including the San Luis Obispo Housing Coalition, REACH, and the County Housing Trust Fund. His commitment to both design excellence and community betterment makes him an exceptional leader and voice in contemporary architecture.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaintrrmdesign.com | @rrmdesigngroup

Episode 079: Kim Anno

Kevin Kirkwood visits artist Kim Anno in her Berkeley, California studio for a conversation about how her family influenced her creative beginnings, what inspired her to make her collection of films, and her journey to becoming a Guggenheim fellow in 2024.
Kim Anno is a painter, photographer, and filmmaker/video artist born in Los Angeles whose work has been collected and exhibited by museums nationally and internationally. Her work is in the intersection of art, science history, and societal dilemma surrounding climate change, and adaptation. She received a US dept of State award for her work: Water Cities, Indonesia, and the Asian Cultural Council NY. In 2023, a monograph and solo exhibition by Anno was presented by Anglim/Trimble Gallery, San Francisco and in 2024 she released her first documentary feature film: “¡Quba!” and “Water Cities, Indonesia."
The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood
kevin-kirkwood.com  @kevinwillpaint / @strandpodcast
Kim Anno: kimanno.com @anno.kim
Anglim Trimble: anglimtrimble.com @anglimtrimble
Kyung Lee: Kyunglee.com @kiyonle
Wild Projects: wildprojects.org @wildprojectsproductions
Quba Film Qubafilm.com @qubafilm

Episode 078: Chase Lanier

Kevin Kirkwood shares a conversation with artist Chase Lanier, recorded live at Westobou Gallery. Together, they explore Chase’s process, his approach to making, and the conceptual ideas that inform his work.
Chase is a boomerang native of Augusta, GA, where he teaches art at the Academy of Richmond County. In 2024, he showed at ArtFields in Lake City, SC — the annual competition that brings together artists from across the Southeast. During that event, Chase received the Sumter Gallery’s Southeastern Partners Exhibition Award, which led to his current solo show, “Within the Margin of Error”, now on view at the Sumter County Gallery of Art.
Special thanks to Matt Porter and the team at Westobou for their support.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood (@kevinwillpaint / @strandpodcast)
www.sumtergallery.com @sumtergallery
www.chaselanierart.com @chaselanierart
www.artfieldssc.org @artfieldssc
www.westobou.org @westobou
www.kevin-kirkwood.com @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast

Episode 077: David Clifton-Strawn

Kevin Kirkwood chopped it up with David Clifton-Strawn, an Atlanta based fine-art photographer. David focuses his practice on exploring the traditional art of portraiture through a contemporary queer lens. 
Clifton-Strawn's work is represented by Alan Avery Art Company and has been exhibited across the United States, Canada and Europe. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia and several private collections. He was the recipient of the 2022-23 City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Award in photography. He currently serves as the Executive Director for the Atlanta Photography Group.
 
The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood
@kevinwillpaint
@davidcliftonstrawn
@atlantaphotographygroup
@alanaveryartcompany
@kailinart
 
kevinwillpaint.com
davidcliftonstrawn.com
alanaveryartcompany.com
atlantaphotographygroup.org
kailinart.com

Episode 076: Craig Drennen

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with Craig Drennen at Westobou—one of the South’s standout contemporary art spaces—to talk about his creative practice and his latest curatorial project, The End Space – The First Five Years. This exhibition is currently on view at Westobou through August 2.
 
Craig is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, represented by Brigitte Mulholland Gallery in Paris. His recent solo exhibitions include shows at The Suburban in Milwaukee and Freight+Volume in New York City.
 
Beyond his own studio work, Craig has made a significant impact as an educator and curator. He’s served as dean at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, teaches at Georgia State University, and runs THE END Project Space, his ongoing curatorial platform—which is also the impetus for this conversation.
 
A special thanks to Matt Porter and the incredible team at Westobou for their warm hospitality and for making this conversation possible.
 
Produced by @kevinwillpaint kevinwillpaint.com
 
craigdrennen.com @craigdrennen @the_end_project_space
westobou.org @westobou
thesuburban.org @the_suburban_exhibitions
brigittemulholland.com @brigittemulhollandparis
huntermuseum.org @huntermuseum
mariettacobbartmuseum.org @mariettacobbartmuseum

Episode 075: Juliette Sturlèse

Kevin Kirkwood joined Juliette for a conversation a few weeks ago while he was living in Lacoste, France. This episode captures a fleeting, intimate moment in time and feels particularly special. Because at the time of the conversation, she was pregnant. Just last week, she welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. This episode offers a glimpse into her life during a profound period of transition.
Juliette recently had a solo exhibition at the Reiter Gallery in Leipzig, Germany. The show was titled “If you want, we will love each other.” In this interview, she reflects on the significance of that body of work and shares her thoughts on entering motherhood.
 
juliettesturlese.com
@juliette_sturlese 
reitergalleries.com
@reiter_galleries
 
The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast kevinwillpaint.com
 
All episodes are available at the link in bio, www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.