Seth Apter's Blog, page 121

31/31: Orly Avineri

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.
------------------------------------Orly Avineri


I am a gatherer. While on my tracks I find sky-kissing mountains and deep valleys, barren deserts and lush rainforests, wandering nomads and firm settlers. My tracks take me places.


At times I get lost.


Enchantingly, as soon as I gather my findings, lay my images and words on a physical or virtual canvas, I get found.



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Orly started her blog One-Artist Journal in June 2008 but I discovered her much later. And when I discovered her blog, I found a feast for the senses. The majority of Orly's posts highlight spreads from her journal. They are always layered, complex, detailed, thought-provoking, and filled with movement and color. You get the sense that each and every aspect of the pages has deeper meaning and a personal significance. Her artwork is not only fascinating to look at but meaningful too.

Truth be told, my primary focus goes to images rather than words when I visit blogs. However, Orly's blog is one of the exceptions. And that is because she has a way with words. You wont find long paragraphs or lengthy descriptions. Instead, much like the details in her artwork, every single word seems carefully chosen and important. Her writing is eloquent, descriptive and powerful. I look forward to meeting her for the first time later this year at the Create New Jersey art retreat.------------------------------------ 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: Donna Watson

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.
------------------------------------Donna Watson


In the moment. I sift through black river rocks from Japan. The light and shadows draw me to the edge.


The changing seasons are in black, white, gray with a touch of color.


The textures and layers are weathered and rusty with a subdued patina.


I look for dots, marks and circles on surfaces. There is a quiet strength in the riverbed as I seek memories and feelings. Bound by nature and the passage of time, I find solitude.


Balance.
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I have been intrigued by Donna and her aesthetic since the moment I found her blog. She creates the most beautiful and serene artwork in a limited palette of grays, browns, blacks, creams, and whites. The colors of the earth. Her work is abstract, balanced and ordered. At first glance there is a simplicity to her pieces but look a bit closer and you will see the complexity and depth that she brings to each of her creations.

A visit to her blog provides a breath of fresh air and a sense of calm serenity. It is a bit of escape from a chaotic world. Whether she is showcasing her own art, sharing her photographs and finds from her periodic adventures in Japan, or posting vignettes of her space and the objects she has collected along the way...their is always something compelling to by found.

I am lucky enough to be meeting Donna when my book tour stops in Seattle. I am excited to spend some time with her and to see her work in person. I know that I will feel both exhilarated and exhausted by the end of the tour but my sense is that the minute I see Donna and her art, I will feel still and at peace. ------------------------------------ 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: Robyn Gordon

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.
------------------------------------Robyn Gordon


Since commandeering my mom's unused chisels way back in childhood, it seems that I have been carving forever.


A hobby that was once used to fight boredom on lamplit evenings on the farm has now become a form of meditation.



There is nothing better than spending the first few hours of every day carving in the courtyard with a troop of wild monkeys for company.


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I have never met Robyn and, given the fact that she lives in South Africa and I live in New York, chances are we will not meet. But I enjoy all the time that I spend with her. And what I mean by that are my frequent visits to her blog. I admire the world that Robyn has carved out (pun intended) and created at Art Propelled. In fact, in my Your Blog, Your Way series at Create Mixed Media, Robyn's blog was the only one that I directly referred to by name.

She continues to write in-depth posts based on themes that highlight the work and words of other artists. Robyn seemingly has an endless well of creative ideas and the themes keep coming and coming and coming. She also showcases her own work -- mesmerizing wood carvings that are unique and speak to art, culture, history, and creativity. And she also allows me to see her country, so distant from mine, through an artist's eye. Art propelled indeed!------------------------------------ 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: Bridgette Guerzon Mills

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.
------------------------------------Bridgette Guerzon Mills


I am a creator of things, a maker of images, a weaver of words. I seek peace and stillness in the worlds that I create.


Memories and experiences are sewn together, bound with thread, painted and layered with fire and wax.


 My work is a vision of where I have been, who I am now, and a vision of what I am becoming.


The rest will be written as the story unfolds.


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I discovered Bridgette very early on in my life as a blogger: just one month after I started The Altered Page. I am not sure how I came across her blog, as is often the case, but I immediately knew I found a gem. In fact, I emailed her and asked about purchasing one of her paintings, which now very happily lives on my wall. We have been blog friends ever since. We have also been creative collaborators, working along with Jen Worden on a project that produced three pieces of art: Book of Trees, Shine and Contexture. The experience was a pleasure.

As luck would have it, I travelled to Chicago for a weekend back in October 2011 and was able to spend a wonderful morning with Bridgette. She was just as I had imagined and it felt like we had been friends all along. We found ourselves in similar situations, and spent time talking about making art, publishing, exhibiting, teaching, career directions, and life in general. My only regret about that day was that our time together was too short. But I will be back to visit again at some point and hopefully we will have time to see more than just "The Bean."------------------------------------ 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: Michelle Ward

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.
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Michelle Ward


All my jammies are speckled with paint. I am fortunate to have a home studio that is my daily destination. It is filled with abundant supplies and books and rarely will you find a clear space on my table. While I love being surrounded by my favorite things, I frequently find myself happiest with just a surface to paint on, a few brushes, and some handmade tools.



