Secret Sunday 18

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now! If you have missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Supply & Demand!
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Dina Wakley
Blog: Ponderings

http://dinastamps.typepad.com

My latest secret is Global Art Handmade Watercolor books....they're fantastic to journal in and they're worth every single penny you pay for them.

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Kerin Gale
Website: Remnants of Olde
Blog: Remnants of Olde
NING: Mixed Media Art
Etsy: Remnants of Olde

I use a lot of pigments - metallic and otherwise. My absolute favorite is Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders - I mix these with paints, inks, acrylic matte glaze and even water. Because it is self adhering, I also use it all by itself with a paint brush (on non-wearable pieces only). It comes in so many colors and the only place that sells it is Micro Mark.

Here is a photo of "Charley's Claw" which is just made of polymer clay and an old camera flash bulb. I think it looks so much better because of the Weathering Powders.
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Becky New
Website: BeXarts
Blog: Windows Wide Open
Etsy: BeXarts Art at Etsy

Ooooo…. I like art secrets! Mine… hmmmm….. I would say finding the *right* pen is BIG on my list. I think I’ve tried every pen under the sun… and always come back to using the Uniball Vision Elite in black. LOVE. THIS. PEN. It writes over paint, pastels, etc. without issue! Also, Elmer’s Painters! They are THE. BEST. PAINT. PEN. EVER! I know that many folks swore by the now nearing extinction Sharpie Paint Pen, but this one is SUPERB! There are different tips available, and depending what I am doing depends on my choice. For my art journaling I use the ultra fine points, but for my handwriting over acrylics I almost always go for the bigger tips. These things rock!

Here is an example of writing onto images in an art journal.
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Kristy Christopherson
Blog: Kristy's Musing

Baby wipes - use them a lot in my artwork and cannot live without them :) Do lots of scrubbing and distressing with them.

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Robert Stockton
Artist Portfolio: Robert Stockton

A recently discovered art “secret” is the use of a product called NEVR-DULL Magic Wadding Polish. It is made for polishing automobile chrome, or silverware, and you buy it at a hardware store. The product is cotton wadding impregnated with a metal polishing agent, and comes in a dark blue can which costs about five dollars.

This is how I use it: Take any printed image from a magazine or other source (incidentally, black and white or color copy machine images do NOT work), such as National Geographic, old postcards, pictures from books, etc. Over areas that you wish to preserve in their original color and brightness, brush on two (or more) layers of acrylic (polymer or matte) medium, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second. When the acrylic medium is completely dry take a small wad of the Nevr-Dull material out of the can, and rub it on to the surface of the image. You will notice that the polish in the wadding material soon begins to make the unprotected portions of the image (those not covered with acrylic medium), fade and begin to disappear. You can easily control how much the image “fades” by how much pressure you apply, and the length of time that you apply it. If you want a slightly more textured image, you can squeeze Elmer’s glue directly on the image, in place of the acrylic medium. It works equally well, and gives a different look to the image. The only negative in using Elmer’s glue is that since the glue is much thicker than acrylic medium, it takes considerably longer to dry, before you can rub the image with the Nevr-Dull wadding material.

This is an ATC I created using it. The white areas, both inside and outside the figure, and around the camera and tripod, are the areas that were unprotected, where the impregnated cotton wadding was used. The remaining black, white, and gray image (man and camera), were protected from fading/disappearing with (in this case), Elmer's glue. The elements with color, were attached, later.

It's a fun product to use, however it has a very strong odor, and needs to be used in a room with very good ventilation. Also, used cotton wadding material can be kept from drying out (and from being an odor problem), by placing it in a small ziplock bag for reuse, later.
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Michele Jackson
Blog: Digital Dissonance
Etsy: Digital Dissonance

My only art secret is Perfect Paper Adhesive. It does everything Mod-Podge does, but does not feel tacky when dry. It comes in flat and gloss.
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Frances Pullara aka Redondowriter
Blog: Sacred Ordinary

I'm kind of a novice, but I learned two things from Teesha Moore this summer when I took her Play workshop in Pt. Townsend. She recommends Tombo Mono adhesive runners for art journals and I have grown to love them. I've tried other brands, but this one is the best. Also, she recommended Portfolio oil pastels which have become a mainstay in my own art projects
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Regina Dwarkasing
Blog: Mostly Turquoise

Photography: Whenever I visit a Starbucks, I take pictures of the art and wallpaper, that is always there. I like to use these pictures and combine them with my own ones for digital collages.

