Seth Apter's Blog, page 66

Announcing The Pulse Project

Those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time are likely to be familiar with The Pulse.

The Pulse is a collaborative experience that has been part of The Altered Page since January 2008. Its purpose has been to "tap into the pulse" of the online, art community. With so many talented and creative artists to follow, I thought it would be fun, informative, and inspiring to bring them together through a varied series of ongoing projects.
Since the very beginning, The Pulse has taken on a life of its own. It began as a blog project with five online editions, all of which can be accessed from my sidebar. Over 130 creatives participated in the most recent version. 
From there it morphed onto paper, first as a limited edition zine and next as the basis for my two books published by North Light:  The Pulse of Mixed Media  and The Mixed Media Artist . The project has been featured in magazines and independent zines. And along the way, there have been a series of live panels featuring artists from the book -- from New York to Colorado to Arizona.
And now, I am thrilled to announce that The Pulse is about to become a live exhibition. 
The Pulse Project will take place at The Empty Spaces Project gallery in Putnam, Connecticut during the entire month of April 2015. Run by Paul Toussaint and Ann Monteiro, this was the space that recently hosted the 5 x 5 Small Works exhibition, also based on The Pulse. 
Over 25 artists that were featured in my books are exhibiting their work at the show. I will be announcing the list of artists in the coming days. The exhibited pieces reflect the full range of mixed media and include assemblage, encaustic, collage, acrylic, oil, pastel, photography, digital, fabric, jewelry and more. A number of the works were featured in the books although the majority are new. 
For those of you in the area, the opening reception is being held on Friday, April 3 from 6-9pm at the gallery located on 114 Main Street in Putnam, Connecticut. There will be a number of artists from the show attending. The show officially closes on April 30.
I would never leave out those of you who are too far to attend however! There will be a virtual gallery on my blog for the run of the show with images, details, links, and prices for all the artwork in the exhibition. And I will of course be posting many images from the exhibition on all my sites.
After all, I want everybody to be able to keep their finger on The Pulse!

Inspired by Interior Design

So many different things provide me with creative inspiration. One area is interior design, which has recently been re-sparked by my project Living with Art ...
(Photo taken in Mexico at the former home of artist Patricia Larsen)
(Photo taken 2014 at the Pier Antique Show in NYC)
(Photo taken at ABC Carpet & Home in NYC)
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Some of the books on my shelf that I go to when I need a visual fix include:

Imperfect Home by Mark Bailey

 Hans Blomquist in Detail: Inspiring Ideas for Creative Interiors 
A Life Less Ordinary by Alex Legendre and Zoe Ellison
Etcetera: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things You Love by Sibella Court
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And for those of you who like to find their interior design inspiration online:
Domain Home has recently posted a list of their 15 favorite interior design blogs.

Living With Art: 1

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.

Here is week 1...
PD PackardGrowing up in the Suburbs of Washington, DC, I lived in a classic Federal Brick Colonial house where all the walls were varying shades of white. In 1992, I bought a home in Brooklyn, NY that had been boarded up and vacant for over 10 years. Friends have called it the Adam's Family house, but for me, my home represents the opportunity to express my true love, color.
Andrea Matus DeMengOur space is a combination of the art we create on our travels, art gifted to use by talented friends, and the vast array of art that simply comes with having four generations of artists in one family. Some walls literally feel like a revolving gallery show with new work moving in and old work moving on. 
Angela CartwrightI need to see art everyday...art on the walls, in a vase, on a plate, on a face... it doesn't matter where or how, I just need it to breathe... or I get very cranky indeed.
Darlene K CampbellI am drawn to art with a sense of mystery or the unexpected. Art that captures the texture and layering of the paint, the relationship between color and drawing, and the story between painter and painting.
Fran Meneley(photo by Teryn Wilkes)In my studio, I surround myself with art I love, mine and other peoples that I have collected over the years. No rules, just what I love...a collected aesthetic.

Veronica FunkMy home is typically decorated in earth tones...rich green, brown and blue...so that the art I am attracted to (and create) tends to stand out quite vibrantly in orange, red, turquoise, and is filled with meaning. The art I am drawn to has been created by friends or artists I have met and I know the story behind it.
Holly DeanAn artist friend once commented on a photo I posted on FB, "do you live in your paintings?" Upon reflection I realize that my inner world brims with a beauty that cannot be contained, but overflows into my surroundings bringing loveliness in many forms.

