Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Visit with Helen


Helen Stead is a visual arts student from Manchester, UK. Her two blogs feature her own mixed media work with paper, fabric, and photography, interviews with other artists, and inspired finds. She recently invited me to be interviewed and you can "read all about it" here.

Thanks Helen for the opportunity.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Book Guild - Chapter 21


Welcome to the fourth edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. Nearly 150 artists have answered a list of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. Secret Sunday was the first project and the links to all the secrets can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The Book Guild is the second project and Chapter 21 starts right now!


All artists participating in The Pulse were asked to name their favorite art books. The Book Guild will present this list, along with links, book reviews, giveaways, and interviews with many of your favorite authors. And as members of The Guild, I am hoping YOU will participate by leaving comments related to the books in each post - for example thoughts, book reviews, personal experiences, or a link back to your own blog posts that include artwork based on a project in the listed book.
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Chapter 21: The Library

Chris O'Brien, Nancy Neva Gagliano, Sally Turlington, and Regina Dwarkasing all selected Art Revolution: Alternative Approaches for Fine Artists and Illustrators as a favorite.

Art Revolution: Alternative Approaches for Fine Artists and Illustrators
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Both Grrl and Becky New favorited Sabrina Ward Harrison. Grrl said "again and again I return to the work of Sabrina Ward Harrison."

Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself
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The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More
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Jacquelyn Berl and Mary Layman both selected Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium by Nancy Reyner as a favorite. Mary adds "this is a great "go to" book that offers techniques for working with all types of acrylic mediums."

Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium
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Kristy Christopherson chose Arteffects by Jean Green as her favorite.

Arteffects (Practical Art Books)
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Lisa Jurist selected Peter Beard, Volumes I and II as her favorite. Lisa writes "Beard’s captivating art and photography capture the essence of his life experiences. His photographic subjects range from fashion models in unexpected settings to poignant scenes of decomposed African elephants. In the later case, some of his collages actually incorporate bits of these animals documenting the destruction of their habitat and the resulting deaths of over 35,000 elephants in the mid 1960s. His unique collages and diaries are thoughtful, uninhibited, passionate works of art embedded with startling and unusual elements. The scope of Beard’s work as an artist and an environmentalist is extraordinarily inspiring and profound."

Peter Beard
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Peggy Piro selected Kaleidoscope: Ideas And Projects to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis as her favorite. She added "it is the best go-make-something-awesome book of inspiration I’ve come across in years."
Kaleidoscope: Ideas & Projects to Spark Your Creativity

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by Carol Troven, Judith Barter, Elliot Davis, and Edward Hopper as her favorite. Rita says "I bought this book at the Museum of Fine Arts gift shop in Boston MA. after attending the Edward Hopper exhibit in August 2007. It was a breathtaking exhibit and as I'm a huge fan of Hopper's style, to see the paintings in person was wonderful. The book sits atop my coffee table so I can flip through it often.

Edward Hopper
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Karin Bartimole chose The Book as Art: Artists' Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts by Krystyna Wasserman, Johanna Drucker, and Audrey Niffeneggeras her current favorite.

The Book as Art: Artists' Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts
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Veronica Funk picked Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap by Bernie Berlin as her favorite. Veronica adds "since I began altering my journals/sketchbooks and then when became involved in the Inner Works project, this book has been an invaluable source of ideas, technical advice and inspiration."


Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap
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GIVEAWAY

Both Brian Kasstle and &rew Borloz chose Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler as a favorite. This double choice is being celebrated today with a giveaway for 2 copies of Good Mail Day.

Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art

To participate, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post by next Saturday September 4. The winners will be announced Sunday September 5 as part of the next post for The Book Guild. Good luck!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Need for Speed

Way back in November 2009, I posted the news that Pam Carriker's proposal for her first book was accepted by Interweave Press. Entitled "Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation and Inspiration for Making Mixed-Media Art Every Day", the book focuses on providing practical guidance, motivation, and inspiration from a variety of mixed-media artists for finding the time to intregrate art into our busy lives. I am thrilled that Pam invited me to be a featured artist in the book.

Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation and Inspiration for Making Mixed-Media Art Every Day

The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon. This will be a must-have addition to the library of every artist out there.

Thanks Pam for all your hard work on what is sure to be a gem of a book!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Book Guild - Chapter 20


Welcome to the fourth edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. Nearly 150 artists have answered a list of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. Secret Sunday was the first project and the links to all the secrets can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The Book Guild is the second project and Chapter 20 starts right now!


