On the International Road to Connection

 

 Short Story 1

by Leslie Avon Miller

If you attended the book signing for The Pulse of Mixed Media in Bellevue, 

this is the finished version of the piece on which 

I demonstrated mark making with various tools.

Seth is always busy and on the go. That's why he is a blur! 

Le Marche St.George in Vancouver

The Pulse of Mixed Media.

The Pulse is strong, healthy and having a wondrous bon time.

Patricia Larsen and her daughter, photographer Klee. 

Also in attendance was Patricia's daughter Janaki Larsen. 

Janaki is a potter making extraordinary works in white.

Then it was on to Washington, 

where Seth and Donna Watson met in Donna's stunning Japanese gardens.

If you have read the book, you know that 

Seth asked a number of questions. 

One of them was "Can you share a secret?"

Well I can share 5 of them!

Here are 5 secrets you may not know about Seth:

1. Seth can accomplish a lot in a 15 minute block of time. Blog, tweet, facebook, email; did I leave anything out?

2. He can strike up a conversation with anyone…the busboy, the host, an artist, the retail clerk.  

3. He is a night owl. It’s a good thing the internet community is open 24/7.

4. Tea drinker.

5. Seth is a peach. But you probably knew that.

Alicia Caudle and Donna Watson had a chance 

to visit after the final book signing event.

image by Seth Apter

A inspiring time was had by all.

Left to right

Robert Stockton

Leslie Avon Miller

Delorse Lovelady

Lisa JonesMoore

John Arbuckle

Donna Watson

Jeane Myers

Congratulations Seth. 

I hear your book has gone to a second printing. 

Way to go!

You can see more images of the book tour here.

It’s a Party!

Seth Apter’s book launch tour is coming to the northwest, and going International to boot.

Vancouver, British Columbia is my favorite city. I take every opportunity to visit when ever I can.

The Vancouver party is happening at Le Marché St. George, 4393 St. George at the corner of 28th in Vancouver.

The event is this Thursday, May 3^rd at 7 p.m.  I look forward to meeting Seth, Patricia Larsen, Lelainia Lloyd and perhaps you! 

You are invited to bring your book and join the get together. Art, friends and good times. What more can you ask?

I know Seth is bringing his self portrait as will I, so you can see these works in person. As much as I love the internet for the expanded opportunities to see art, seeing work up close and in person is irreplaceable.

A few marks currently happening in my studio. 

Work in Progress

by Leslie Avon Miller

Then the book tour moves to Bellevue, Washington, just outside of Seattle. We will be gathering at Bellevue Art and Frame on Saturday, May 5^th from noon until 2 p.m. Bellevue Art and Frame is giving 20% off all books purchased during the signing event and Door Prizes! The location is 13131 North 20th Street.

Seth, DonnaWatson and myself will be discussing art, answering your questions and providing short demos. If you follow Donna's blog you will know her avenue to art is founded in a zen approach emphasizing personal meaning in artistic expression.  Donna is a master artist who is very knowledgeable about design and composition. I look forward to hearing what she has to tell us, and seeing what she brings to share.

Path to Harmony

by Donna Watson

Some of my mark making tools. 

The large piece of charcoal came from a forest in the high desert of Oregon.

Kurt hiked out to get some for me. Its one of my favorite tools.

I will bring a few paintings that incorporate marks to share with you. 

Serendipity is invited as a partner to my own art work. 

At the Bellevue event I will tell you some of the ways I create opportunity for marks to present themselves in my work. 

In this excerpt from the Pulse of Mixed Media, I explain a bit about how I work.

Artist Statement 

Leslie Avon Miller

Begin

Fling paint, make marks, rip and tear.

Use sticks, palette knife, brush, and tools.  

Rags, papers, and spray move paint around.

Explore, experiment, and discover.

Build layers of dark and light.

Scratch, scrub, and sand to reveal.

Contemplate, integrate, design, and adjust.

Express, connect, communicate, be content.

And begin again.

Seth Apter in his studio.

After the Q and A there will be a book signing with Seth, Donna and myself, as well as with Alicia Caudel, Robert Stockton, Lisa JonesMoore, and Delorse Lovelady -- all of whom will be in attendance and are contributors to the book.

I’ve been anticipating these artful gatherings for months, and it’s finally almost here!

The Pulse of Mixed Media

A Moment of Stillness. 

Self Portrait by Leslie Avon Miller

I have been waiting so long to show you this work and tell you about this project. 

Good things take time - almost two years!

You may be aware that this month Seth Apter’s new book  

The Pulse of Mixed Media 

has just been released. 

Seth identified a number of artists and asked them to participate 

by creating a self portrait.

He also asked us to answer some inquiries about the thoughts 

and creative process of artists working in mixed media today.  

