Artist Launch

Rediscovering Self Expression During Chronic Illness, Art as Therapy

2015-05-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Over the last two plus years, I have developed often debilitating pain and fatigue. My plans to start showing my art regularly, along with painting in my studio and a host of other things that rely on a consistent store of personal energy went sailing out the window, along with much of my creativity and self worth. Finally a year ago December, after more than a month of averaging around 2-4 hours of sleep I quit my job after a big blow with my boss, ending a thirty year career in Veterinary medicine (my day job, most artists have one) and opened a disability case. What ensued after has been a period of very low creativity, and a very dark depression.

My sketches of my pain and fatigue, not pretty but cathartic

After finding relief for the depression, and modest relief of some of the pain via taking a handful of medications morning and night I have found that periods of creativity can sometimes be gently cajoled out of hiding. For me the hardest thing has been subject matter. It is difficult to paint cheerful floral pieces, animals or pretty much else when ever particle in your body is screaming out, so my work has drifted more to abstract, and sketches that depict pain, or my current emotionally state. Although these sketches will never be framed or displayed, they have led to a re-awakening of my creative drive, I feel more able to consider other subject matter, now that I have begun to express my inner feelings about my illness. My sketches have drifted from subjects of pain and fatigue, to that of my surroundings; pets, mundane objects and scenes, etc.

Once I expressed what was bothering me, finding other subject I wanted to sketch came easier

If you are finding that you are struggling with your art due to a chronic illness or disability, It might be worthwhile to stop focusing on making something beautiful that you will share, and spend time expressing what you are feeling from your current condition. It may not be pretty, but that is o.k. Art is after all about self expression, and it is important ultimately to find a way to express what is bothering you so that you may reconnect with the creative source.

Flowers, Juried Art show, No fee until accepted

2014-06-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

"Flowers" Juried Show - No Submission Fee

at Arterie Fine Arts

190 E. Fifth Avenue
Naperville, IL 60563

630-428-4639

arteriefinearts.com

Entry Deadline: 2014-07-05

Call for Entries

"Flowers" Juried Show
August 5 – August 30

Opening Artists Reception
Awards Ceremony
Saturday, August 9th
6:00pm - 9:00pm

Critique of Artwork
6:30pm

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” - Claude Monet
Flowers in art throughout the history: from a minor decorative addition to other subjects like in Egyptian tomb paintings to representations of medieval religious symbols to large, abstract close-ups of Georgia O'Keeffe – these marvels of beauty have been fascinating artists over and over. Is the art of depicting flowers an art of the past? The challenge for the artist is to capture and to revive the essence of the flowers.

Submit: Your art in any medium, painting, sculpture, ceramic, jewelry, fabric, video, installation...
Images must be in jpg format (max. 10mb 4000 pixels longest side) & include title_dimensions.

Submit: A writing piece (50 words or less) optional

Submit: A short one sentence description of each piece.

Juror: CJ Hungerman, originally from Pittsburgh, has a Masters Degree in Fine Arts: Painting/Design from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. He has completed many public art projects in Chicago such as one of the large-scale Ryder Cup golf balls displayed on Michigan Avenue in 2012. One of CJ’s pieces won the Alice & Arthur Baer Award in October 2013. Currently his work can be seen at the new Fulton Market Kitchen hanging with artists Erik Debat, Hebru Brantley, Franklin Riley, Erni Vales, Rory Coyne, and Dominic Sansone.

Prizes
First Prize $50 and a certificate signed by the Judge.

Second Prize $25 gift certificate usable in the gallery and a certificate signed by the Judge.

Special Mention $10 gift certificate usable in the gallery and a certificate signed by the Judge.

Gallery Pick $25 gift certificate for display fee in future show.

Rules for Submission

Eligibility: International

Deadline for Submissions: July 5th, 2014

Email Submissions with title of the show in subject line to: info@arteriefinearts.com

Submission Fee: None, display fee on acceptance.

Notification of Acceptance via email: July 7th, 2014

Size of Artwork: Artwork size may not exceed 36” x 36" x 18" for each piece.
Contact us for any oversized artwork submissions.

Display Fee*: Due by July 11th, 2014
Upon acceptance you will be expected to pay a display fee* at the rate of $25 per painting or $60 for 3 paintings. Contact gallery for pricing on over-sized pieces.
You will receive invites, webpage, inclusion in press releases & a page in our art book (available for purchase).
You will pay 30% on your sales as commission to the gallery.

Drop Off/Receipt of Work: July 29th – August 2nd
You are responsible for dropping off your artwork, ready for hanging (wired). If you are outside of Chicago, you are responsible for shipping, insuring the package, requesting a delivery signature and for a reusable package plus a return shipping label. Please package fragile items properly in oversize boxes to prevent damage by shipping carriers. We will refuse delivery of items damaged by the carrier. Shipments via FedEx should be standard overnight, or ground, do not send priority overnight or 1st overnight. Do not send as home delivery, check business, or leave it blank.

Pick up/Return Shipping Date: September 2nd - September 6th
Artwork which is not picked up within 30 days becomes the property of the gallery.

Insurance: 100% Insurance of your work on our premises at the fair value you declare. You are responsible for insuring artwork in transit. Artwork will not be insured after September 6th.

Why Buying Quality Watercolor Products Matters to the Beginner

2014-06-22T15:11:00.001-07:00

It is extremely tempting, especially in the beginner stages of an artists career to select cheap products, however these products almost always fail to perform. Cheap papers will have too little sizing, and cause the paint to soak into the lower layers of the paper, making it impossible to create uniform washes. Poor quality paint is often made from chalky, opaque pigments that are neither light fast, and make more than one layer of paint impossible. Additionally even the best painting will look flat and lifeless due to the pigments poor quality, and you can pretty much forget mixing unless you want to make mud. Many people worry about spending extra money on a media they may not be willing to pursue in the long term however, failing to buy quality products can set the budding artist up for failure. Many would be watercolor artist abandons the media altogether without ever getting a chance to appreciate the wonderful possibilities that quality watercolors can create.

All About Paper
Sizing
Sizing on watercolor paper is the product applied to the paper to keep the paints from being absorbed into the paper in an uncontrolled manner. A properly sized paper will allow multiple layers of controlled washes. cheap paper allows the watercolor to soak into the layers of the paper itself, causing unsightly bleeding. Avoid student papers for this reason, more often than not there is little to no sizing, and the final result is a painting with paint that has leached into the paper itself.

Paper Weight
The weight of the paper is translated as how much a ream of that particular paper would weigh. 140 lb paper would weight 140 pounds per ream. The higher the paper weight, the heaver the paper is itself, and of course the more expensive it is. Avoid using watercolor paper lighter than 140lb, as it will buckle and perform very poorly, make it difficult to paint even if it is taped down. The heavier the paper, the more it usually costs.

