Final Exam

A review of the recent exhibition "Below the Surface" which included two of my artist books (Billboard and Underground) just appeared online on examiner.com and can be found here. The review also includes a brief slide show highlighting some of the books that were exhibited.

Brick by Brick

Way back in February I had begun a collaboration with Julie Prichard and Lynne Hoppe. Called Graffiti Wall, we each created hand painted papers which we mailed to each other in two rounds. Then we got to do something that at first didn't come easy but quickly became fun and freeing: tear all the papers into pieces! After that, we each began our own project interpreting the theme Graffiti Wall. You can read about and see pictures from the start of the project in this post.

I chose to create a literal brick wall, on a 3 foot by 3 foot canvas. The canvas was covered with torn vintage book pages, slathered with a light coating of gesso, and inked with multiple colors. This would form the mortar between the bricks. Each brick, over 90 in total, was then collaged from the torn art papers.

As often happens however, life got in the way. Long after Julie and Lynne completed their projects (click the links to be taken to their final postings), mine remained a work in progress. And it still is. But...I am making headway. Here is my Wall as it stands today...


And some details of the brick work...






The face of the wall is complete. I will next "brick" the sides and, following that, will add my own graffiti to the surface of the wall. Stay tuned...

Secret Sunday 3

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.......On the Net!
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jaihn
Blog: truly spacious
Website: spaciouscraft

Father's photography on Made By Jack




2nd Grade Visual Journals gallery on Dispatch from LA

jaihn's 'Muse-yum' gallery


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Elizabeth
Blog: Altered Book Lover
Yahoo Group: ABC - Altered Book Club

Not sure how much of a secret this blog is, but I often go there for inspiration. Although Randal Plowman’s blog is designed specifically to sell his collages, they can be very inspiring: A Collage A Day
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Inge Bekaert
Website/Blog: pinkepinke
Etsy: pinkepinke: handmade treasures

It's hard to find good art workshops in the neighborhood, but my secret for my huge evolution the past four years are the online workshops. They are mostly very affordable, you get direct information from the artists, they "teach" with videos and answer questions... These workshops are perfect to learn new things right at home and open a world you hardly could have imagined and get you connected with artists and fellow-students from all over the world.
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Rachel Whetzel
Website: Rachel Whetzel

JOIN. Join in with other artists!! The very FIRST thing I ever joined here on line, was Emily Falconbridge's Deck of ME art journal prompts. Most recently, I participated in Stephanie Hilvitz' Dia De Bloglandia on Nov. 1st and Rebecca Brooks' benefit auction. Taking part in these types of events has brought me into contact with some AMAZING artists!!


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Dave Dube
Blog: Old Paper Art

Paper & Ink Arts When I want to buy one of everything...
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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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Robyn Gordon
Blog: Art Propelled
Flickr Photostream: Art Propelled

Up until this moment, the coaching I have received from life coach Leslie Miller has been a secret but now the cat is out of the bag! It really has been one of the most positive and rewarding experiences of my life.

Create Your Best Life Coaching


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Veronica Funk
Blog: Simple Pleasures

My art secret is not so much a secret as it is a wonderful resource ~ Robert Genn's online newsletter at The Painter's Keys is a twice-weekly newsletter that is inspiring and encouraging for any artist in any medium, with thousands of subscribers around the world...I definitely recommend signing up.
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Sally Turlington
Blog: Imagine This

One secret is the website I go to first to locate a particular book - in or out of print - to get the best deal: Book Finder


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What Lies Within

Ingredients: cardstock, acrylic paint, calligraphy ink, marker, dry transfer, rubon letters, vintage keyhole, brads. approximately 4" x 3 3/4". click to enlarge.

Available for purchase in The Altered Page on Etsy.

Sold. Thank you!

I Have Been Thinking About...

