Oddmall: The Emporium of the Weird

Today brings sunshine and Melanie and Marcel Hopp into our store :) These lovely folks are the parents of two talented artists, Andy and David Hopp, and they were telling me about this great little festival going on Sunday, September 22nd at the Lynnwood Convention Center - Oddmall, Emporium of the Weird.

If you like alternative art you have to see this great event - and say hi to David Hopp, who will be participating in this event.

Find out all the details at the show's website: http://oddmall.info/seattle/

Eric Maisel: Does What We Create Really Matter?

One of my favorite authors on creativity is Eric Maisel. He has written many books on issues and approaches that benefit artists and writers. He has a wonderful newsletter you can receive online. Here is one I received this month: --- tracy                                                 find him at ericmaisel.com

Eric Maisel Newsletter

Hello, everybody: Once you are struck by the question of whether what you are doing matters, and unless the answer is an immediate and unequivocal yes, you will be stuck with and haunted by that question. So many of the clients I work with, despite the optimistic face they put on the matter, don’t really believe that the short story, watercolor, or song that is giving them so much trouble is really worth the trouble, seeing that it “doesn’t really matter.” Does the world really need another short story, watercolor, or song? Why bother? Over the years I’ve provided many sorts of answers to this question. One is that there is no meaning unless we make it, that we make our meaning by seizing meaning opportunities, and that for a creative person creating is one of those meaning opportunities. But this does beg the question at least a little. How can creating be held as a genuine meaning opportunity if we have already “seen through it”? Creative and performing artists wrestle with this question daily and on more days than not come down on the side of the meaninglessness of creating. Another sort of answer that I’ve provided is the notion that we make ourselves proud when we turn to the creative projects we say that we want to tackle and that making ourselves proud is what we are actually after in life. Whether or not we believe in the project, doing it (and maybe especially doing it well) matches our values, among them that we will do what we say we will do. Here the justification for creating and the motivation for creating is not the felt meaningfulness of the work but the felt pride at honoring our commitments and living our values. Of course there are other sorts of answers that swirl in the mix: that we might actually prove successful; that creating is a “spiritual activity”; that nothing else interests us more; that creating and performing, as hard as they are, also provide joy and happiness; etc. But, given how hard so many people are finding it to stick with their creating or performing, I think that a new sort of answer is needed. It is an odd one and controversial because it can’t really be proven. It is the following: if we see creating as one of our life purposes, then it is physically good for us to create because our genes love it if we are living our life purposes. Take this fascinating recent study: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/different-kinds-of-happiness-affect-genes-in-different-ways-study#.Uf7jRVIrY0o.facebook The headline: "The researchers assessed and took blood samples from 80 healthy adults who were classified as having either hedonic or eudaimonic well-being. Hedonic well-being is defined as happiness gained from seeking pleasure; eudaimonic well-being is that gained by having a deep sense of purpose and meaning in life. The study showed that people who had high levels of eudaimonic well-being showed favorable profiles with low levels of inflammatory gene expression and exhibited a strong expression of antiviral and antibody genes. For the pleasure seekers, the opposite was true; those with high levels of hedonic well-being showed an adverse gene-expression profile, giving high inflammation and low antiviral/antibody expression." We might call this “genetic happiness.” We struggle with our novel and as far as we can tell it is making us sad and ill, so poorly is it going and so much work does it require. Yet our genes may well be singing and dancing, profoundly happy knowing that we are living one of our life purposes. Maybe this is true; maybe this isn’t. But it seems intuitively true to me and provides a new, profound reason for doing the things we say we value. This new reason is that, while the work may not matter from some universal perspective, the doing of it may nevertheless keep us healthy. When you doubt that writing your novel matters, say to yourself, “It matters on the genetic level and I want to make my genes happy!” Who knows if this is literally true? But, you know, it may be. Best, Eric

Stop the "I'm BORED" comments in their tracks!

by Angela Bandurka

Recently, ARTspot employee and instructor, Mona Fairbanks, decided to come up with a go-get-'em plan: let's think up some fun, family adventures and then blog about them!