Types of paper
Paper may be purchases in tablets, blocks, loose, and in large sheets that can be used as is, or cut into smaller sheets. They may have deckled edge, created when made in a mould, or hand made, or cut edges. High rag papers are made of cotton. Arches, one of my favorites is an all cotton paper that performs well even with multiple washes. Look for archival, high rag papers to ensure that the paintings will be around for a long time. There are also good quality recycled papers made of a combination of wood, cotton, and other recycled products. When shopping these always look for products labelled archival. Also look for artist and professional in the labeling. Avoid student papers like the plague, the hassle isn't worth it.

Brushes
There are lots of reasons to avoid cheap brushes, but the biggest reason is that you will spend a great deal of time picking brush hair out of your work, an act that can damage the surface of the painting and cause a great deal of aggravation. I have addressed this in a previous post "know your brushes"
which explains the different types of brushes and their care.

Paint
As with many of the products, avoiding poor quality paint is crucial, yet unlike the often poor quality found in student paper, there are some perfectly good quality student paints. Windsor and Newton has their academy paint line that is usually of good quality. Their professional artist line is also very good, and not overly expensive. What makes the difference is lightfastness of the paint, intensity of the pigments, and transparency. The best bet for anyone starting out is to choose a paint that is both light fast and transparent. The cost of the paint rises with the intensity, which is created by introducing large amounts of finely ground, quality pigment into a binding agent. High intensity artist paint lines like Sennelier and Old Holland (to name a few of the many many excellent artist paints) are wonderful to work with, and very cost effective despite the expense as you need to use much less to create a vibrant wash.

For those looking to try paints out, here is a list of colors that can be used to try watercolor out.
Cobalt blue,
aurelean,
rose madder,
Viridian
These are a basic transparent palette that can be used to mix a very large variety of colors. Their transparency means that multiple washes can be created without the worry of mud.

The last most important artist must have is not a paint or a paper, but a library of reference books that can be referred to in moments that need inspiration, or when there is confusion on mixing a particular color. One of the books I cannot recommend more highly is Janie Dobie's book "Making color sing" which I will include a link here. She can help a young artist create a highly sophisticated palette, while choosing the right color to make paintings "pop" This is one of my favorite and most referred to books in my personal library, and I still even after 28 years of painting look to it when I feel my paintings could use help. For the beginning artist I would say this is a must have for your private collection.

Gallery Fifty Six Juried Exhibition Memphis, TN Deadline 6/30/14

2014-06-15T10:34:00.004-07:00

Gallery Fifty Six Juried Exhibition

at Gallery Fifty Six

2256 Central Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104

901-276-1251

www.galleryfiftysix.com

Entry Deadline: 2014-06-30

Enter: Juried Show August 2014

You may enter directly from our web site: www.galleryfiftysix.com
click on 'call to artists'

Gallery Fifty Six is now accepting submissions to our first annual Juried Exhibition featuring guest juror, internationally renowned photographer Haley Morris-Cafiero.

This exhibition is open to:
•2-D and 3-D work including-painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, mixed media

•Artists who are able to personally drop off their work by the deadline, and pick up their work when the show is over

Rules:
•$15 submission for 3 images, $25 for 5 images, do not submit more than 5 images
•Work must be available for purchase, gallery retains 50% commission
•1st and 2nd place prizes will be awarded
•Work must be in good taste

Guidelines:
•Images, artist statement and bio emailed to gallery director, Rollin Kocsis (rollin@galleryfiftysix.com)
•The inclusion of your website is optional
•Images need to be jpg, 300 dpi, titled and sent as: last name_first name_title_dimensions
•In the body of your submission email include a corresponding list with title, dimensions, medium and price
•Artist statement and bio need to be in Word or PDF
•Work must be "display-ready." Pedestals are available for sculpture. 2-D work needs to have wire across the back for hanging
• Artist is expected to have their own insurance for their work, the gallery is not responsible for damaged, lost or stolen items.

Important Dates:
•May 1- June 30th Call to Artists
•July 13- 19 Artist notification via email
•July 24- 25th Deliver artwork to the gallery
•Aug. 1st- Opening reception
•Aug. 29th-Show closes
•Aug. 30th- Artwork pick-up

Avoiding Scams designed to take your art and money

2014-06-15T10:09:00.003-07:00

Scammers and Con men and women have been around for probably as long as their has been money, and ultimately the goal of these scams is to liberate honest individuals from their money, products or both. With the advent of the internet, the number of scammers in the us has increased dramatically. Unfortunately the police will not get involved until you actually get relieved of your money and artwork, so it is important to be aware of the common denominator in many of these scams.

There is a common denominator in pretty much all the scams, regardless of how they are initially presented. In the artist version the individual approaches the artist and wants to forward a "certified check" that has an excess of money that you are to wire transfer back to them or one of their associates. It is not always revealed up front that there will be an excess but you can bet on this. These checks are fake, and some of the bolder scammers will use the identities of actual business owners as the account holder, however a call to the supposed account holder will often reveal that the check is a forgery, or sometimes the entire information with perhaps the exception of the bank name is faked. It often takes 2 or more weeks for the check to be confirmed a fraud, and what happens is that people deposit these checks thinking they are legitimate, and end up holding the bag for the amount of the check, plus heft return fees. Additionally it is unwise to accept money orders for the same reason as they can be easily faked as well with the same outcome. The scammer may also set up a pick up of the art in question. Personally I would never consider taking a check unless I personally knew the owners. When I use Craig's list it is usually a cash only transaction with local people, and I would not take a check unless I knew the person individually, and Very well.

This is an actual email that I received from a Craig's List post in which I had multiple paintings listed

Hello,I will be buying from you so please kindly withdraw the advert
from Craigs_List. i will be paying with a via US Certified Check from
my Bank it will be delivered to you via (UPS Next Day Air®) or via Fed
Ex, so I'll need you to provide me with the following information to
facilitate the mailing of the check...

Full name to be on the payment and full of address with Apt # suite #
including your cell phone,and a firm price,

I will make arrangements for the pick up as soon as you have your
money I am completely satisfied with the advert and the payment will
be delivered via Fed Ex. Thanks.

Another warning sign is that a scammer may fail to identify the art they are interested, as the true goal is to extract money from the individual, the art is just the bonus. My advertisement has multiple pieces listed, yet the would be buyers failed to identify which piece they wanted. This is a huge red flag as well. It should be up to the seller how they will ship.

Receiving an email that demands for an item to be shipped a certain way or to be picked up by their agents is a sure sign of a scam. Despite the desire to sell, never give in to the temptation to let the buyer set the terms, it is almost assuredly a recipe for disaster. You as the creator and seller are solely responsible for deciding how you ship.

