Seth Apter's Blog, page 88

The Mind of the Mixed-Media Artist

Head on over to the Cloth Paper Scissor blog to read some Q & A between Cate Prato, the online editor at Interweave, and myself about the mind of the mixed-media artist and see some discoveries from my new book about being an artist today.
And stop by the the Interweave store where you will find my wish list of art supplies for this holiday season. See which products I cannot live without! And use code WISHLIST10 to save 10% off my picks.
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My self portraits from my book The Mixed-Media Artist .
Oxide...the face we show the world is but a shadow of our innermost and true selves...

Archaeological DigFreud has likened psychoanalysis to archeology, describing it as the unearthing of meaning layered beneath an expanse of ruins. This resonates with me, in all the different bits and pieces of my life, including art...

The Gallery 14

The third section of my book The Mixed-Media Artist introduces fourteen gallery artists who reflect the unique and very personal style that is seen in all artists who collectively work in mixed media. Each of them is highlighted below, along with their picture, their link, an artwork captured from their online site, and some thoughts about what they mean to me.

Let the gallery exhibition begin...



Brian Kasstle A maker of introspective, layered, meaningful, color-saturated and passionate journal pages. Brian and I first connected online back in 2009 and have been supporters of each other's journeys ever since. We will finally get to meet in person in 2014 when I head out to California to teach. I so admire his ability to seamlessly use color, image, and texture to create pages that come from the heart and offer the viewer a world of detail to uncover and explore.



Dina Wakley What can I say about the irrepressible Dina Wakley? She is one of a kind and a person with boundless energy, enthusiasm and humor. Oh....and talent too! Her journal pages and mixed media works are ahead of the curve and perfectly reflect the dynamo that she is. I met her in person this past year at Art Unraveled in Arizona and immediately became am even bigger fan. If you haven't already caught the fever, check out her book Art Journal Freedom.



Eileen Williams 
I met Eileen when we both exhibited at the Parallax Art Fair in New York City. We were booth mates and a better exhibition partner I could not have found. I was blown away by her totally unique voice and awe-inspiring fiber artworks. Rarely do you find an artistic approach that you have never seen before and that is the case with Eileen. The fact that Eileen might just be the nicest person I have ever met is pretty cool too!



Felicity Griffin Clark I made it my quest to explore the Internet to find artists that were new to me for this book. In doing so, I came across Felicity and never looked back. She is a textile artist from Australia and as soon as I saw the images on her website's homepage, I knew I had found something special. It has been a pleasure getting to know her since then and I have to say that the work she created for the book blew me away with its design, power and meaning.


John Arbuckle
John is an example to all artists with his endless curiosity, eagerness to learn, and willingness to try new techniques in art. These attributes, combined with his talent and dedication, equal amazing art. I was able to meet John in person and spend some quality time with him when I visited Washington State to teach. It was a pleasure to see his artistic process in action and get to know the person behind the art better. I am always excited to see what he creates next.



Karin Perez I met Karin in NYC when we were both exhibitors at the Parallax Art Fair in 2012. I was immediately drawn to her bold, graphic pieces that seemed to take on a life of their own. I found her repetitive use of shapes and confident use of color to be mesmerizing and altogether fascinating. Each piece is its own unique world that is very easy to get lost in. I was thrilled when she agreed lend her voice to the pages of my book.



Kelly Puissegur I discovered Kelly's work on Etsy quite a number of years ago and have been a fan of her and her work ever since. I have always thought that she is an example of the creativity that is possible when you are filled with both talent and endless imagination. She brings a boatload of humor and quirk to her pieces in the best possible way. They are truly unlike any other work that I have seen and always bring a smile to my face.



Laura Lein-Svencner Laura and I go back at least to 2009 when we first "met" online. She is primarily a collage artist and is truly one of the most accomplished people I know in this area. She has the ability to create the most cohesive and seamless collages that, while being primarily abstract, tell their own story. She is also very generous, spending much time teaching others and sharing her techniques on her online sites. I look forward to one day in the future when we can meet.



Nancy Lefko I have known Nancy online for at least 4 years and have had the pleasure of meeting her in person at a number of art retreats. She is a mixed media collage artist whose work often has a vintage flair. She has a way with color, symbolism, and composition. The joy she feels in creating is always evident in her work. She herself has an amazing energy and spirit and one cannot help but feel uplifted when she is around. Always looking forward to the next time our paths cross.



Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch
I have admired Trish and her amazing artwork since before I started my own blog back in 2007. She was in part my introduction to encaustics and having seen her artwork in person I know just how incredible it is. Trish is also one of the busiest artists I know. She has started her own retreat (EncaustiCamps), has several DVDs and books (her newest being Encaustic Painting Techniques), her own line of stencils, and more! I am thrilled for her well-earned success.



Patti Roberts-Pizzuto I have loved Patti's artwork -- and particularly her unique style -- since first seeing it online many years ago. She combines paper, stitching, drawing, mark making, and painting to create the most ethereal works of art that often seem like a precious piece of ephemera. She often uses symbols and mixes abstract shapes with representational objects. They all have a sense of being figurative snapshots from a dream or a memory.