From a post dated April 27, 2008:

I have been thinking about…hands. The importance of hands. The utility of hands. The beauty of hands. The meaning of hands. I use my hands to draw. I use them to paint. I use them to write. I use them to turn the lens on my camera and to press the shutter button. I am using them to type this post. Hands as nouns. Hands as verbs. Hands as adjectives. Raise you hand to ask a question. Raise your hand to answer a question. Lend a helping hand to your neighbor. That piece is handcrafted. This piece is handmade. And what beautiful handiwork they both are.

Hands up. Hands down. Hands on. Hands off. Hands across America. Clap your hands to show appreciation. Handles open and handles close. Handle with care. I can’t handle it anymore. He is handy. I've got my hands full. One hand washes the other. Employees must wash their hands. All hands on deck. The winning hand. Hand out. Hand it over. I want to hold your hand. On the other hand...

Secret Sunday 2

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.......supplies!
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Erin Perry
Website: Altered By The Sea
Blog: Altered By The Sea

Cheesecloth!! I love cheesecloth! Slather canvas or red rosin paper with gesso and then embed cheesecloth in it for the most marvelous texture. Use lots and let it hang off the sides. Use brigh colouted Portfolio water soluble oil pastels on it to create areas that POP off the painting.


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Ingrid Dijkers
Website: Ingrid Dijkers
Blog: Ingrid Dijkers

I get a lot of emails asking about how I go about my work, where I get my supplies and often they say that they would love to make books and journals but find the cost of materials and supplies very prohibitive. I share with them that I have found that for the type work I do that I don’t require expensive materials. Most all my books have been salvaged from library book sales, most costing under a dollar. My binder books are made from old school loose leaf binders, the pages out of cereal boxes from the recycling bin and a lot of my paints are just craft paints and left over household paint. A few supplies I don’t skimp on such as watercolor pencils and crayons, but for the most part I use what I have on hand.


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Jean Zoss
Blog: Bluebirds Living in the Meadow
Etsy: Bluebird Meadow

My art secret is supplies....I use cosmetic sponges on almost every piece. I love them for applying Stayzon inks, Lumiere paints and my favorite Golden acrylics. They also work well for applying glazes of medium without brush marks. When I studied watercolor, I spent a great deal of money on brushes, now I use the Royal brand children's brushes which can be purchased at Michael's. They stand up to the worst of brush abuse (leaving them in the water tank) and still come out ready to go. For about a buck a brush, they can not be beat. I also work with a dry brush in almost every step of my process so I need lots of brushes. I also get a thrill from finding things around the house like scraps of sandpaper, clothes pins and safety pins which become indispensable aids in the creation process. I also have a stainless steel palette knife I use quite a bit.
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Karin Bartimole
Blog: Beyond Words
You Tube: Karin Batimole: art & life

Not being the least bit secretive with what I find or learn makes it hard
for me to try to come up with something I haven't shared openly and repeatedly! I especially enjoy working with untraditional materials from places like hardware stores. Roofing felt is a fabulous paper to paint and draw on, for it's saturated black surface and strength; joint compound for creating textured surfaces to paint on; copper flashing for embossing. Explore your neighborhood hardware store with an artist's eye and you'll be sure to find inexpensive unexpected art materials.



This is the first book I ever made - and it's out of roofing felt (aka tar paper). It's versatility is clear - I also have used it in a line of jewelry, drawn on with colored pencils and sealed with varnish. It's survived an accidental wash through the laundry!
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Kim Palmer
Blogs:
Merlin's Musings
Pulp Redux

Umm, patience and determination, they usually solve anything and everything, LOL! ‘Weldbond’ glue from the hardware store. Its sets everything, fabrics, ceramics, metal, concrete, you name it, and it stays stuck! Dries clear, takes extremes of temperature and won’t get brittle, always a plus!


