Seth Apter's Blog, page 116

Create with Me!

Registration continues for Create...the mixed media retreat held in Somerset, New Jersey from July 18 to July 22. Create is sponsored by Interweave and Cloth Paper Scissors and this is the first time it is being held in NJ. I am celebrating the fact that the east coast now has another retreat to look forward too! You can find information about the workshops, instructors, registration, lodging, the Artists' Faire, special events, and more right here.
I will be teaching 4 workshops and am hoping to see some of YOU there!
A Box of Dreams: Wednesday, July 18th, 9am-4pm

Create an artful and art-filled Box of Dreams to use as a place to create, document, and store your life goals, dreams, aspirations, and intentions. We will all start with the same blank box and set of blank cards and spend the day personalizing and customizing the materials to reflect you. 

This workshop will introduce a series of mixed media, painting, and collage techniques that can be used for any future project.
Collaboration Station: Wednesday, July 18th, 6pm-9pm

This workshop will focus on the fun and challenge of a collaborative art project. All students in the class will collaborate to create a work of art that will stretch their artistic skills. Everybody will be provided with the same 12" x 12" cradled wood panel. Using your choice of materials you brought for all the other classes you attended, you will work on your own piece...as well as the pieces of all the other participants in the group. The process of hosting and developing art collaborations will also be discussed. 
Mixed Media Dossier: Thursday, July 19th, 9am-4pm

In this workshop you will create a personal dossier - a handmade, mixed media journal that you can use long after the workshop ends. Use it as a daily journal, a travel journal, a family scrapbook, or a theme-based diary for your interests, hobbies, or collections. 

During the workshop you will learn a variety of mixed-media techniques for creating layers, texture, and dimension. A simple approach to binding will allow you to pull the entire project together and to add pages to your dossier at any point in the future.
This is a twist on a class that I recently taught at The Ink Pad. I was excited that each and every student created a highly unique and personal dossier and that no two projects looked alike. Here is just one example.
Text Tiles: Thursday, July 19th, 6pm-9pm

Learn to work small with a big impact. In this workshop we will create mixed media paintings on a small scale using 4 x4 and 6x6 cradled wood panels. Even though this class is project-based, the emphasis will be on technique. You will learn a series of approaches to make layered and textured surfaces, which can be applied to an endless number of projects. We will be using text as the main foreground component of each painting, so you will be expressing yourself both in words and visual design.

Passages

Earlier this month I highlighted the paintings from my Interior Angles series that is part of my current exhibition at The Gallery Link in Ellenville, NY.  Interior Angles consists of 12 abstract, acrylic paintings.

This exhibition also includes nine mixed media works that make up the series Passages.

 These pieces are meditations on changes and the passing of time.
Passages
11' x 14"


To My Heart8" x 10"


Timeless
8" x 10"

The origin of this series began with Headstrong, which appears in Pam Carriker's book Art at the Speed of Life. And reflecting the concept of change inherent in this series, this piece has been changed since it was first published in Pam's book.

Headstrong
8" x 10"

Angel Hand is currently featured on the cover of the May/June 2012 issue of Somerset Studio.
Angel Hand
8" x 10"


And Charlotte is featured on the pages of Somerset Studio as well.

Charlotte
8" x 10"

The remaining three pieces from this series are "spoken for" and you will be seeing them in various places in the coming months.

Several of these pieces are now for sale in my Etsy Shop and some of the other works in this series will be added to the shop very soon.



Also on view at my exhibition in Ellenville are a number of my handmade books - some that I have made on my own and some that are part of collaborations. I love being able to see all of these books on display together.



The exhibition runs through April 23rd, so this is the last weekend to visit if you are in the Hudson Valley in New York.

A Dream Come True

2012 continues to be a magical year for me. And it has barely just begun to unfold. I am overflowing with gratitude and savoring each and every moment of my adventure in art.