The best bet for the artist is to use a trusted pay source such as pay pal, or we pay to process checks. Paypal has an in-house method of investigating potentially fraudulent transactions. Additionally it is wise to use common shipping couriers such as the USPS, FED-EX or UPS to ship parcels as they provide undeniable proof that the item was delivered. Additionally it is also wise to include insurance in case the object fails to make it to its destination in one piece.

Recognizing the signs of a scam is crucial to avoid losing your money and art. Using the common sense approach of only accepting a verifiable payment system such as paypal, and shipping in a way that you decide is the best bet for safely selling your art.

Lynchburg Art Club Call to Artists Lynchburg VA August 2014 show

2014-06-09T14:01:00.001-07:00

Call for Entries – Concerning the Spiritual in Art

From the Lynchburg Artclub website

May 28, 2014 - Exhibits - Tagged: juried exhibition - no comments

Call for Entries
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
A juried survey of regional 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional art exploring the themes of faith, community, and the spiritual life.
August 1- August 17, 2014

Three $250 Awards of Recognition

Jurors:
Mitchell Bond and Patrick Ellis, owners of Goose Creek Studio in Bedford, VA
www.goosecreekstudio.com - www.portiunculaguild.com
Patrick Ellis is an artist and educator who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia, a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy in Liturgical Studies from Drew University. He has taught high school and college and has led workshops for all age groups in the field of art and spirituality. He has mounted numerous art exhibits in his roles as Curator of the Dadian Gallery at Wesley Theological Seminary and Director of the Arts for Theology and Ministry Program at the Washington Theological Union. Patrick is a mixed media artist and liturgical designer.
Mitchell Bond, a native of Bedford, VA, came to Goose Creek Studio from a career in graduate theological education. He has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from James Madison University and a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary. He has nearly twenty years of experience in student services and administration. Mitchell is also an artist working in copper foil stained glass, fused glass and mosaics.

Call to Artists:
Open to all artists working in, but not limited to, paint, sculpture, metal, photography, printmaking, fiber, mixed media, mosaics, collage, drawing, glass, ceramics, etc. Members and non-members of the Lynchburg Art Club (LAC) are invited to submit entries.
The exhibition is not intended to be a competition, but rather a survey of work by regional artists who explore the universal experiences of faith, community, and the spiritual life. The jurors are looking for art that moves the viewer beyond the current time, expresses an inner spirit, or seeks to communicate the complexities and inter-connectedness of human life. The jurors are not looking for representations of religious images or persons, but rather work that denotes an understanding of the creative imagination and artistic expression as primary sources for communicating the primary struggles of existence; birth and death, relationships, community, sickness and health, injustice, belief and unbelief. Artists of all faith traditions, artists who struggle with issues of faith and artists of no particular faith are encouraged to participate in this survey.
This is not a blind juried process. Artists are encouraged to submit both an artist’s statement and websites/Facebook information with their entries so that the jurors can better grasp an overview of the artists work.
“The artist must have something to say, mastery over form is not the artistic goal, rather the use and adaption of forms to communicate or represent inner meaning.”
Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual In Art, 1912
Recognitions:
Three “Portiuncula Awards “($250 each) will be given to artists whose work most powerfully and thoughtfully explores and expresses the universal experiences of faith, community, and the spiritual life.
Award reception will be on First Friday, August 1, from 5-8 PM. The jurors will present recognitions and make a few comments about the jury process and the art represented in the exhibit.
This exhibition is open to all artists over the age of 16. All 2-D entries must be framed or gallery wrap, wired for hanging. We cannot accept saw-tooth hangers or metal loops embedded in cardboard backing. Please make sure your work/s is/are labeled with your name and title on the back.
Entry Fee:
LAC Members: $25, nonmembers $35, for up to three items. Make checks payable to Lynchburg Art Club, submit with entry form. A completed entry form is required of all artists. Correct spelling and accuracy is the responsibility of the artist.
Entry Submission: (2 Step Process)

DOWNLOAD the entry form
Mail completed form and entry fee to:

Lynchburg Art Club
Attention: Patty Powers
1011 Rivermont Ave
Lynchburg, VA 24504
2. Email electronic image files and artist statement to
portinculaguild@gmail.com
. In the subject box, type these words: Concerning the Spiritual entry
Attach digital images of your entries. Electronic file specifications: JPG or TIF, 300 ppi (dpi), longest dimension 8” or 2400ppi. 2 images of each work may be submitted if a detail image is to be included.
File names: Last name First initial Title of art work full (example: Powers P The Heavens Sing full.jpg ) or Last name First initial Title of art work detail (example: Powers P The Heavens Sing detail.jpg)
If you have an artist statement, please attach it to this email or include it in the body of the email. Also in the body of the email, please note your website/Facebook/blog or other internet presence.
Please feel free to contact the jurors if you have questions about submissions or the jury process. If you need help with photographing digital images, resizing images, or submitting images and entries by email, please contact Patty Powers pz4pow@msn.com or your other computer savvy friends for help.
Deadline for receipt of emailed images: Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Postmark deadline for mailed entry forms: Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Notification: Artists will be notified by email of acceptance or rejection by Sunday, July 20, 2014.
Accepted art may be delivered to the Lynchburg Art Club on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, from 10-2 and from 5-7, or Wednesday, July 23, 2014, from 10-2. Contact Patty Powers if you are unable to deliver during these hours to make other arrangements.
Sales:
All art may be for sale. Artist is responsible for providing correct pricing. If a work is not for sale, please mark that on the entry form (NFS) and provide a value for insurance purposes.
Commission: Lynchburg Art Club will take a 30% commission on sales by members, and 35% for nonmembers. Checks will be mailed to artists within 3 weeks of the close of the exhibit. Work not for sale must include a value for insurance purposes. Maximum value the Lynchburg Art Club will insure is $1000.00 per work. Such coverage will run from the time of delivery until 2 days following the close of the exhibition.
Use of images of art in exhibit
Lynchburg Art Club has the right to use images of any art in this exhibit to promote the exhibition. Whenever possible, artist credit lines will be given, but LAC is not responsible for an omission in any publication.
You may pick up your art on Sunday, August 17, from 4-6, or on Monday, August 18, from 10-2 or 5-7. Please contact Patty Powers at 434-384-7064 or pz4pow@msn.com if you cannot make one of those times. LAC will not release art to anyone other than the artist unless LAC has been notified of the name of the person who will be responsible for picking up another artist’s work.

Floral Watercolor Painting Tutorial start to finish

2014-06-07T15:36:00.002-07:00

For many people, working in watercolor is both frustrating, and disappointing. Watercolor has a reputation for being difficult to control, or for producing washed out, lifeless paintings, neither of which needs to be the case. This tutorial will take you from creating the initial sketch on the watercolor paper, to finished product.

