Seth Apter's Blog, page 31
November 24, 2016
November 22, 2016
Cyber Monday Sale
As a thank you to all my wonderful peeps out there (i.e., you), I am celebrating Cyber Monday - November 28 - by offering you a 25% discount on all my products - stamps, stencils, paint, dies, embossing folders, DVDs, books, and more.
Just head to my online shop at my website sethapter.com and use code CYBER25 for the discount. Now, for the fine print: the code is good only on 11/28/16 from the hours of 12:00am EST to 11:59pm EST. Discount is not valid on original art or shipping. Once an item is sold out, code will no longer be valid for that item.
Time After Time
Happy to be featured today on the Spellbinders blog sharing Time After Time, a new artwork highlighting the use of layers in mixed media art. Head over to this post to see more pics, read the list of supplies used, and follow along with a step-by-step tutorial.
November 20, 2016
Embrace Mistakes
Creativity is stifled when a person approaches any creative endeavor with a fear of doing something wrong. Options are removed and possibilities are taken away. There have been times when I have felt too intimidated by the fear of ruining a piece of art to allow myself to move on, though I knew the artwork was incomplete. This fear can sometimes hold me back from pushing my creative boundaries and stepping outside my comfort zone, which in turn can keep me from taking my art to the next level... Art is all about risk. Creativity should nit be bound. Once you embrace mistakes, the door swings open and the possibilities are endless.
Excerpt from my The Creative Pulse column in March/April 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors and one of ten tips for finding inspiration recently featured on the Artist's Network website.
Read more, along with other tips from Roxanne Evans Stout, Dina Wakley, Crystal Neubauer, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and many other artists here.
Excerpt from my The Creative Pulse column in March/April 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors and one of ten tips for finding inspiration recently featured on the Artist's Network website.
Read more, along with other tips from Roxanne Evans Stout, Dina Wakley, Crystal Neubauer, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and many other artists here.
November 19, 2016
The Week Links: 125
Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week. Earlier posts in the series can be found here.And here is Week 125...
1. Would love to be able to see Pat Steir's waterfall paintings at Dominique Levy in London. And speaking of Pat Steir, read her interview with William J. Simmons in Interview Magazine from earlier this year.
2. Would also love to see the Roots Project from Jose Parla at YoungArts in Miami Beach. And speaking of Jose Parla, see my pics from his exhibition in 2011 at Bryce Wolfowitz Gallery in NYC.
3. A stunning piece from Jenny Marples. Love those rusty drips.
4. Mesmerized by this piece from Kim Henkel. I want to walk inside it.
4. Leaf love - prints from Leslie Marsh.
5. Loving the Six Month project from Deena Feigelson Margolis.
6. Loving the handmade felt work from Sharron Parker.
7. Flashback link 2009: Billboard - an old favorite.
November 18, 2016
Bittersweet Autumn
Donald Kaufman Color, makers of interior wall paint, choose a Color of the Month every month. Their color for November is Bittersweet Autumn.
Their description: Pigments responsible for autumn's violets, reds and golds reside in in foliage throughout the year. They reveal themselves as the diminishing sun of autumn weakens summer's green chlorophyll, and light shines through creating more luminosity.
Excited to be right on trend with my Mahogany paint, a cool dark red-brown, that I released in September as part of a four-paint set with PaperArtsy.
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Thrilled to find this post from Trena Brannon, showing how she was able to create a full color wheel from this set of colors given that the set includes a yellow, a red and a blue. Thanks Trena!
November 15, 2016
#artistsforlove
Those of you who know me, personally or as online followers, know that I have always been about community and inclusivity. I have an impenetrable - and perhaps naive - belief that we should all support and lift each other up.
I have always said that within our creative community, there is more than enough to go around for all of us. And that working together allows for all artists to grow, thrive and fuel our creativity. My blog, my books, and the many collaborative projects I have hosted have all been based on the concept that we are all equals. It has long been my pet peeve when I hear fine artists put down mixed media artists. Or mixed media artists put down crafters. Or _____ put down _____ (fill in the blanks). I believe in respect and, once again, that we are all equals.
