Seth Apter's Blog, page 81
May 8, 2014
The F Word
Take 13 minutes and 44 seconds out of your day to watch this video. You will be moved. You will be inspired. You might even be changed.
If Kathy and/or her son Dan has touched your life, consider being part of "The Journey is the Inspiration" - a collaborative, online journal project beginning this month on the blog at daneldon.org. We are now accepting submission at any time.
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THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at daneldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.
In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.
THE FINE PRINT
You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Also please include a link to your own online site if you have one. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.
If Kathy and/or her son Dan has touched your life, consider being part of "The Journey is the Inspiration" - a collaborative, online journal project beginning this month on the blog at daneldon.org. We are now accepting submission at any time.
---------------------------
THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at daneldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.
In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.
THE FINE PRINT
You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Also please include a link to your own online site if you have one. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.
May 7, 2014
IG IV
Thought I would plug you into my Instagram account with a share of some of the altered digital images I have posted...
May 4, 2014
Nuts and Bolts
This says it all...-------------------------------
Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for a set of my new stencils just released by StencilGirl Products. Head to this post for details. If you are having a stencil emergency and need to buy them immediately, you can get them from StencilGirl or directly from my website shop.
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In honor of Earth Day, my artwork Whispers was featured along with pieces from Deborah Pierro, Mary Katherine Hopkins, and Art Gal in this post on the Cloth Paper Scissors blog.
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I am collaborating with the crew at daneldon.org on an online project called The Journey is the Inspiration. We are asking people to share, in words and/or images, the impact that the life of Dan Eldon and his visual journals has had. Beginning May 15 and continuing every Thursday thereafter, your stories will be shared on the blog at daneldon.org. Contributions are now being accepted at any time and all details can be found here.
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Jodi Ohl, Gina Lee Kim, and I share our thoughts about the tools we use for mark making in this post on the Cloth Paper Scissors blog. Grab your markers and check it out!
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The 6th Annual Buried Treasure Collaboration is coming soon. Stay tuned...
May 1, 2014
Upcoming Workshops
One of my favorite parts of teaching is the opportunity to travel to different parts of the US and beyond. Having just come back from North Carolina, I will now be heading to three different states in the next few months.
In May, I travel to The Queen's Ink in Savage, Maryland. I have taught there many times before and it is among my favorite venues. While my workshops scheduled for 5/17 and 5/18 are full, there are still some seats in the evening workshop on Friday 5/16: Majestic Medallions.
In June I head up north to teach at eclectic Paperie in Exeter, New Hampshire where I will be teaching 52 Card Pickup, a full day workshop, on Friday 6/6. This will be my first time teaching in New Hampshire and I am looking forward to the experience.
Also in June I will be heading down to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to Charmed I'm Sure Studio, where I will be teaching three workshops. On Friday night, 6/20, I will be teaching a 3-hour class Text Tiles.
On Saturday 6/21, I will be teaching Mixed Media Dossier.
And finally on Sunday 6/22, I will be teaching 52 Card Pickup.
Click on the links for each site for additional information, which can also be found on my Workshop Page. There you will also find my schedule for the rest of 2014. In addition, I have been working hard on my teaching schedule for 2015. Excited to be heading to many new venues in many new locations.
In May, I travel to The Queen's Ink in Savage, Maryland. I have taught there many times before and it is among my favorite venues. While my workshops scheduled for 5/17 and 5/18 are full, there are still some seats in the evening workshop on Friday 5/16: Majestic Medallions.
In June I head up north to teach at eclectic Paperie in Exeter, New Hampshire where I will be teaching 52 Card Pickup, a full day workshop, on Friday 6/6. This will be my first time teaching in New Hampshire and I am looking forward to the experience.
Also in June I will be heading down to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to Charmed I'm Sure Studio, where I will be teaching three workshops. On Friday night, 6/20, I will be teaching a 3-hour class Text Tiles.
On Saturday 6/21, I will be teaching Mixed Media Dossier.
And finally on Sunday 6/22, I will be teaching 52 Card Pickup.
Click on the links for each site for additional information, which can also be found on my Workshop Page. There you will also find my schedule for the rest of 2014. In addition, I have been working hard on my teaching schedule for 2015. Excited to be heading to many new venues in many new locations.