For my painting I chose to work directly from one of my own photographs. I highly recommend taking your own photos, and using them to create a picture file that can be drawn upon when inspiration is low.

The Above photos were taken at the same time, although the daisies aren't in good focus I decided that I would like a combination of both the colorful clouds captured in the sky, and the daisies themselves. To expedite the drawing process, and help me arrange the elements in a pleasing manner, I chose to use a light box. Although this is often reviled by some artists, it is widely used. I could have easily drawn out the elements, but I find this is a good tool to assist me with placement of elements of the picture. I used a combination of three pictures as I wanted more flowers for the final painting.

If you are using a light box, you will want to attach the photo to the light box with a easily removable artist tape such as watercolor wash out tape or another tape that won't leave residue on the box. Once the photo is attached, the watercolor paper is attached over it where the desired element to be traced. I chose to rearrange the daisies in a pattern that I found visually pleasing, thus the odd placement on the paper. You can see I have already drawn some of the daisies I wanted in. It is best to use a 3H pencil and light pressure when drawing. You do not want to have readily visible lines, or to make marks that will cause the watercolor to pool in the indentation.

Once the sketch was finished I laid down my first wash of Allizarion and a combination of cobalt blue and aureleon yellow on the sky portion only, I tried to avoid a heavy dose of color over the flowers, but I didn't panic if some of the pink made its way onto the flower petals. You may have noticed I didn't stretch my watercolor paper. I do not as a habit stretch watercolor paper, as I find that it strips the paper of the sizing, which is what helps keep the color from being absorbed into the lower layers of the paper, and keeps the painting fresh. You may attach the paper to a board with watercolor washout tape if you want the paper to be kept from moving about, and this does make painting and doing washes easier.

I let the first wash dry before making the second wash. For the second wash, I will use a combination of the same colors, but carefully avoiding the flower petals. This is accomplished by loading a medium brush with color and working from the further points toward the flower. Try to work quickly to keep the paper wet, but not too wet. I infused areas I wanted intense color by loading a brush, and dropping it into already wet areas of the paper, using my sky photo as a guide to where the colors should be. When working around the flower petals, I used a smaller brush loaded with paint and very carefully extended the area of color into the flower. I did not use mask of any kind, so it was important to use great care. I also was carefully to avoid the grassy area to keep the colors clean, and to avoid sullying the flowers.

At this point the sky is finished. I let the painting dry completely before resuming work.

The next area to work on was the center of the flowers. Using auraleon and a transparent orange, I laid in the center of the flowers. You may have noticed that I have turned the painting upside down. I did this because it made it easier for me to work on the flowers. At this time I added pale cobalt blue into the petals, as whites truly are never completely white. I did a very pale wash around the flowers themselves, not worrying about the area immediately outside of the petals. The final wash would be dark enough to blend that area, obliterating any evidence of painting outside of the lines. Once the flower petals and centers were satisfactory I let it once again dry before completing the final area.

The stems of the flowers were painted first using a very dilute green and left to dry. The final wash was of a combination of Windsor green, a little cobalt and a smidge of Payne's grey. Greens can be mixed or used straight from the tube. Be sure to always choose transparent colors to keep the painting clean. I used a small brush to once again paint around the petals. Windsor green is staining, and is one of the more unforgiving colors due to this property, so it is important to use great care when working around areas you want to keep white. I second wash was dropped in from a medium round brush loaded with greens in areas I wanted to darken when the first wash was semi dry. Letting the canvas dry some will help intensify the washes, and create a brilliant painting.

Hopefully this will help build your confidence, and give you some ideas for creating your own works.

Finding Inspiration and the Creative process

2014-04-28T11:58:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, one of my Facebook friends as well as fellow alumnae issued a challenge looking for three people to write about their creative process by answering three questions. Her original post on the matter can be found here on her blog Writing, writing, writing...what else is there?.

I have attempted to answer these questions as set forth here.

PART A: PROCESS

Q1 What are you working on?

At the moment my attention has been given not so much to an individual work as to the actual process itself. For those of you that don’t know me, I have been experiencing an ongoing health crisis for more than two years. Chronic, often severe pain has sapped a great deal of both my physical and my creative energy. At the moment I am focusing on healing to the best extent possible, and finding alternative sources of inspiration. At one time I might have gone for a long walk in the woods in a secluded section behind my sister’s property before coming home and either painting or writing. This avenue for the moment is not an option. I am now looking to both my friends for inspiration, as well as books, magazines, the internet, anything that might help me reconnect with the creative flow that at one time made me an extremely prolific painter. Additionally I am making it a goal to write at least three pages in my personal journal. I have kept journals for more than thirty years, and have them on my shelf. They also at times provide both inspiration, and perspective on my current situation. When I do work in the studio, it is often animals or landscapes, rendered in bright, sometimes even psychedelic colors. I believe this is because I am trying to find a brighter, more cheerful place than where I have been emotionally. My writing still suffers from my physical problems, but I am hoping to come to a place of healing, and finally acceptance that will allow me to once again work.

A large oak along the path I often walked to find inspiration

Q2 How does my work differ from others of its genre?

When I paint y art is colorful, often straying away from traditional colors. I paint many animals, often in pinks, blues and violets that are both technically accurate yet surreally colored. Both the landscapes and animal paintings often are painted on the surface, lacking depth. My paintings are there, almost demanding to be seen.

As far as my writing is concerned, I often write from the first person. I find this the easiest way to convey my character’s emotions, yet often my readers believe that I am referring to myself. One time I shared the opening of a story of a woman who had lost her mother, and was preparing to leave to make arrangements. A friend asked me if I was depressed. Despite the misunderstanding that occurs in separating self and the written character, this is my preferred way of writing, although I have noted that in many writing journals this method is often discouraged. It has worked for me, though it may not work for everyone. Ultimately you need to make the choice of voice, and make it your own.

Q3: Why do you write (and paint) what you do?

From the time I was very young, I often found it very difficult to verbally articulate what was on my mind. I was a very shy child, and this became a source of grief for me as it became great sport to bully me when I was young. Despite my difficulty in speaking my mind, and the belief of the teachers that I had some sort of reading difficulty, which I didn’t as I was reading books well ahead of my grade level by the time I was in second grade, I felt that there must be some way to convey my feelings that didn’t involve speech. At first drawing, then painting, and finally writing became both my creative outlet, and my voice. When my mouth let me down, the written word and paintings didn’t. They both conveyed what I otherwise could not.

Q4: How does your writing/painting process work?

When I decide to paint or write, I prefer to be in a place where there are few distractions, preferably my studio, or other quiet place where I won’t be interrupted. I like to play music, oftentimes classical is the preferred, but occasionally I will put it on a classic rock station, but not turned up loud. When I paint I may stare at the canvas for a bit until I have formulated what is to be put upon the canvas. I might start out prepping the canvas with a rag dampened with turpentine, and dipped in one of the colors, or if I have an idea of what I want to paint, I will sketch it out first with a charcoal stick.