This belief is not limited to the art community however. I carry it into the entire world. Support, love, acceptance, respect. A simple equation in my mind. I live in NYC which is one of the most diverse and inclusive places in the world. That is a big part of why I love it here and am planning on being here for life. But it sometimes acts as a bit of a bubble and it can be easy to forget that there are people out there who hold beliefs very different from my own. Perhaps that is one reason I have been so distressed by the level of hatred, bigotry and intolerance that this election has so clearly illuminated.
My approach to the world is usually carried out with actions and within my artwork -- and not as often with my voice. As an artist, expression and communication is behind everything I do and,
given the divisions that have been highlighted throughout the election, I feel I do have to use my words now.
In the last few years, the Internet has fostered an environment which has allowed people to hide within anonymity and say whatever they like. I have often been shocked and sickened by the hatred that seems to be prevalent in comments put online.
But I have always been so proud that our online art community has seemed to be immune from the vitriol that has been proliferating everywhere else and had somehow remained such a safe and encouraging space. Unfortunately, this election has been a seismic event that has put cracks into the safe space that has been the hallmark of our small but powerful community. Reading through Facebook now makes me afraid rather than happy. And I know artists who have been bashed for posting artwork that expresses their anger and fears, as well as artists who are feeling so vulnerable that they are hesitating to post their work.
We are all individuals with complex experiences, unique ideas, personal histories, and our very own baggage. This guarantees that life will be complicated and challenging. However, this post stands as a reminder of the importance of support, love, acceptance and respect. Always. And the rejection of bigotry and intolerance to difference. Always.
For me, this is not about who voted for who -- although I know for many that cannot be dismissed. For me, this is about something bigger than the election. This is about taking an individual step toward a collective healing. Naive? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.
In that vein, a group of artists have created the hashtag #artistsforlove. Use it, embrace it, share it. I first read about it here and then here. Take the time to click the links and see how you can join this movement and create your own poster that celebrates rather than diminishes inclusivity and love. I leave you with my poster below and hope you will join the conversation - with love and respect - in the comment section to this post
I have always said that within our creative community, there is more than enough to go around for all of us. And that working together allows for all artists to grow, thrive and fuel our creativity. My blog, my books, and the many collaborative projects I have hosted have all been based on the concept that we are all equals. It has long been my pet peeve when I hear fine artists put down mixed media artists. Or mixed media artists put down crafters. Or _____ put down _____ (fill in the blanks). I believe in respect and, once again, that we are all equals.
This belief is not limited to the art community however. I carry it into the entire world. Support, love, acceptance, respect. A simple equation in my mind. I live in NYC which is one of the most diverse and inclusive places in the world. That is a big part of why I love it here and am planning on being here for life. But it sometimes acts as a bit of a bubble and it can be easy to forget that there are people out there who hold beliefs very different from my own. Perhaps that is one reason I have been so distressed by the level of hatred, bigotry and intolerance that this election has so clearly illuminated.
My approach to the world is usually carried out with actions and within my artwork -- and not as often with my voice. As an artist, expression and communication is behind everything I do and,
given the divisions that have been highlighted throughout the election, I feel I do have to use my words now.
In the last few years, the Internet has fostered an environment which has allowed people to hide within anonymity and say whatever they like. I have often been shocked and sickened by the hatred that seems to be prevalent in comments put online.
But I have always been so proud that our online art community has seemed to be immune from the vitriol that has been proliferating everywhere else and had somehow remained such a safe and encouraging space. Unfortunately, this election has been a seismic event that has put cracks into the safe space that has been the hallmark of our small but powerful community. Reading through Facebook now makes me afraid rather than happy. And I know artists who have been bashed for posting artwork that expresses their anger and fears, as well as artists who are feeling so vulnerable that they are hesitating to post their work.
We are all individuals with complex experiences, unique ideas, personal histories, and our very own baggage. This guarantees that life will be complicated and challenging. However, this post stands as a reminder of the importance of support, love, acceptance and respect. Always. And the rejection of bigotry and intolerance to difference. Always.
