Plaster Makes Perfect

Recently I blogged about Plaster Studio, the new book by Stephanie Lee and Judy Wise. Plaster Studio presents a series of well-explained projects on painting, sculpting, casting, carving, and book making -- all using plaster and related materials. Talk about texture! In my previous post, they each shared some personal thoughts about writing this book and working together as co-authors.

And now they are sharing more than that. Hot off the presses, Steph and Judy have just announced their Workshop E-Book based on Plaster Studio. Their eBook contains all you need to complete a 4 week workshop on everything plaster. Included is all the videos, written instruction, photographs, questions and answers from former students, as well as internal and external links to products and supplies. Your eBook can be downloaded so you can access it from your computer or accessed directly from the discs.

You can find more information by reading their general announcement here or go directly to Steph's recent blog post for additional details. And happy plastering.

Style File: Chapter 5

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 is the 1st of 6 projects from The Pulse. Participants were asked: How would you describe your artistic style?
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Barbara Kleinhans

Minimalist and textural. I like to see how much of a story I can tell or emotion that can be evoked using the least amount of lines and colors.
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Denise Aumick

Organic evolutions! Textures, antiquities, ancient, relics, layers, of the earth mixed with a hint of new, shiny and bright.

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David Hayes

Exploratory. I'm still finding out who I am as an artist...and what my voice will be. I'm constantly trying out different methods, different materials, different themes...never content to stay with one for too long. I know I'm not a 'realist'...probably more of an 'abstract expressionist' but I'm not even sure about that. So I think I will stick with 'Exploratist.' (Hey, maybe I'll start a new 'movement'!) 'Mind's Eye' was created over a recycled canvas...I believe there are two other paintings underneath...where I just started adding one layer after another...not quite certain of the outcome. A little of this...a little of that...letting each layer suggest to me what would be next. Exploratory...

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Jane Royal

Accurate likeness yet not photorealistic, spontaneous and a bit 'unfinished' (as opposed to overworked). Full of emotion and imperfection.
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Paula Art

I would describe my artistic style as letting the wabi sabi of industrial debitage find a new life.
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Bleubeard and Elizabeth

I would have to say that my art is eclectic. I can't seem to find a single style I prefer. But one thing is evident from this nature inspired piece (School of Velocity), I don't do 'cute.'
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Amy Duncan

My style definitely has a vintage vibe to it - not only do I use a lot of vintage ephemera in my work, but my photographs (which I incorporate into many of my pieces) have a vintage focus to them. I like to build layer upon layer, telling a story in the process. Strong graphic images appeal to me - thus the constant array of numbers, letters and words in my work.
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Mary Beth Shaw

Sometimes I feel like I have a split personality because I vacillate between painting very loose wet in wet into tightly managed mark making and word play, often within the same pieces. I also either work with representational collage or in the abstract. The common ground in all my work is color and layers; I tend to paint in similar palettes, and no matter what my style I incorporate many layers. When I teach, I think my students are often surprised to learn just how many layers I create before I consider a painting done.
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Diana Trout

Three words I'd use to describe my artwork: whimsical, allegorical, realism. Using paint, paper, stitch and various drawing materials, I create an 'other' world with my artwork where people (or citizens) live in the glorious mess of life. I've been playing with crayons and watercolors lately in my journal ('Crayola House'). Eventually these pieces will become larger works.
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Next 'Artistic Style' will be posted Sunday, July 24th.

With One Palette

Those of you who have followed my blog for awhile know my love for the color blue -- in all it's endless hues: sky blue, cerulean, navy, cobalt and all the rest. Every shade of blue is welcome on my paint brush. So when I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be featured in the With One Palette section of the July/August issue of Somerset Studio...

...I knew exactly what range of colors I would choose: Blue, White, Black and Silver Metallic.

Style File: Chapter 4

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. 

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to every person who visited The Altered Page last weekend to celebrate the opening of the 5th edition of The Pulse. Each of you who commented became eligible to win a copy of  'The Pulse - The Zine from 2008, which is now out of print and unavailable. Congratulations go out to Teddi from Honey Bee Lane whose comment read 'Great artists. I so wanna win the giveaway.' Well Teddi you did. You are the lucky winner!

Style File is the 1st of 6 projects from The Pulse. Participants were asked: How would you describe your artistic style?

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Dawn DeVries Sokol

I'd say whimsical and colorful and getting a little more edgy. My art journaling is a mish-mash of thoughts and happenings from my everyday life.
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Gail Pierce

I don't think that I have a distinctive style, at least that I'm aware of. Perhaps my style is simply "what if." What if I use this substrate. What if I create texture with gesso. And what if I scrape paint on, and what if...as seen in the example of my work.
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Rachel Whetzel

I had a tough time with this one, because I have a hard time seeing my style. I'm an emotional artist. My art comes and goes in an ebb and flow. I believe that part of the reason for that is because I create my best work when I am truly inspired. An idea hits me with enough force and persistence that I MUST create it. Usually my inspiration comes from a specific moment or emotion in my life. My Beach Comber piece was a good example of that. The painting has a double meaning and was created for my best friend. My nickname for her is coffee, and so the two cups with their steam shaped into a heart.
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Jessica Walthall

My artistic style is all about layers and texture. I've always loved the grungy look of peeling paint, rusted metals and weathered paper. I seek to combine my love of rich, bright colors with a sense of the old and worn. I especially love seeing remnants of previous layers peeking through to the surface.
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Svetlana Spasojevic

My artistic expression is tightly connected with personal experiences, memories and feelings that accompany them. They are the layers that give the texture to my life. (Layers of Memories)
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Stephanie Brouwers