April 27, 2014
Stencil Reveal and Giveaway!
The day has finally come when I am able to share my new set of stencils from StencilGirl Products with all of you. There is always a lot of built up anticipation between the time an idea comes to me and the day of the reveal. To celebrate, the crew at StencilGirl is hosting both a blog hop and a giveaway. Details for both can be found at the end of this post.
Inside Out
Timeless
Past Present Future
While each of these stencils can be used in its entirety, they have been designed so that the artist using them can pick and choose individual elements from all three. As an example, the following piece On Time, No Time was created using bits from each new stencil.
All three stencils were also used in Creative Space, an art piece I painted this past weekend on a cabinet panel at Random Arts in North Carolina. All workshop instructors at that shop are asked to make a piece of "installation art" that is permanently left on their kitchen cabinets. This was my contribution to the gallery...
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These three new stencils are my second release from StencilGirl. All of my designs can be found in stores, on my page at StencilGirl Products, and in my website shop. Today only (Monday April 28th), my original three stencils (as a set only) are available at a special price as the Daily Deal Monday at StencilGirl Products.
Unfinished
Numbers
Story Time
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BLOG HOP GIVEAWAY DETAILS
A group of ten artists has been invited to participate in the blog hop and given a license to create. Stop by their blogs and see what they came up with. And, while you are there, plan to leave a comment because two lucky people will win one set of my new stencils each. You can also leave a comment on this post and on the main post at StencilGirl Talk, so that you will have 12 chances to win in total. Comments close on Sunday May 4th, 11:59pm Central Time.
Start at Mary Beth's blog and each participant along the way will direct you to the next artist in the order listed.
Blog Hop Order StencilGirl TalkSeth Apter - you are here!Mary Beth ShawMary C. NasserLinda CainCarolyn DubeKirsten ReedLinda KittmerJanet JoehlinJudy SheaLeslie Tucker JenisonPaula Phillips
Inside Out
Timeless
Past Present FutureWhile each of these stencils can be used in its entirety, they have been designed so that the artist using them can pick and choose individual elements from all three. As an example, the following piece On Time, No Time was created using bits from each new stencil.
All three stencils were also used in Creative Space, an art piece I painted this past weekend on a cabinet panel at Random Arts in North Carolina. All workshop instructors at that shop are asked to make a piece of "installation art" that is permanently left on their kitchen cabinets. This was my contribution to the gallery...
---------------------------------
These three new stencils are my second release from StencilGirl. All of my designs can be found in stores, on my page at StencilGirl Products, and in my website shop. Today only (Monday April 28th), my original three stencils (as a set only) are available at a special price as the Daily Deal Monday at StencilGirl Products.
Unfinished
Numbers
Story Time---------------------------------
BLOG HOP GIVEAWAY DETAILS
A group of ten artists has been invited to participate in the blog hop and given a license to create. Stop by their blogs and see what they came up with. And, while you are there, plan to leave a comment because two lucky people will win one set of my new stencils each. You can also leave a comment on this post and on the main post at StencilGirl Talk, so that you will have 12 chances to win in total. Comments close on Sunday May 4th, 11:59pm Central Time.
Start at Mary Beth's blog and each participant along the way will direct you to the next artist in the order listed.
Blog Hop Order StencilGirl TalkSeth Apter - you are here!Mary Beth ShawMary C. NasserLinda CainCarolyn DubeKirsten ReedLinda KittmerJanet JoehlinJudy SheaLeslie Tucker JenisonPaula Phillips
It's Random
Been down in Saluda, North Carolina for the past few days. I am here to teach 3 days of workshops at Random Arts. Both the town (population of about 600) and the shop are very, very special.
Random Arts is filled with the best selection of art supplies, gifts, and artful clothes. But the best part for me was the huge selection of one-of-a-kind flea market finds. I am leaving with a big bag!
There was a great group of artists taking my first workshop: Shredded Silhouettes. Here are some of them in action.
Evidence of the creativity that filled the room.
Nothing like happy people at the end of a workshop.
A quick video showing the unbelievably amazing work that was created.
The next day, the creative fun continued with a 2-day workshop: For Your Eyes Only
More on this workshop in an upcoming post...