It has been a fun process. 

My self portrait for this book took over my studio for months, 

as I explored this way and that, 

went down one road, then another, 

searching for the just right expression of me in mixed media.

Since Seth asked questions of us, 

I thought it would be fun to ask Seth some questions 

about his creative process in authoring this treatise on mixed media. 

Here is our conversation.

xpress

Seth Apter

Seth: This piece is called 'xpress'. 

I painted it in 2009 and it has never been posted online before. 

It speaks to the paths that I have taken and in a sense represents the map of my journey...layered, 

with many detours, and with both smooth and rough patches along the way. 

It represents the many others with whom I have crossed paths 

and the many different directions I have taken in different periods of my life. 

In a manner of speaking it is a self portrait.

So, Seth, what was your vision for this book when the idea was first born?

Seth: The vision behind the book has always been about community and connection. 

I wanted people to have the feeling that they were sitting 

with a group of very special artists, 

in a private session of show and tell. 

A true one-on-one art salon, 

where each artist shared and bared their heart and soul.

Writing, like creating art is an evolution. 

During the development of the book, what was your biggest surprise?

Seth:The biggest surprise has definitely been 

the honesty and vulnerability that all the contributing artists have shown. 

When the book was first proposed, 

I considered keeping all the responses anonymous. 

I was unsure how people would feel about 

revealing their truths, passions, and fears. 

But every single artist has been more than willing to be open 

and revealing in both their shared words and their art.

Breathe In; Breathe Out

Artist book by Leslie Avon Miller

What has been the biggest thrill so far in this process?

Seth: There have been so many thrills along the way. 

Each is a memory made that I will keep forever. 

Being contacted by North Light Books. 

Having my proposal accepted. 

Sending out my initial open call...and receiving so many responses. 

Receiving the first draft of the book from my publisher. 

Seeing my book cover for the first time. 

Finding my book on Amazon. 

Finally...and I mean finally...holding the actual book in my hands. 

Seeing The Pulse of Mixed Media in the window of a bookstore for the first time.

I asked Seth to choose a quote and talk about how it applies to his experience.

Seth: I will choose 

"Writing makes a map, and there is something about a journey that begs to have its passage marked." 

To me, my whole life had been a journey that has taken me along a path that has led to this book. 

One of my philosophies in life is that what we do today, is really about tomorrow. 

And I feel like the choices I have made in the past were the makings of the map that led me to the destination where I am today. 

I  also feel like the contributions of all the artists 

in the book are also points on their own maps. 

And now that this passage has been marked for all of us, 

we will continue on our path, forever changed by this experience.

 

I understand you are looking forward to another book. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Seth: The process of writing a book has been quiet a challenge and has really monopolized my time in the last two years. 

Despite that, the experience has been thrilling, enlightening and inspiring...and the book was just released this month! 

Given this, I definitely plan to write a second book. 

I have many ideas running through my head but I am letting them percolate in the background as I am intentionally keeping my focus on  

The Pulse of Mixed Media and trying to savor 

every minute of the current adventure.

Seth Apter in his studio 

I want to let you know that I will be meeting with Seth 

and some of the other artists in the book including Patricia Larson in 

Vancouver British Columbia in early May. 

I will also be joining Seth and artist Donna Watson 

in Seattle around that same time. 

Stay tuned if you would like to join us for these events. 

I would love to see you there!

Give Away 1

Seth is giving away several copies of his book. 

To enter the drawing head on over to his blog and leave a comment. 

Give Away 2

And if you would like a small piece of my art to arrive in a handmade envelope in your mail box, go to my post here to leave a comment and enter a chance to win. 

I’ll be pulling several names from a hat next weekend.

As always, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the blogging community.

And I am so glad I finally got to tell you about this work and Seth's book!

 

Cracked, A Self Portrait

Leslie Avon Miller

Black and White: The Yin Yang of Colors

Neither Completely Black Nor White 1
Leslie Avon Miller
mixed media collage
5 x 8 inches

My art is created intuitively as I seek to visualize and share this very moment on the continuum of time, just as it slips into the past.


Yin and yang energy are in constant motion and cause everything to happen.

The Nature of Things 1
Alan Bates
45 x 45 cm

From the Dockside series. Alan explains the resources that informed his work in this series; the jangle of boats, slipways, boat sheds, wharves, and old rusted hardware lying in shipwrights yards provided the colours and textures which held my interest.

Yin and yang are the foundation of the universe.

There Are Many Different Sounds
Mirjam Pet Jacobs
mixed media

The art I make is slow art. It is a response to the fast moving, technical, impersonal age. I make unique objects, created with dedication, passion and love.


Yin and Yang are two parts of the whole.

