Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Fog


In the midst of the fog, illuminate your own path.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Pause


In honor of the long Thanksgiving weekend, there will be a brief pause today in the postings for The Pulse. Come back next Sunday 12/4 when I will put up the last post of the Techniques and Tools series. And join The Altered Page the following Sunday 12/11 when a new series from The Pulse begins: Master Class.

Wishing all my amazing, creative, and loyal readers endless thanks for all the blog love that has come my way. You are the best!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 8


Eighth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

Click here to read how by Censoring, you can let your art do the talking. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

On the Radio


I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Lesley Riley as a guest on her Art & Soul radio program. The show goes live on Monday, November 21st at 7pm EST and you can listen at this link. The show will be available to hear at any time after Monday and will also be available as a podcast on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Technique & Tool: Chapter 10


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 was the first project posted and links to all 12 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The second project, Techniques & Tools, the second project, continues now...


Participants were asked: 'The one technique or tool that you cannot live without is... ' I have added links of my own choosing to each contribution below, sometimes to products, sometimes to videos, sometimes to the artist's own work, and sometimes to something unexpected. Even the contributors do not know what I will be linking to!
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Eileen Bellomo


Gesso! And my hands.
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dorit Elisha


My sewing machine. It works on fabric and paper, it adds texture, color, line and strength, and can replace glue.
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Jodi Ohl


I can't live without my acrylic paint coupled with glazing medium. It's the foundation for everything I do.
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Billie's Craft Room


Distressing paper/card using dye based ink and cut n dry foam.
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Laura Lein-Svencner


Morning Journal writing. It's the way I always start my day. I need to sort things out and find my place of balance continually as things are constantly changing and it helps me adapt to it all.
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Stephanie Brouwers


If I stick with my philosophy that less is more...the one tool I could not live without is my pocket knife. You can do a lot with a pocket knife...
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Nelda Ream


Paint. I can't live without paint. Gotta paint pictures, walls, my toenails; anything that doesn't move.
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Gillian McMurray


My goat hair hake brush. I use it in so many creative endeavours from watercolour painting, to painting background papers with acrylic, and even brushing away eraser rubbings when I do pencil work.
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Jessica Walthall


It's almost impossible to pick just one, but considering all the art I make as a whole, I'd say layering of media. Without layers in my work, I'd lose the depth and dimension, and without that I think my work may fall flat.
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Lottie Anderson


A broken dowel and a bottle of India ink.
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Luthien Thye


Technique: Aging
Tool: Imagination
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Next 'Techniques & Tools' will be posted on Sunday, November 27th. That will be the last post in the series. A new series from The Pulse will begin the following Sunday, December 4th. Stay tuned.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Take a Chance

If you are anything like me, you have a bunch of art supplies and products in your studio that you were excited to get but have never used. I have decided that now is the time to blow off the dust, break open the seals, and actually use these items. In my newest piece, 'Take a Chance', I have used two products that were gifted to me: Liquid Pencil and Wood Icing.


I was introduced to Liquid Pencil by Pam Carriker, who helped developed this line of products with Derivan. Think of this product as graphite in a bottle. There are many ways to use it but I used it as a 'paint', covering the entire surface of the panel along with layers of more traditional acrylic paint.


I first heard about Wood Icing from Mary Beth Shaw, who highlighted the product on my blog in a post for The Pulse. She had me at the word texture. Wood Icing is a versatile paste that can be used on multiple substrates and in multiple ways. On this piece, I sanded it down to create very subtle surface texture.


Take a Chance

Available for purchase from my Etsy Shop.

Sold. Thank you!

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Catori (sold. thank you!) and Hiyana, two pieces from my Facets series, will retire from my Etsy shop on 11/22 and are now shipping free worldwide until then.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Time to Take the Pulse

My first book, The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed, is now available for pre-order from Amazon.


Many months have passed since the idea for this book was formed and I am excited that the home stretch is now in sight. It will still be some time before I have an actual copy in hand but having it available for pre-order is one step closer. If you would like to get updates to your inbox regarding the book and the planned events surrounding its release, feel free to join my mailing list.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Technique & Tool: Chapter 9


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 was the first project posted and links to all 12 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The second project, Techniques & Tools, the second project, continues now...