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Today is the last day of Secret Sunday. A big thank you to each and every one of you for spending the last 18 Sundays with me.

And Sundays at The Altered Page continues uninterrupted next week. Stop by and join The Book Guild, premiering here next Sunday March 28th!

Secret Sunday 17

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now!

Join the The Altered Page every Sunday for "Secret Sunday." Here the secrets of all your favorite artists will be revealed. It could be a technique, a product, a secret source, a little-known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything! If you missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Melange!
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Linda Moran
Website: The Art of Fabric
Blog: Marbled Musings

I absolutely love everything about marbling – it is incredibly addictive, and it doesn’t get old, even after 16 years of marbling. There are several patterns I am trying, and I would really like to be able to create flowers the way ebru artists do.

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Lise Hofmann
Blog: Bohemian Caravan

Mom always told me I should not peel apples or pears because it contains lots of healthy things. When I have to, I save their skin, roll them into cinnamon and sugar and put them in the oven for at least 15 minutes at low temperature. Simple and healthy snacking for breaks!

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Jill Zaheer
Blog: JazWorks

THE BOOK CELLAR:
Down in the cellar of The Webster Library in New York City, volunteers have assembled thousand and thousands and books, records, postcards and other fun items, as well as racks of videos, tables with postcards, CDs, tapes and ephemera.

They receive donations every day, which are put on the shelves for your browsing pleasure. Categories include rare first editions, autographed books, Judaica, art books, entertainment, mysteries, romance and much more.
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Roben-Marie Smith
Blog: Every Life has a Story
Website: Paperbag Studios
Digichick: Roben-Marie Designs

The lazy susan is perfect for organizing things like paints, inks, glues, etc. on your art table. Just give it a gentle spin and grab what you need! :)

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Curio (AKA: Sonia Simard)
Blog: atelier Curio studio

It may not be apparent because a lot of my work seems pretty serious or dark, but I also paint childrens murals; knick-knacks for my in-laws; I seem to be attracted to all types of puzzles;

and I've been known to paint the occasional scenery...There I've said it!
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Jonna Barnett
Blog: Just Jonna

Hum! Art secret. I’m not sure I have anything that really qualifies as an art secret. But now that I think about it I guess I do have an art secret... My friend Cindy. She considers herself un-artistic but her artistic ability is organization and finding the most amazing items imaginable. She just returned from Florida and one of the items she found for me was a small alligator paw with claws. Just the perfect size for a doll or maybe an alien? She has gifted me with many wonderful things over the years that have found a place in my artwork. So I’d have to say Cindy is my art secret.
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David Castle
Blog: David Castle Art
Website: David Castle
Facebook: David Castle

“Elements of Dynamic Symmetry” by Jay Hambidge. My abstracts have essential basis in the mathematics that Jay Hambidge developed based on dynamic symmetry found in nature (such as the seed pattern in a sunflower). I use the math to create the size, shape and exact measurements of some of my elemental rectangles and squares.

“Elementals No. 18”, watercolor mounted on canvas. Shape dimensions calculated using principles of Dynamic Symmetry.
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Rebecca Trevino
Blog: Rebeca Trevino
Website: Rebeca Trevino

I am inspired by everything around me. My art involves "hunting and gathering" and I am always on the lookout for "stuff", when I travel, when I walk, when I am waiting at my doctors office or waiting for my car to get serviced, I always find usable art "stuff", it's everywhere.

Another secret is hanging out with other artists and exchanging ideas.
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Secret Sunday 16

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now!

Join the The Altered Page every Sunday for "Secret Sunday." Here the secrets of all your favorite artists will be revealed. It could be a technique, a product, a secret source, a little-known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything! If you missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Lesson Plan!
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Regien Dwarkasing
Blog: Mostly Turquoise

Whenever I visit a Starbucks, I take pictures of the art & wallpaper, that is always there. I like to use these pictures and combine them with my own ones for digital collages.
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Debbie Mihalick
Blog: Senses Engaged

This tip comes from Keith Lo Bue, a fabulous artist who works with found objects. Although the tip came from a class he taught on building jewelry, I feel it applies just as well to any composition and material: choose one thing you love as your starting point and look at everything else in relation to this piece. Consider hiding part of it for an added element of mystery and to invite the viewer to look closer. I used these principles with a simple pendant.

