Seth Apter's Blog, page 89

30/30: Jen Cushman

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.

------------------------------------Jen Cushman


"I've always had this need to create. It runs so deep that I simply must do something creative every day. I need to make stuff in the same way I need to breathe, eat, hydrate and hug my children on a daily basis. My work is about the creative process, rather than the end by-product.


What I make is not as important as being in my studio and surrendering to the blissful moments where my full focus is on nothing but what my mind, heart and hands can generate.


This is where I fully realize my authentic self...the space where I am most vulnerable, yet completely safe. Whatever is inside of me that needs to come out does, and that is my art."


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As is so often the case, I don't remember when I first came across Jen and her work. But I do know that our first contact occurred in 2011 after I heard her interviewed by Rice Freeman-Zachery in a podcast. Since that time, we have been connected online and happily were able to spend time together in Arizona both in 2012 and 2013.

Jen is such a wonderful and genuine person and such a creative artist. Her mixed media based jewelry really resonates with me. Those of you who know her also know that she is extremely motivated and dedicated to art and our art community, and is a very hard worker. You definitely get the sense that Jen loves what she does. It shows in all her work!
------------------------------------ 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: Supria Karmakar

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.

------------------------------------Supria Karmakar


"When the true essence of creativity flows from me, I believe it is my muse's creation which is being portrayed and birthed into the world.


My passion is mixed media works, in which I create using primarily encaustic medium, collage and/or altered books.


Each piece I create, I see as a container for the unfolding of a story with layers of narrative which serve to delight, provide meaningful insight and/or provide the viewer a place of comfort and connection whether it be joyous or melancholy."


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Supria and I have connected in many ways on the Internet over the last 5+ years. She was the driving force behind Inner Works, a collaborative altered book project among 6 artists, and participated in the online versions of The Pulse and the Disintegration Collaboration (DisCo). She is a wonderful artist, generous soul, and all around positive individual. We have yet to meet in person but I know that this is only a matter of time.

I have always been transfixed by Supria's work. She creates the most intricate, interactive and absolutely dazzling handmade and altered books. Her encaustic work is mesmerizing and she seems to be able to create living, breathing worlds within the layers of wax that she adds to the surface. She shares some of her techniques, along with new artwork, in 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: Tracy Verdugo

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.

------------------------------------Tracy Verdugo


"I can be quirky, serious, silly, creative, forgetful, complicated, simple, loving,


thoughtless, empathic, anxious, confident, kind, committed, fickle, overwhelmed, philosophical,


shallow, understanding, argumentative, dynamic, lazy, optimistic, visionary and careless...I am a walking contradiction...I am human."


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I met Tracy at Art is You in Connecticut just about one year ago. We were both on a panel and had to share some of our stories with the attendees at the retreat. I was immediately struck by the fact that although she lives just about as far from me as she can get in Australia, our stories in art have so many elements in common. And we share much with regard to our belief in connection and synchronicity as well. I felt an instant bond.

I find her artwork to be vibrant, bold, and energizing. Those of you who have taken her workshops will understand her process of covering and revealing that takes place when she creates. I did not attend her class at AIY but I did wander in to see what people were creating. When I saw her sprawled out on the floor painting her canvas and saw the rapt faces of her students working on their own pieces, I knew for certain that Tracy was one powerful artist.

Excited to share with you all that Tracy is now an author too. Her book Paint Mojo - A Mixed-Media Workshop: Creative Layering Techniques for Personal Expression will be released in July 2014.


------------------------------------ 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. 

The Daily News

I want to thank all of you for visiting my blog and being a part of my ongoing 30 Artists/30 Days online project. 

A big thanks as well to all the contributing artists. Keep visiting as there are still 9 days of artist profiles and as many chances to win a copy of my book The Mixed-Media Artist . 

If you have missed any of the posts, you can click this link to see every one. There is so much talent out there and I feel so fortunate to be able to share these artists with you via 30/30 and on the pages of the book. ----------------------------------

For you NYC locals, I will be holding a book signing at The Ink Pad on 11/15 from 5-7:30pm. Save the date if you are able to make it. And look for info soon on other live and online events to celebrate the release of The Mixed-Media Artist!----------------------------------I am so very excited to be an exhibiting artist at the Contemporary Art Fair NYC



The fair takes place this weekend, from 10/25 to 10/27, at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. It is being held in conjunction with the American Fine Craft Show, so there will no doubt be a lot to see. I will be showing 17 new pieces, all of which are highly dimensional. I will be posting shots of all the work and pictures from the exhibition sometime after the weekend. For now, here are images of a few of the pieces and detail shots of some others. Hope you locals can stop in!

30/30: Jeane Myers

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.

------------------------------------Jeane Myers


"When you realize that you are wired a bit differently and/or see the world through different glasses, the challenge becomes staying balanced and finding your unique voice.



The creative process has done that for me."

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I love many different types of art styles but contemporary abstract work, particularly when it is layered and textural, holds a special place in my heart. And the artwork that is created by Jeane is a perfect example. Like all great abstract painting, her pieces tell a story without the use of anything figurative or representational. Those of you who follow her blog know that part of her process is working and reworking her art over and over again. She is fearless that way. And as a result, she creates a sense of history and time in all her work - literally and figuratively.

Jeane and I have connected online, on the phone and in person, in both NYC and Washington. To me, Jeane is an artist's artist. She inspires me and pushes me. She asks the questions that need to be asked to move both herself and others to a deeper, more meaningful level as an artist. One of her pieces hangs in my studio by my worktable. It has always been a great reminder to me to do the work I need to do to get better.
------------------------------------ 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: PD Packard

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.

------------------------------------PD Packard


"I believe that there is an absolute law of harmony that is accessible to all.


