Seth Apter's Blog, page 123

Master Class 9: Multiple Choice

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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Choosing just one answer to this question proved to be a serious challenge across the board. The solution for many? Multiple choice!

Marit Barentsen said "I don't feel much for a 'class'...I'd rather be 'a fly on the wall' and fly from artist to artist to see them work in their studio - view their ways of creating, suck it all in and take the inspiration home with me. I'd love to hang on the ceiling in the homes of:

Giorgio Morandi:


to see him arrange and rearrange his still lifes...

Francis Bacon:


I would like to see him work on a portrait. How does he start the first strokes...

Johnny Beerens:


This Dutch artist makes his own paper and works on larger then life paintings/mixed media art. I would like to see how he manages to do that!"
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Evie Zaccardelli said "This is so difficult to narrow down to one. I admire Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Modigliani, Pre-Raphaelites, Renaissance, Tamara de Lempicka, Rennie Mackintosh to name a few. But if I had the chance to take a class with anyone, it would be contemporary artist Shirley Trevena. She taught me to disregard rules and loosen up."


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Laura A. Pace said "Please, I can sit at the feet of only one Master? May I not learn the ways of the day passing from Monet?


May I not see the light through van Gogh's eyes and well filled brush?


And then may I learn the still life from a reticent Cezanne?


Or the beauty of the form by way of Degas' skillful hands?


How about the lines of everyman's face from Daniel Greene?


No, I fear, I cannot chose just one."
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Cyn Richardson based her answer on time periods. "In history, I'd choose Johannes Vermeer. His paintings are so expressive and real, and his use of color and light are intriguing.



In the present, I'd choose Duane Keiser. His pictures are so natural and realistic, and he makes it look so easy!"


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Kathryn Dyche Dechairo also had two choices. "My love affair with Mark Rothko's abstract work began in my teens and is still going strong today. His use of color is nothing short of amazing and his work invokes a strong response in me each time I view it.


I would love to learn about his layering techniques for creating such powerful and emotional colors.


Andy Goldsworthy combines all the things I love most...art, nature and photography.


His intuitive use of nature's materials to create ephemeral and transient works is magical.


To spend time with him, out in nature would make for one incredible class don't you think?"


Passage: The Book
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Continuing with the double features, Marsha Jorgensen said "Out of a list of a top 100 or so, I can't choose between two artists that currently fascinate me: Banksy, the controversial graffiti artist recently nominated for an Academy Award...


Wall and Piece: The Book

and the digital collage artist Casa Jordi. Both have taken popular contemporary art forms to a place just beyond what I expected."


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debi lynn designs chose two people based on time period as well. "From the past, it would be Helen Hardin because her mixed media techniques have yet to be understood. She was a mixed media artist before her time!



From the present, it would be Ralph Lauren, the Master of Fashion and Design. I would LOVE to live inside his brain...even if for a day!

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Although she chose only one person, I am including JoAnnA Pierotti in this post because she also chose Ralph Lauren. "I dream of being a fashion designer. I think one of the reasons I love creating dolls is designing their clothing.


I consider Ralph Lauren an artist, especially after falling in love with his 2011 Spring Runway Collection. He would be the one I would want to take a thousand classes with. I can't even imagine, really. That would be total bliss for me.

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Pat McNally said "I could NOT pick just one - I have such scattered interests! Ansel Adams, for his artistic eye thru the lens of a camera;


Andrew Wyeth for his amazing ability to create such feeling on a canvas;


or Lisa Lichtenfels for her realistic sculptures.

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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, February 12th.

In the BAG

Last Saturday I attended the opening reception of Collaborations at the Brooklyn Artists Gym.  The exhibition focused on works created jointly by two or more artists. BAG is a fascinating place. It is is Gowanus, a very urban part of Brooklyn, surrounded by industrial and commercial buildings. There is a growing subculture of artists to be found there too.


BAG is many things. In addition to the gallery space, there are also studios for artists. And of course, many photo ops in the studio space as well...



