Seth Apter's Blog, page 65

The Week Links: 40

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week.All previous links can be found here.

And here is Week 40...


A hidden collection of rare and beautiful Japanese textiles in Brooklyn - found on Cool Hunting.
Pics from the Magnificent Objects: The Artist as Collector exhibition at The Barbican in London. Also found on Cool Hunting. And an article from the New York Times.

Love the "dreamy" quality to the work of Marisa Purcell highlighted in this post from est magazine and her thoughts on the creative process shown on this video.

140+ stunning paper art projects found on Paper Art Love.

Veronica Funk shares a list of the books that have impacted her creative life.

Easy to follow, use-what-you-have, step by step introduction to book binding from Trisha Too.

The unique and amazing prints from Leonardo Drew exhibiting at Pace Prints in NYC (via Artsy).

Spring Season

I am ready to dig myself out of this long, cold and snowy winter...
...and enjoy every moment of spring.
It will be a chance to get outdoors more and the opportunity to continue my teaching binge for 2015.
Spring begins March 20 and my Spring Season kicks off on March 22 at The Ink Pad in NYC. I will be teaching a new workshop Collage Camp which is currently filled. 
April finds me teaching in Missouri for the very first time at Art & Soul retreat - also a first for me. If you are local or want to experience the amazingness of an art retreat, head here to see the offerings. 
May begins with a one-time-only collaborative workshop that I am teaching with Mary Beth Shaw at her studio in Lafayette Square, Missouri. This workshop is filled.
May continues to be an exciting month for me as I next head to the Pacific Northwest for some very special workshops. 
On May 16-17, I am teaching Cover to Cover -- a two-day workshop at the Pacific Northwest School of Art on Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington. 
Immediately following and also at the Pacific Northwest School of Art, I am excited to be teaching a 5-day workshop with Orly Avineri called If Walls Could Talk from May 18-22.



Finally, I will be teaching In the Pocket with John Arbuckle. We will be collaboratively teaching this one-day workshop at ArtWorks in Edmonds, WA twice. The workshop on May 28 has filled and we have added a second date on May 26. Email John at johnner55@yahoo.com for info and registration.
I am excited to spend my days creating with those of you who will be attending. And for those of you who cannot...posts and pictures will follow.

Living With Art: 4

When we see art posted on the blogs from our community, by far the majority of times it is a cropped picture of a particular piece. We don't often get to see pictures of the art in the space where we actually live. Hanging art. Art on the walls. Art over the couch. Art leaning on the bookcase shelves.

Living with Art is about showing and seeing art in real life settings. Every Thursday I will be posting a series of images shared by creatives showing all of us just how art is displayed in their spaces. Each participant is opening the door and inviting us all into their surroundings. Please contact the artist if you would like any information about the pieces on display. If you want to share yours, simply email me an image, a few lines about your artistic aesthetic, and a link to your own online site. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

--------------------------- Previous posts can be found here...
and here is week 4...



Lin ColletteI don't 'collect' or 'own' art, I invite it to live with me. What I buy has to have a deep impact on my soul, otherwise there is not point to having it. My tastes are eclectic which takes me on a daily adventure.
Quinn McDonaldI believe we don't find meaning in life, we make meaning. The art in my house makes meaning in some way - about life, experience, courage, love. It connects the past to the present, while I live in the present of the art.
Julianna HudginsHaving my artwork on display in my home remains me of how powerful I am. It puts a smile on my face and fills my soul with self love.
Gabriele BurgessThe art I live with lifts and inspires me.
Rhonda SimmondsPainting I've done for my art show "Altar Ego." The shows content is all about Altars.
Jodi OhlI'm lucky to have a fairly nice sized studio to create in attached to my home so the art I create is constantly moving from one place to the next before I let it go into the world. One of the last stops for it is on my desk in the kitchen so I can enjoy it for a little while before it goes to its forever home. I can also see other bits of my collection in my studio from where I sit to do my business type of art stuff.
Rita Vindedzis(and see more of how Rita lives with art here)Our loft has 10' ceilings so I'm fortunate to have a lot of hanging space to display my original art. Here I've leaned 'Blossoming' a large 40x40 canvas on top of my bookcase. The two antique statues and the grouping of antlers and driftwood help to fill the space and soften the hard angles. 