I just received the May/June 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, in which I am the subject of the Artist Profile. I was interviewed for this feature by my friend Rice Freeman-Zachery, which was a pleasure on its own. Also included are a number of images of my artwork from the last few years. The photography in Somerset Studio is second to none and the level of detail that they captured in my work is astonishing.
Although I knew that the profile would be published in this issue, I did not know until very recently that my artwork would be on the cover. And I did not know until the moment I read through the issue that a review of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media is also included. Let's just say I am Grateful with a Capital G.
Somerset Studio was among the first introductions I had to mixed media art and has played a tremendous role in my development as an artist. I remember reading this magazine long before I started my blog and being mesmerized by the art and artists on the covers and on the pages. 
Now I am one of them. 
Dreams do come true!

Interior Angles

Perspective
I currently have an exhibition of new work at The Gallery Link, which is part of the Ellenville Public Library and Museum in the Hudson Valley in New York. The exhibition opened on March 1 and runs through April 23. There was an official opening on March 26 along with an artist talk to celebrate the release of The Pulse of Mixed Media.



The exhibition consists of two series of paintings: Interior Angles and Passages, the latter of which will be featured in a future post.
Center of Gravity

Altitude
The 12 pieces from Interior Angles represents a different direction for me. They are all created on 12" x 12" wood cradled panels and are abstract acrylics. No mixed media to be found, although by clicking on and enlarging these images, you might be able to get an idea of the layers and texture that make up these pieces.
Concentric

Radius

This series is very personal. It represents contrasts. The background and underpainting, much of which cannot be seen, are spontaneous, random, and free - almost chaotic. 
Algorithm

Segment

Locus
The surface is structured, bounded, and restricted.
Compass

Target

Magnitude
These pieces are all available for sale. Six of them are on the shelves of my Etsy shop already and the rest of the pieces will be added in the coming days. Please stop by my shop to browse, to see close-up, detailed images of each piece, and to read more about the series. 

Last Stop: Mango Studio

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


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For the 11th and final day of this blog hop, we visit Stephanie Hilvitz. A trip to Steph's blog, Mango Studio, is like an explosion of color and creativity. And I am happy to say that I will be meeting Steph in person later this month when my book tour takes me to Colorado. I know that she will be every bit as colorful in person as her blog and beautiful art. Steph has been a contributor to my online version of The Pulse and we are frequent visitors to each other's blogs. Make sure you get off at the last stop on this tour and see what Steph has to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.

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After you visit Steph, head on over to Seek Your Course. If you are not already familiar with this site, you are in for a special treat. Seek Your Course is overflowing with information about art workshops and instructors. But there is so much more to find there too. And today on their blog, you can read an interview that Jess, the amazing visionary behind the site, conducted with me. There is a review of The Pulse of Mixed Media as well.

Wakley Wednesday

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


Head on over to the colorful and dynamic world of Dina Wakley. I love her freewheeling approach to art and am so pleased that she has been part of several of the online versions of The Pulse. She has a unique and distinct style that she uses to create dramatic journals and artwork. She has her own line of cling mount stamps, teaches workshops internationally, and lives at the intersection of Artist and Scrapper. She will be teaching in NYC later this year and I look forward to meeting her in person. Today on her blog, she talks all things The Pulse of Mixed Media.

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I am excited to be in The Metro DC area tonight for an artist talk and book signing at the Judith HeartSong Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Glen Echo, Maryland. The event runs from 6-8pm. Seating is limited and you can RSVP by emailing me at shap97@gmail.com. I will be speaking to a dynamic group of "regulars" who are part of a monthly Art Salon, as well as additional attendees -- many of whom are familiar to me from blogland. Happy also that contributing artist Lisa Jurist will also be attending. Look for s review of the event, pictures and all, on my blog in the coming days.