It was a brilliant plan. She got her family and friends involved in some creative endeavors that they then shared with the world via blogging - not only did it get them motivated, it also set up a little extra incentive to actually achieve their goals :)

Their seventh adventure this summer is a fun one: from garden to table. A plan to grow food, source other food from local suppliers/friends, create entertainment for viewing during this supper together with neighbors and have art created to spruce up the space a little. Sound daunting? Well you can see exactly how much fun they've been having by checking out their blog: http://gardenfarmer.tumblr.com

They've been having so much fun, in fact, that My Edmonds News has been following them :) http://myedmondsnews.com/2013/07/motherdaughter-fun-in-edmonds-adventure-7-farm-to-table-2013/

Doesn't need to be too fancy, just set up a goal for yourselves and then execute it! You can set your own expectations, and you can go easy on yourself. We're here to help!

How do you know when it is done?

Submitted by Tracy Felix Fraker
I have been asked this by many students in my acrylic painting workshops. I think the answer will vary based on the medium you are using and the goals of your artwork. It will also be a personal decision based on your understanding of composition. 
1. Short answer: you are satisfied with it.
2. Long answer: 
Critique the composition and correct
Review the way your eye travels the painting and be confident of your focal point
The work is ready for presentation - meaning does it need smudges cleaned up, edges are addressed and sheen is uniform or to your liking.
3. The painting either moves your method forward (you learned from it... you are inspired to do another piece based on what you got from this one) ... or you met the goal of pleasing a client in the case of a commission. 
4. Be discriminating in who you ask for a review of your work. Family members love you but don't always know what you are trying to accomplish, or what you need beyond a compliment.... or worse feeling the need to find a recognizable image in a non-representational painting.
5. Know that some paintings will "fall off the brush" and others may take many passes and corrections. I will set a work in progress in my family room and live with it, until I know what to do next. The more advanced the painting becomes the slower my process goes. (usually) So I don't go into it unless I know what it is I want to accomplish.

I have heard this one too... It's like when you are having dinner. You just know when you are done.

See the comments section below? How do you answer this one?

Update!

by Angela Bandurka

Just wanted to let you all know that the book that we mentioned in the post, Another Amazing Customer has been printed and is now available for sale at the Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Avenue, Downtown Edmonds.

Go grab a signed copy today! Support local artists :)

Meet Joe: High-school Sophomore and self-taught artist!

by Angela Bandurka

This morning our regular customer, Joe, came in to look at some watercolor paper and we got to chatting about the artists that Joe admires. We shared one of them in common - Mary Blair, the late, amazing Disney artist (think "It's a Small World").

This young man has ambition and pride in his work, it's just refreshing to see in someone this young. He has dreams of becoming a writer, illustrator, and eventually start his own animation company!

Anyway, he allowed me to share some of the art he's most proud of. I don't want to share his last name as he's a minor, but I bet we'll see more of him in the future. Thanks for letting me share, Joe!

Here is my personal favourite:

Snow Shy

Sam the Dragon

Little Dragon

Another Amazing Customer!

by Angela Bandurka

Isn't it incredible what you discover about strangers when you start talking to them? They cease to be strangers and you start to see the unique things about them that never cease to amaze.

At ARTspot, the customers who come in and stay and chat are infinitely fascinating - and Eliza Wyatt is no exception. 

This beautiful willowy soul came into the shop last week to buy a fountain pen and ink, and I commented on her cool corset. This led to a long discussion about clothes, lifestyle and interests.

Turns out, Eliza is a writer and illustrator. And her books are available online - for FREE! I asked if she wouldn't mind if I posted her link so that everyone could benefit from her hard work.

Why do they give away their books for free? She and her partner, Christian Leffler, put it best themselves:

The Forever Series: An epic fantasy series of love and immortality.

Have a free book.

No, you don't need to sign up for anything. I don't want to know your email address. No account, no DRM, no expiration date. Take it. Go on. In fact if you like it, email it to your friends with our blessings. Just don't print or sell it.

