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.

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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

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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:

• ​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.

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#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