Work Table Surface
There were nine collaborative projects exhibited in the show. The art was very varied...mixed media, installation art, collage, quilting, photography and book art. It shouldn't have all blended together but it really did.


Two of my collaborations were part of the show: Self Contained, my project with Vivian Bonder and Stephanie McAtee, and Winds of Change, my collaboration with Roxanne Evans Stout.


All of the pieces were displayed on the same shelf and people seemed genuinely excited to be able to touch the art and flip through the pages of the books.

During the exhibition, all the artists in attendance got a chance to say a few words about their projects and how they came to be. Listening to all the stories was the best part of the night for me. My collaborations were the only ones in the exhibition created by artists who had never met. People seemed fascinated by that and asked a lot of questions - such as how we had come to connect, how did the mailings work, and how was it possible to trust people that had never met with your artwork. That last questions really got me thinking about the beauty of our community, as the thought to distrust Roxanne, Viv and Steph had never once crossed my mind.
In all, the exhibition has been a wonderful experience and it was great to be able to share these collaborative artworks with a new audience. Collaborations closes February 6th, so any locals who might want to see the show should hop on the subway quickly. And don't forget to 'step lively and watch the closing doors.'

Master Class 8: M&M's

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)-----------------------------------------Erin Perry chose Claude Monet, adding that "Of course I love his work, but the real draw would be getting to spend time at Giverny, dining in the gorgeous yellow dining room...
(Photos by Ariane Cauderlier)
 staying in one of the lovely upstairs bedrooms...

 finding my way to the ultra blue kitchen every morning for a bowl of latter...

 and then wandering the beautiful gardens for inspiration...

 before settling down for class with the master."
Trudi Sissons remembers: "I always go back to a moment now several years ago in New York, when I came upon Claude Monet's Water Lilies (1914-26) oil on three canvas panels, for a total overall measurement of 6 1/2 feet by almost 42 feet long.

 I was paralyzed first by the scale and continue to be dumbfounded by how he achieved them - both the blend of sky, reflection, light and water and the grandness of the scale. I would want to go back in time to Giverny to observe him as he created these masterpieces.
-----------------------------------------Angela Cartwright chose Michelangelo. "Maybe a sketch class...and then I would go watch him paint the Sistine Chapel for a few days."

William J. Charlebois also chose Michelangelo, adding that "he was both a sculptor and a painter. 


I think it is utterly amazing what he was able to carve out of stone. I would love to be able to do that."-----------------------------------------Marcia Beckett said "I would love to watch Henri Matisse paint and see how his art develops. I adore his wild colors and expressive patterns, especially in his interior and still life paintings."


Donna Louise Rodgers also selected Matisse "because he never gave up and invented new ways to express himself even when his sight failed him, and because he loved 'doing' people and he understood implicitly the use of line and colour. "

-----------------------------------------AnTonia Griva chose Amedeo Modigliani "cause you can see in his works a pure sensitivity that floods out the figures in his paintings. I would like to have that too in my paintings."

-----------------------------------------Judy Wise "would ask Marcia Myers how she got those beautiful fresco-like surfaces with acrylic paint. She has passed away now and all her techniques are lost."

-----------------------------------------Holly Dean said "rather than taking a class, I would choose to spend time with British artist Dave McKean. I would love to watch him create, share his thoughts and see how inspiration evolved into his darkly intriguing imagery.

His art is a combination of painting, sculpture, photography and text, using hand and digital processes. It suggests a strong sense of story, while often projecting a dark sense of humour and not a small amount of cleverness.
-----------------------------------------Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, February 5th.

Save the Dates: Part 1

2012 is turning into a very busy year for me, with so many exciting adventures waiting to unfold. As of now, I will be giving workshops in three different venues...