Burnished Double Walled Bowl
Jane Perryman
Saggar fired
23 x 19 x 19 cm

For many years my work has investigated the vessel through traditional techniques of hand building, burnishing and smoke firing. Recently I have developed ideas which allude to the timeless vessel form as well as referencing contemporary urban structures such as buildings, walls, and bridges.

Yin is not completely black.

Tiny Treasure
Noela Mills
ink and mixed media

My art is now almost entirely consumed by the concept of "wabi sabi" - the Zen Buddhist philosophy of finding beauty in things old, worn, incomplete, imperfect and common place.

Yang is not completely white.

Virtues Undiscovered
Bridgette Guerzon Mills
encaustic
6 x 6 inches

I am drawn to the inherent beauty and spirit of the natural world, and my artwork is a personal dialogue that reaches into the stillness of that spirit. Through both imagery and medium, I create organic pieces that speak to the cycles of life, growth and decay, memory and the passage of time.

Yin and yang cannot exist without each other.

Completion
Donna Watson
hand painted rice papers and small scroll
12 x 12 inches

I view my work as an ongoing process of search, and self examination. I am interested in the passage of time, and what remains.

Together yin and yang form the harmony of the opposites.

Collage Thoughts on the 12th International Collage Exchange

Collage is the twentieth century's greatest innovation.
~ Robert Motherwell

I love the art of collage. My own process of making collage is always evolving. I’m constantly exploring ways to alter papers, pushing composition, and trying different ideas.

One thing that is fairly constant in my process is to trust my instinct to tell me when the elements are just so.

Of late I have been laying papers on the support, arranging and rearranging, then pondering. Often I decide to remove something from the composition.

When I think I’ve got it I lay a piece of glass on top of the collage which flattens the whole composition so I can step back and take a good long look. Sometimes I just know the work is complete and other times I run a mental check list of elements and principals of design.

For me, the enjoyment is all about the process of creating, exploring, being authentic and striving to continue to grow as an artist.

When I started to attend workshops, I first studied with Pat Dews. I learned a lot! Pat says in her book Creative Composition and Design “As important as it is to understand the elements and principals of design, there is a lot to be said about something just looking and feeling “right.” Uniqueness in personal vision can be more important than technical skill. Nurture and stimulate your imagination. Listen to your intuition and go with your gut feeling.” Good advice.

Another artist who knows the joy of bringing pieces together to make a pleasing whole is Joan Schulze.

Working…

Collect, combine, define, compose,
discard, cover and peel.
Stop,
look, mark, cut,
refine, paste and press.
Focus,
shift, touch, observe,
decide…accept beauty.

~Joan Schulze 1999

with permission of the artist, from The Art of Joan Schulze.

Following are several of the collage I received in the just completed 12th International Collage Exchange, with links when available. Enjoy!





Journey 9, by Donna Watson



New York Times Series #6, by Jeanne E. Rohen



Window Tracing, by Mary Ellen Long



Untitled, by Renea Erickson




Oak #5, by Jeanne Mankinen


Jeanne's statement: This year my collages reflect my concern for the environment - including both animals and plants. I hope that humans will make progress in appreciating and caring for other species on our beautiful planet.




Affirmation 9, by Jette Clover



In Touch 13, by Cordula Kagemann

A Fresh New Year of Art and Exploration

Don’t you love the freshness of a New Year full of potential? I do! I have my pile of books, I have time and I have all the ideas that have been incubating and collecting in my notebooks while I celebrated the holidays with friends and family.

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day,
a fresh try, one more start,
with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
~JB Priestley

Some fresh new exploring is in order. I want to explore collections – my own, and ones I have been gifted. I’ve always been one to walk looking down at the ground and picking up seed pods, feathers, lichens and such. I collect shells, rocks and miscellaneous finds from the beach. I like vintage white buttons, clasps and fasteners; the older the better.



Having been gifted a few brass bells, I add to my collection when just the right find comes my way. A vintage desk bell is my newest addition, having arrived in my Christmas Stocking. I wonder what kind of business it served in it’s former life, announcing the arrival of a new customer?

I am collecting beautiful objects. A pair of shoes. Some glasses.
Telephone. Typewritter.
…Their delicate and finished appearance is friendly.
And they are quiet.
~From the movie The Science of Sleep




Books have always called my name. “Come look!” they say from their shelf. So I am especially enjoying the book Etcetera, by Sibella Court. You might have read the recommendation about this book at Donna’s blog or at Ro’s blog. It’s full of yummy photography of all kinds of collections displayed in interesting ways. Being freshly inspired, I am starting a new collection of photographs of my collections.