A Little Secret...

"I'd like to let you in on a little secret: sometimes the wrong way is the best way. This is especially true when it comes to creativity."
This is an excerpt from my column - The Creative Pulse - in the newest, March/April 2015 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. The theme of this month's column is mistakes - something we all can relate to!

Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience with making and/or embracing mistakes...

What a Weekend

I spent this past weekend teaching workshops at The Queen's Ink in Maryland. The Queen's Ink is among my most favorite venues to teach out of and the owner, Patti Euler, is one a favorite too. Her shop is located in Savage Mill, a restored cotton mill. Have a look inside...






I taught three new workshops here for the first time: Viewfinder, Dimensional Stenciling and Brick by Brick.
In Viewfinder, we got our Spellbinders on and created Japanese stab bound books with windows using die cuts, texture plates, and more.



In Dimensional Stenciling, we experimented with an array of approaches to stenciling and used some of the newest and best texture-making products on the market.


Everybody created a technique/product guide that they could refer to in the future as well as these amazing artworks:





Brick by Brick, my third workshop, is an urban grunge, graffiti inspired class. 

It got off to a great start, with painting, group monoprinting, and collage.

Unfortunately, mother nature had another idea. 

An ice storm sadly shut down the venue and we had to stop 2 hours into the class. I have to say that I am impressed with how well everybody handled this. I will be returning to The Queen's Ink on June 7 to make this workshop up and will hold another workshop on June 6.

The Week Links: 39

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week.All previous links can be found here.

And here is Week 39...


An artist's studio made totally our of cardboard. Talk about thinking outside the box. Created by Tom Burckhardt and found on Creative Boom.

And speaking of cardboard, how about an entire enchanted forest made of cardboard by Eva Jospin also on Creative Boom. 
9 inspiring work spaces from Poppytalk.

Loving this multi-panel artwork from Stephanie Hilvitz. Both beautiful and meaningful.

Also loving this sketchbook from Kim Henkel.

File this under I never knew that I wanted one but now I do: Ron Arad's "Pressed Flower" sculptures made from compressed Fiat 500s and mounted on the wall. Now at Paul Kasmin Gallery in NYC.

Rikka Kovasin has a monthly inspiration series on her blog. I am especially liking this post on finding inspiration from our art supplies.

Living With Art: 3

When we see art posted on the blogs from our community, by far the majority of times it is a cropped picture of a particular piece. We don't often get to see pictures of the art in the space where we actually live. Hanging art. Art on the walls. Art over the couch. Art leaning on the bookcase shelves.

Living with Art is about showing and seeing art in real life settings. Every Thursday I will be posting a series of images shared by creatives showing all of us just how art is displayed in their spaces. Each participant is opening the door and inviting us all into their surroundings. Please contact the artist if you would like any information about the pieces on display. If you want to share yours, simply email me an image, a few lines about your artistic aesthetic, and a link to your own online site. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

--------------------------- Previous posts can be found here...
and here is week 3...



Teri MahlThe art I buy always reflects something that I care about. I always try to make contact with the artist, either in person or online, because I want to have a personal connection to the artist, what they create, and what I hang on my walls. Mostly I find that what I purchase I fall in love with immediately because it speaks to me.
Amy DuncanA tie to the past and an appreciation of the present; everything I hang as "art" has a personal connection (an exhibit I attended, art by friends, a piece purchased or given in connection with some occasion and even some of my own art). It is not a stagnant arrangement but changes according to my mood and inclination but always reflecting color, texture, pattern and tone.
Judy WoodThis photo features the crow and raven shrine over the fireplace. I am quite obsessed with these birds and collect their images. The "shrine" features themed works in various media. Some are my own works, others are gifts from family members or works that I have purchased from other artists. The blue glass holds a collection of gifts from the neighborhood crows, gathered during summer dog walks.

