Seth Apter's Blog, page 118

31/31: Lisa Hoffman

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Lisa Hoffman


After living in close proximity to VERY competent people from all walks of life, my goal as an artist is to do everything that I can to make people raise their right hand and swear to never take themselves or anybody else too seriously...and no, I'm NOT kidding.




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In the dictionary, the phrase 'good people' is defined as:

Noun, 1. Lisa Hoffman

I met Lisa and her blog online way back in 2007. She was already one of my 'True Colors' heros when I started my blog and a few months later when I reached out to her to be part of my first online version of The Pulse. She couldn't have been more receptive, supportive, and genuinely nice. Since that time I have gotten to know her very well and my initial impressions have been solidified. Good people. Funny, warm, friendly, open, creative, talented, intelligent, positive, innovative, spirited, giving, tall. The list goes on and on. To know Lisa is really to love her.

I knew from the get go that I wanted and needed to have Lisa in my book. In addition to her wonderful art - unique and vibrant - I knew that she would bring some wit and humor to the pages as well. And when you read her contributions, she doesn't disappoint. We have tried on many occasions to actually meet in real life. Finally that will happen next month when I travel to her hometown in Colorado. Counting the days...
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

31/31: Jen Crossley

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Jen Crossley


Hey I'm Jen Crossley from the Land of Oz (Australia). A woman of many talents, and a master of none I must say. I'm all smoke and mirrors.


Dazzle them with big words and techniques I say, and most importantly have fun with what you do.


Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Love what you do and it will show in your art and your life.


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Jen's blog is called A Mark in Time and I think that is the perfect name. Her artwork conjures up a sense of history, mystery and intrigue. Each and every piece seems to have its own story to tell and seems to capture a moment in time. Her list of ingredients include pieces of metal, sometimes rusted and sometimes etched by hand, vintage tintypes, assorted found objects, and the like. Her creations, whether miniature books, assemblages or jewelry all call my name.

Timing is everything and with Jen, her timing couldn't have been better. She is from Australia and one of her goals and dreams has been to teach a workshop in the USA. Earlier this month her dream came true. And I was able to meet up with her for a few hours when she passed through NYC. I showed her the book, and her published artwork, for the first time. Priceless. Jen couldn't have been any nicer, any more generous, or any more gracious. And she assured me that when she called me a dag, she meant it in the most endearing of ways. Thanks Jen...you're a dinkum cobber!
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

31/31: Gary Reef

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Gary Reef


I am a bower bird, I collect, I recycle, I try to turn the ordinary into extraordinary and discarded things into treasure.


Burning, dropping, plashing, carelessness, cutting, scratching, layering, experimenting would be some words to describe my process.


Random chaos, mess and the chance to create accidents is the key to my secret garden. I care less for images and outcome, my work isn't about that. I live for the moment, the now and if something good comes as a result than I am pleasantly surprised.


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Gary Reef is an artist made for this computer age. If you do not know him yet, head on over to his many online homes. He could be at his blog. You might find him at his You Tube channel, where his videos has been seen over 1,800,000 times! Maybe he will be hanging out at his art and social network Loving Mixed Media. He could be anywhere. He beats to his own drummer and always has his finger on the pulse and that is one of the reasons I wanted him to be in my book.

Gary creates amazing textures and layers in all his artwork, no matter the medium he uses. His work is vibrant and grungy, with just enough 'quirk' to make it really interesting. I mean, how many people do you know that have held a sardine can shrine challenge?!? Thanks, btw, for letting me be the official judge on that one. I have not met Gary but one day, if he heads to NYC or I head to Australia, we just may meet. And if we do, I would like nothing more than to spend a day in the studio collaborating on some art.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

Events of the Week

I have a big week ahead for online and live events celebrating the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media.


I hope that you can join me live for some. If not, you can be sure I will sharing everything with you on my blog, my Facebook page and over Twitter @alteredpage.


31 Artists/31 Days continues. Join The Altered Page as I present the remaining 6 spotlight artists from my book through March 31. Leave a comment and you will be eligible for my giveaway of 3 copies of the book, 1 of which will be signed by many (and I mean many) of the artists in the book. Look for the names of the winners on my blog on Sunday April 1.--------------------

Monday March 26
I will be in the Hudson Valley in New York at The Gallery Link within the Ellenville Public Library and Museum. I currently have an exhibition of 12 new paintings and 9 new mixed media works on display at the gallery. Also included within the show is the following interactive piece that will hopefully be filled by the end of the night.