This adhesive was used to glue every item to the pages of this book construction. From the fabrics to the metal embellishments, papers, shells etc.
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Marilyn Gallas
Blog: Studio 274

It’s not really a secret, but it was a great discovery for me. I learned from D.J. Pettit that I can do a sketch in pencil and then apply a light skim of molding paste to prevent it from smudging when I paint on it. I can still see the image through the molding paste. Voila!!! Gesso would also work but the molding paste has a smoother finish.


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Lani Gerity Glanville
Website: Lani's Alternative Arts
Blog: Lani Puppetmaker's Blogspot

Bee's Wax, Citrisolve, & Baby wipes (not all at the same time - don't know what that would do)


Collage with citrisolve and baby wipes over top.
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JoAnna Pierotti
Blog: Moss Hill Studio
Etsy: Moss Hill Studio

Buy re-bar ties at a local hardware store for about $10.00 (you get a 1000 in the roll) - throw them outside in the winter and let them rust. A damp place is the best and will rust rather quickly. They make great hangers for your art projects. Easy to hook together to make larger hangers.


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Nelda Ream
Blog: Nelda Ream

One of my favorite materials to use in making art journals is cereal boxes. All it takes is a coat of gesso on both sides of this recycled cardboard to turn it into a great substrate. Then, it is ready for all your collage and acrylic painting techniques.
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Marie Dante
Cinnamon Studio

I have just discovered Min Wax polyshade stain and polyurethane as a terrific way to preserve and restore vintage paper and book jackets, (or any paper for that matter). I have the pecan stain and have used it on a ton of paper college materials. It drys fast and leaves a clean/flat satin sheen. It also adds a bit of color and further aged appearance to paper. I have some very old (1800's) newsprint that I have "Min Waxed" with good results, but some of the paper is so very fragile that it becomes translucent & the other side of the paper shows through. I like this effect. This product is probably not for "properly" archiving vintage ephemera but I have used it for my college purposes & am very satisfied. I found it at Home Depot.


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A Little Bird Told Me...

Lawendula at Woven Letters has recently begun to sponsor a monthly paper exchange. When you sign up, she pairs you with a partner and you each exchange paper based on a monthly theme. The first month was simply paper. The second month was tags. The next exchange will be after the holidays in January. I participated in the first swap and was happily matched with Robert Stockton, whose wonderful collages can be seen on Absolute Arts. He and I have similar likes and the package I received from him, as you can see below, was full of paper treasures!




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Who says DisCo is dead???





Those of you who were following my blog over the course of this past year will remember DisCo -- my Disintegration Collaboration. Kris Henderson has set up a project based on DisCo which she is calling the Erosion Bundle Project. So if you missed participating through my blog this past year or you want to have another go, head over to her blog. You have until January 1 to sign up.

For more DisCo news, head over to these posts on Laura Lein-Svencner's blog Lonecrow Art and Collage. Beginning in October, Laura organized a Paper Bundle collaboration through the LaGrange Art League in Illinois. As you will see, she even got some great press!
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Thanks to everybody who has recently bought my Pulse Zine that I had made from the
3rd edition of The Pulse. I just wanted to let you all know that there are currently three copies from the second printing left in my Etsy shop. I will be printing another set of copies but given time limitations, these are not likely to be available until early 2010. So if you have been thinking about getting a copy for yourself or as a gift...strike while the iron is hot!

12/2 update: 2nd printing sold out. Thank you! Email for info on 2010 availability.
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The newest issue of Pasticcio Quartz has just been released. I sing the praises of this zine every time it is published because it is a spectacularly creative publication that is filled with unending information and inspiration. Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn must work overtime for each issue. You can get more information about Pasticcio Quartz here!


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Do you know about the Inspiration Station icon on the sidebar of my blog?


When I come across a blog post, an artist, a video, a book, an artwork, or anything else that inspires me, I update the Station with the new link. The date of the update is also listed so you can keep track of when they change.
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Thanks to everybody for the positive feedback on my first Secret Sunday post. Remember, that was just the first of many. Visit The Altered Page every Sunday for a new post. This Sunday November 29, keep your eyes and ears open for secrets about products. And who doesn't need more of those???

