In this episode of the Artist Academy Podcast, I’m chatting with Odette Guastavino, a Netherlands-based muralist and painter whose whimsical, magical artwork stopped me mid-scroll on Instagram. What started as admiration for her art quickly turned into a conversation about style, storytelling, and building a sustainable art career—especially after I realized she had recently joined the Artist Academy.

Odette shares her journey from studying architecture to building a mural career through Facebook groups, word of mouth, and social media, and how she’s now intentionally shifting her focus toward canvas work, prints, and more flexible income streams. We talk about transitioning from client-led mural commissions to creating original, imaginative paintings that sell—often before they even make it to her website—and what helped her recent work go viral. We also explore why whimsical and nostalgic art resonates with adults just as much as kids, and how she presents her artwork in context to help buyers visualize it in their homes.

Toward the end of the episode, Odette shares one of her most powerful tools yet: how she’s using AI to mock up artwork in real interiors, speed up her workflow, and ultimately sell more paintings—without compromising her artistic integrity.