The Week Links: 26

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 26...

Cannot wait to see One: Union of the Senses by Jose Parla at One World Trade Center.

Every shade of blue from Caterina Giglio.

10 things every artist should be thankful for from Mary C. Nassar.

Check out this interactive eZine called Inspiration Mixed Media from Pebeo. It mostly serves as an advertisement for their products but the format of the zine itself is very cool.

It's all about time from Amy Duncan.

Cecile Graven shares a 4-minute painting video from Agnes Cecile. Mesmerizing.

Thoughts on gratitude (and some beautiful art) from Diana Trout.

The Art Enabler

I do my best to make sure my blog doesn't turn into one big sales pitch or a place of blatant self promotion. However, I do happily and frequently share books, supplies and the like that I recommend and think you all would enjoy. I guess you could call me an art enabler and you can file this post under that category. 

Today I want to let you in on a very special online event. One day a year, StencilGirl Products has extra special pricing on all the stencils on their shelves. That time is now. Well...almost now. On Monday 12/1 -- better known as Cyber Monday -- you can get deep discounts on your choice of stencils. And the earlier you shop, the bigger the savings. 

So if you were thinking of adding to your stencil collection, head over to the StencilGirl website on Monday 12/1 and use the codes listed above at the specified times for big savings. Mark this one down so you do not forget.

Happy to say my collections of stencils are included in this event!

Five by Five Exhibition

I am excited to announce Five by Five, a small works exhibition that will take place at The Empty Spaces Project, a gallery in Putnam, Connecticut, during the month of December. The opening reception will be held on Friday 12/5 from 6-9pm. Hope to see all of you locals there!

This collaborative art project began as an extension to my first book, The Pulse of Mixed Media, in which contributing artists responded to questions and prompts by creating art. As a way to involve additional artists, I placed an open call on my blog for contributors to submit work for an online exhibition. Artists were asked to create new work, in the form of a 5" x 5" square and in any medium, that answered one or more of the following questions:

1. If your artwork could talk, what would it say?

2. Who has had the most impact on your creative life?

3. What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?

More than 75 artists contributed over 110 works. Submissions included works on paper, fabric, wood, canvas, metal and resin using a wide variety of techniques and materials including acrylics, watercolors, stitching, drawing, digital, assemblage, book arts, and more. Participating artists were international, living and working in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. All works were published on my blog in a series of 9 posts that can be found here.

Subsequently, the 5 x 5 project was featured in an 8 page spread in the November/December 2012 issue of Somerset Studio in which 18 works were highlighted.

I am so very excited that a project that started out as a book, turned into an online feature, and morphed into a magazine spread has now become an art exhibition. Nearly 100 pieces of art, all 5 x 5 inches, will be featured at the show and available for purchase. They certainly would make perfect gifts for this holiday season.

You can see all the artwork that is included in the show in this series of posts on my blog. Please note though that not every piece posted online is part of the exhibition. The art will be presented and sold in small groupings. If you are unable to attend, but are interested in purchasing any of the artwork, do not hesitate to contact me for information via email at shap97@gmail.com. 

New York State Art Teachers Association

Last weekend I had the pleasure of teaching two workshops at the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) annual conference in Albany, NY. Members come from one of ten school districts in New York State. Every participant seemed excited to have an opportunity to sit back and make art -- something that they watch their students do all the time. There was a lot of creative energy in the classrooms and I was impressed by the level of talent evident in both workshops.

For some reason, not a single photo was taken in my An Artist's Journal workshop -- probably because making and filling a journal in just 2 ½ hours requires a lot of focus. I do have an artsy shot I took of my workshop samples though...

I was able to take a few pics in my painting workshop Background Check. The surfaces were so incredible I wanted a detail shot from each one...

Here is (most of) the talented crew...

Thanks NYSTA for a wonderful experience.

Artists and Makers

These days, a big announcement about a print magazine usually means that the publication is shutting down. Happily, Interweave -- the crew who publish Cloth Paper Scissors - has just released the first issue of a new print magazine called Artist & Makers. And it is good. You are gonna wanna have this one.

The features in this magazine bring the perfect blend of art and business. It almost seems more like a workshop for creative entrepreneurs who are trying to take their creative passions to the next level.

 It is filled with artist profiles, practical tips and supportive approaches. 

Thankfully it does not sugar-coat the creative world but rather shines a light on both the struggles and successes that we all as creatives experience.

 The magazine has a fresh feel, in part because by far the majority of people featured in and contributing to the magazine are outside the usual suspects that are typically seen in our community's magazines.

I contacted Jeannine Stein, the editor of both Artist & Makers and Cloth Paper Scissors, and asked her to share her thoughts about this publication with my readers (and by 'my readers'  I mean you).

In her words..."I've heard from so many artists that they've been looking for a magazine like this -- a publication with up-to-the-minute information on navigating all aspects of the business world, plus great features and profiles. It was really important that the magazine have a peer-to-peer feeling, and I think we've achieved that. Our columnists and many of our contributors are people who are artists and makers themselves, or who work with artists on a daily basis. They live what they write about. Artists & Makers is a fun, lively, entertaining read and I would love to hear everyone's feedback on it."

Click over to Artists & Makers Winter 2015 for more info and to order your own copy.

In My Bones: A Giveaway

 I have been working my way through In My Bones, the newest book by artist and art journaler Orly Avineri. 