The bit of ivory was a recent purchase and I was dying for a way to use it. It seemed to fit really well over the vintage photo and I liked the tones of both pieces together. Even though my metalwork needs a lot of improvement, I was very happy with the way it turned out.
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Rainey J. Gibney
Website: The Josie Baggley Company

When I'm painting a face I sometimes turn the canvas upside down whilst I paint. I've gotten some surprising results by doing this as the mind's eye is working here and shapes rather than an exact image is being built. It is a free and expressive way to paint.

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Robert Stockton
Artist Portfolio: Robert Stockton

The concept of “bricolage,” which is defined as: a construction made from whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things. I like this idea, and use it frequently in my work. I look around my studio, and simply choose, at random, whatever it is that falls into my line of sight as a way of selecting materials to use on a given project. Certain combinations of materials often suggest using certain techniques, and so it goes!

Bricolage is simply letting serendipity and intuition have the upper hand. Once you begin using it, the process becomes virtually subconscious and, I think, puts you more directly in touch with your creative self. It frequently leads my artwork in interesting and unexpected directions!
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Laura Pace
Blog: Found Memories Art
Facebook: Laura A. Pace

I think something that has helped me immensely lately is a folding tabletop easel. As mixed media artists, we tend to work flat on the table. We are usually gluing something in place on the paper or canvas or whatever background we have chosen. We do all our painting/coloring flat also. What we might forget is that when its done, the piece of art will be viewed upright, against a wall usually. This gives it a whole different perspective.

With the work on an easel, I can step back and see how the balance and composition is as it will look on the wall at a distance. By working on a folding tabletop easel, I can lower it down to do the glueing, then raise it back up to do whatever painting or coloring work that needs to be done.
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Leslie Marsh
Blog: Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
Blog: Daily Focus

I have found the best way (thanks Isabel) to remove a wine label, which has introduced an entirely new and entertaining dimension to shopping for wine. It’s simple: pour boiling water INSIDE of the empty bottle and let it sit until the label peels off, adhesive and all!

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KC Willis
Website: Lipstick Ranch
Blog: KC Willis
Ning: KC Willis Collage Camp

Almost all of my pieces start with unprimed artist canvas, torn, washed and coffee stained. When I wash the canvas, the edges fray off and what started out as a mess in my washing machine turned out to be an important part of my work. These clumps of thread that have tangled themselves up in the canvas are cut apart and coffee stained then hung outside to drip dry. They then are a part of almost every collage I create for my bigger pieces.

They add wonderful texture and become the "seat" for most of my embellishments. Sometimes whether I need more canvas pieces or not I will wash canvas just for the "clumpie" harvest. I have been known to get down-right ecstatic when my washing machine produces a bumper crop.
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Secret Sunday 15

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now!

Join the The Altered Page every Sunday for "Secret Sunday." Here the secrets of all your favorite artists will be revealed. It could be a technique, a product, a secret source, a little-known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything! If you missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Musings!
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Robert Stockton
Artist Portfolio: Robert Stockton

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept which has increasingly had an influence on my artwork and my life. Though I may be stretching things a bit to call it an “art secret,” I find that the ideas that wabi-sabi represent are often present in my artwork, and are also frequently on my mind during the creative process. It is loosely associated with Zen Buddhism, and can actually mean quite different things to different people. To me, it is a recognition that nothing in life is permanent or certain, and that everything in life is in a state of change: of being one thing at the moment, but also being in the process of becoming something else.

It is a recognition, also, that in this life of impermanence and uncertainty, when you are able to be “open” to it (and can avoid holding on to things too tightly), a great deal of beauty can be found there. It is the beauty found in a decaying leaf; the rust stain on the wood left by a nail in a weathered fence board; a once splendid mansion that has fallen into disrepair with crumbling foundation, and overgrown with weeds and moss.

Some basic precepts of wabi-sabi include:

Things are either devolving toward, or evolving from, nothingness

Truth comes from the observation of nature

“Greatness” exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked details

Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness

Acceptance of the inevitable

Getting rid of all that is unnecessary

I think, more than anything, the concept of wabi-sabi can give one a real sense of the place of the individual in the natural order of things.
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Jacky Williams
Blog: ART4MOI

My secret is a quote by Sark that always helps get me going... I'm such a procrastinator. "Remember: First comes action, then inspiration". I have this pinned in my art room and on my fridge to encourage me to just get in and start and it will all come together.