My artistic style is influenced by tribal art, archeology, ethnography, nature, life, death, folk beliefs... All these influences show in the different media I use, be it photography, sculpture and jewelry.
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Laura Lein-Svencner

I'm one that likes to layer the papers and create depth within that process. Building the history of the art piece itself. I have a good sense for composition and design and almost all of my work comes from how I am feeling about things on a daily basis, spiritually and emotionally. Color is another strong aspect to my work and very natured inspired.
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Susan Madden

Spontaneous. I don't plan very often. On the rare occasion when I do try to plan, my artwork rises up mightily and asserts itself. Rarely does it ever match my plan. Sometime I deliberately choose techniques that will force spontaneity no matter what -- like the salt I threw on this piece. You try controlling salt as it spreads in wet paint.
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Judy Shea

I think a word that I, and some others, have used is "eclectic". I try to use diverse pieces in my art, whether it be found objects, metal from a hardware store or my own handmade, one of a kind, art embellishments using polymer clay. Makes you want to reach out and touch it. (Heartfull)
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Lelainia N. Lloyd

For the record, this is my all time least favourite question - I have such a difficult time slapping a label on what I do. Under duress, I'd say my work is humble, honest, has clean lines and is balanced. Next please! (Mangosteens)
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Next 'Artistic Style" will be posted Sunday, July 17th.

Exquisite

Welcome to the Exquisite Corpse

The Exquisite Corpse Festival officially kicks off with an opening night party on Saturday, July 9th at 7:30 at Space on White in NYC. The collaborative visual creations of over 30 artists, from print to sculpture to fashion design, will be on display. The exquisite corpse is not the work of art itself, but a game played by three artists, who may or may not know each other or even see each other. Each artist secretly creates a piece of the same whole. One takes the head, another the torso, and a third the legs. They collaborate not through negotiation but through trust. Originally executed via a drawing folded in thirds, Exquisite Corpse Festival expands this idea to a vast aray of artistic mediums- from music, to plays to taxidermy.  My partners in exquisite crime were John Borrero and Stephanie Rubiano. Together we created a mixed media sculpture, although we worked on our assigned parts separately. John made the base and legs, Stephanie made the torso and wings, and I made the head.

Without further ado, I introduce you to our very own exquisite corpse...

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She is approximately 2 feet tall. Her head is made from heavy gage wire and vintage book pages with greek text from 1820. Her torso and wings are made from soldered wire, gampi paper, and encaustic medium (beeswax and damar resin). Her base is made from a wooden found object and her skirt was created from several different vintage silks.

The Exquisite Corpse Festival will run from July 9th to August 2nd. Space on White is located on 81 White Street (off Broadway) in Tribeca. The gallery is open 7 days a week from 10:30am to 10:00pm.

Style File: Chapter 3

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. 

To start things off with a bang, postings from The Pulse have run since Saturday. Regular weekly postings begin on Sunday July 10th and will continue every Sunday thereafter. 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the start of the 5th edition, every person who leaves a comment on any of the first three postings will be eligible to win a copy of 'The Pulse - The Zine' from 2008, which is now out of print and unavailable. Comments close on Saturday July 9th and the winner will be announced on Sunday July 10th.

Style File is the 1st of 6 projects from The Pulse. Participants were asked: How would you describe your artistic style?

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Dorothy Simpson Krause

My work is usually done in series, responding to some issue that I'm exploring using a wide variety of media. My latest series, "Visions", references the poem "Kubla Kahn"in which Coleridge describes a savage place, with holy and enchanted caverns, wall, towers and a sacred river where "The shadow of the dome of pleasure floated midway on the waves." These haunting images of submerged architectural passageways, lit from within, reflect the branches of trees and illuminate floating leaves and flowers. This image, Holy and Enchanted, exists both as a lenticular print and as a monoprint on fresco.
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Julie Prichard

I love things that look dirty and worn...abstract. Aged like they have been around for years. (Oil Slick, 2011)
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Kathryn Dyche Dechairo

If I had to describe my artistic style it would be textured art paintings which combine a modern aesthetic with my love of nature. Texture has always been key to me so it seemed natural to incorporate a textural element within my work. I try to create pieces that make me want to touch them so when they evoke the same reaction in someone else it makes my heart soar.
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Dayna J. Collins

I am a lover of bright, bold colors, texture, layers, and mark-making. I love painting, collage, assemblage, and working with metal; I especially love combining a bit of everything together. I am truly a mixed-media artist. (Justify)
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dorit Elisha

My artistic style, which is visible also in my home decor and the way I dress, is an "eclectic Bohemian mix of material, color and texture". I am an avid collector of stuff, and my art tends to be busy as well.
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Eric Adama

Lyrical Abstraction. (Passage. The journey is the destination)
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Martha Marshall

My style is abstract, intuitive, and is based on my immediate responses to the piece as it develops.  The minute I start to let my left brain get in the way of my work, I might as well leave the studio and do something else for the rest of the day. Here is a painting that I think shows how I work. (Ritual 23)
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Patti Edmon

My 'style' is entirely intuitive...with a history of writing and photography but no inherent drawing skills, mixed-media collage - with an emphasis on detail and texture - is my M.O.
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Donna Joy

Is there a term for rust-loving, shabby, vintage with occasional humor thrown in?
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Angela Cartwright

Unruly...but not in a bad sense. The most destructive thing in art is to be paralyzed by the way your brain tells you something should look. Listen instead to your gut and let the should's and the must's not get in the way of the muse. I've included the mixed media piece 'Clarity' - a melange of where my art is right now.
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Next 'Artistic Style' will be posted Sunday, July 10th.