Ro Bruhn When I think of Ro I think of color. Full, bold, bright, in-your-face-color (see photo above). Ro and I have connected online since 2007 and I have always admired her incredible, one of a kind journals created from her own hand-colored papers. But her work in jewelry, fabrics, and painting are equally amazing. And always bursting with color! Ro is from Australia and I hope to meet her when I head there to teach next year.



Robert Schmid Robert is one of my artist friends from NYC. I met him through his wife Elizabeth Wix, a writer with whom I have co-taught a workshop. Robert's work fascinates me and I have had the pleasure of watching him work. His talent crosses many mediums, including drawing and painting, and his subject matter is often unusual, quite varied, and very creative. I love that he often takes a static object and somehow infuses it with movement.



Stephanie Lee Stephanie is one of those artists that truly amaze me. First of all, she is one of the originals in our art community to work with encaustics. And the artwork that she creates are special. And unique. And absolutely endearing. But...she is equally adept at creating jewelry. Really good, mixed media jewelry. She has truly mastered two very distinct artistic arenas. Who says you can't do it all!


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Thank you all for visiting my blog for 30 Artists/30 Days and for The Gallery 14. And thanks so much to all 44 artists who have contributed to my book. You truly are an all-star team!

And the winner is...

Thanks again to all of you who visited my blog during the month of October for the 30 Artists/30 Days project to celebrate the release of my new book The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists.


You all logged nearly 1800 comments and therefore almost 1800 chances to win a signed copy of the book. The comments which were randomly chosen were written by...

Amy of Four Corners Design
Laura from HastyPearlLinda Jo Martin from Linda Jo Martin
Congratulations! Please contact me at shap97@gmail with your address so that I can get your copies sent out to you.

If you did not win, signed copies are available directly from me. Books are also currently for sale in stores and online at the North Light Shop. Amazon is still listing the book as a pre-order, with tentative shipping date on November 15th. For all of you who are waiting, fingers crossed that they will ship early.

And for more inspiration, stop back to the blog on November 7th for The Gallery 14.

All Good Things...

Sending out thanks to all of the visitors to my blog during the month of October who joined me in celebrating the many talented artists that have contributed to my new book The Mixed-Media Artist. I received over 1,700 comments and each comment represents one chance to receive one of three signed copies of my book.  If you missed any posts or want to leave comments to be eligible for the giveaway, you can find all 30 posts here. The giveaway ends Sunday night, November 3rd.

If you enjoyed the creative inspiration that these posts have brought to you, I think you will really enjoy what you will find on the pages of the book. Copies are now shipping from the North Light Shop and pre-orders can be placed through Amazon. You can also order signed copies directly from me by going to my book page.


Although I highlighted the 30 spotlight artists during the month of October, the title of the book suggests that there are over 40 artists that share their creativity on the pages. You will meet the remaining 14 gallery artists on my blog on November 7th.


Stay tuned...

30/30: Thomas Ashman

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------Thomas Ashman


"On the edge of the crowd, but still part of it, I create in the penumbra, in the light and the darkness, needing both.


In my imagination, death is elegant and bizarre is charming. I seek to juxtapose extremes. I have a story I must tell, even if no one listens.



My art is in my mind. My tools are in my hands. My voice is in my creations."

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I have always admired the work of Thomas Ashman. I am a sucker for handmade books and am mesmerized by the patina of metal. Thomas often puts these two things together to create objects that seem to look like historic treasures to me. Seeing his creations on the vending table at many of the art retreats we both attend is always a highlight for me.

I also admire Thomas for marching to the beat of his own drummer. After all, the name of his website is  Black Sheep Artist Studio. We have had a chance to spend some time together in between workshops at several art retreats and I really enjoy that time. I have heard great things about his classes as well. I feel pretty certain that one of these days I will be sitting in the front row for his Dremel how-to workshop.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November. 

30/30: Anca Gray

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------Anca Gray

"I expose the life and history contained in discarded vintage books, antique lace and doilies, kitchen scraps and other assorted bits of found objects.


 In processing these collected fragments into abstract and figurative paintings, I allow their stories to work on my own biases of brokenness and wholeness, of being and becoming.


My work is a relentless search for poetry in the debris, an affirmation of life and possibility."

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When I think of Anca and her art, words such as beauty, mystery, serenity, subtlety and strength come to mind. Her artwork is very distinctive and often blends abstract and figurative design - a combination that is very appealing to me. Her blog is entitled to live poetry, which is very apt given the visual poetry that seems to emanate from her creations. Many of the artists in the book were quite enthusiastic when they found out they would be sharing pages with Anca. She is a well loved artist.

I have followed Anca online for quite a long time now, but except for blog comments, we have not interacted. So it has been a pleasure to get to know her better through our communications and through the art and the Q&A portion of the book. One day I hope to meet her and perhaps then I will have a chance to see poetry in motion.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November. 

