Seth Apter's Blog, page 12

Workshops on the Home Turf

Teaching and traveling together is one of my favorite things to do. But when you live in NYC, staying home ain't so bad either. So I am happy to have the opportunity to teach on my home turf several times in the upcoming months, offering three all new classes...

Radiant Rust The Ink PadFriday - February 3 - 7:15pm - 9:30pmRegistration Open - Seats Very Limited
Mixed Media Revolution The Ink PadFriday - April 13 - 7:15pm - 9:30pmRegistration Open - Seats Very Limited
Creating an Artist Folio Pratt InstituteSaturday - April 28 - 2:00pm - 5:00pmRegistration Open - Click & Scroll Down 
Head to my workshop page for more details on these workshops and to see where else I will be teaching in 2018.

Possibiity

I have never been one to choose a word for the year, although I have often been drawn to words that other people have selected. I see 2108 as a time of change and so this year, I decided to go for it and make a choice. I thought about the word Change but in the end I selected the word Possibility.


I chose Possibility because this year is all about being open to any and every possibility that comes my way. 

In many ways this will be a year of transition for me in my creative life, and as such it is even more important to see all things as options. 



On the notion that anything is possible, I am thrilled to start this new year with this piece being featured in the January/February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.
Cloth Paper Scissors

( r ) evolution

As we start 2018, I think it is fair to say that very little in life feels the same as when 2017 began. To me, and to many others regardless of where they stand on the issues of the day, the world has changed. Given that art is often a reflection of the times, it isn't surprising that our creative lives may also be changing. Call it it evolution, call it revolution, just call it. It is a time of change and it is a time for change.

Late in 2017, I posted about some of the changes that I had planned for 2018. I think I am not alone. In blog posts, Facebook feeds, text messages, and Skype conversations, I keep seeing signs that people want change. They want to do things differently. They want to focus on what is important to them and do so in a genuine and authentic way. Against all odds, some people are even starting blogs so they have a place to share their thoughts in a more substantive fashion -- even if nobody reads them.

Among the many changes I plan to make include the content of my blog. I am always doing my very best to balance my desire to share my creative life with my need to promote my products. Art is my career after all and the balance is not an easy one to achieve. I still plan to share my product lines here in the hopes that you are inspired to use them, but I am also feeling the need to express. Simply to express.

I have endless conversations with other artists about all kinds of creative issues that I know for sure are also being considered by many of you out there. Time to share. In a new, periodic feature called Apter's Chapters (and yes - I have waited many years to finally find the right time to call something that), I will be posting about creative thoughts, obstacles, successes and the like. My hope is that you will join the conversation, listen and perhaps speak up as well -- in my comments section and on your own platforms -- so that we can strengthen the bonds of our community. I really do believe, perhaps naively so, that there is more than enough to go around for all of us and that sharing and supporting can only serve to lift all of us higher.

Call it it evolution, call it revolution, just call it. It is a time of change and it is a time for change.

Faux Encaustic Effects

I love the look of encaustics and have always thought that the effect would lend itself well to my work. But the lack of ventilation and space in my NYC apartment, the expense of adding yet another group of art supplies, and the extra time and effort the process requires have always put me off.

Enter Vintage Beeswax Baked Texture, one of my new embossing powders for artists from Emerald Creek.

I designed this translucent blend of multi-toned yellows and browns as a way to get a faux encaustic effect with ease. 

It is also perfect for adding an antiqued, vintage look to any surface. 

Because it is translucent, it does not cover up any detail from the layers below.

Stay tuned for video tutorials on how to create this effect, as well as on how to use Vintage Beeswax and all 6 other Baked Texture flavors to add a new direction to your artwork.
New Year's Day Available for purchase in my online shop

Top 17 of 2017

Best of...

December is always a time of reflection for me. At the end of the last four years, I have looked back over the previous year's blog posts to see which were the most popular based on hits. This not only lets me work toward creating a better blog but helps me to take the pulse of the art community. If you want to look back, click here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015, and here for 2016.

As in years past, my top posts revolve mostly around giveaways, video workshops, art products and new product releases, collaborative art projects and postings, artist issues and trend watching.