We do this because as readers ourselves, it's important to us that people discover fiction that they can be enthusiastic about. The book we're offering is the first of a series of fantasy novellas (books about a hundred pages long) for readers age 16+. There's no trick ending, no cliffhanger. You can find the next books in the series in our shop-- each ebook is a dollar. We also sell printed books, if you'd like a solid copy. - See more at: http://theforeverseries.com/#sthash.Pf1YJDqg.dpuf

The valuable little sketchbook

By Mike O'Day| ARTspot ARTist

Nothing is worse than opening up a bag of clay, grabbing a hunk, and being completely clueless about what you’re going to do with it. I constantly had this problem every Wednesday night when I first started at Sculptors Workshop, until I discovered the solution to this conundrum. Bring my sketchbook! Although the sketches were originally made for paintings or linocuts, I found that any of my drawings could be the inspiration of a sculpture.

My sketchbook is a valuable little tool that I occasionally refer to when I’m stuck. Anything from a good song lyric to a crow flying overhead can send me scrambling to record a fleeting image before it escapes. A lot of my scribbling can be awful, or just plain odd (what was I thinking???), but I’m not trying to impress anyone, and they basically are just inspirational notes.

Sometimes it can be quite difficult to transform a quick gestural sketch that I love into a sculpture. I gradually realized that the best method for me is sculpting solid (as opposed to slabs or coil building), and then hollowing the piece out. Other times the sketch can be a reference point, and the sculpture can head in a strange new direction.

Working out the problems of a big complex sculpture on paper is a great way to avoid headaches. The “Ship of Fools” sketch page shows how the idea evolved, the details, and even how the sculpture will be cut into pieces and hollowed out. But as you can see from the finished piece, I added the head of a mysterious being, and I decided to change the position of the guy with the telescope on top of the world. Sketchbooks-don’t leave home without ‘em!

From Cardboard Spaceships to Cheetalopes

Blog by Mike O'Day. 

ARTspot is proud to represent Mike's work at our store in Edmonds, WA.

How does a kid who loves to draw and make things out of cardboard with mom’s steak knives, eventually buy a kiln and try to scratch out a living making Cheetalopes?

Fast forward to college, where the art students were separated into two groups: Commercial Artists that were prepared to sell their souls creating ads for banks (I actually got to draw an occasional illustration!), and Real Artists that painted nudes and were prepared to live perpetually in mom and dad’s basement.

After 4-5 years of selling my soul (but not living in the basement), my wife Chris and I headed from St. Louis to LA, where, on a lark, I answered an ad to draw caricatures on historic Olvera Street. This is a tourist destination, so I spent two years honing my skills drawing thousands of people from all over the planet. I also learned that school kids on field trips would gladly pay $1 for a kinko’s copy of Bo Jackson, M.C. Hammer, and Vanilla Ice.

When son #1 was born, I quit the carefree life of a caricature artist and began the role of stay-at-home dad/freelance illustrator/home improvement guy. Changing diapers, creating humorous illustrations of Michael Jordan for Inside Sports, and hanging sheetrock became my full-time job. After son #2 was born and they both started school, I began teaching art at the local co-op where I met a potter named Julie Perrine.

Julie invited me to check out Sculptors Workshop which was ruled by our benevolent dictator Rose Morgan. Two years later, my sculpture “Red Plant Man” won best in show at the Edmonds Arts Festival. Unfortunately, my streak abruptly ended the next year. After purchasing a fellow members kiln, and setting up shop at home, the rest is history.

I still like to occasionally make stuff out of cardboard now and again.

You can always find Mikes ceramic sculpture at ARTspot. 

From Mike O'Day Blog originally published April 6th, 2013
See Mikes work at his website: http://odayart.com/wordpress/about/

Battling Post-Show Blues!

by Angela Bandurka

There is something that happens to me every time I attend one of my show's receptions that I've come to expect and am trying to work though.