30/30: Rachel Whetzel

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------Rachel Whetzel

"Thrift junkie. Free spirit. Believer. Artist.


Photographer. Mom to boys. Rust lover. Work farmer. Blogger. Creative soul. Rule bender. Spider saver. Coffee drinker. Cream lover. Chook farmer. Goat milker. Sailor mouth.


Music listener. Phone talker. Garden grower. Beek. Mess maker. Risk taker. Chewy mom. Gritty gramma. Good intender."


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Having had the opportunity to meet Rachel during an Oregon road trip I took earlier this year, I can vouch for the fact that she is all those things she listed in her artist statement above. And more. Somehow she left out all around cool person. She has her fingers in many, many pies and shares all the different pieces on her blog. This variety is one of the things I really like about her and admire in her art.

In case you missed it, here is the link to a post that Rachel wrote for my blog this past May. It highlights her journey from scrapbooker to mixed media artist. It also presents her thoughts on inclusivity in creativity, which I wholeheartedly share. She talked about Blurred Lines long before Robin Thicke. Like I said - all around cool person.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November. 

30/30: Marit Barentsen

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------Marit Barentsen


"Born at the seashore. Daughter of creative parents. Made in Holland. In love with music from the sixties. Flower power girl. Dreamer and rationalist (can they go together? Yes they can!).


Creator. Art teacher. Poet. Writer. Art journaler. Artist. Story teller.


Wannabe mermaid. Blogger. Pedagogue. Mother. Lover. Insecure little girl. Wise old lady. Free spirit."

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Marit and I have crossed paths online for many years. I have been involved in a number of projects that she has hosted and she has been a participant in several that I have developed as well. She is best known as an artist for her stunning art journals. She paints, writes, collages, draws, sprays and splatters her way to create personal, colorful, unique and often times dramatic journal pages.

Marit is a very generous soul who brings her creativity into many other projects in addition to her art journaling. For example, she is the mastermind behind Featuring , an art journaling and mixed media magazine that she edits and publishes on her own. If you haven't seen this magazine yet, you are in for a treat. And that is also true with regard to the artwork and words that Marit contributed to the book.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November. 

30/30: CW Slade

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------CW Slade


"My purpose in life is to dig deep into the mystery, searching to uncover what is beautiful.


What is beautiful to me is what is true. Truth has no limits; it is not bounded by time.


My work is my daily process of exploration, my meditation, my teacher."


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I have loved CW's work for many years, so much so that she was one of the first artists that I spotlighted on my blog back in 2007. She also participated in the original online version of The Pulse in early 2008. It is with great satisfaction that nearly 6 years later she is a part of this book. There is something special in her abstract works that absolutely fascinates me. Perhaps it is the combination of her color choices and color blocking, the surface layering and texturizing, the bits and pieces she adds, and her use of organic imagery. Or perhaps it is the stories that her artwork tell.

I have yet to meet CW in person but I hope to one day. Although she shares her process on the pages of the book, I would love to be able to be a fly on the wall (or more comfortably maybe just a person sitting in a chair) in her studio as she puts the pieces together to create these abstract gems. Seeing her work unfold would no doubt be a huge inspiration to me.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November. 

30/30: Leighanna Light

30 artists...30 days. Spend the month of October with me at The Altered Page to meet the 30 spotlight artists in my book  The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists . See them in action in their studios, read their 'quirky' bios written in their own words, see some of their art that led me to invite them to be a part of my book, and hear my story of what they each mean to me. Then click on over to their sites and see what they have to say about The Mixed-Media Artist.

------------------------------------Leighanna Light


"I am a thingmaker. I create. I layer. I teach. I paint. I swim. I alter metal. I assemble.


I cry. I shop for old tools. I collect dead bees. I go junking. I collect rocks. I plant things. I pick things up off the ground & use them in my art.


I love music. I go to estate sales. I go for long bike rides. I travel. I take naps. I love what I do & I have fun doing it! I am a thingmaker."

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I love the 'quirk' that Leighanna brings to her art -- and I mean that as a big compliment. She describes herself as a thingmaker and I think that description fits perfectly. The things she creates are unique and special, and have personalities all their own. She is a wizard with creating patina on metal. Perhaps in another life she had been an alchemist, turning ordinary metal into treasured gold. That is exactly what she does with her art today.

Leighanna is a tireless teacher, generously sharing her techniques and talent with the many other artists who take her classes. I uniformly hear raves about her workshops. She and I have crossed paths on the teaching circuit and have had a chance to spend time together at a number of different art retreats. She couldn't be nicer and is such a genuine person. I am already looking forward to the next time we get a chance to hang.
------------------------------------ GIVEAWAY
For every comment you leave in October on one of the 30/30 posts on my blog, you will have that many chances to win a signed copy of The Mixed Media Artist. I will be giving away a total of 3 copies. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have (but only 1 per post please). Please make sure I have a way to contact you. Winners will be announced in early November.