All artists participating in The Pulse were asked to name their favorite art books. The Book Guild will present this list, along with links, book reviews, giveaways, and interviews with many of your favorite authors. And as members of The Guild, I am hoping YOU will participate by leaving comments related to the books in each post - for example thoughts, book reviews, personal experiences, or a link back to your own blog posts that include artwork based on a project in the listed book.
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Chapter 20: Stephanie Lee

Kecia Deveney and Jen Crossley both chose Stephanie Lee's Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry as their favorite art book.

Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry

Stephanie shared the following with The Altered Page...

"Writing this book was an awesome experience for so many reasons. Of course, the process of a little piece of jewelry going from my worktable (a rickety old dining table shoved in the corner of our cramped living room at the time) to an actual book sitting on the shelves of a book store near you was an amazing learning experience. Call me naive, but I had no idea that so many steps and amazing people were involved! I loved every new bit of information that came my way that helped me understand the process.

But the biggest (and ongoing) eye opener for me was realizing that the topography of creativity is as rugged and textured as any Americana skyline. There is no singular mountain of skill we are all climbing where there are people higher and lower than you, in a clear, straight line. Never in a million years, did it occur to me that my book would forever be "new" to someone, somewhere out there...that there would forever be a someone whose eyes were just being opened to this realm of creativity.

In the classes I teach all over this country, I am so grateful to be able to share some small tidbit that makes one person's eyes light up with possibility. In those same classes, I walk away with my head spinning from the creativity that bursts out of all the amazing designs that the students create from what I have shown them. Things I would have never thought of myself.

I guess I figured this book would be seen by all who might ever have interest within the first few months of availability and then quickly be tossed aside as the next better thing came along. Even more surprising, was the realization that seasoned, experienced jeweler's would be intrigued by my basic, cave-womanish approach to metal construction and scoot a little sideways on their upward climb to knowing everthing - taking a little pleasant detour through my approach. This approach being born mostly of a sort of cluelessness to how thing are "supposed" to be done and figuring out some way myself to make something work with what I had on hand. An approach which I am hoping to refine with each minute at the work table.

This is the ways things are. We all want to figure out how to make something work and what it will look like when we are done. We hope it will speak of what we want to say, and, even better, be fun to create in the mean time. We look left and see our fellow climbers and learn from them. We look right and are able to teach other fellow climbers. Status looses ground here where we are all traversing the valley's and hills of creative pursuit when a love for learning takes the lead."

Thank you Stephanie!

You can visit Stephanie at her blog Semiprecious Salvage.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Spree Decree



Sending out thanks to everybody who left a comment on my post announcing my three year blogging birthday. Your support and encouragement has been and will always be greatly appreciated. Over 100 of you entered my giveaway where you had to leave three words that describe the types of things you would want from a shopping spree in NYC. I was delighted and amazed by the variety of words chosen. And I thought it would be fun to post them in one place as they really are a snapshot of what we all do, create, and love.

The top thirteen picks, starting with the most popular: texture, paper, rusty, vintage, books, quirky, ephemera, old, color, unique, tactile, metal, textile.

And all the rest, sorted for your reading pleasure...


Adjectives: strange, unusual, dramatic, bumpy, funky, sparkly, layered, shiny, flat, subversive, vivid, soulful, religious, whimsical, visceral, authentic, ornate, clunky, unorthodox, one-of-a-kind, Victorian, architectonic, inspirational, sensational, kitschy, outstanding, intriguing, touching, unexpected, funny, individual, comfortable, casual, chunky, small, miniature.

Old: decayed, grunge, worn, patina, tattered, antique, old world, aged, detritus, pre-owned, crusty, dusty, primitive, weathered, dingy, decrepit, history.

Organic: earthy, wood, seedpod, sticks, stones, avian, organic, nest, rock.

Color: bright, sepia, vintage white, red, bold.

Textile: fabric, silk, lace, wallpaper.

Objects: spoons, beads, keys, photos, silverware, costume jewelry bits, stencil, gadget, playing card, ticket stubs, rubber stamp, charm, prism, watch parts, book covers.

NY, NY: Central-Parkish, something New Yorker, Broadway, old tattered NY ephemera.

Write On: alphabets, words, ink, handwritten, postcard, text, typography, letters, pages, script.

Travel: Mexican, Japanese, vintage Czech Republic, Americana, foreign text.

Mystery: labyrinth, talisman, mystical, mysterious, fantastical, creepy cats, creepy, curiosities.

All the Rest (aka ran out of time to categorize these): full of-story, filigree, serenity, surprise, art deco, tin, two for one, stripes, glitter, numerical, lost, memories, art store, thrift store, thought-provoking, time, found, creative romance, love, story- telling, attar, spatial, poetry, graphic design, and chocolate.