April 22, 2014
New Stencils!
So very excited to announce that my second set of stencils is about to be released. To celebrate the reveal, StencilGirl Products will be hosting a blog hop and giveaway beginning this coming Monday 4/28. Hope to see all you stencil lovers there!
April 18, 2014
Giving thanks!
Sitting in my NYC studio on the 29th floor...
inspired by the view...
tethered to the computer...
next to my inspiration wall...
starting a new project...
I got to thinking how fortunate I am.
And how appreciative I am for all of YOU!
Sending thanks to each and every one of you who have supported me in my adventure in the world of art. The journey could never have happened without ya!
As a thank you, I would like to giveaway gift boxes to two different people, each filled with some of the items that I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to create...
The Mixed-Media Artist
The Pulse of Mixed Media
Unfinished, Numbers, Story Time stencils
Easy Mixed Media Techniques for the Art Journal
Easy Mixed Media Surface Techniques
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To be eligible for the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. Comments will close at the end of the day on Monday 4/21 and two people will be selected using a random numbers table. Winners of the giveaway will be contacted by email, so please be sure that I have your email address.
inspired by the view...
tethered to the computer...
next to my inspiration wall...
starting a new project...
I got to thinking how fortunate I am.And how appreciative I am for all of YOU!
Sending thanks to each and every one of you who have supported me in my adventure in the world of art. The journey could never have happened without ya!
As a thank you, I would like to giveaway gift boxes to two different people, each filled with some of the items that I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to create...
The Mixed-Media Artist 
The Pulse of Mixed Media 
Unfinished, Numbers, Story Time stencils
Easy Mixed Media Techniques for the Art Journal 
Easy Mixed Media Surface Techniques ---------------------
To be eligible for the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. Comments will close at the end of the day on Monday 4/21 and two people will be selected using a random numbers table. Winners of the giveaway will be contacted by email, so please be sure that I have your email address.
April 12, 2014
Somerset Memories
Thrilled to have my work featured in the current, Spring 2014 issue of Somerset Memories. Starting on page 44, you will find my article and step-by-step tutorial entitled Memory Cards: A Unique & Artful Way to Store & Display Your Photographs. Sending thanks to Jana Holstein, Managing Editor, and the whole crew at Somerset Memories.
Front Side of cards
Back side of cards
April 8, 2014
Workshops: A Student's View
Last month I posted my top 5 tips for instructors on both planning for and execution of an art workshop. In response, I received an email from an artist who shared with me her own list of tips from the perspective of a student. I think her thoughts are right on target and have included them below. I believe they could be helpful to many instructors in our community. Any resemblance to a workshop instructor that you have had may be purely coincidental. Or not.
1. Avoid extended introductions. Class time is usually limited and it should not be used to "get to know each other." At retreats, people can get to know each other at meals and the bar. Classes should be - primarily - for instruction.
2. Avoid padded supply lists. An oversized supply list is a safety net for the teacher, but can be a hardship financially and physically for the participants. Try to limit lists, or perhaps provide a "bare bones" list and then some suggestions for additional "niceties." And do not list items by specific manufacturers unless they are absolutely necessary. Instead, provide the item type and then share info about your own likes.
3. Make sure that the workshop content reflects the pre-workshop description. Yes -- I have taken workshops with artists who presented a totality different project or technique from the one offered.
4. Attitude. The teacher's first job is to generate enthusiasm or excitement for the subject. I think I believe that an enthusiastic teacher with lesser skills can often outshine the skilled teacher who is "just there." On this topic...
-----Do not demonstrate boredom.
-----Do not use workshop time to work on your own projects.
-----Do not present a "live" book or video. By this I mean that a workshop should be largely a unique entity and not just a "phone it in" presentation of the instructor's videos or book.
-----Avoid editing the content/demonstration when there are a number of "groupies" present. They may have heard the basics before , but the newbies deserve the full course.
5. The Delicate Dance. Instructors are charged with a dual task: to present/protect their own style/vision and to foster/nurture individual expression in their students. Not an easy task, but when it is done well, it is a source of creative excitement. I think it is what we are seeking when we sign-up for workshops and retreats.
Thoughts? Opinions? Additional tips?