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Secret Sunday 1

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 begins right now!

Beginning today, 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!

Today's secret.......techniques!
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Alicia Caudle
Altered Bits
Altered Bits' Altered Blog
Digit 13's Altered Bits on Etsy

Many people who know me are aware of my huge allergies to all things chemical and/or unnatural. As such, I have come up with many unique ways to texture, rust, crackle, adhere and distress my projects in a non-toxic manner. For example, rather than using chemical patinas, a safe (but obviously slower) alternative is a vinegar, salt and water solution spritzed over the item(s) you wish to rust or patina. This is particularly beneficial when you place your items in a container of salt and vinegar potato chips. The results are generally a brilliant green, blue or red, depending upon the type of metal you are wishing to age.


I welcome anyone who wishes to find a non-toxic alternative to contact me if desired as I'll oftentimes be able to make a suitable suggestion.
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Marianne
Marianne's Art Blog
Boise Trail Dog Blog

Elmer's caulk & apollo transparency transfers- for me, this technique provides the cleanest, clearest transfers to many surfaces- metal, glass, plexi, canvas, wood... email Marianne at dswissy@yahoo.com for more info on how to!


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Ange
Signed by Ange

I love masking and even writing with drawing gum and 'writing' with narrow glass syringes (minus the needles), a technique made famous by Denise Lach. Using unconventional objects to write with is a favourite occupation.


Taking a gex sponge or fine steel wool and scrubbing out layers of paint to avoid using chemicals - particularly effective on wood and metal but NOT on paper...as I'm sure you can imagine!
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Lynne Hoppe
heART & LIFE
Lynne Hoppe shop

I think that my favorite 'secret' these days is how well oil pastels and colored pencils work together. Between the two of them you can color everything from the tiniest parts of your drawings to the largest. You can combine colors from each, and blend them or not. They're very simple to use and hugely satisfying.


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Don Madden
Fully Flummoxed

Roll a Selectric typewriter ball on a clay surface to make random letters.


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Gillian McMurray
Gillian McMurray: Artist & Craftperson

When doing a detailed drawing with graphite, instead of starting to shade with the harder, lighter grades of pencil (H grades) working your way to the darker shades, start with the softer, darker shades (B grades) and work up to the lighter shades. That way you burnish the softer graphite into the surface of the paper with the harder grades. You can make darker shading and build depth with this method. This is ideal for shaded areas like the dark areas between undergrowth or the pupil of eyes.
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Mary Hunt
Working Projects
Mary Hunt Studio on Etsy

When soldering with lead...touch the iron TO the foil as you solder...don't hover. The heat setting is the most important part of having smooth solderlines and the heat is also imperative to control when scultping with lead...be it leaded or lead free.


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Jane Royal
Painted Heart Studio

Warm-up technique for watercolor painting: Take a large sheet of watercolor paper and mark off six 5" x 7" rectangles. Choose a 'subject' to paint. Paint the subject 6 times working quickly and altering your technique, colors, and approach each time. Do not think about it! Limit is 4 minutes per rectangle. The results don't matter b/c they are just a warm-up exercise (this takes the pressure off). It's a great way to discover new techniques, color schemes, etc.


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Shirley Ende-Saxe
In the Name of Art
Ohio Collage Society News

Glazes, acrylic glazes, I love the way it layers, reveals and hides just a little.


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Marie Dante
Cinnamon Studio

I use a good art magazine paper like Communication Arts in my printer. I print photos of my art work over text or whatever & have come up with images that look like transfers and some really surprising and serendipitous results.


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**If you have left a comment on one of my previous posts asking to be a part of The Pulse and have not yet heard back from me, it is because I do not have your email address. Please email me directly so I can send you the information you need to participate. And if you have not yet commented and are now interested in being a part of The Pulse, it is not too late. You have until November 30 to join.