Seth Apter's Blog, page 40

NEW stencils...

I am so very happy to share my newest releases from StencilGirl Products. Hot off the press are three designs in my On the Edge series. 

What makes these stencils special is that they are part stencil and part mask, providing you an opportunity to create in a unique and playful way.
All my stencils start as hand drawn designs which are then magically transformed into stencils by the StencilGirl wizards and finally used to create art.
YOU GOT THIS



MAKE IT COUNT



THE TIME


My new designs, along with my earlier stencils, are available now from my online shop or via the StencilGirl website. They will arrive at other online venues and at a shop near you very soon!

Magic Layers Webinar

You're Only One Layer Away from Magic The Magic of Mixed Media Layers
Join me live online on Thursday June 30 at 4:00 EST for my first webinar. 
Have you ever been stuck while working on your art because you thought you might ruin it by adding another layer? Does over-thinking bring out your inner critic and limit your willingness to take creative chances? 
In this webinar you will learn mixed-media layering techniques to enhance the depth, complexity and power of your work. 
Discover how to push yourself and your art further by letting go and creating without thinking. I will share tips to help you become more comfortable out of your comfort zone by not getting attached to your work, trusting the process, and taking creative risks. My mantra is, You're only one layer away from magic, so grab your paintbrush and tune in. Magic awaits!
This live webinar features a PowerPoint presentation and the opportunity to ask me questions live during the hour long webinar. You will also receive a link to a recording of the webinar and an exclusive demo video on layering pulled from one of my upcoming workshop DVDs.
Click here for more information and to register.

Mixed Media Bloopers

I spent a week at the Interweave offices in Ohio this past February, filming workshop videos for F+W Media. 

I have been waiting since then to share them with you. 

They are all based on my live workshops and I even had my own "student" in each of the videos.

Recording these workshops is a lot of work and takes a lot of preparation. But...based on this blooper reel, I think you can tell that it is a lot of fun too!

All 4 workshops will be available very soon as both immediate downloads and DVDs.

The Week Links: 105

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 105...


1. Katharina Grosse will be spray painting the decaying acquatics building at Fort Tilden in Queens as part of MoMA PS1's outdoor exhibition Rockaway!

2. The beauty of accidental art...


3. A man took hundreds of Photo Booth self-portraits between the 1930s and 1960s. Who was he is and why?


4. File this under worth the wait: Robyn Gordon is posting again on her blog Art Propelled.


5. Diana Trout shares her approach to making a color swatch journal. What a cool idea.


6. LOVE the surfaces created by Lisa Weiss on the work in her Maps series.


7. 430+ links of pure inspiration await you in my Art Blog Directory. Email me if you want to add yours.

Bundle Up...

Every so often I start in a new direction with my artwork. An idea is sparked and I am off. Often these detours lead me back to where I started. Sometimes though, the inspiration takes on a life of its own and I know I am on to "a keeper."
I am now officially a wrapper...

Stay tuned...

June Events

The summer has begun in NYC and is going to start off with a bang for me. The month of June is overflowing with creative fun and I cannot wait to be able to share it all with you.

STENCILS
My newest stencils coming from StencilGirl Products
DVDs
Four workshop DVDs being released by F+W Media
WEBINAR
Webinar with the crew from F+W Media
WORKSHOPS
June takes me to:
West Carlton Arts Society in Ontario, Canada - workshops full
The Ink Pad in NYC - workshop full
Kept Creations in Whitman, MassachusettsDimensional Stenciling - workshop fullBrick by Brick - a few spots open
Visit my workshop page for info on my upcoming 2016 workshops in Australia, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Colorado, and Texas. 

Past, Present, Future

The current, May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine is focused on tools. I am thrilled to have a feature in the magazine which shares my process for creating collage with dimension and texture. 

My tools: die cuts.

I take the reader, layer by layer, through creating dimensional collage.

There are instructions and photos for every step.

And I share 9 ways to to put you own individual, creative mark on die cuts.

So many artists I meet do not use die cuts in their work...but through this article, I hope to change some minds.

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Cloth Paper Scissors 

The Week Links: 104

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 104...


1. I love absolutely everything about this image from Helen Acklam.

2. A flea market primer for artists from Jeannine Stein, editor of Cloth Paper Scissors.

3. This looks like a unique and interesting book: The Maker: Beyond Decorating Crafting a Unique Space by Tamara Maynes.

and a shot from her website

4. Stunning mixed media baskets - and other work - from John Garrett.


5. Been digging this new series of artwork from Jodi Ohl. And speaking of Jodi, you can read her very practical suggestions for working with a painting you are just not liking.


7. If you ever have been to an art retreat or never have been to an art retreat, you need to read this piece on Huffington Post from Scott Stabile.

8. Behind the scenes at Make it Artsy. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, host of this new television art show premiering on PBS September 29, shares the hot scoop on the guest list and filming process in this podcast.

Around the World...Free

I am excited to be a contributing artist in a newly released eBook called Around the World with 80 Artists: A Creative Art Academy Arts and Crafts Adventure . This compendium of art project tutorials was edited by Mahe Zahra Husain, includes the work of 80 artists and clocks in at 619 pages!

The book is available to download free for 5 days - the maximum amount of time allowed by Kindle. After the 5 days, the eBook will cost $14.99, with 20% going to The Malala Fund, helping to provide education to girls. Once you download the eBook, you will find a link to an accompanying workbook too.

Take a moment and click here for the download. There is  a lot of art, education and inspiration waiting for you there.

The Pulse 2016: Week 3

 Welcome to the 6th edition of The Pulse - 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, further your own artistic expression, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. Stay tuned for a new post every Wednesday and see all previous posts in the series here.
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What is the one technique or tool that you cannot live without?
Jacki Long Paper and junk mail. I can almost salivate over papers. Whether using glue sticks in journals or gel medium... I can't live without papers.
Jade Herriman Water soluble crayons from Caran d'Ache. Sometimes I use them to create a wash of colour, sometimes to add bold opaque colour over another background. I love the way I can use them over rough surfaces to create great texture.
Shelby Pizzarro Paper weaving within my collage work is the technique I can't live without. The physical weaving process is meditative. Using this technique, I can relax into the piece and allow the found objects to truly speak and guide my work.
Barbara Bytwerk I have an endless supply of cheap paperer painting, experimenting, cutting, ripping... anything that I want to try. My painted pages often get cut into shapes that I use when I make cards. I flip the paper over, draw shapes on the back and cut them out. This "cutting blind" prevents me from just using the best parts of my decorated paper.
Jo Myhill The technique has to be distress, the build-up of layers to show age and decay, either with subtle soft colours that remind you of faded wallpaper or heavy rust colours and textures. All of which have to be touched!
Annette Bouchey  Old books, covers from these books and pages for altering books, making journals and assemblages on boxes.