Layers of Layers

layers...
layers...
layers...
can't get enough of them.
sharing my love of layers today on the blog of the Pacific NorthWest Art School and in person in May, when I am teaching both a 2-day workshop and a 5-day collaborative workshop with Orly Avineri. Won't you consider joining...

The Week Links: 37

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 37...


Seriously the best thing to happen to coffee rings. Ever.
Everything glue. Kelly Kilmer shares helpful tips and all her favorites.

What's new with color trends from Miriam Schulman.

And speaking of color...Dina Wakley talks color wheel and gives some helpful color tips.

Book artist and surgeon Brian Dettmer gives a TED talk. Thanks to Jennifer Coyne Qudeen for sourcing this out.

And speaking of Jennifer...she reviews in 5 posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) her recent visit to the Yale University Art Gallery to see Odd Volumes -- what looks to be the most cool book arts show in history!

And speaking of books...check out this amazing industrial book cover from Finnabair. There is a tutorial too.

The Week Links: 36

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 36...


Thoughts on connections and images of beauty from Donna Watson.

Absolutely love this image and the color palette of these paints from Marston-Langinge.

Warren Mack shares his thoughts on the creative process via Design Taxi.

Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel challenge each other to an art throw down. Plus there is a giveaway!

This book by Ana Montiel, now available for pre-order, looks to be playful and fun.

18 things highly creative people do differently on Huffington Post. Do you see yourself in these?

How cool is this wallpaper designed by Ekaterina Panikanova from her book paintings?

Morning Shore and More...

 I just added a number of pieces of artwork to the shelves of my online shop, including (finally) the following mixed media encaustic work that was made collaboratively with Roxanne Evans Stout.
Morning Shore


Path to the Sky

Through the Mist

For a better view of these pieces -- and other work from Roxanne -- watch this video.

Living with Art: the repost

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.

I want to see and show art in real life settings: what Living with Art really means. And this is where you come in. Join me for a quick and easy online project. The brief is simple. I will post on my blog your pictures of art that is actually displayed in your space. It can be your own art or art that you have collected. Or both. Zoom out and show some of your surroundings. Every Thursday, beginning next week on February 12th, I am planning to put up weekly posts that include a group of these images. Along with the image I post, I will include your name and a link to one of your online sites.

Easy, right?

If you are interested in joining, no need to officially sign up. Simply email me your pic and one link. If you chose to send more than one image, I will chose one to post.

Send it in as soon as you like, or wait a while. I have enough submissions to last for some time. Please feel free to grab the Living with Art icon and spread the word. Everybody is invited to play.

When Work is Play

I love teaching art workshops and I love taking them too. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being in a room filled with artists creating. The sense of possibility, the spirit of community, and the curiosity to learn all combine to create serious magic.


I have already been fortunate to teach in both California and Virginia this past January and have information posted about my upcoming workshops in Maryland, New York, Missouri and Washington during the remainder of the first half of 2015.


I am also working behind the scenes on my workshops for the second half of the year and even into 2016. I will be headed to Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, California, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania, and a few other surprise locations in 2015.


2015Registration is open or about to open for my workshops in July at The Healing Heart Arts Studio in Gages Lake, Illinois, in August at both Art Unraveled in Phoenix, Arizona and A Work of Heart in San Jose, California, & in September at San Diego Book Arts in San Diego, California.


2015Details for most of my other 2015 classes are still being worked out and will be posted soon. But please feel free to email me with questions about any specific locations. And if you already know you want to attend, let me know and I will hold a space for you (at least at the venues where I am able to do so).


2016I am beyond thrilled to also announce that Roxanne Evans Stout and I will be holding our very own 5-day retreat - A Case of Curiosities - in March 2016 at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico. Information will be posted soon. Registration is now open and you can email me for more information and/or to register for the event.


2016I am excited to be part of ArtFull Escapes, a new retreat in the UK taking place in April 2016. I will be there teaching with Pam Carriker, Mary Beth Shaw, Chris Cozen and Orly Avineri. Registration is already open.

Hope to be playing in a workshop with you soon!

The Week Links: 35

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 35...


Being inspired by daily rituals and how art makes you feel, from Linda Woods.

Thoughts on the fact that 71% of Pinterest users are women.

Gratitude for our hands from Tonia Jenny.

Extreme close-ups of everyday things on Twisted Sifter. My favorites are the sugar grain, screw, and keyboard X.

When is a drawing not a drawing? From Jo Murray, all the way down under.

Extra excited about this exhibit in NYC from one of my most favorite artists.

Coming in March, this book from Lea Redmond looks to be intriguing and unique.