#1710 Techniques for Mixed-Media Artists
#16
Make it Your Own: 11

#15
#ARTifacts: Exhibit One

#14Take my Pulse Giveaway

#13Time to (Card and Photo) Play
#12Make it Your Own: Broken Maze
#11Embossed
#10Extra Special
#9PaperArtsy: Sneak Peek
#8Baked Texture: My Line of Embossing Powders
#7
Ray of Light

#6
Technique Tutorial

#5
Spellbinders Hop and Win

#4
ARTifacts: A Collaborative Project for 2017


#3
Top Ten Trends in Mixed Media Art in 2017

#2
Shop Mom and Pop

#1
Make it Artsy Giveaway

Bloggers Best

Best of...

End of the year. Brings on reminiscing and reflection. Time for the "best of" lists in every area imaginable: TV, movies, records (does anybody still call them that?), and more.

How about blog posts? Today I am sharing a post that highlights bloggers' best. Each of these creative bloggers has shared their most popular post from 2017. Sit back, get comfortable and start clicking...

Kelly Kilmer A Year in the Life: my 2017 Art Journals
Debi Adams Recycled Project from Throwback Thursday
Carolyn Dube My Very Sneaky Muse Pulled Fast One on Me
Mary C. Nassar StencilGirl & Tim Holtz Products Blog Hop
Roben-Marie Smith In Depth Review of the Geli Arts Gel Printing Plate
Tammy Tutterow Storybook Cottage Pincushion Pattern
Michelle Ward Artists for Artists: FUNDRAISER
Dina Wakley
Show Us Your Media Challenge 3! All about inspiration...

Roxanne Evans Stout Dancing on Raindrops
Becca Feeken You Cannot Make Just One
Claudia Neubacher Where You are Planted
Linda Cain A Steampunk Shrine for Father's Day
Gwen Lafleur Mixed Media Seahorse Sculpture
Nikki Acton Be the Change
Tina Walker The Sustainable Souls Project March 2017
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer THE *MAGIC* OF DECOLOURANT

Trends of 2018

Best of...
As we end 2017, I was curious as to what artists in our online community were expecting to be big in the upcoming year. In an informal, completely non-quantitative, random survey, I asked people what one trend they thought would be big in 2018. Although everybody had their unique opinion, it was fascinating to see that there was quite a good deal of overlap in predictions.

1. Roots. No, not the ones underground, but our origins. There was a strong theme related to "rekindling the love and passion of our roots." Whether that was a general idea or related to a specific art domain, it seems that people want to be in touch with all things handmade, non-commercial, and traditional.

2. Mixed Media. While mixed media is an art movement that goes back to the early 20th century, mixed media as we know it today is hot and getting hotter. Whether it is blending media, layering, combining found objects with commercial products, mixing fibers and paper, or other approaches, mixed media was on the mind of many of the artists who shared their trend predictions.

3. Fine Art Mediums. There has been a steady increase in recent years in the embrace of traditional, fine art mediums within the mixed media and craft worlds. This appears to be continuing with many people noting watercolor paints, portraiture, encaustics, drawing, color mixing, and referencing the color wheel as continuing and coming trends.

4. Nature. All things natural appear to be on the horizon. Think raw surfaces, such as wood, stone, tile and brick, metallics, eco dyeing, water themes, all-things rust, and botanicals.

5. Imperfection. Artists seem to be more and more comfortable embracing the imperfect and it looks like this trend will continue into 2018. Whether patchwork in textile arts, nonrealistic faces in portraiture, or repurposed and up cycled materials, imperfection is the perfect trend.

6. Paint. Paint seems to be the art supply of choice for 2018. Whether watercolors, acrylics or the hot trend of acrylic pouring, paint is definitely our passion.

7. Fiber Art. Perhaps reflecting the trend of returning to our roots, fiber art is everywhere. Stitchery, embroidery, hand sewing, quilting, fringe, patchwork, eco dyeing, and stitching on paper are all hot, hot, hot.

8. Text. Text-based art will continue to be big in 2018. Handwritten and creative lettering, asemic writing, journaling, and using text for story telling are likely to be seen everywhere in the coming year.