Participants were asked: 'The one technique or tool that you cannot live without is... ' I have added links of my own choosing to each contribution below, sometimes to products, sometimes to videos, sometimes to the artist's own work, and sometimes to something unexpected. Even the contributors do not know what I will be linking to!
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Rebeca Trevino


My favorite tool is my cordless drill. I used to be a big fan of glues and adhesives. Today, although I still use glue and adhesive for some things, I find that screws work best for most things. And I pre-drill everything. My favorite technique is making gel transfers and using them in my artwork.
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Trudi Sissons


An eraser.
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Roseann Cazares


The one tool I cannot live without is masking tape. I can't get enough of it!
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JoAnnA Pierotti


It would have to be a sewing machine. My mom taught me how to sew when I was a little girl. Sewing is one thing that I have been consistent with throughout my entire life thus far.
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Kim Palmer


A sewing needle! Have you ever tried to sew anything without a needle? I could make my own paints or dyes, use plant fibres as thread, but a needle. Just give me one and save us both a load of colourful language and frustration.
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Paula Bogdan


I am beginning to rely more and more on what others might term "junk." I reach for the expired credit card/gift card to spread paint or to scrape it off. Corrugated cardboard makes the neatest marks, as does the bottom of a paper cup. A piece of wallpaper used to make numerous prints becomes a journal cover. The numerous bands my husband wore during his last hospital stay become journal fodder. Everyday life's "leftovers" make for great journal pages.
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Ange


A piece of stray cardboard or balsa wood, cut at the right slant. Mmmm, no really it would have to be the basic Chinese paintbrush my calligraphy teacher gave me 3 years ago. I will shed tears when the last bristle falls out of the shaft.
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Kesha Bruce


I am addicted to black sharpie markers. I write with them, draw with them; I use them in my under-paintings. It may not be a sophisticated are tool, but I use it for everything. I love the bold black mark.
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AnTonia Griva


My brushes and color in painting and my MacBook in life.
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Alicia Caudle


This is an ever-changing response for me as I vacillate so very much in my artistic focus on any give day: assemblages, paintings, collages, altered books, sewing, etc. Looking more at my art as a whole though, I would have to say paint, I think, because I can always find objects to assemble and paper to collage. A life without paint would be ever so bland!
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Next 'Techniques & Tools' will be posted on Sunday, November 20th.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

In the Studio


I have the pleasure of being part of a wonderful crew that will be talking about the book Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space live on Wednesday, November 9.



The show airs on Mark Lipinski's online radio show and podcast Creative Mojo from 3 to 5pm EST. Joining Mark will be Cate Coulacos Prato, the author, along with 5 of the more than 30 artists whose studios were featured in the book. You can hear it live by going here and clicking on the 'Live On Air' button. During the broadcast, listeners can call in to speak with all of us. The show will also be archived and available at any time beginning a few hours after broadcast at this link. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Technique & Tool: Chapter 8


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 was the first project posted and links to all 12 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The second project, Techniques & Tools, continues now...


Participants were asked: 'The one technique or tool that you cannot live without is... ' I have added links of my own choosing to each contribution below, sometimes to products, sometimes to videos, sometimes to the artist's own work, and sometimes to something unexpected. Even the contributors do not know what I will be linking to!
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Holly Dean


In my work, I am forever experimenting with ways of combining art and word. My love of text and letterforms is evident in all that I create, whether expressed through calligraphy, typography or as pattern. I might write directly on the piece with a dip bib or brush, using acrylic ink or thinned-down paint, or I might choose to use the process of collage, transfer or hand-cut stenciling. Lettering may be obscured in layers of paint medium and imagery or it may be the focal point. In my work, it is often both.
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Theresa Plas


Sauvignon Blanc
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Bleubeard and Elizabeth


It's hard to limit my tools to one, because I use my paper cutter every day and my needle-nose pliers most days. But for painting, I guess my one tool I can't live without is my old faux credit card.
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Bonnie Clark


Collage
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Arabella Grayson


Crayons. Can't live without crayons. In addition to coloring with them, they remind me of the importance of play during the creative process.
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William J. Charlebois


Now that I am creating multi-media paintings, I'm finding out the many uses of gesso.
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Laura A. Pace (LA Pace)


My 24" curtain rod mahl stick. Works for most small canvas sizes when extended to various lengths, and can be closed down to fit on my easel or in my travel bag.
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marianne konvalinka


Currently, matte gel medium - useful for so many things - gluing, texture, layers.
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Lelainia N. Lloyd


In the last year it's been my sewing machine, with which I've been madly sewing paper for Remains of the Day Journals. Most recently, it's been my brand new Canon Rebel DSLR, which is helping me explore a whole new avenue of creativity.
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Dayna J. Collins


Well if I have to pick just one (a cruel limitation), at this moment in time it would be my wood-handled bulbous awl. I use it to draw into wet paint, to scratch and make marks into wood and plaster. I love how the handle fits in my hand and the many marks I can make with the sharp tip.
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Next 'Techniques & Tools' will be posted on Sunday, November 13th.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Small Works 2012


Four of my pieces will be on display at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in  Small Works 2012, their annual juried exhibition. The show runs from November 4th through December 19th, with a reception being held on Sunday, November 20th from 4-6pm (please note revised date). LBIF is located at 120 Long Beach Boulevard in Loveladies, New Jersey.