Master Class 8: M&M's

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'

(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)

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Erin Perry chose Claude Monet, adding that "Of course I love his work, but the real draw would be getting to spend time at Giverny, dining in the gorgeous yellow dining room...

(Photos by Ariane Cauderlier)

 staying in one of the lovely upstairs bedrooms...

 finding my way to the ultra blue kitchen every morning for a bowl of latter...

 and then wandering the beautiful gardens for inspiration...

 before settling down for class with the master."

Trudi Sissons remembers: "I always go back to a moment now several years ago in New York, when I came upon Claude Monet's Water Lilies (1914-26) oil on three canvas panels, for a total overall measurement of 6 1/2 feet by almost 42 feet long.

 I was paralyzed first by the scale and continue to be dumbfounded by how he achieved them - both the blend of sky, reflection, light and water and the grandness of the scale. I would want to go back in time to Giverny to observe him as he created these masterpieces.

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Angela Cartwright chose Michelangelo. "Maybe a sketch class...and then I would go watch him paint the Sistine Chapel for a few days."

William J. Charlebois also chose Michelangelo, adding that "he was both a sculptor and a painter. 

I think it is utterly amazing what he was able to carve out of stone. I would love to be able to do that."

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Marcia Beckett said "I would love to watch Henri Matisse paint and see how his art develops. I adore his wild colors and expressive patterns, especially in his interior and still life paintings."

Donna Louise Rodgers also selected Matisse "because he never gave up and invented new ways to express himself even when his sight failed him, and because he loved 'doing' people and he understood implicitly the use of line and colour. "

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AnTonia Griva chose Amedeo Modigliani "cause you can see in his works a pure sensitivity that floods out the figures in his paintings. I would like to have that too in my paintings."

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Judy Wise "would ask Marcia Myers how she got those beautiful fresco-like surfaces with acrylic paint. She has passed away now and all her techniques are lost."

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Holly Dean said "rather than taking a class, I would choose to spend time with British artist Dave McKean. I would love to watch him create, share his thoughts and see how inspiration evolved into his darkly intriguing imagery.

His art is a combination of painting, sculpture, photography and text, using hand and digital processes. It suggests a strong sense of story, while often projecting a dark sense of humour and not a small amount of cleverness.

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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, February 5th.

Save the Dates: Part 1

2012 is turning into a very busy year for me, with so many exciting adventures waiting to unfold. As of now, I will be giving workshops in three different venues...

The Ink Pad in New York, NY on March 31st

Mixed Media Dossier - Class full. Thank you!
Waiting list started

CREATE Mixed Media Reteat in Somerset, NJ on July 18th-22nd

I will be teaching 3 workshops at the inaugural CREATE event in New Jersey. Details of my workshops and the entire event will be posted on the CREATE website during the first week of February and registration will begin in mid-February. Here is a preview:

A Box of Dreams on July 18th

Mixed Media Dossier on July 19th

Text Tiles on July 19th

I will also be vending at the CREATE Artists' Faire July 20th

Art is You in Stamford, CT on October 4th-9th

I will be teaching at Art is You (workshop dates to be announced) and vending at The Art Trunk on October 6th. Information and registration will go live in February on the Art is You website. Until then, have a look at the amazing group of faculty already lined up.

Stay tuned for another post, Save the Dates: Part 2, which will include a list of my live events throughout the United States and Canada that will be held from March through May to celebrate the release of my book. I just may be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Master Class 7: A Material World

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'

(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)
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A number of the selections included artists whose best-known work was driven by materials, whether paper, metal, clay, or wood.

Anne Bagby said "If I could have one artist come to my studio and bring his "stuff", it would be Fred Otnes. His work is unique, exciting, layered and complex. I would love to see him collage and talk about it. Or maybe go to his studio and see all his "stuff". Texture, neutrals, nuance. He is the best!"

Sally Turlington believes "that Fred Otnes is an old master of collage painting. His work embodies many of the aspects I aspire to with my work - arranging unrelated objects and oddments in happy, lucky juxtaposition of control and chance resulting in confident designs layered in mystery and fun. His are the ultimate."

Susan Madden shares a quote by Otnes: 'I could live with raw umber and black for the rest of my life. It has infinite possibilities, gradations, subtleties -- it has tonal variations that are very beautiful.' Susan adds "This resonates with me and keeps me at peace with some of my favorite color choices. Make a note of this: People who like dark colors are not necessarily dark and depressed."


The book: Fred Otnes Collage Paintings

See my previous blog post about the work of Fred Otnes here.
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Jane Royal chose Gerald Brommer. "He has such an amazing way of combining paint and collage elements.

His work is both realistic and otherwordly; full of imagination and unique style."

The book: Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators
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Paula Art selected John Chamberlain "because he is my hero. He managed to what he wanted and have a stockade of supplies and do it his way and he made it!"

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Sharon Read would "take a lesson from Sebastian Blackie. I would love to learn how to process hand dug clay, know more about the stains he uses, build a kiln from newspaper...

 and see up close and personal his relationship with the environment."

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Deb Eck picked Lee Bontecou "because I am just fascinated by her work and by her courage and ability to keep working long after she rejected the praise and definition of her work by the art establishment.

I would hope some of that spirit and certainty that I feel in her work would be magically transmitted to me! Just to see the inside of her studio would be a miracle."

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Jeanie Thorn selected Louise Nevelson. She was an amazing artist who was way ahead of her time.

Eileen Bellomo "enjoys assemblages and found art, so learning from Louise Nevelson would have been a dream."

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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, January 29th.

Mixed Media Dossier

Join me in New York City on March 31st when The Ink Pad in NYC will be holding a series of special events to celebrate the release of my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed.

WORKSHOP

From 1pm to 5pm, I will be teaching a workshop called Mixed Media Dossier. In this workshop you will create a personal dossier - a handmade, mixed media journal that you can use long after the workshop ends. Use it as a daily journal or as a place to record a specific event or experience.

During the workshop you will learn a variety of mixed media techniques for creating texture, layers and dimension that you can apply to any future project.

A simple approach to binding will allow you to literally pull the entire project together and to add pages to your dossier at anytime in the future.

In the end, you will have a one-of-a-kind and highly personal keepsake.

Seats for the workshop are limited and must be reserved in advance. Click here to find out more information about the class and contact the Ink Pad at 212-463-9876 to register. Please note that the supplies for the class have been updated and the final list can be obtained when you call to register for the workshop.

Workshop has sold out. Thank you!

ARTIST PANEL

Prior to the workshop on March 31st, from 10am to 12pm,  I will be moderating an artist panel with contributing artists Michelle Ward, Karen Cole, Jill Zaheer, Roxanne Evans Stout, Julie Prichard, and Danny Gregory.

The panel members will discuss their contributions to the book, answer audience questions, show samples of their artwork, share their personal creative process, and sign copies of the book.

The panel is free and open to the public but you must contact The Ink Pad at 212-463-9876 in advance to reserve a place as seats are limited. This will be an opportunity to have a true insider's view and is an event not to be missed.