The opening reception is at 6pm and it will be followed by an artist talk and book signing at 7pm. Contributing artists Canace and Denise Aumick will also be attending. Detailed information and directions can be found here.
I will be posting images of the opening and of all the artwork soon. And look out for frequent updates in my Etsy shop, as the artwork from the exhibition will be posted and for sale there soon. --------------------

Wednesday March 28 Join me at 3pm EST on Creative Mojo with Mark Lipinski, a live internet radio podcast. Mark is dedicating the entire show to The Pulse of Mixed Media and I will be his co-host for all two hours. We will be talking about the book and interviewing live five contributors: Michelle Ward, Pam Carriker, Angela Cartwright, Julie Prichard and Lisa Hoffman. This is a call-in show, so please be ready with questions if you like. And if you cannot listen live, the show can be found archived at any time.--------------------

Saturday March 31 Join me for an artist panel sponsored by The Ink Pad in NYC. From 10am to noon, I will be with Danny Gregory, Roxanne Evans-Stout, Jill Zaheer, Karen Cole, Michelle Ward and Julie Prichard to talk about art and the book. There will a Q & A, a book signing, and an opportunity to see art from all the panelists in person. The panel is free but seats need to be reserved at 212-463-9876. Cannot be there? No worries. The panel will be filmed and shown on Create Mixed Media in the near future.
After the panel, I will be spending the afternoon teaching a workshop, which is now sold-out. If interested, you can contact The Ink Pad to be placed on a waiting list at 212-463-9876.

31/31: Alicia Caudle

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Alicia Caudle


I have a bit of an art-related multiple personality disorder as I'm creatively all over the board. I paint. I collage. I assemble. I sew.


I'm a 'mad eco-scientist' of sorts in that I devise natural, earth friendly recipes for dyes, stains and inks to use in my art (largely due to annoying allergies to chemicals), and I like to make light-up and mechanical art from scrap electronic bits. This is my husband's fault as he teaches me things such as which value of resistor is needed to power an LED light.



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I have been trying to remember when I first 'met' Alicia. It may have been back in early 2009 when she joined my Disintegration Collaboration. In any case, her art and blog have always fascinated me. She is a mixed media and assemblage artist who has a definite 'quirky' style. To quote her own blog, she has a "penchant for anatomy, bird nests, taxidermy, miscellaneous doll parts and 'creepy things'." In attempting to include many different approaches and styles to art in my book, I just knew I had to include Alicia.

I really admire Alicia, the artist and the person. Like so many of us, she does her best to balance her art/blog with her day job (talented web designer) and her family life. Not an easy feat for sure. But she always pushes herself and goes the extra mile. She has created her own, beautiful zine Altered Bits. She is involved in some amazing collaborations as both a participant and as a host. And most admirable of all, she is starting a non-profit art group for children with aspergers syndrome and autism. Not every artist is a sharer, but Alicia is generous and giving of her time, her skills, and her heart. There is a good chance that I will meet her in person at a book release event in the Northwest. I am so looking forward to that!

------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

31/31: John Borrero

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------John Borrero


You may have seen me walking ahead of you on the street, looking around to see who is watching, and bending down to retrieve metal from the curb. You may have passed me at the book store, investing in mythology and folklore, smiling with a childlike enthusiasm as ancient stories speak to me,



Maybe you've noticed me at the antique shops, buying photos of faces of people forgotten to lovingly give my creations their grace and humanity.



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I was at the right place at the right time when I first met John. Just over one year ago I was wandering through The Artist Project, an art exhibition in NYC, when I came upon a booth that literally stopped me in my tracks. There were paintings and there was sculpture, all of which were thoroughly original. You can see the evidence on his website and Facebook Page. Although I had already invited my group of spotlight artists for the book several months before, I knew in that moment that I had to include John and his work. And 30 artists became 31.

Since that serendipitous meeting, John and I (along with Stephanie Rubiano) worked together on an Exquisite Corpse collaboration, which proved to be both very challenging and extremely fun at the same time. I got to see first hand, his artistic talent and technical expertise - both of which are evident in abundance. So glad I was in the right place at the right time John!
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

31/31: Leslie Marsh

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Leslie Marsh


There are boxes and bags of family photographs sitting on a shelf in my house. Some of them simply make me smile, while others make me curious about the stories.


This becomes art when I take the hidden, the forgotten, the sometimes damaged, and bind them into books people may be compelled to pick up.



My shoebox inspirations become bound expressions of life. I'm a photographer too, and I've got my own shoebox.


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I am in awe. I am amazed. I am gobsmacked. This is how I feel when I see Leslie's books on her blog. Now Leslie is also a sensational photographer and wonderful artist, but it is her books which take my breath away. The beginnings of my life in art was making books. So they are close to my heart. And Leslie's books make my heart beat just a little bit faster.

I have spent time with Leslie on a number of occasions including at a workshop I took with her and a workshop I took from her. From these times, two things have stood out. Firstly, she is simply a great human being: generous, genuine, kind. Secondly, she is oozing with talent. Hers is a good example of seeing art on the Internet and saying wow. And then seeing the same art in person, and being speechless. Take it from me, she is a master book artist. I cannot wait to see her future work unfold, page by page.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

31/31: Judy Wilkenfeld

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Judy Wilkenfeld


My mixed media art works, Visual Anthologies tell the story of a life or lives, past or present. I use layering and the recontexturalization of the materials to build the history of the subject matter.