In the interest of finding others who might feel this way and will just feel better knowing that they're not alone, I am putting it all out there. 

The months leading up to a show, I work hard at creating a new body of work, something that I feel good about putting out there, that is cohesive, and that makes me feel something (whether it's nostalgia, calmness or self-satisfaction). This is always fun, exciting and envigorating.

To prep for a show's reception, I create advertising - print media (which can be expensive to produce), facebook events and posts (free!), and email newsletters.

The day of the event is usually full of errands: getting wine and snacks (when necessary, and it usually is), making sure I have a stock of business cards and any bonus items ready (for this recent show I made calendars of my work to give to anyone who bought a piece).

Prepping myself for a reception is another thing that takes way longer than it used to. Most of the time is spent trying to figure out what to wear that fits in with the "brand" of who I want to be as an artist, and then because I have taken so long to do this, I am running behind, feeling less than attractive as I run out the door with the wrong shoes, no deoderant or some other fashion faux-pas.

Last night, as we were running out the door, my 8-year-old (whose Dad was meeting us at the gallery to get him) came up to me with a guilty expression, saying "Mama, I'm sorry but something may have happened to your umbrellas." He and a friend were using them as swords and ruined them both. "No time, kid! Get in the stinking car and while I appreciate you coming clean, we'll talk about this later."

At the reception, I hang around awkwardly, not sure where to stand or what to do with my hands as I smile at everyone and say hi. Hoping upon hope that I don't look too desperate or awkward. When I see a friend I run over to them gratefully, happy to have a moment where I don't look so painfully insecure.

By the end of the night, my feet are killing me because I put on heels (see "wrong shoes" above) and I'm hobbling to the car as fast as I can without toppling over. I get home and decompress by turning on TV and trying not to self-hate too much (OMG I can't believe I said that to so-and-so, and I should have talked to that one person more and People were just being nice about my art because I was standing right there and I am sad that so-and-so didn't come...). That monkey brain is the enemy!

Knowing that this happens every time, I try to remind myself that: A lot of my friends DID come, and that the reception was well-attended, and the gallery owner was so nice to me and was very complimentary! I also remind myself that I'm lucky to be a part of a gallery at all and that I'm fortunate to be able to create my art and do what I love. It also helps to know that the next day I'll feel much better and that this is just a result, most likely, of all the build up of prepping for the night.

Maybe next time I won't be as depressed afterwards. If it does, I'll have my cry, go to bed, wake up and start prepping for the next one :)

Golden Mediums are the bomb, baby!

by Angela Bandurka

Barbara De Pirro (http://www.depirro.com) came in to give a presentation about the amazing Golden acrylic products last weekend and we were packed to the rafters with an engaged audience! Barbara's presentation was so informative, creative, and generous that we felt that we needed to share some of it with all of you.

We hope to bring her back again soon for another presentation - even if you don't paint with acrylic paints, you might find some of these products come in handy for your woodworking, textile design, graphic arts and a plethora of other applications.

Some of the products that were most intriguing are:

GAC Specialty Polymers ("Golden Artist Colors", or "GACK!")

• GAC 100: This seals your surface, so if you like to paint on wood and want to retain the look of the wood in your piece, paint this clear polymer first and let it dry. Then you're ready to go and you won't have to worry about the sap or oils from the wood interfering with your painting! This product is also good for painting on other surfaces that need to be sealed - fabrics that you stretch on canvas, for example. Dries stiff and clear.
• GAC 200: Great to add to your paint for outdoor murals or to prime hard surfaces like glass and metals!
• GAC 400: Will dramatically stiffen fabrics for cool sculptural effects! 
• GAC 700: Great for glazing
• GAC 800: Perfect for imitating encaustic techniques, you can pour thick applications of this one without worrying about it forming valleys and cracks (those annoyances are called "crazing") - can be tinted with yellow for a beeswax look. Air bubbles? Just spritz a little rubbing alcohol on it to get rid of 'em!
• GAC 900: This is fantastic for painting on fabric while keeping the fabric's softness and flexibility! Heat set it in the dryer when you're done and you're "golden"! (sorry, couldn't resist)

"Nectary" by Barbara De Pirro,  (detail), 2011, crocheted fiber, encapsulated and painted using acrylic

Golden Gels: you can apply up to 50% gel to paint and still retain your colour! That's due to the high pigment load in Golden paints - you couldn't do that with student grade paints.