Dorothy Simpson KrauseI strive for an understated elegance in my own work and surroundings. I want to live with art that reveals itself over time - which I never get tired of seeing.
Stephanie HilvitzSelf indulgent! I surround myself with work I love and that sparks my imagination and eclectic creative longings. This may be folk art, contemporary art...my art, friend's art...lots of my daughter's art, the only thing I am really lacking is that hidden unknown space I stumble upon in my dreams. That place to put MORE art.
Jo MurrayI am eclectic collector of art, tho' I lean toward Australian artists. The work of Aboriginal artists is unique and usually has a story that is a part of their culture. This always reminds me that art is part of who you are, and where you sit in context of the history of the world.
Anne O'ConnorI like to surround myself with color and light - life is dark enough. The art in my home, whether mine, or artists I admire, fills me with inspiration and joy.

New Artists & Makers

Last November, a new print magazine from Interweave called Artists & Makers was released. It seamlessly blends creativity with business and contains topical and useful articles about every aspect of being a working artist. The editor, Jeannine Stein, shared her thoughts with me about the publication in a previous blog post here.

The second issue has just been released and it looks every bit as good as issue one. Take a minute and have a look inside here.

The Week Links: 38

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week.All previous links can be found here.

And here is Week 38...


The beauty of abandoned buildings in NYC from Will Ellis.

Paperology 101 - a truly informative lesson - from Blick.

How cool is this chair - and the video that goes along with it - from Tjep.

Magnificent Obsessions: the Artist as Collector. Wish I were in London for this one.

Clever 3D illustrations using common objects by Victor Nunes on I Need a Guide.

Powerful artwork that modernizes history by Titus Kaphar, also from I Need a Guide.

Derek "Deek" Diedricksen builds one of his tiny houses inside The Empty Spaces Project gallery in Putnam, CT as part of a 3-day workshop. And you can sign up here.


And because you can never, ever have enough inspirational sites to visit.....


99 top design and craft journalists, bloggers and media to follow on Twitter from The Design Trust.

100 fresh blogs and websites for creative professionals to follow in 2015 from Creative Boom.

Living With Art: 2

When we see art posted on the blogs from our community, by far the majority of times it is a cropped picture of a particular piece. We don't often get to see pictures of the art in the space where we actually live. Hanging art. Art on the walls. Art over the couch. Art leaning on the bookcase shelves.

Living with Art is about showing and seeing art in real life settings. Every Thursday I will be posting a series of images shared by creatives showing all of us just how art is displayed in their spaces. Each participant is opening the door and inviting us all into their surroundings. Please contact the artist if you would like any information about the pieces on display. If you want to share yours, simply email me an image, a few lines about your artistic aesthetic, and a link to your own online site. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

--------------------------- Previous posts can be found here...
and here is week 2...


Orly AvineriIt makes me feel happy and lively to surround myself with objects and substrates that can be changed on a whim, my whim, by me. I have that split personality when it comes to my home, well when it comes to other spaces too. On the one hand I am drawn to south of the border or middle eastern colors, patterns, and feel, as I'd like to create the "Red Tent" in my home and on the other, Wabi Sabi aesthetics, worn out indigos, blacks, slates, rust, and skulls really make me dance inside, soulful dances. What a girl to do? Have both!
Roxanne Evans StoutMy arrangement here speaks of my love for old and new, for handmade and nature made objects. When I walk by, I have to touch and examine... a seashell, a waterworn stone, a seedpod. Time. memories, my world are all in front of me to know, to love.
Gretchen MillerMy collection of handmade art journals, altered books, glue books and more sit upon a floating shelf in my creative space as an inspiring reminder & reflection of intention, connection, and community...
Wen RedmondMy studio art vignette gathers a combination of works purchased from artists that inspire me, antiques, works created by my children and a somewhat rotating group of my work that come and go from galleries.
Debra TerryI decorate a lot with with my artwork and hope to do more. I made the hanging bells out of yogurt cups. It is difficult to tell but they are crackled to within an inch of their life. The inside is turquoise like the crack in the bell. And the clacker is a ball with a face on it.
Patricia ThornhillAnything made by me, on my walls, is because, for me it has reached a level which, I feel, shows a satisfactory accomplishment. It gives me pleasure to think "I made that", others may see it as showing off!
Caterina GiglioThe art in my home captures a timeless, romantic, and atmospheric quality...