When I write it is a bit different. I have already hammered out in my head what I want to convey, what a character is going to say and how they are going to interact. Oftentimes I have a very good rough sketch in my mind of how the piece of writing will flow.

In either case I may work an hour or two, often feverishly until the mood escapes me. It is rare that I can sustain the creative will longer.

My Painting Studio

PART B: PASS IT ON

I must say that I have not been able to find anyone to pass this challenge on to. I accepted it because I needed to shake the creative “me” up, yet I am surprisingly left holding the proverbial bag. If anyone would like to take the creative challenge and answer these questions, please let me know. I am looking for three creative individuals to pass the challenge on to.

Creating Individual Design Elements For Your Zazzle Store

2012-05-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have discovered Zazzle, you already know its a great way to upload your designs, and make money on them, (and if you haven't you definitely need to head over to zazzle.com) however many artists don't use the full versatility of the Zazzle platform for utilizing individual design elements to create a finished product.

Many people starting out upload fully developed designs or photographs. The Teapot above was created from a single image photograph that I cropped to fit the dimensions of the teapot. This is great, and many artists use this method but it is not a format that can be used for everything. This is where it is important to learn to create and use individual design elements for your works.

The following Towel that I created in my store was made using individual elements that were uploaded as separate images then put together to form a collage like final design for the image. The Product, a Kitchen Towel offered the perfect playground to combine multiple individual image elements.

The design was created by using two very simple elements, that of a red heart, and that of a simple watercolor cat figure that I painted with this purpose in mind. It is important that individual design elements are created with a white background. This is extremely important as only whites in a background can be made transparent. This is crucial in order to be able to line individual design elements together to create a product with multiple images.

In the example above, taken while working with my design, you can see that by clicking on the Advanced options (the little gears) you can select "show whites in image as transparent" This makes it possible to group items together as above. By clicking on the image and hitting "edit" and "make copy" you can easily copy more of the same images as I did with both the hearts and cats without hitting "add images" making creating the design faster. Each image can be individually edited by either clicking the image in the design mode, or clicking the image over on the right had column that shows the images. The images can be made larger or smaller by dragging the corners of the boxes, and you can lock and entire object or objects by selecting then hitting lock object in the advanced options.

When Creating individual images for your store, its best to create larger images that can be scanned and reduced for use on the actual product. Small images make poor products, and painting small can rob your piece of details that will improve the overall quality of the design object. This Output size for this image is approximate 6 inches , however I have used it for products such as a man's tie by using the tools in Zazzle to shrink the image to the correct size, and eliminating the white background.
Be sure that when you use such an image that the final product is free of lines, such as the edge of the paper shown in this demo image by using image manipulation software such as HP Photo smart, or The Gimp (found free online) or if you are lucky Photoshop to crop out such lines as they will show on the final product.

For this tie I created a single cat design, however by manipulating it with HP Photosmart, and using color adjustments I created multiple versions of the same design. This can be a very useful technique for varying designs that can be used in your shop. As you can see, the use of individual elements can be a great way to create many different products easily, and doesn't have the requirement that the design be the same dimensions as the product.

A Comprehensive List of Festival Must haves

2012-04-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, and with it the start of the outdoor art festival season is just around the corner. If you haven't done it already, now is the time to gather the things to make your outdoor festival season as successful and as pain free as possible.

Anyone who has ever arrived at a festival and realized that they were missing some important item can tell you how frustrating this is. I've done it and I suspect nearly anyone that has ever shown at outdoor art festivals (and even some indoor) have come unprepared. With that in mind I have prepared a list, which I have divided into personal needs and Art Supplies.

Although many of the items on the previous list seem common sense, it is surprising how often these are forgotten. In the hast of trying to get all your art together, its easy to overlook the fact that most art festivals don't usually have any food vendors. It is best to assume that they will be absent altogether. There is nothing worse than sitting all day without food or drink, or being worried about leaving your work during busy times for fear or losing a sale. Having a friend with you that can watch your work, or run out and get food and snacks is greatly helpful, although not always possible, which makes bringing a cooler with drink and snacks a must.

Having a book is good too, as it isn't always busy, especially during early times, but I don't advise Mp3 players, as you don't want to completely tune people out. Always be there to talk to potential customers, even if you don't think they are interested in your work. Greet people as they walk by, and during busy times stand up to the side of your work. Why are people going to be interested in your work if you yourself show a lack of interest. The more enthusiasm you can convey, the more interest people will take in you.

Be sure to bring a jacket, even in the summer. My most recent show turned out to be very chilly, even though the usual temperatures averaged in the 80s for that time of year, and I was very grateful to have my coat with me.

The rest of the items you will need pertain directly to your art. Always keep items for repair in a tote bag that you can take with you. Having extra labels for your art work, as well as a pen handy can be a lifesaver as well. Tags tend to fall off pieces, and you wouldn't want your work to be excluded from judging because it lacks its label. Supplies to clean the frames and glass are always helpful. One of the most important supplies of this category is a cart of some sort. Having a cart to help you unload is invaluable, and can drastically cut down on the time it takes to put your show up and take it down.

This list is undoubtedly incomplete, as I feel certain that the more I show, the more items I will find I need. Feel free to print it out, and add your own must have to the list.

List of Items that you will need

Personal:

1. Light folding Chair

2. Rain jacket or other light jacket

3. Cooler with water or other drinks and snacks

4. Tylenol, Advil or whatever your preferred headache med

5. Book to read during lulls

6. Sunglasses

7. Hat

8. Wet Ones or other hand wipes

9. Tissues. Toilet paper works well and is a lifesaver for outdoor temporary toilets

10. A friend, spouse or otherwise to watch your work while you take breaks, and to help you load and unload.

Art Supplies

1. Light colored fabric (no prints) for the fence. Should be at least 2 yards x 1 1/2 yards wide

2. Binder Clips to hold fabric to fence. Can be purchases bulk at any office supply

3. Drapery Hooks or S hooks to hang art on fence

4. Extra Picture wire for unexpected repairs

5. Wire Cutters

6. Pliers

7. Blank Art Labels

8. Scotch tape

9. Pen

10. Notebook to record Sales

11. $40 in change in small bills (for change from sales)

12. Paper Towels

13. Glass Cleaner

14. Clear lightweight plastic in case of showers

15. Car to assist with unloading and loading. Garden Carts work nicely, as do flat folding carts.

16. Folding card table for small items such as note cards and other small sale items.

Call To Artists Amherst Art Society Annual Show

2011-07-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Amherst Art Society

Annual Art Show & Sale
Saturday, September 10th, 2011, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(rain date is Sep 11)
On the Front Lawn of St. Francis of Assisi Church
So Main Street, Amherst
Artwork available by local artists in a variety of media
Paintings – Drawings – Film and Digital Photography
Mixed Media - 3 Dimensional Art
Artists wanting to participate can call Charlene Ryan for an application
(434) 847-5912

Or email CharleneRyan@comcast.net

International Juried Art competition, call to Artists

2011-04-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Deadline: All entries must be received by June 30, 2011.