9. Journaling. The trend that keeps on giving. Journaling has not yet peaked and will continue strong next year. In recent years, a variety of approaches to journaling led the way. In 2018, bullet journaling and creating your own handmade journals seem to be in the lead.
10. Artivism. An historic trend that seems to reflect the times, creating art and craft for the purpose of political expression, activism, and protest has returned in a big way in 2017 and looks to continue into 2018.

Get Baked! Now Available

Click here and Get Baked!

Baked Texture is here. Today is the day that pre-orders begin for my new line of embossing powders for artists from Emerald Creek Craft Supplies. Head to my online shop to purchase today, with items shipping in mid-January.



These are not your grandma's embossing powders. Think artisan blends, surfaces that range from gritty and rough to shiny and reflective, textures that run from chunky to smooth, opacity running from translucent to fully opaque, layers and dimension for your mixed media artwork, and upcoming tutorials to show you unique and non-traditional ways to use these powders.

My first release consists of seven unique blends.

PATINA OXIDE


ANCIENT AMBER


DEEP SEA


VINTAGE BEESWAX

ROCKY ROAD


DIRTY SAND


CHUNKY RUST


And by making your own custom blends of color, you extend the creative use of these powders.


Baked Texture will be available in both online shops and brick & mortar stores worldwide. A full list of vendors stocking these powders will be posted in January. If you are a sales site and are interested in carrying this line, email me for more information. Those of you attending Creativation, the annual trade show for the Association for Creative Industries (AFCI) in Phoenix, can stop by Emerald Creek's booth #1454 to see it in action. You can also head to Emerald Creek's website to see their full range of embossing powders.
Click here and Get Baked!

Best Wishes

Best of...
It wouldn't be a "Best of" Week without wishing you all my best wishes for a wonder-filled holiday season, a beautiful end to 2017, and a dream-come-true new year.

Trending Trends

Best of...

As one year turns into the next, trend watchers often share their finds of what to expect in the new year. This is the case in art and craft as much as in every other industry. Here is a summary of predictions from online trend spotters from a number of different industries, many of which are likely to be reflected in art and craft as well.
1. Mixed Media is Hot. In our online art and craft community, mixed media has been a hot trend for a number of years now. There has been a huge shift in the craft industry in the last several years away from traditional scrapbooking toward mixed media. This has been evident at the last few Association of Creative Industries (AFCI) annual trade shows and I expect it to be true in the upcoming January show as well. But...mixed media has crossed into other industries as well. 
---Fifteen Design includes mixed media as one of its visual design trends for 2018.

---RVD Media Group says mixed media will have "its most splendid moment" in 2018.
---WHO WHAT WEAR highlights the mixed media trend in fashion.

---Benicia Magazine echos this trend of mixed media in fashion, characterizing it as aligned with the "Art"-ivist woman, a boundary pusher who is both artist and activist.
---Yellow Creative is even calling for mixed media content in website design trends in 2018.

2. Type is King. Lettering and typography, already a big trend, gets bigger.   
---Kelly Elko references the Doneger Group who predicts the use of lettering and type in china and glassware.
---Complex, hand drawn and bespoke type are trends to be according to Fifteen Design.

---The popularity of lettering on home goods, such as pillows, was also referred to by Natalie Way.
---Design Hill lists among the trends in typography and logo design for 2018 bright colors, bold fonts, increasingly creative type, hand drawn and broken typography.


3. Metallics are Mighty. Iridescent and metallic surfaces and colors are hot and getting hotter.
---Elle Decor references Leatrice Eiseman who speaks to the trend of metallic and iridescent colors and says they have become neutrals in home design. 
---Both Refinery 29 and Elite Daily talk about the unexpected trend of metallics in hair color.
---Rachel Hosie lists metallics as one of the 6 big trends expected in interior design in 2018.

4. Bold Colors are In. Across the board, bold, bright and intense colors are predicted to be popular. 
---Realtor.com shares Pantone's prediction that intense colors, reflective of our lifestyle today, will be big in home design.
---Fifteen Design feels that web design will move away from pastel colors toward bright colors that are "stronger and rebellious."
---Creativeworld predicts that intensive shades such as magenta, yellow, cyan, orange-red, azure, violet and emerald will play the leading role in color.

---Top Drawer shares that Farrow and Ball predicts the popularity of strong and powerful colors.
---WebCreate.me highlights the trend of bright, contrasting and vivid colors.