My pieces portray the good and the bad, happy or sad elements of life and sometimes, the complex subject matters of the persecution of races, religions and minority groups which are tackled with the utmost of sensitivity. To communicate the message of tolerance and understanding is imperative in my pieces.



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I found Judy very early on in my life as a blogger. In fact, I 'spotlighted' her in a post just 4 months after I started my blog. What I said way back then still holds true today: "She is an extremely creative, gifted, and generous person. Her mixed media works are like no other and have an abundance of layers and depth." Turns out, that is true of Judy herself as well. I have taken a weekend workshop from her and we spend hours together each and every time she visits New York. She gets me. I get her. And we both feel completely comfortable 'telling it like it is' to each other.

I not only admire Judy's considerable talents as an artist, I admire her character as well. Much of her recent years has been spent creating Visual Anthologies, works of art which document lives lived. Her dedication to honor the subjects of her work, many of whom have been Holocaust survivors, is nothing short of remarkable. More recently she has turned the lens on her own family, spending years seeking information, and is about to share these results with us. Her art is always powerful and moving and I have no doubt that what she is soon to post on her blog will be that way as well.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.

Happenings

Sending thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic response to the release of my book. I am having the time of my life right now and it has been so satisfying to see that people have responded so positively to The Pulse of Mixed Media. For those of you who have a copy of the book, I would so appreciate it if you would take a few minutes and leave a review on Amazon to help me spread the word!
I continue to add events to both my online and live schedule for the book tour. Go here for live events and here for online events. And you can always see where I will be by clicking on the links on the sidebar of my blog.------------------------------------------


A reminder to all tweeters: Join me tonight for the Twitter Launch Party to celebrate the release of The Pulse of Mixed Media. The party will be held from 9-10pm EST and the list of confirmed guests keep growing. You will have a chance to chat live with many of your favorite contributors from the book: Angela Cartwright, Judy Wilkenfeld, Julie Prichard, Lelainia Lloyd, Holly Dean, David Hayes, Denise Aumick, Susan Tuttle, Linda Woods, Trish Baldwin Seggebruch, Laura Quilligan, Bridgette Guerzon Mills, and more. All the info you need to attend the party can be found here.

Please note: in order for everybody at the party to see your tweets, you must make sure that your Twitter account is not set to 'protected' for at least the hour that the party takes place.
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There is still time to respond to my open call for art to be part of my newest project related to The Pulse. I have selected 3 questions that were asked of the artists in the book, and am now asking all of you to answer these questions by creating 5" x 5" artworks. There is no judge or jury. All submissions will be posted on my blog and select pieces will travel with me and be displayed on my book tour. There is no official deadline for this project but expect an announcement that one day in April, submissions will no longer be accepted. All the info you need to submit is found here.
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Once a month, David Hayes from Clearer Reflections holds a collaborative online project called 'Dave's App Recipe Book Project.' The brief: take a picture and edit the picture using your App(s) of choice on an iDevice -- and not on your Mac or PC. The participants share their image and their App recipe on their blogs. Dave then lists all the participants links on his blog. Head on over to check out all the contributions. And it is not too late to participate yourself!
Today I decided to share an altered image of the Chrysler Building, one of the many iconic sites from my hometown, NYC. On this beautiful, 70 degree day in March, I thought celebrating NYC was the perfect thing to do. Single App used: Snapseed

31/31: Vivian Paans [Bonder]

31 artists...31 days. Spend every day of March with me at The Altered Page to meet the 31 spotlight artists in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed . See their beautiful faces, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Pulse of Mixed Media.
------------------------------------Vivian Paans [Bonder]


I create from a space of silence and solitude...


A space where at times emotional turbulence and noise are ruling...


Where intense happiness and suffering meet face to face...


A space where I am balanced within myself, between extremes and feeling grateful to be alive.


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I have been trying to remember when I first 'met' Viv and found her blog. I can barely remember a time as a blogger when I didn't know her. I did find an email from back in July 2008, when I wrote to Viv to say how happy I was that we were both in the same issue of Artful Blogging. Since then we have 'shared' so much more, including our Self Contained collaboration with Stephanie McAtee. I absolutely love Viv's approach to art making and her style -- filled with color, symbols, grunge, drips and splatters. I happen to love her accent too!

Viv is so far away from me geographically (more than 10,000 miles from NYC to WA Australia) but I feel very connected to her as if she were next door. Despite living on the opposite ends of the earth, we have had many experiences in common, not the least of which is therapy - with me being a psychologist and Viv currently studying transpersonal art therapy. Somehow Viv and I know that we are destined to meet in person, despite the distance. It is just a matter of time.

------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in March on a 31/31 post on my blog and/or on the blog of the spotlighted artist, you will have that many chances to win one of three prizes in my giveaway. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). First prize is a copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media signed by many (and I mean many) of the 133 artists that have contributed to the book. Second and third prizes are one copy each of the book signed by yours truly.