For me, this is not about who voted for who -- although I know for many that cannot be dismissed. For me, this is about something bigger than the election. This is about taking an individual step toward a collective healing. Naive? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.
In that vein, a group of artists have created the hashtag #artistsforlove. Use it, embrace it, share it. I first read about it here and then here. Take the time to click the links and see how you can join this movement and create your own poster that celebrates rather than diminishes inclusivity and love. I leave you with my poster below and hope you will join the conversation - with love and respect - in the comment section to this post
November 8, 2016
Handmade Gifts
My column The Creative Pulse in the November/December issue of Cloth Paper Scissors is entitled The Do's and Dont's of Handmade Gifts.
"Every year, as the holiday season approaches, my thoughts turn to gift giving... This got me thinking about the hows and whys and the dos and don'ts of giving handmade gifts. Why do people give handmade gifts in the first place? Does the giver have different expectations of the recipient when the gift is handmade? Are these handcrafted gifts appreciated by the receiver, or do they somehow add an extra burden or level of obligation that might not be appreciated?"
Have you ever given and/or received a handmade gift? Share your thoughts in the comments about your experience.
------------------This is my last column in Cloth Paper Scissors. It has been a wonderful 2 years and 12 columns and I thank Jeannine Stein and Barbara Delaney for the opportunity and all their help.
For those of you who may have missed some of the earlier columns, Interweave has put together a digital compilation called Art Inspiration: Advice and Support for the Creative Life that includes 6 of my columns from 2015/2016, 6 columns from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, and 4 additional essays from a variety of artists.
My columns include:
Own Your Own VoiceEmbrace MistakesAn Artist's CallingRejection CorrectionStep Outside Your Comfort ZoneThe Benefits of Art Journaling
November 7, 2016
An Art Journal Affair
Join me for a very special art retreat experience at Ephemera Paducah in Paducah, Kentucky from 9/22 - 9/25/17. Four instructors. Two full days & nights with nothing to think about but Art Journaling. Optional Friday activities in a wonderfully creative UNESCO designated city. A brand new retreat hotel blocks from the Lower Town Arts District, opening reception and lunches included, goody bags, surprises and...STENCILS!
Ephemera Paducah has partnered with StencilGirl Products to bring you this extraordinary event. An Art Journal Affair features coordinated workshops taught by Traci Bautista, Pam Carriker, Mary Beth Shaw and myself.
You will be in workshops with all of us! And after classes, we will continue creating well into the night in the Art Journaling Playroom at our hotel. You will even receive a commemorative set of StencilGirl stencils created just for this art retreat.
Registration is now open, seats are limited and going fast. Click here for all the details and to register.
****This event is now sold out. Email kristin@ephemerapaducah to be added to the waitlist.
November 6, 2016
My column The Creative Pulse in the November/December iss...
My column The Creative Pulse in the November/December issue of Cloth Paper Scissors is entitled The Do's and Dont's of Handmade Gifts.
"Every year, as the holiday season approaches, my thoughts turn to gift giving... This got me thinking about the hows and whys and the dos and don'ts of giving handmade gifts. Why do people give handmade gifts in the first place? Does the giver have different expectations of the recipient when the gift is handmade? Are these handcrafted gifts appreciated by the receiver, or do they somehow add an extra burden or level of obligation that might not be appreciated?"
Have you ever given and/or received a handmade gift? Share your thoughts in the comments about your experience.
------------------This is my last column in Cloth Paper Scissors. It has been a wonderful 2 years and 12 columns and I thank Jeannine Stein and Barbara Delaney for the opportunity and all their help.
For those of you who may have missed some of the earlier columns, Interweave has put together a digital compilation called Art Inspiration: Advice and Support for the Creative Life that includes 6 of my columns from 2015/2016, 6 columns from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, and 4 additional essays from a variety of artists.
My columns include:
Own Your Own VoiceEmbrace MistakesAn Artist's CallingRejection CorrectionStep Outside Your Comfort ZoneThe Benefits of Art Journaling