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen
from one to another mind.
~James Russell Lowell

My pile of fresh new books includes one about working intuitively in the studio. A suggested exercise using a burning candle to “paint” with smoke has caught my eye and my imagination. How fun! What a great color!




I’m inspired by a book of interviews of artists in New Mexico and peeks into their studio spaces. My own studio remains unfinished, but the insulation is here and will be installed in the ceiling soon. I am looking forward to the added warmth! It’s time to think about the finishing touches and final arrangement of equipment and working spaces.


Books are not made for furniture,
but there is nothing else that
so beautifully furnishes a house.
~Henry Ward Beecher




For rich images and insight into process, I am reading Histories Real and Imagined. It is a detailed look into Lissa Hunter’s body of work as a “basket maker” and assemblage artist. I love her work which incorporates natural objects such as rocks, mark making, and objects she has made. I’m looking forward to finding a cozy spot and flipping through the pages at a leisurely pace.

I love her because she makes things.
You know? She makes things with her hands.
~From the movie The Science of Sleep



It’s time now to begin on a series of collage for the International Collage Exchange. I enjoy the process of making 13 or so collage. Having a due date is motivating and I always learn a lot as I work my way through the series. Then there is the fun of sending them off to the world, and seeing a return package come to my mail box, plump with collage from artists all around the globe. This year my series will revolve around mark making.

Re-Fresh Your Creative Practice is a new coaching group I developed for artists which is beginning soon. You can read more about here.

A friendly hello to all the new followers. It is my pleasure to meet you! It’s deliciously pleasant looking forward to this Fresh New Year, with time in the studio and time creating. Happy Fresh New Year to you all!

Meandering, Contemplating and Visioning

I feel like an explorer, or an archaeologist, or a botanist. I have been exploring and am focused on patterns in nature. A swath of weeds standing in a staccato pattern attracts my eye, as do the wavy marks of an insect eating its way through tree bark. I have been digging through my past creative endeavors to find my personal patterns. I do tend towards vertical movement and lines. I have a pattern of diving space nearly in half; an even and equal division. And I am – once again – focused on the beauty of fallen leaves as they make their way from living thing to skeleton. I find myself walking slowly, gaze on the earth in front of me, scanning for beauty. I find irregular circles, curly lines and little speckles. I hear patterns in the bird calls. The male California quail with his persistent call to his brood as he watches over them from a high perch strikes me as an auditory pattern. I wonder what it would look like if I drew his call.

And I am wandering through the blogs of creative people everywhere. I think to myself how much more “real” this is than the mainstream media “news”. The creativity in the world is astounding and causes me to feel optimistic and peaceful. I am drawing – mark making and pattern creating. I hold the delicate tissue papers I have created and find small worlds and patterns that mimic nature and I am well pleased. I love the minimalism and softness of these papers. I continue to create individual pages for my artist book. The work is slow and that’s okay.

In other news, my friend collage artist Donna Watson has joined the blogging community and has her blog here. I am excited that she has started blogging. I know she is a committed artist who is authentic and generous. Her work always stops me in my tracks. She sure knows how to put together a collage!

Incubation

Destination Series #11, By Donna Watson

By Laura Lein-Svencner

I write this post with dried white gesso on my finger tips. This week has been life, interrupted. Kurt had a foot surgery (and is doing fine, thank you), which has affected a real change in our routine. Which affects my art creating patterns. Which has been like being in another world – you know the one – ginger ale and ice packs, crutches and needing to watch movies. More than we watch typically by far. The best one to date has been Australia, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
So this evening, an unusual time for me to be in the studio, I was able to spend some time in my creative space. I have felt the sense of completion from the Bone Prayers, and was anticipating starting in a slightly different direction. But I have been out of the studio long enough that I have lost my place, so to speak. I know where I intended to go, but I’ve lost my flow.
So to get back into my groove I decided to make myself a painting for our mantel. I’m feeling the need for a change. I love homes that are decorated with great arty objects and arrangements. I looked at one of my decorating books, got some ideas and went for it. I’ll probably finish it tomorrow, and I’ll show it to you.
But it is time to get going with a new series. I have ideas. So I applied gesso to one of the big (for me anyway) panels, the ones that are 36 inches by 36 inches. That is a nice amount of space to work in. And I added a second coat of gesso to some other panels. That isn’t very exciting, but what happens for me when I do the repetitive work of brushing on gesso is that I realize I am in a state of incubation. The ripening kind. I can feel the anticipation as I lay the groundwork, and I think about what is to come.
This week the much anticipated collages from the International Collage Exchange arrived in my mail box. So I’m sharing a couple with you here. They were both a testimony to presentation – finished edges, crisp white paper support and care from the artist. One is by my friend Donna Watson, and one is from a collage artist whose work I enjoy, Laura Lein-Svencner.