• Soft Gel is great for collage glue. Feels soft and buttery.
• Regular Gel is the same viscosity as Heavy Body paints - like toothpaste.
• Heavy Gel and Extra Heavy Gels are stiffer than regular gel and are great for creating thick, sculptural effects.
• Clear Tar Gel: Great for marbelling effects and dripping lines on your project. Be sure to apply in thin layers to avoid "crazing" (see GAC 800 description for definition :)
• Self-Leveling Clear Gel: levels flat when poured, also must be applied in thin layers!

Golden Pastes: These are opaque (covers what is under them), and you can mix in some paint but you'll get a tint of the colour since the pastes have a white opaqueness to them.

• Molding Paste: dries smooth, good for imprinting on!
• Light Molding Paste: dries with a slight tooth, flexible and highly absorbent.
• Hard Molding Paste: dries smooth and hard - great for sanding and carving
• Coarse Molding Paste: bright white and toothy
• Fiber Paste: When dry, looks like handmade paper (toothy)!
• Crackle Paste: Do not rush its dry time, or it won't crack :)

"Glow" by Angela Bandurka, 2013, Golden acrylics painted on canvas prepped with a layer of light molding paste first, then gesso tinted with napthol red light.

Golden Grounds:

• Absorbent Ground: great for watercolor techniques with watercolor or acrylic washes. Also slightly toothy and porous.
• Acrylic Ground for Pastels: awesome tooth, great for drawing wit all media including pastel and pencils. Translucent!! So it can be applied in thin layers over other drawings/washes :) Be sure to spray each layer with a blast of varnish before painting on another layer of ground!

There was so much more information than this in the presentation that I couldn't possibly put it all up for you - but please refer to Golden's website for more details about their products at www.goldenpaints.com, including a great newsletter and detailed descriptions of how to achieve certain effects! They are also one of the few companies that have excellent customer service and welcome calls to their technical support line: 1-800-959-6543.

And you're always welcome to call ARTspot to ask any of our knowledgable staff what medium/gel/paste might work best for your project! If we don't know, we'll find out!

A Thousand Cranes of Peace

by Angela Bandurka

ARTspot has a small selection of amazing origami papers and the other day I decided to buy some and play around with making cranes. While online searching out instructions, I stumbled across the most amazing story about a little girl who endeavoured to fold 1,000 of them in order to get well from cancer.

Sadako Sasaki was only two when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She lived two kilometers from ground zero when the blast blew out her windows. Several years after the atomic bomb, an increase in leukemia was observed especially among children. By the early 1950s it was clear that the leukemia was caused by radiation exposure. Sadako was one of these young victims. 

She had heard that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes you would have a wish granted, and she used whatever materials she could find - candy wrappers, scrap paper. Before she died she almost reached 1,000.

Sadako's story was highlighted at the opening ceremony of the Goodwill Games 1990 in Seattle wherein Seattle schoolchildren, working from the 644 cranes sent by Japanese schoolchildren, completed the unfinished 356 cranes for Sadako, and sent them aloft into the skies in honor of Sadako and world peace.

This month at ARTspot we had dedicated a window in her honour. The antique typewriter holds a brief story of her life, and the paper cranes we folded with her legacy in mind. If you'd like to fold some paper cranes, come on by - we have a free instructional handout for you!

Grey Days Can Bring Bright Color

We all develop coping skills for getting through these long days of winter. As artists we can bring color to our life with our artistic process. I find myself longing to paint bright, saturated canvases and the bigger the better! ARTspot is also sporting tropical window displays this month, and the studio could not be more cheerful. Whenever you stop in, be sure to check out the ever-evolving displays back there. Tracy  

Detail from current work, collaging in symbols of home for me: waffles, music and cross-stitch.