And now the winner of the NYC shopping spree giveaway. Drum roll please...........Pat from Lost and Found. I will be shopping for typography, decrepit and chocolate. But not decrepit chocolate! I look forward to the hunt. Once Pat gets her goods, I will post photos of my shopping adventure and her winnings.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

StudioScapes


Coming to The Altered Page. September 2010.

Monday, August 16, 2010

My Hands


My other hands...


Tellus: Roman Goddess of the Earth, otherwise known as Terra Mater or Mother Earth

Sold. Thank you!



Helios: Greek God of the Sun

Sold. Thank you!


Available for purchase in The Altered Page on Etsy.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Book Guild: Chapter 19


Welcome to the fourth edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. Nearly 150 artists have answered a list of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. Secret Sunday was the first project and the links to all the secrets can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The Book Guild is the second project and Chapter 19 starts right now!


All artists participating in The Pulse were asked to name their favorite art books. The Book Guild will present this list, along with links, book reviews, giveaways, and interviews with many of your favorite authors. And as members of The Guild, I am hoping YOU will participate by leaving comments related to the books in each post - for example thoughts, book reviews, personal experiences, or a link back to your own blog posts that include artwork based on a project in the listed book.
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Chapter 19: Rule Breakers

One of my favorite things about these art surveys is getting responses that are outside the lines, such as when I ask for a favorite art book and get a list of more than 30 from a single participant! The artists included in this post did their own thing, as artists are known to do, and answered just outside the box.
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Jude Berman: None! (at least as far as technique books go) I was going to include one recommended by a friend, but then I decided to give a more honest answer for me. Which is to say the books that teach technique ultimately do artists a disservice by stifling creativity. Art history books or books that show an artist's work--that's another story. I say, look at them all!

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Deryn Mentock: How could I possible choose just one?! I'm an avid reader and have quite a collection of art books, new and old. I thumb through them when I need inspiration or just when I want to connect with other artists.
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Julie Prichard: I am focusing all energy on creating at the moment; no books in line to be read.

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Jean Zoss: I'm not much of an art book person. I was lucky to receive such good, basic instruction in art elements and design from the books used in high school and college. I do, however, view many of the mixed media technique videos on You Tube. I'm a big believer in making it your own and I am able to do this because of all the years of classes in the basics. I am a fan of many different photography and art magazines, however. But if it means spending money on magazines or art supplies, supplies always win.
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Olivia King: I have more art books, books on various techniques, and magazines than anyone should own! It is probably one of my obsessions – always filling the bookcases with more books!

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Fran Meneley: Instead of Favorite Art Book (which I can’t do because I can’t pick just one, way too Sophie’s Choice for me, I have hundreds) I am choosing my favorite art magazine. It’s been my favorite since I got the first issue in 2005, Selvedge always delivers inspiration for the mind and soul. It’s a British publication, independently published (bless them and keep the ad pounds and dollars rolling in), with the tagline: The Fabric of Your Life: Textiles in Fashion, Fine Art, Interiors, Travel and Shopping. It covers so much more than just textiles, please, please don’t be put off by that.


So many of their textile spreads are like fine paintings and drawings. They report on art from all over the world. And I promise that if you splurge on a single issue (a steep $25) or a 6 issue subscription ($115.00) you WILL be inspired and informed and a better artist for the investment. And it is an investment. I keep all my issues safely tucked away and turn to them again and again for reference and inspiration. Save your pennies, buy a copy (I see it at Borders and at Barnes and Noble now) make a pot of tea and be prepared to be taken away to a place of sublime inspiration.
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Michelle Smith: Anything by Somerset {Stampington & Co}
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Nancy Baumiller: I am not one to buy any "How Too" books...But I do so enjoy any of Teesha Moore's Magazines that she sells.


And I would have to say the favorite art books I ever bought are by Tony Fitzpatrick! His work is intriguing and something about the vintage elements he uses in his works, take me back in time, a very happy time as a child. I think it is the nostalgia that gets me!
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I was lucky enough to recently have ordered Blackthorn, a wonderful booklet from writer, artist, musician, poet, and blogger Annie Kerr. In it she shares 15 short prose pieces. I was quite taken by the following piece, which I thought would be perfect for The Book Guild.

Paper Hearts

Every night after closing time, the books held readings in the darkness of the library. No need to shush for quiet, they all held their breath in anticipation of these precious hours. One book would lean forward and read aloud from it's own pages as much as could be spoken before dawn.

Just when the listening books were lost, spellbound by the story, the clunk and grind of security grilles, the bleeps of touch-pad codes cut through mid-sentence, mid-phrase, even mid-word. The sudden slam of covers was always like a spear through their shocked paper hearts.


Available for purchase in Inkhaven, Annie Kerr's Etsy shop.