The PleinAir Podcast has been named the #1 Painting Podcast by FeedSpot for two years in a row. In this episode, Eric Rhoads interviews Thomas Bucci. Listen and watch as they discuss: Thomas's early motivation and inspiration. He had an early start with watercolor and an inspirational neighbor. Disappointments with 1970s art education, which did not respect representational work; and finding alternate creative careers. His path to a career as an artist, and how he came back to painting and found his audience by avoiding the art establishment and going directly to the people. How he learned to talk about and sell his work. How an artistic life is driven by the things that truly interest you, and how cultivating his varied interests served as a motivator for the subjects that inspire him to paint. Bonus! In this week's Art Marketing Minute, Eric Rhoads, author of Make More Money Selling Your Art, addresses how to gain broader recognition if you live in a small town, and how to put together an art portfolio.