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Jayne Harnett-Hargrove
Blog: Harnett-Hargrove

I am an artist that practices the bastardizations of traditional crafts when needs direct. I think we all know much of process comes down to intuition/intelligence. In the designer/client world knowing how to change the intention, the media, and the expertise level to please the project introduced is imperative for me. I’ve learned how to deal with the real world while living in the creative flux. I have been collaborating, with Hanzon, on a cross-training dictionary of sorts and here is a few of our simple revelations:

1. Materials-altar / Method-alchemy / Inspiration-spirit.

2. There exists in everything the potential of transformation.

The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has. -Michelangelo

3. Try to know if that was the easy part or the hard part.

4. If something is not changing you are not looking close enough.

5. Muse: Learn to work this. Most successful freelancers can't afford to wait for inspiration. People in other professions work everyday whether they feel like it or not.

6. Keep the iron moving.

7. Use gravity to you own advantage.

8. In a proposal I like to always throw in something terribly wrong... just to see if they are watching.

9. Inner-directed / Outer-directed.

10. Edentulous; Without teeth. I just really like this word.

11. Dynamic Change; Change that happens positively, immediately and, is not irreversible.

12. Great creative works are hard work and not simple. But if one is in true quiet profound excitement, and, being in this slipstream of the creative flux is indeed our element of trusting the outcome.

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Leighanna Light
Blog: Leighanna Light ThingMaker
Blog: ThingMaker Studio
Etsy: Leighanna's Etsy Shop
1000 Markets: Leighanna Light ThingMaker

Just do it, get yourself in the studio everyday no matter what. If you don't know what to do or don't have a plan, just start by playing.
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Secret Sunday 14

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now!

Join the The Altered Page every Sunday for "Secret Sunday." Here the secrets of all your favorite artists will be revealed. It could be a technique, a product, a secret source, a little-known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything! If you missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Surprise Supplies!
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Amy Grennell
Blog: Amy Grennell

I like to use baby wipes and the hand sanitizer! I use the baby wipes to wipe things off but also dab the paintbrush on it. After you are done using it you can sew them together or adhere them onto your work. They also come in handy if you are washing off your palette in the sink because they don’t disolve in water.

The sanitizer has alcohol in it of course and so if you use it with paint it has a weird effect. Also, if you are using inks it takes it off your hands if you can’t get to the sink and soap right away.
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Sharmon Davidson
Website: Sharmon Davidson Original Mixed Media Artwork
Blog: True adventures of an Art Addict
Artslant: Sharmon Davidson
Art Scuttlebutt: sjennings

I don’t know if this is really a secret or not, but it’s my favorite recent discovery, and is the best substrate I’ve found for collage work. It’s called Multimedia Artboard, and the only place I’ve been able to find it is Dick Blick.

Here’s what Dick Blick says about it:

“Multimedia Artboard accepts both oil and water-based paints without buckling or warping. A new formulation of artboard, it is made with paper and thermal-set epoxy resin, allowing media to adhere to the surface without penetration. Whatever media you are using holds a definite edge, with no bleed. The surface can be erased, scraped, and sanded, and both front and back are usable surfaces (one side is smoother than the other). Multimedia Artboard is laboratory-tested and is rated archival quality, with a neutral pH factor of 6.5. Boards are 1/32" (approximately 0.8 mm) thick.”

I love it because you can glue anything onto it, and it doesn’t get soggy or warp- an issue I’ve had with everything else I’ve tried!
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Donna Joy
Blog: World of Joy

I use clear caulk for glue-wood to wood, metal to wood-you name it. You can also use it to texture metal, paper and wood. It's paintable.

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Don Madden
Blog: Fully Flummoxed

Old-fashioned shoe polish comes in colors. It puts a waxy, waterproof protective surface on both clay and paper. It's easily applied with either a cloth or cosmetic sponges. The clay should be bisque fired first and I'm referring only to ceramic clay. I'm not familiar with polymer or paper clays, it might work with them. It definitely won't work on glazed clay as the receiving surface must be able to absorb the shoe polish into its surface. Be sure you buff it with a soft cloth or brush.

P.S. Might be interesting to see how these react with encaustics.

