Art, Sketching and Inspiration in Paris: Stumbling Toward Genius with Marcus McAllister

Today on Stumbling Toward Genius I am excited to talk with one of my favorite people, Marcus McAllister.

Marcus is a French-American professional artist based in Paris for the past twenty-five years. In his acrylic paintings and long-term Sketchbook discipline, he layers figures, animals, text, abstract signs, and mystic symbols to create meaningful, dream-like glimpses of his inner universe.

I still remember the first time I met Marcus. It was at one of his Sunday Salons at his art studio in Paris. I left that evening with a new friend and two pieces of advice that have made a big difference for me in my own creative life.

Tune in to find out what those two things are, and to hear more about Marcus’s artists’ journey, including what he’s learned from 30 Years of Sketchbooking, as well as:

● The function of the sketchbooks—the surprising way they help him structure his life, figure out his filters and enhance his memories

● How a simple adjustment in his process led to him finding his artistic voice

● Going from trepidation to motivation to finished—he’ll walk us through his in-studio process and how he determines when a painting is complete

We’ll also spend some time talking about how artists are navigating the post-pandemic terrain and the new opportunities available now.

Plus, in the video version on YouTube, we join the artist in his studio, where we’ll get an inside look at his sketchbooks and his gorgeous paintings—join us there. Check out the video version of this interview on YouTube here.

Finally, if you are interested in a deeper level of creativity for yourself, there’s no place better to come alive with inspiration than Paris.

Join us September 27 – October 2 for a life-changing workshop: Paris Sketchbook

Or, my writing workshop, Write Your Heart Out in Paris, October 6-11, 2022.

MENTIONED

Caran d’Ache Watersoluble II

Marcus McAllister

Marcus’ Instagram