The Ink Pad in New York, NY on March 31st
Mixed Media Dossier - 1 space left, waiting list started
CREATE Mixed Media Reteat  in Somerset, NJ on July 18th-22nd
I will be teaching 4 workshops at the inaugural CREATE event in New Jersey. Details of my workshops and the entire event will be posted on the CREATE website during the first week of February and registration will begin in mid-February. Here is a preview:

A Box of Dreams on July 18th
Collaboration Station on July 18th
Mixed Media Dossier on July 19th
Text Tiles on July 19th
I will also be vending at the CREATE Artists' Faire July 20th
Art is You in Stamford, CT on October 4th-9th
I will be teaching at Art is You (workshop dates to be announced) and vending at The Art Trunk on October 6th. Information and registration will go live in February on the Art is You website. Until then, have a look at the amazing group of faculty already lined up.
Stay tuned for another post, Save the Dates: Part 2, which will include a list of my live events throughout the United States and Canada that will be held from March through May to celebrate the release of my book. I just may be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Master Class 7: A Material World

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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A number of the selections included artists whose best-known work was driven by materials, whether paper, metal, clay, or wood.

Anne Bagby said "If I could have one artist come to my studio and bring his "stuff", it would be Fred Otnes. His work is unique, exciting, layered and complex. I would love to see him collage and talk about it. Or maybe go to his studio and see all his "stuff". Texture, neutrals, nuance. He is the best!"


Sally Turlington believes "that Fred Otnes is an old master of collage painting. His work embodies many of the aspects I aspire to with my work - arranging unrelated objects and oddments in happy, lucky juxtaposition of control and chance resulting in confident designs layered in mystery and fun. His are the ultimate."


Susan Madden shares a quote by Otnes: 'I could live with raw umber and black for the rest of my life. It has infinite possibilities, gradations, subtleties -- it has tonal variations that are very beautiful.' Susan adds "This resonates with me and keeps me at peace with some of my favorite color choices. Make a note of this: People who like dark colors are not necessarily dark and depressed."


The book: Fred Otnes Collage Paintings

See my previous blog post about the work of Fred Otnes here.
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Jane Royal chose Gerald Brommer. "He has such an amazing way of combining paint and collage elements.


His work is both realistic and otherwordly; full of imagination and unique style."



The book: Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators
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Paula Art selected John Chamberlain "because he is my hero. He managed to what he wanted and have a stockade of supplies and do it his way and he made it!"


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Sharon Read would "take a lesson from Sebastian Blackie. I would love to learn how to process hand dug clay, know more about the stains he uses, build a kiln from newspaper...


 and see up close and personal his relationship with the environment."



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Deb Eck picked Lee Bontecou "because I am just fascinated by her work and by her courage and ability to keep working long after she rejected the praise and definition of her work by the art establishment.


I would hope some of that spirit and certainty that I feel in her work would be magically transmitted to me! Just to see the inside of her studio would be a miracle."

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Jeanie Thorn selected Louise Nevelson. She was an amazing artist who was way ahead of her time.


Eileen Bellomo "enjoys assemblages and found art, so learning from Louise Nevelson would have been a dream."


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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, January 29th.

Mixed Media Dossier

Join me in New York City on March 31st when The Ink Pad in NYC will be holding a series of special events to celebrate the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed.

WORKSHOP

From 1pm to 5pm, I will be teaching a workshop called Mixed Media Dossier. 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 or as a place to record a specific event or experience.


During the workshop you will learn a variety of mixed media techniques for creating texture, layers and dimension that you can apply to any future project.


A simple approach to binding will allow you to literally pull the entire project together and to add pages to your dossier at anytime in the future.


In the end, you will have a one-of-a-kind and highly personal keepsake.

Seats for the workshop are limited and must be reserved in advance. Click here to find out more information about the class and contact the Ink Pad at 212-463-9876 to register. Please note that the supplies for the class have been updated and the final list can be obtained when you call to register for the workshop.

ARTIST PANEL
Prior to the workshop on March 31st, from 10am to 12pm,  I will be moderating an artist panel with contributing artists Michelle Ward, Leslie Marsh, Karen Cole, Jill Zaheer, Roxanne Evans Stout, and Julie Prichard.
The panel members will discuss their contributions to the book, answer audience questions, show samples of their artwork, share their personal creative process, and sign copies of the book.