It's not about your workspace, or your materials, it's about plugging in, getting messy, and seeing what emerges.



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Like many of the artists in my book, I first learned about Michelle through one of my all time favorite books: True Colors. Her 'color' was Autumn. But my most vivid memory of her work in that book was her 'Stairway to Heaven' spread in Lisa Renner's Blue and Ochre book. Wow!

Since that time I have loved seeing the direction that Michelle's art has taken and really admire the freedom and joy that is a trademark of her work. She has been a leader in the mixed media community, through her blog, her rubber stamp line, her Street Team crusades, her new column in Somerset Studio, and the creativity that is in every cell in her body.

I first 'met' Michelle online less than 6 months after I started my blog when she so graciously agreed to support me and be a participant in my first, online version of The Pulse.  I have almost met her in real life on several occasions and am so very excited to be able to finally and officially meet her later this month at my artist panel at The Ink Pad. Think if I ask nicely, she will autograph my copy of True Colors?
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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.

The Kick Off

Join me at The Altered Page beginning tomorrow, March 1st, as I kick off the celebration of the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media. As of today, the book is now shipping from both the North Light Shop and Barnes & Noble. Amazon will begin shipping soon. I will be hosting a series of online and live events that I hope you will join. I will be adding new events in the coming weeks and you can always click the links on my sidebar under the heading 'book release tour' to see the latest list.
I couldn't be any happier with North Light Books and my editor, the amazing Tonia Davenport. Here is a taste of the layout of the book. The left page is a composite of artwork from contributing artists Danny Gregory, Pam Carriker, and Orly Avineri.

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The online celebration kicks off tomorrow with 31 Artists/31 Days. You will find a post every single day in March that introduces you to each of the 31 spotlight artists in my book. 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. I am very excited about this blog tour...and it is only the first of many online events that will unfold. 
But what is a blog tour without a giveaway! Anytime during the month of March that you leave a comment on a 31/31 post on my blog or on a 31/31 post on the blogs of the participating artists, you will have one chance to win. So if you leave a comment on all 31 days on every site...you will have 62 chances to win. And the best part are the prizes. As I travel throughout the country on my book tour, I will be meeting many of the 133 artists that are part of the book. And each one will be signing several copies of the book, one of which will be the first prize for the 31/31 giveaway. (You will hear more about the other signed copies soon). The second and third prize will also be a copy of the book but with just a single signature...mine!
So please mark your calendars and stop by my blog for the festivities. And look for an announcement in the coming days telling how you can become a participant in a very special online component to The Pulse of Mixed Media.-------------For all you Tweeters:  There will be a Twitter launch party for my book on Wednesday, March 21st from 9-10pm EST. More info on that soon. Also, I will be announcing events and sharing live updates from my book tour on Twitter. To stay current and not miss a tweet, be sure to follow #pulsebook - the hashtag that will be attached to every one of my book-related tweets.

Art is Definitely YOU!

I will be teaching two new workshops at Art is...You, which this year moves to Stamford, Connecticut. The retreat is being held from October 4th to October 8th. You can read more about the event and see all the instructors and workshops here. Registration opens on February 29th. I will also be vending at the Art Trunk on Saturday, October 6th.
52 Card Pick-Up Saturday October 6th 10am-5pm
A deck...52 cards. A year...52 weeks. 

Make the most of this synchronicity by creating a one-of-a-kind, mixed media journal that you can use to document a year in your life, week by week. 

Click here for more detailed information.
----------------------------------- Folded Foto Folio Sunday October 7th 10am-5pm
In this workshop, you will learn a variety of techniques from the worlds of mixed media, painting, book making, photography and collage. 

You will create one or more unique photo journals and leave with a host of techniques that you can apply over and over to any number of future projects.

Looking forward to seeing many of you in October!

It's a Win/Win

Two of the coolest cats out there, Lisa Hoffman and Matt Wood, have joined forces once again and have created Win/Win: Your On-Call Personal Amazing Creative Team. I am spreading the word because I believe in both of them, because I feel that their work is top notch, and because as a team they will turn your ideas into a reality and do it at a truly affordable rate.

Do you want to meet them first? Well here they are (virtually) showing up at my place in NYC all the way from Colorado.


They can help you with web illustrations, blog banners and buttons, postcard art, custom greeting cards, custom lettering, business card design, and more. Lisa handles the business side of things: concept, design, pricing, etc. and Matt handles the actual illustrating. They are artists first and truly understand the needs of our community. Head on over and read a bit more. If you contact Lisa...tell her Seth sent ya!

Master Class 13: The Final Fifteen

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.
Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'
(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)
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Dina Wakley "would love to take a class from Helen Frankenthaler. I love her color field paintings...so inspiring!


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Laura J. Wellner chose Karl Schrag, saying "I had the pleasure to meet him in 1991 when Syracuse University hosted an exhibition of his paintings and prints; he was very kind and I sensed a well-being about him that echoed from his artwork. He truly loved what he did. He kept on track of his vision rather than being swayed by the latest art movement.  I love his use of line and color.