Eligibility: The competition is open to artists anywhere in the world, 18 years of age or older. Publishers, galleries, agents, and collectors may not submit artwork on behalf of artists. Drawings, paintings, printmaking, photography, digital art, sculpture, installations, wood, glass, ceramics, fiber art and mixed media are eligible. Media not accepted: video/film, wearable art (clothing or jewelry). All works submitted must be original in design and concept. Artwork must not be copied, in part or wholly, from any published or copyrighted work. Work previously shown in an Art Kudos exhibition is ineligible. Please do not submit images which would be inappropriate for general audiences.

Awards Judge: Holly Koons McCullough is the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. She began her career at the Telfair in 1996, serving as the museum's Curator of Education before assuming leadership of the curatorial department. She spearheaded the publication of the Telfair's first collection catalogue, and has organized exhibitions on subjects ranging from modern silverpoint drawings to contemporary Southeastern art, as well as 19th and early 20th-century American art, including the recent Dutch Utopia exhibition. She holds a B. A. in English and art history from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in art history from the University of Notre Dame.

Awards: Exemplary works will be displayed in a year-long online exhibition at www.artkudos.com beginning August 15th. Cash awards totaling $4,400 will be distributed as follows: Best of Show - $1,200; Second Place - $900; Third Place - $750; Founder's Award of Distinction - $500; (3) Merit Awards - $250 each; (3) Honorable Mentions - $100 each.

Sales/Commissions: No commissions are taken for sales generated via the exhibition, and works submitted do not have to be available for sale. Sales will be encouraged, however, and artists will have the option to display their contact information beside their images.

Submission Guidelines: Artists must submit a completed entry form and pay a non-refundable entry fee of $30 US dollars (check, money order, or PayPal) to submit 3 images. For sculptural or three-dimensional pieces, artists may submit 2 views of each work (for a total of 6 images).

Image size, format and resolution: Horizontal images should have a width of 800 pixels or more, and vertical images should have a height of 625 pixels or more. Images must be in a .tif or .jpg format and in RGB color mode (not CMYK). Save your images with as little compression as possible (i.e. choose the best quality when saving your images) while maintaining a file size less than 1 MB (or less than 1000KB) for each image. Do not submit slide shows, Flash files, PowerPoint, etc. Do not add borders, watermarks, or text of any kind. The resolution should not be greater than 300 dpi.

File size limitation: The file size for each image is limited to 1 MB (or 1000KB).

File name: File names are limited to 15 characters and cannot have spaces, punctuation marks, or non-English characters. (Do not include characters such as !@.'#$%^&*()_+ as part of the file name.)
Acceptable file name: MarysBlueCoat.jpg Not acceptable: Mary's Blue.Rain Coat.jpg

Acceptance/Notification: Artists will be notified by August 1, 2011 as to whether or not they have been selected as a finalist for the online exhibition. Award winners will be announced with the opening on August 15, 2011.

We reserve the right to use accepted images for inclusion in the online exhibition and for the purpose of publicity.

Checklist for Artists:
1. Submit a completed entry form »
2. Submit images of your work »
3. Send $30 entry fee »

Questions? Contact us at info@artkudos.com

Art for Alaska parks Call to Artists

2011-04-17T08:13:00.001-07:00

June 30, 2011 (Received)	Exhibit Place	Stephen Fine Art Gallery Anchorage, AK Anchorage, AK, United States
Exhibit Date(s)	Exhibit Place		August 5th-19th 2011
Entry Fees	$25 first entry, $10 each additional	Commission Fees	50%
Eligibility	Professional and amateur artists of all ages worldwide
Awards	$1000 Grand Prize, $250 Awards of Merit	Juror(s)	Kaye Goodrich, Shane Lamb
Mail to	Art For Alaska Parks 5620 E. 97th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99507	Contact Email	info@artforalaskaparks.com
Mail to	Art For Alaska Parks 5620 E. 97th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99507	Contact Phone	(907)346-2282
Website	www.artforalaskaparks.com	Prospectus

The Importance of Framing

2011-04-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

For many artists, framing their work takes a backseat to the actual creation of the work itself. If you are anything like me you set about painting a piece with little thought to the finished framed product. This isn't always a bad thing, but if you lay the design out without thinking about how it will be framed, you may find that matting and framing a piece to be difficult with potentially cutting out some important part of the picture.

When laying out the design, at least for artwork that will be matted and framed, it is best to keep in mind that a least 1/4" all the way around the edge of the piece will be under a mat. Plan for this so that important design elements won't be lost. If you really must paint all the way to the edge, use attractive papers with 4 deckled edges which can be "floated" without a mat.

Choosing a good quality frame is crucial to the appeal of a finished artwork. At one time I tended to choose frames based on their cost, a bad idea as they are often poorly made, and may not be a style or color that will most enhance the final work. Sturdy, well made frames are crucial, as well as Ph neutral, archival mat materials. If you are having difficulty deciding on a color of mat that works, it might be advantageous to try out museum grade mats, which are heavy, high quality white mats. Some juried exhibitions and the occasional gallery require that a finished piece be in these kind of mats, otherwise chose a mat that enhances the over all color and tone of the piece. Avoid cheaply made, or thin mats.

If you find yourself having difficulty choosing frames that flatter your work, it may be to your advantage to have the piece professionally framed. This cost should be factored into the final price of the work. Even artworks that may seem weak to your, or less than your best work can become truly impressive in the right frame.

Having a nice finished piece can make a difference when selling a piece. Modern shoppers are impatient, and tend to be more likely to buy works that they can take home and frame on a wall, rather than having to be professionally framed. Don't be stingy when it comes to your framing materials. Having your work in quality frames will boost both your work's value and saleability.