The panel is free and open to the public but you must contact The Ink Pad in advance to reserve a place as seats are limited. This will be an opportunity to have a true insider's view and is an event not to be missed.

Time Passes...............

Created as part of 'Dave's App Recipe Book' project from David Hayes at Clearer Reflections.
Apps used: Pic Grunger, Scratch Cam, and VintageScene

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 10

Tenth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.
By cultivating the artist within and sharing our developing identities in our posts, we will be one step closer to creating a blog that by all definitions is a success.
Read more here...

Master Class 6: Special K

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)----------------------------------------------
dorit Elisha chose Paul Klee. "I would LOVE a lesson with Klee. I love his playful and imaginative control of color, texture and subject. I would love to live inside his paintings, which sometimes look and feel like a dream."


Mary Beth Shaw would "jump back into history to study with Paul Klee. I admire so many things about him, his color management, obviously his draftsmanship and also the symbolism in his work. I am especially interested in the fact he was a mixed media guy and didn't really follow the trends of his time, but developed his own voice, often working in isolation, using unconventional supplies, trying new techniques. There is a certain humor in some of his early work that intrigues me and I think it would be fun to take a class from him."


Chris Miser is on the same page but also adds a 'second K.' "I so admire Klee's use of color and color theory, his representation of mathematic and musical (metered) concepts in his art, and the humor he injected into his work. I've always been drawn to his work and to Kandinsky's, who was a peer of Klee, because of their work in cubism, surrealism, and other schools of abstract art, as well as Bauhaus, which I find odd but oddly compelling. Klee has the added appeal of working passionately in many different media, and incorporating wit."

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Barbara Kleinhans chose Anselm Kiefer "because his work is many things that mine is not: large, bold and dark. I admire his fearless use of elements other than paint in his work."



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Shayla Perreault Newcomb chose Gustav Klimt. "His family background was in jewelry and that gave him advanced techniques in the use of real gold in his paintings. I would love to learn his techniques, plus have the opportunity to see some of the larger than life paintings that sadly were destroyed by the Nazis."


annie! also chose Klimt "because I think he was brilliant with collage and color."


Cory Celaya chose Klimt for a different reason..."he used two of my favorite elements, the face/figure and pattern."

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Natasha White chose Emare Karaka (Emily Karaka). "I remember when I first saw a piece of her work during a visit to a gallery while I was still at high school and I did not get much further. I kept coming back to it. Her work mesmerized me, it was so bold and emotional and symbolic and colourful and I connected. That work has a hold on me even now, decades later I can still see it and remember my response to it. I am goosebumpy just thinking about it. I love her work and would take anything she could teach me with two hands and my heart in an instant."



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Kelly Kilmer (a double K herself) said "If I could go back in time, I would love to take a class with Corita Kent, aka Sister Corita. Her use of color, line, imagery and text resonate very deeply with me. I have her book (co-written with Jan Steward), Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit, and it has opened my eyes to the multitude of possibilities that exist in the world. It's all about learning to see and expressing what you see and feel."




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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, January 22nd.

Thoughts Dear Readers?

Since I started my series Your Blog, Your Way on Create Mixed Media, I have received emails from a number of people with specific questions about the process of creating and maintaining a blog. I recently received an email about an issue related to culture and language and thought that I would reach out to all of you for your opinions. If you have a moment, please read through this post and feel free to share your thoughts in a comment. I know there is one future blogger who will benefit greatly from your opinions but I imagine that there are other bloggers out there with the same set of questions.


The (paraphrased) brief:
"My mother tongue is French. I am torn between joining the Anglophone community of bloggers (very large) or the Francophone community (small). There is little done in French in the mixed media realm, so it would also be a matter of building the community. Or I thought I could blog in both languages. This could possibly provide me with a balance of joining an existing group and starting one of my own. However I wonder if the objective of writing one post in French and one in English is a good thing when it comes to continuity. At the moment I am not able to commit to more time wise, yet hesitate to let go of either language."

Thoughts dear readers?