I am taking my time and savoring every detail on all 188 pages, each of which is covered full bleed with her journal pages. 

Orly's voice and her imagery is so distinct and so unique that I believe I could recognize one of her pages from a group of one hundred artist journals.

 I am always impacted by her honest voice, poetic language, and powerful imagery. And thanks to Orly's generosity, you can be too.

Orly is hosting a giveaway on her blog for a copy of In My Bones. Leave a comment by 11/30 on her giveaway post to be eligible.

 And if you cannot wait, you can order her book here.

The Week Links: 25

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 25...

Loving this piece from Finnabair. The colors and the layers are incredible.

For the upcoming holidays, pledge to #givebooks.

Next in the series on paint brushes from Ronda Palazzari: cleaning and care.

Best workshop review ever from Laura Roberts.

Fascinating video: live painting of of a women's life from infancy to old age. Link sent to me by Jacki Long.

Who knew that beer bottle tops and tea could make this? Alice Fox did.

I have been hearing great things about this book by Lisa Congdon. And here is one of her blog posts about doing the work.

The beauty of the discarded. Images of an abandoned textile mill via Patricia Thornhill.

61 Seconds of Art Bliss

I absolutely love this video of Patricia Larsen at work...

Save the Dates: 2015

I am finalizing details for my 2015 workshops. Many venues and dates are already locked in through December. My teaching travels will be taking me to locations in New York, California (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose areas), Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington State, Virginia, North Carolina, and Arizona. I will also be teaching in the UK. And there may be a few more stops along the way.

I plan to retire all but a select few of my current workshops at the end of this year. Developing new workshops is quite time consuming and is still a work in progress. So although I have venues already scheduled, I have not yet fully finalized what workshops I will be teaching where.

Because I know that people often plan far in advance, I have decided it was time to post dates and locations for some of my classes taking place in early 2015. Registration is already open for some of my 2015 classes and links are included below. Think of this as a place holder or a save the date.

January

January 9 - Craft & Hobby Association Conference and Trade Show - Anaheim, CA

--Mixed Media Layer Conveyer: Workshop is filled.

January 16 - Gilding the Lily - Fullerton, California
--Majestic Medallions: Registration Open

January 17 - Make Art in LA - Los Angeles, CA

--52 Card Pickup: Registration Open

January 18 - Make Art in LA - Los Angeles, CA

--Picture Windows: Registration Open

January 24 - Artistic Artifacts - Alexandria, VA

--For Your Eyes Only: Please note that this has been rescheduled from the original date of 10/18/14. --Registration open

January 25 - Artistic Artifacts - Alexandria, VA

--52 Card Pickup: Please note that this has been rescheduled from the original date of 10/19/14.
--Registration open 

February

February 27 - The Queen's Ink - Savage, Maryland

--Registration Pending

February 28 - The Queen's Ink - Savage, Maryland

--Registration Pending

March

March 1 - The Queen's Ink - Savage, Maryland

--Registration Pending

March 22 - The Ink Pad - New York, New York
--Registration Pending

April

April 28-30 - Art & Soul - Kansas City, Missouri
--4 workshops: Registration Open

May

May 2 - Studio of MB Shaw - St. Louis, Missouri
--Collaborative workshop with MB Shaw
--Registration Pending

May 16-17 - Pacific Northwest Art School - Coupeville, WA
--Cover to Cover: Registration Open

May 18-22 - Pacific Northwest School Art School - Coupeville, WA

--If Walls Could Talk: collaborative workshop with Orly Avineri

--Registration open

May 28 - ArtWorks - Edmonds, WA
--In the Pocket: collaborative workshop with John Arbuckle
--Registration open via email to John at johnner55@yahoo.com: 1 seat left

Hope to be able to have place cards at seats for many of you. More details will be posted soon but if you have any specific questions or would like spaces held for workshops that are not yet open for registration, please do not hesitate to email me sooner.

The Week Links: 24

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 24...

Michelle Ward shares her thoughts on the ritual of gathering and prepping.

In the middle of reading and loving this book from Susan Tuttle.

Ronda Palazzari continues her series on brushes with part 2 on shapes and sizes.

Craft the Rainbow. I love this idea from Brittany Watson Jepsen from The House That Lars Built.

Thoughts on art journaling with a fascinating process video from Tammy Garcia at Daisy Yellow.

Let Your Sparks Fly. Loving the message behind this post from Lynn Whipple.

Check out these indigo cubes from Lisa McGarry found via this post from Eric Adama.

Putting Down Roots

I am the guest artist today on the PaperArtsy blog, where I share a tutorial for a journal page.

Head on over for the full reveal in pictures and instructions.

The Big 'Small Studio'

I just got back from teaching three workshops at Small Studio in Westlake, Ohio. It was my first time teaching at Ginny Carter Smallenburg's amazing shop and the last set of workshops there for the year. The workshop space and shop are sensational, the students there were uber talented, and Ginny & her husband John were incredible hosts.

THE SHOP

THE WORKSHOPS

52 Card Pickup

My demo cards from the workshop

Amazing work in progress from the students

The 52 Crew

For Your Eyes Only

Page by page

 Books in progress

 Book makers

Text Tiles

Making Layers

Adding paint

Panels and more panels

Thanks Ginny and John. It was a weekend to remember!