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Dave Dube selected Maxfield Parrish. "I've always admired his illustrations and his use of glazing in his landscapes.


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Shirley Ende-Saxe said "I'd love to just be around Charles Burchfield and watch him. He was so awfully conventional, wore a sit and tie to paint but his paintings are thoroughly wild and virtually dance off the paper. That kind of juxtaposition intrigues me. It's as if his whole artistic life was surreal.


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Annie Kerr said "it would have to be with William Turner learning how he depicts skies and light. Naturally, we would have to be out in the wilds, with sketches held down by stones and vast skies all around us."


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Arabella Grayson selected Ghanaian artist/philosopher Kofi Setordji. "He is one of the keenest observers, a philosopher of depth, a wise spirit who expressed himself through sculpture and painting. Self-taught, his work is unencumbered by convention and the Academy. His is truly an authentic expression, giving voice to his world views and spiritual awareness.


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Terry Garrett chose Joseph Cornell. "I have read lots about him and his collages and boxes are so intriguing to me. I would love to learn how he approached his work."


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Julie Schackson said "I would like to take a class from Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser because of the immense diversity of form and media that his art covered. Hundertwasser was an incredibly prolific artist - a magnificent painter, a vibrant architect who was the first to advocate sustainable building methods. He made mosaic murals, designed a collection of stamps, designed and made his own clothes, etc. I love the way his keen aesthetic threaded its way through the many forms he embraced."


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Debbie Price-Ewen selected "Marc Chagall - for his unique perspective, his colours and his style. He painted with true freedom of expression: fluid, unfettered and celebratory."


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Victoria Crowder Payne said "Without a doubt, Anne Sexton. Her singular style of word-smithing and pushing both cultural and poetic form limits has informed and inspired my own journey of developing text as art in both my visual and written arts."


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Lisa Scadron picked Mark Twain. "He believed in the worthiness of being or trying to be a well-rounded individual. He did not believe in the necessity of singularly devoting oneself to Art in order to be a "great" artist. I think this perspective from someone who was a truly great artist (yes, I consider writing a form of art) would create a substantive learning environment, regardless of the class subject matter."


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Tari Goerlitz chose Florence Broadhurst. "She was not only an amazing artist and printer, she was a clever business woman."


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Gail Pierce selected photographer Edward Weston. I had the privilege of knowing two of his sons, both now deceased, and took workshops from them. Edward used a basic camera and is known for his 'masterful eye.' He, I believe, was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th Century. There are times when I look through the viewfinder of a digital camera and wonder what Weston would think."


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Art by Canace chose Frederic Church of the Hudson River School of Artists. The style is unmistakably dramatic, the subject material breathtaking. I've visited most all of the sites on the Hudson River School trail and it's exciting to walk in the footsteps of those I consider the American Masters."


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Martha Marshall said "I would like to just be in the room to watch Antoni Tapies work. He wouldn't even have to speak. I love the directness and meditative qualities of his paintings."


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This posting marks the end of the 'Master Class' series. The links to all 13 posts will remain on my sidebar, where you can also find links to every post of every edition of The Pulse.

This will also be the last weekly Sunday posting for several months, at which time the posts from the fifth edition of The Pulse will continue. In it's place will be daily posts related to my book , an extension of this online series.

First up, beginning March 1:

Master Class 12: Artist Groups

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.
Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'
(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)
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In some cases, rather than selecting single artists, the participants chose artist groups.

Leslie Marsh "would love to have been mentored by the artists of the Roycroft community in East Aurora, New York, during the Arts and Crafts movement.


The furniture, lamps, books and metal work produced by the Roycrofters are very appealing to me, as is their community of creative thinks sharing social and cultural ideas. I surround myself with furniture and work that came from this period, and the colors and elements I choose to work with are borrowed from the rich Arts and Crafts palette."

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Wen Redmond went further back in history. "I would like to be there, for a day, with the ancient cave painters. I would like to feel their pulse of energy as the inspiration struck to use the contours of the walls in the development of their paintings."


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Kesha Bruce "would like to take a quilting class from the women of Gee's Bend. I'd give anything to better understand how they go about making their compositions, choosing colors, etc. Every quilt is a universe unto itself."


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Lottie Anderson said "there is a group that meets Wednesday evening and posts their work here that I would love to participate in and feed from. I love the various styles, the emotions they each capture, the fluidity. It is all so wonderful.


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Deryn Mentock would chose the "American Indian jewelry artists from the old days of Indian silversmithing. That jewelry was (and still is) such a beautiful expression of the culture; done with a limited number of tolls and supplies. Amazing!"



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Stephanie Brouwers chose "some unknown artist from some remote area like Papua New Guinea. I'd like to learn how that achieve so many intricate designs with the most basic tools. I'd like to see how they carve wood, how they drill the teeth and shells they use in their necklaces, how they weave fibers. The main thing I would like to learn is how to make more with less. It's already my philosophy but there's always room for improvement. I notice that the less I have the more creative I am.


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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, February 26th.