From this law is an endless source of inspiration and knowledge that I rely upon when creating and executing my artwork.


Through my prints, watercolors and hand-bound books I am driven to express this source of inspiration and knowledge as unconditional love - not conditional romance."


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During the period when I was finalizing the artists who would be contributors to the book, I also was exhibiting at a show in NYC called Parallax. PD was in the booth directly across from me. She was showing exquisite prints but what really got my heart beating faster was an accordion book that she had made. Not just any old accordion mind you -- hers measured 25 x 25 inches and was over 8 feet long when fully opened. She had me at hello.

I spent a good deal of time hanging out with PD at the exhibition and we have remained in contact since. She is a fascinating and compelling person who creates art to match. Her process, much of which is shared in the book, is so interesting to me. She combines a sense of precision with a sense of freedom as she creates and in doing so, makes truly unique and thought provoking artwork.
------------------------------------ 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: Deborah Gregg

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.

------------------------------------Deborah Gregg


"The voice inside my head is strong and loud. It is this persistent inner voice that takes center stage in my work.


My belief is that our silent thoughts are more similar than our spoken words. Those thoughts appear as writings, which are always embedded in my art.


It is not so much about the materials I use to make art, as it is about conveying a message for others to connect."

------------------------------------
The phrase 'it is all in the timing' could have been created for Deborah Gregg. About a week before I finalized the list of contributors to the book, Deborah and I connected online. I had not been familiar with her work but when I visited her website, I immediately knew that I wanted her in the book. Her creations are extremely dimensional and textured - both literally and figuratively. She incorporates text into much of her work, often in a very unique way. The surfaces that she creates always draw me in and elicit a need to further explore all the many small details of each piece.

Deborah has been a pleasure to work with and get to know online. She is an enthusiastic and passionate artist who offers inspiration to many. And once again, it is all in the timing. Just a few days before this post I had the chance to spend a few hours with Deborah and her husband Michael during their visit to NYC. We fell into conversation as if we all had known each other forever and I discovered that Deborah and I share many art-related things in common. Now I am even more excited that she is in 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: Will Ashford

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.

------------------------------------Will Ashford


"I rescue, salvage and recycle other people's words.


Browsing through garage sales, street markets and used bookstores I search for interesting, preferably discarded old books. When I find a good candidate I explore every page. Like an archeologist I hunt for the words that speak to me with new meaning.


Intuitively, one word at a time, they turn into a kind of haiku or philosophical poetry that I can call my own. At some unpredictable point along the way, in my mind, the images start to invent themselves and I create the image of that invention. Though I strive to make each document visually engaging I find it is the words that I value most."

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It is not easy to find artists these days that have such a unique approach and signature style that you can recognize their work without their name attached. Will Ashford is one such artist. I had seen his work for many years on a wide variety of websites and have always been taken by the way in which he uses book pages to create an entirely new piece of art based on both words and images. This combination has always been compelling to me and I have been fascinated by his process since first seeing his work.

Will first connected with me in early 2012 after seeing my work on Etsy. I remember being so very appreciative that an artist of Will's caliber had noticed my art. We have been in touch since then and when creating the original list of artists I wanted in my book, Will's name was right at the top. Those of you out there who also like his work will be pleased to know that Will will be sharing something extra special for readers of 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: Juliana Coles

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.

------------------------------------Juliana Coles


"Artist as not-so-innocent bystander: I am heavy handed and work fast and hard. I carve my Schiele line through the years while breaking my stylus and knocking over my easel. I'm excited/scared, wide eyed and making faces, maybe even screaming, laughing or crying as the line and brushstrokes dance out of control as if created by someone else.


I lovingly tape up wounds just to tear them apart again and again and reglue and retape...mending, tending, healing, transforming...I am not attached to the outcome: I am committed to the process.


Artist as Historian, I weave together the words and imagery of my personal mythology to expose my inner truth."

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From the moment I was introduced to Juliana's artwork I have always been mesmerized. Juliana focuses on what she calls 'Extreme Visual Journaling' which combines text-based-journaling with mixed media art. What separates her journals from the many other journal artists out there today is the rawness that she brings to every page, every image and every word. I get the sense that her journaling sessions are epic, cathartic experiences. This is somebody who leave it all out on the page!

I had never made direct contact with Juliana until I invited her to be a part of the book. Needless to say I was over the moon happy when I received an enthusiastic yes from her. It has been exciting getting to know her better through our communications, the art she has contributed, and her heartfelt responses to the many questions that I asked her for publication in 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: Crystal Neubauer

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.

------------------------------------Crystal Neubauer


"It looks like garbage but it is really about us. These little scraps of paper I bring together.


They represent life. Somebody once thought they were worthless. But did they look? Did they really look? Not one piece can be removed from the composition without altering the entire picture. Not one piece of your life can be changed without altering who you are today.


When I look at these pieces of paper I see worth in what has been deemed worthless. And value in the valueless. Ultimately it's about humanity. And redemption. And love. It really is all about love."


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I have known Crystal online pretty much since I started blogging in 2007. In fact, I bought 3 small pieces of her art in early 2009. I love them just as much now as then. Crystal has been involved in the online versions of The Pulse and I am thrilled to now have her voice and her work on the pages of my book. I have always admired the way she created small worlds out of bits and pieces of paper, book covers and book spines, combined with splashes of paint, layers of wax, and scratchy pencil marks.

I was lucky to have been able to finally meet Crystal in person this past August at Art Unraveled in Phoenix. It was such a pleasure getting to know her a bit more. At the same time, I was able to see some of her more recent work in person at Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale. As I often say, if I like artwork on the Internet, I know I will love it in person. And Crystal's work is the perfect example of this. Run, don't walk, if you have a chance to see her art in real life.
------------------------------------ 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.