Melody Time

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


Today we visit Melody Nunez on the blog hop. Melody is an artist, photographer and writer who creates wonderful journals, collages and mixed media pieces. Even if you don't think that you are familiar with Melody and her artwork, you probably are. Her words and work have been seen in many Stampington publications since 2003. And she is a member of the design team at Crescendoh.com. As you dig deep into her blog, you will see that Melody is one generous person as well: whether it is sharing a tutorial or volunteer teaching journaling to disadvantaged school children. Today her generosity is evident as host of a giveaway for a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media. Head on over here to read all about it!
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Still not sure if you want to submit artwork for my open call? Read about the details here. The deadline for mailing is 4/31, so there is still plenty of time. This call is open to everybody, regardless of level of experience. Every submission will be posted on my blog.
To all those of you who are on the fence, ...I say:

Two from Trudi

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


Trudi Sissons from Two Dresses Studio is a master at digital art. She creates imaginary worlds that you just want to step into and inhabit. I have "known" Trudi since the time I started my blog. She was a participant in the very first online version of The Pulse. She was the founder and the creator of The Recollection Parlor, a group of artists that literally did create their own worlds - as can be seen on The Recollection Parlor blog. She is also very aware of the power we hold as artists to effect change in the world and to that end, hosted a collection of butterflies to send on to the Holocaust Museum in Houston for this project.

Today she is taking on The Pulse of Mixed Media and is offering one reader a copy of the book, as part of a double giveaway that she is sponsoring. Click here for all the details.


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Did you know that North Light Books, my publisher, has it's own online shop? Not only can you buy books, but you can buy art supplies there as well. And North Light has provided my readers with a coupon code to save 10% off all purchases. Just click here and use the code ALTEREDPAGE10 for savings off everything on their site. Right now, even without the code, North Light has the best online price I have found for my book. And with the code, you will save even more.

Kelly Kilmer

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


I have been hanging out at Kelly Kilmer's blog for many years now. Not only does she share her amazing journal pages, she posts an endless array of fascinating links to other sites as well. And she continues to write a series of posts that offers information that is genuinely relevant, helpful and informative to the working artist. Spend some time wandering through her blog and you will see what I mean. Kelly is an authentic and generous person, a fact I have discovered from her blog, in our emails, and in person when I had the luck to take a workshop with Kelly this past year. Now head on over to this post and see what Kelly shares about The Pulse of Mixed Media...including a giveaway of a copy of the book!

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GIVEAWAYS

There are several ongoing giveaways for copies of my book going on right now. All you need to do is leave a comment at the following posts to be eligible:

Susan Tuttle

Nancy Lefko

Kelly Kilmer

Lefkollages

Welcome to my blog hop. Everyday from April 2nd through April 12th I will link to a different blog as part of my celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. There will be book reviews, personal thoughts, and giveaways. And every blogger along the way will become part of the book, as they will also post their own responses to their choice of survey questions from the book. You too can be part of The Pulse by responding to my open call for art!

And on each day of the blog hop, I will also be sharing something extra. And today is an extra you will not want to pass by!


Collage artist and journaler Nancy Lefko has a way with paper. She creates the most wonderful, playful, often-vintage-inspired works of art. She sometimes adds a touch of humor, sometimes a touch of whimsey, and often times a meaningful message. I had the pleasure of meeting her last year at Art is...You and cannot wait to catch up with her once again at Art is...You in October. Like her art, she is also filled with humor and whimsey. Head on over to this post where she takes on The Pulse of Mixed Media AND hosts a giveaway for a copy of the book.

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Events of the Week

The coming week brings two new live events on the east coast. Join me on Wednesday, April 11th for an artist talk and book signing at the Judith HeartSong Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Glen Echo, Maryland -- in the Metro DC area. The event runs from 6-8pm. Seating is limited and you can RSVP by emailing me at shap97@gmail.com.
On Saturday, April 14th I will be holding a book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also attending the signing will be contributing artists Karen Cole and Leslie Marsh. The event begins at 11am and runs through the early afternoon.
Click here to see the updated list of live events, which is always one click away on my sidebar.