From my "Save A Painting" Acrylic Class at ARTspot Feb 2, 2013. Tracy Felix

Angela Bandurka instructing Fume Free Oil Painting last Sunday in the ARTspot Studio.

Mini manikin men sporting paper umbrellas. ARTspot window display February 2013.

 We have been building our book selection. This month we have new titles about color mixing and DARING COLOR!! ARTspot window display February 2013. 

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ARTspot also a gallery showing contemporary art. Think of us when looking for gorgeous, exceptional paintings, sculpture and jewelry by the local artists we represent.  Painting shown, by Stephanie Reilly,  is part of our current show. 

A Conversation with Angela Bandurka

Angela Bandurka is an award-winning artist, and also a colleague at ARTspot. You’ll see from her accent (favourite… colours…) that she hails from British Columbia, Canada. Talking with Angela about art is always a joyful and inspiring experience!

_______________________________________________

Scott:   What are the most important materials you use to make your art?

Angela:   Wow. What a good question. I tend to start thinking too much about this and I'm going to go crazy! Essentially, I could make my art with any materials and support – it could even be a stick and some sand! The end product may change depending on my situation and time, but I will always create.

Scott:   Haha! That’s great – I’d love to see your Stick & Sand Collection someday. What materials are you utilizing in your current projects?

Angela:   As far as the key ingredients that are specific to the work I’m doing today, I'd say these are my Top5:

• Brushes

• Canvases

• Paints

• Modeling Paste

• Gesso 

Scott:   What techniques have you developed that have proven to be essential to your art-making process?

Angela:   I always cover my canvas with light modeling paste as my first step. It's essential to my art-making process because I have discovered that I detest the uniform texture of canvas, but I like the give of the fabric. Modeling paste allows me to create a texture that is not uniform, but can allow bits of canvas texture through in places and still allows the fabric to give under my brush. 

Scott:   What is your favorite art-tool at this time?

Angela:   My favourite tool is a flat or bright brush. I will use different sizes of this style of brush for everything. It allows a thin line as well as a thick line. When using oils I enjoy fluffy makeup brushes as a way of softening my edges and blurring sections.

Scott:   Where do you find your inspiration to create art?

Angela:   I find inspiration in everything! I don't have a choice in whether I create art or not. I go to bed dreaming about painting, what colours I'd use for a specific piece and different ways I can create interesting imagery. Sometimes in nightmares I imagine dark paintings. I might paint these at some point, but right now it's not time for that. Inspiration comes to me in quiet moments. When I'm watching my son play, seeing scenes around home that are beautiful - the play of light in the trees, a flutter of a bird or butterfly, or anything else external that makes me calm and that makes me feel good. 

Scott:   Who are your essential influences right now? What is it about them that stirs you?

Angela:   My essential influences? I have had many that have led me to where I am now, and I continue to find more that help me shape and change the way I create. My grandma and great grandpa, who were both artists, were my first influences as a very young child! Right now, I'm influenced by Picasso and his life -- the way he continued to evolve as an artist, more so than even his art in itself! I see that as a huge influence on me and who I am as an artist and the way I try to think about my art.

Scott:   How would you describe the art you’ve chosen to bring into your living space?

Angela:   There are three types of art in my home:

1. Art created by people I love, my grandmother, other distant relatives, my mom, my son, friends...
2. Pieces that I've purchased because they spoke to me. I buy art for emotional reasons, not decorative ones.
3. Some of my art has been passed down to me by ancestors – going back even farther than my grandparents.

Scott:   What would you love to add to your collection?

Angela:   I'd love to add more functional art - replacing objects that I use daily with handmade, creative pieces. Furniture, dishes, and the like. If money were no object, I'd have hand-painted Spanish tiles in place of my floorboards, and original one-of-a-kind wooden furniture carved sleek and elegantly by someone who loves their craft.