For gluing stuff in your journal or sketch book use ModPodge (matte) Regular glue (NOT the pathetic kind designed for paper), apply it with a cheap foam brush and rub it down/burnish it with a piece of wax paper. This will give you a pretty smooth surface with no bubbles or ripples, even with newspaper pictures. Store the brush in an empty Starbucks Frappacino bottle (put the cap back on tight), it will stay glue-y for days.

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Angela Cartwright
Website: Angela Cartwright Studio
Blog: Said & Done
Art Wear: ac studio 9
Zine: Pasticcio Quartz
Books: Angela Cartwright Studio

The notch tool…I love it. It’s used to layer cement onto tiles..but I use it to pull through gesso or molding paste to create design and texture.

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Carol Leslie
Blog: ZenDotStudio

Golden's Tar Gel - I used this for softening and adhering a brittle and cracking but treasured Bodhi leaf to a canvas as part of a commissioned mixed media piece. It worked to almost plasticize the leaf, strengthening it, preserving it and holding it in place. Then I started mixing paint with tar gel for an effect a lot like a resin.

Also something I learned from a fabric artist is that if you use a photo copy from an older copier and a non solvent based cleaner called "orange ultimate" rubbed on to the back of the image you get these fabulous image transfers. Works best on silk. New photo copiers don't seem to work for this process, has something to do with the toner used.

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Debbie Price-Ewen
Blog: Debrina's Diary

I’m a big fan of fibre dyes. I use them on virtually anything that is porous. Favourite ingredients: Procion powdered dye, different types of paper (printed or plain), water, vinegar and salt. Final results are always a surprise!

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Secret Sunday 13

Do you want to know a secret?


Welcome to the fourth 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.


Over 150 (!) artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented as a series of online and print projects. And the first continues right now!

Join the The Altered Page every Sunday for "Secret Sunday." Here the secrets of all your favorite artists will be revealed. It could be a technique, a product, a secret source, a little-known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything! If you missed any, no worries. You can find links to all the secrets on the sidebar of my blog.

Today's secret.......Link Love!
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azirca
Blog: Speak Without my Voice

I adore Mike Rivamonte's work. He cleverly assembles whimsical robot type sculptures by recycling old scientific instruments, mechanical devices and discarded vintage objects. Each piece that he constructs has it's own uniqueness and charm.
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Jill Zaheer
Blog: JazWorks

The New York Public Library has a digital art library filled with 700,000 free art images.

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William J. Charlebois
Art Gallery: WJC's Art and Stuff
Blog: Billizetti's World

I hope other digital artists don't cringe when they read this. I get a lot of my inspiration from elements found in digital scrapbooking kits. A woman named Christine Honsinger designs for Scrap Artist. She creates a lot of characters with wings as well as all kinds of wildly colorful objects. I love using a couple of her elements and then creating a whole digital collage inspired by them. I often write poems to use in my collages.

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JaPRA
Blog: Just a Plane Ride Away
Blog: Where I Talk About Art

Online classes! I love learning new things, and because I live in Europe now, it makes it a little hard to attend all of those lovely workshops in the States. I see many of my favourite artists are thinking about launching online classes in 2010. All I can say is: Woo hoo! And thank you :-)

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JeriAnn Geller
Blog: Commuters Journal

John Neal booksellers for book binding and calligraphy supplies and books on Celtic, Hebrew, Arabic or any English hand. It’s also THE place for the magnificent publications Letter Arts Review and Bound & Lettered.

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Kathryn Antyr
Blog: True North Arts
Blog: Collage Diva

The Flora Bella Collection
My latest experiments with my photography have been enhanced using textures and overlays from The Flora Bella Collection. Looking for a dreamy effect? These textures make it super easy.

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Steph Brouwers
Blog: vLaDtHeBaT’s aTTiC

I am crazy about beads and ethnic jewelry. So I want to share with you a little known website: Halter Ethnic Jewelry. The owner is Belgian, he has a tiny shop in Brussels. The pieces on sale are museum quality.
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Shona Cole
Blog: An Artful Life

I was having trouble photographing the pieces I made until I discovered this simple and cheap way of making a light box out of cardboard. The directions can be found here.
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Seth Apter
Blog: The Altered Page
Etsy: The Altered Page

A free and simple-to-use online photography program is FotoFlexer. It allows you to do many image manipulations simply, including adding text, borders, and (my favorite) quickly resizing your images for your blog sidebar and posts.

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