Space 237 Toledo, Ohio Annual Summer Art Exhibition

2011-04-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Call for Entries: SPACE 237’S ANNUAL SUMMER ART EXHIBITION, Deadline: Entries must be received by April 22, 2011. Exhibit dates: July 21 to Sept 9, 2011. Opening night is Thursday, July 21, 6-10 pm. Will consider all media except photography by artists 18 yr+. Send 4-25 examples of artwork, can be jpegs on CD (preferred), photos, prints, or slides, along with a numbered “slide” sheet which corresponds to the artwork & lists the title, size, medium & retail price (the gallery takes 40% commission). Also send an art related resume, artist statement & $20 entry fee. The artwork will be considered for this show & the next year of shows. Only send samples of artwork that are available for the dates of the exhibit. Send submission to: Submission Committee, Space 237 Galleries & ClaySpace, 237 N. Michigan, Toledo, OH 43604. More info: 419-255-5117 or info@space237.com or www.space237.com

Sponsoring Organization

Map It

Space 237 Galleries & ClaySpace 237 N. Michigan Toledo, OH 43604 419-255-5117 info@space237.com www.space237.com
Space 237 is a fine arts gallery located in downtown Toledo. Housing 2 large galleries, this beautiful urban space exhibits cutting edge artwork from national, regional & local artists. In addition to the galleries there is a working ceramics studio, a gift area of unique artist-made items & an online store at www.space237.com. Both galleries are also available for private special events. Hrs: T-F, 11-5; Sat, 12-4. The summer show will only be held in the 1st floor gallery.

Juror
There is a committee at Space 237 that reviews the artwork.

Art Media in this Show
Acrylic, Ceramic, Cut Paper, Digital Media, Glass, Illustration, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Watercolor, Oil, Pastel, Pencil, Video/Film

Size Restrictions For Art
The gallery has high ceilings and a couple very large walls, so usually if a piece can fit through a normal doorway we can accomodate it.

Awards

Download the Prospectus
Download the Prospectus directly from the Organization

Prospectus Questions?

Space 237 Galleries & ClaySpace 237 N. Michigan Toledo, OH 43604 419-255-5117 info@space237.com

Enter This Show
Entries are accepted from February 16, 2011 to April 22, 2011 To enter this show you will need to send images of your work. You will need to send these images on one of the following: CD/DVD, Photographs Entry Fee(s): $20 for 4-25 examples of work, good for the next yr of shows This is a National show that is restricted to artists who live in the following area(s): l

See the show!
Thursday, July 21, 2011 - Friday, September 09, 2011

Space 237 Galleries & ClaySpace 237 N. Michigan Toledo, OH 43604 419-255-5117 info@space237.com www.space237.com

Farmington Museum, NM call to Artists

2011-02-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Deadline for submissions: Monday, March 07, 2011

Show runs May 6 - July 9, 2011
All media accepted, open to artists 18 years and older, artwork must have been completed by January 1, 2010
Entry fee of $35 for maximum of 2 images - slides/images/prospectus deadline date March 7, 2011
Farmington Museum, 3041 E. Main St., Farmington, NM 87402
Prospectus available at www.farmingtonmuseum.org
call Cherie Powell (505) 599-1169
artshow@fmtn.org

Sponsoring Organization

Map It

Farmington Museum 3041 East Main Street Farmington, NM 87402 (505)5991169 artshow@fmtn.org www.farmingtonmuseum.org
The Farmington Museum at Gateway Parkis located on Main Street in the center of town and is also host to the Farmington Convention & Visitor's Buereau. The facility hosts two permanent exhibits: "From Dinosaurs to Drill Bits" and "Farmington: 100 Years of Change." The Museum hosts a wide variety of indoor and outdoor events throughout the year as well as "Currents," the Farmington Museum store.

Art Media in this Show
Acrylic, Ceramic, Crafts, Cut Paper, Digital Media, Glass, Illustration, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Watercolor, Oil, Pastel, Pencil, Photography, Video/Film

Awards
$2750 cash awards

Download the Prospectus
Download the Prospectus directly from the Organization

Prospectus Questions?

Map It

Farmington Museum 3041 East Main Street Farmington, NM 87402 (505)5991169 artshow@fmtn.org

Enter This Show
Entries are accepted from January 03, 2011 to March 07, 2011 To enter this show you will need to send images of your work. You will need to send these images on one of the following: CD/DVD, Slides Entry Fee(s): $35/2 images This is a National show that is restricted to artists who live in the following area(s):

See the show!
Friday, May 06, 2011 - Saturday, July 09, 2011

Map It

Farmington Museum 3041 East Main Street Farmington, NM 87402 (505)5991169 artshow@fmtn.org www.farmingtonmuseum.org

Cal to Artist Fort Collins Colorado Center for Fine art and Photography

2011-01-31T16:45:00.000-08:00

Center Forward 2011 (Posted: 1/25/11) -- The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO announces a call to photographers world wide, both amateur and professional, for a photography exhibition to be held April 29 - June 11, 2011. The Center invites photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate in its exhibitions. Over $1700 in cash and awards. Juror: Hamidah Glasgow. $35 ($20 for Members) for the first 5 images, $10 for each image after that. Deadline: February 23, 2011. Submit online at website. Questions? Contact Bill at cfe@c4fap.org or 970-224-1010
.

Finding inspiration Even When it Seems to Elude You

2011-01-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

I know of some artists that can paint or draw on demand, but I find that I have never been one of these individuals. Yet despite this, I do think that it is good to sometimes force yourself to do something creative, sometimes even when you don't feel like it. Apart from being a good creative habit to develop, esp for those individuals that struggle with meeting deadlines, it can also be a way to explore your inner habitat.

If you find yourself struggling, consider just taking your pad and some pencils outside, or into your living room. Don't attempt to make a "painting" you are going for nothing more than creative stretching. If it becomes more, so be it, but just relax. Find something that has an interesting shape or texture and focus on re-creating that texture. Again, don't be tempted to "make something" or you might find yourself blocked up. For me this is often sketching cat faces or painting loose animal faces. Wherever it leads, try not to fight it.

This pastel sketch is a result of working when I wasn't really feeling up to it. I'm fairly pleased with it, and may work it into a more serious piece.

For some artist this may progress to a daily painting, which is not only great practice, but a good way to get your art out there. If you don't fight it, making yourself work even when you don't feel like it at the time is a great way to sharpen skills, and the sketches you make could even find their way into more serious work.

If you need more inspiration, you might try reading some ideas in books. The Artists Way by Julia Cameron is a wonderful source of inspiration. Julia suggests blogging, artist dates and a variety of other tools. I have used this book, and highly suggest to anyone looking to find more creativity in their lives, regardless of their artists bent.

Other books such as Living the Creative life also draw inspiration from life. Working even when you don't feel like can become a place of inspiration in itself. When you allow yourself to just go with the experience, without forcing a final product, you may find a whole new creative experience awaits you.

Montpelier, VA Call to Artists

2011-01-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Entry Deadline: April 8th. 2011
Fourteenth (14th) Annual National Juried Exhibition
AWARDS $2000. Open to U.S. Artists. 2-D Media (no photography), completed in the last 2 years. Wood or metal frames/wired ready to hang. $25. Up to 2 slides or digital CD. Juror: Meredith Mullins, Artist. Show April 30th, 2011 - June 30th, 2011. Sales encouraged 25% commission. The Montpelier Center for Arts & Education, P.O. Box 82, Montpelier, VA 23192. Ph: 804 883-7378 Fax: 804 883-1199 www.montpeliercenter.org Prospectus email info@montpeliercenter.org. -

Fort Collins Colorado Call to Artists

2011-01-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

*NATIONAL CALL FOR ENTRIES*
Fort Collins, Colorado
Deadline: February 4, 2011

	Exhibit Dates:	April 9 - May 6, 2011
	Title:	20th National Art Exhibition & Sale
	Sponsor:	Artists Association of Northern Colorado
	Venue:	Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S Mason, Fort Collins, CO
	Awards:	More than $6000 in Cash and Merchandise
	Juror:	Don Sahli (www.sahlistudio.com)
	Eligibility:	Open to all adult artists. 2D and 3D original art work only. No reproductions except photography. Entries must have been completed within the last two years and not have been previously exhibited in AANC National shows. Only pastels framed under glass. Other media must use plexiglas. Size limitation is a maximum height or width of 42 inches framed. Up to 3 images may be entered. Digital images only. All work must be for sale. Online application available. Download prospectus from our website for complete information.
	Fees:	$45 ($35 for AANC members) with a $2.50 fee if using paypal
	Commission:	Sponsors will retain a 35% commission fee
	Send SASE to:	AANC, PO Box 1039, Ft. Collins, CO 80522
	E-mail:	Helen Cook
	Phone:	970-223-8297
	Website:	http://www.artistsassoc.com/
	Prospectus:	http://www.artistsassoc.com/

Phoenix Fringe Festival, Call to Artists Actors

2011-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

PHOENIX FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Phoenix Fringe Festival (PHX:fringe) presents innovative, experimental and provocative theatre by local, national and international artists. PHX:fringe seeks to develop a cutting-edge, urban audience by offering an edgy assortment of performance choices in non-traditional downtown spaces. PHX:fringe promotes artistic exploration by supporting the risky, adventurous work of established and emerging artists while also providing accessible, affordable performances to the community.

The festival is now accepting applications from artists interested in participating in the 2011 Phoenix Fringe. Any work that connects with the festival's goal of showcasing experimental and alternative theatre is welcome. Opportunities are available for a wide and diverse range of productions.

For more information please email us at info@phxfringe.org or call 602.476.1066.

Click the APPLY link or visit our website, www.phxfringe.org.

Get your Art seen at Art House Co-op

2011-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a way to get your art seen, but have become frustrated with entering show after show, then consider joining the Art House Co-op This site offers artists fresh and new projects that they can participate in for often a very minimal fee, or even for free. Projects such as the many themed 2011 Sketchbook Projects are taken on tour, after which they will be exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in NYC. All the projects are open to artists of all levels, and offer a tremendous amount of exposure to the participant. There are also online projects that are offered, as well as a photo project that one can participate in. Currently there is a "pocket" project, where one empties out their pockets of un-needed goods, and send them in, and a fiction project. The fiction project has a number of themes that you can choose from.

Art House offers the artist an opportunity to share their art online, and allows exposure on their site as well. If you are looking for a fun way to get your art "out there" then this is a site you will enjoy.

Preventing Digital Disaster

2011-01-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

After a recent motherboard crash, I realized that my digital art wasn't nearly as safe as I had hoped it was, in fact I realized that I was (and still am) in grave danger of losing much of my scanned artwork. For me this is probably not the worst thing that could happen although I would still lose a fair amount of work that has been sold. Since my artwork exists as actual physical entities, and are not entirely bound to the digital world that task of rescanning them is certainly a possibility, albeit one that I hope doesn't become a necessity. Were I a digital artist, the loss of a hardrive could be far more devastating were I to not have taken steps to prevent the complete loss of the work.

Losing you digital pieces can be prevented. Most modern computers have DVD or Cd burners and drives. If you computer doesn't, consider purchasing one and having it installed. Burning your files to a disc can prevent potential art loss. Additionally Online services such as Carbonite.com and Mozy.com offer file backup for a small monthly fee. If you are prone to losing your burned discs, this may be a safer option for you, just remember to keep the services paid up, otherwise you may not be able to access your files. Another easy way to back up files is USB jump drives, and external hard drives. These offer portable, and easy ways to store files.

Be sure to back your files up at least once monthly. If you are extremely prolific, you might consider backing them up more frequently. Date, label contents and store discs in a safe, easy to access place, or make sure that you have the log in information to back up services readily at hand. Keeping your digital art safe can make potential hard drive and motherboard crashes much easier to recover from, preventing permanent loss and laborious scanning and categorizing.

Thank You

2011-01-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

A thank you to everyone who has been following my blog, and to new followers. I've been very under the weather this last week, and my intention was to post something meaningful this week. Unfortunately I have felt extremely awful and to make matters worse my main computer is still laying on its back. I just wanted to know that I haven't abandoned my blog, just need to take care of a few things and get well. I'm looking to upgrade my computer within the next week, so stay tuned :)

Retreat in the Hamptons Call to Artists 3rd annual Juried Art show

2011-01-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1987, the Retreat is the only non-profit domestic violence agency on the East End of Long Island whose mission is to provide safety, shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence. The Retreat provides residential and non-residential services (housing, crisis hotline, counseling and legal advocacy) and maintains an in-school violence prevention education program, all are free of charge to those in need. 100% of entry fees and 50% of sold artwork will go directly to the Retreat.

Entry Fee

Entry fee is $50 per entry, limit 3 entries. Entry fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. Make checks payable to “The Retreat” or click here to pay online. All works entered must be original creations by the artist and must be show-ready by April 19, 2011 if picked to be in the group show. Accepted works cannot be substituted and are committed for the duration of the show. See “Digital Images” for guidelines on submitting works to be entered.

Eligible Work

This exhibition is open to artists in Photography, 2D, 3D (painting, drawing…) and Sculpture (please, no video art). The work cannot be larger than 24″ x 36″.

Digital Images

Images must be in JPEG format and minimum of 72 dpi (to be judged online). Images must be titled in this format:
1. Title, Last Name, First Name

Mail CDs to:

The Retreat, 13 Goodfriend Drive, East Hampton NY 11937
ATTN: Juried Art Show

Online Submissions

You may also E-Mail image(s) to: heather@theretreatinc.org. Title these in the format outlined above. Images that are sent in without payment will not be looked at.

Jurying Process

Selection of the top 25 entries will be made from submitted JPEG and CD images. Make sure the images are clear, since the actual piece of work will not be judged. Judging will be finished by the last week in March.
Regardless of selection status everyone will be emailed the last week in March.

For More Information

Use our online Contact Form or E-mail heather@theretreatinc.org

http://hamptonsjuriedartshow.com/rules