My Studio Table Uncensored and Unedited.

Today's blog post is part of a collaborative pop-up on Seth Apter's blog 'The Altered Page'. Seth has asked all participating artists to share their studio tables uncensored and unedited. After reading my post you can head over to the Altered Page and find links to all the other participating artists. Join the party!!

My studio table was purchased at Ikea about 10 years ago. I wanted to get one with a glass top so I could get messy on it and any acrylic paint or mediums could just be scraped away with a paint scraper. Quick and easy clean-up. I fell in love with this one at the store and the fact that it's the color of beach glass was a bonus. It was table love at first site.

When we moved 4 years ago my trusty studio table now had to double as a dining room table. Not a problem except that I'm not really big on tidying it up at the end of the day so we are usually eating dinner 'Big Bang Theory' style, on the couch holding plates in our laps.

As I am a fine artist and use my easel for large canvases, my studio table is usually piled high with art supplies that I'm using, inspiration sketches, tear sheets from magazines, and just about everything that I might need while working. And of course much needed mugs of coffee or green tea.

When I'm working on small paintings or mixed media work, I can pull up a chair and work right at my studio table. It's large enough to hold supplies with room enough for a nice work area too.

And when we have dinner guests invited my studio table gets the full treatment and gets used for dining. Cheers.

Buried Treasure.

Today is Buried Treasure on the Altered Page. Seth Apter has asked participating artists to re-post their best blog posts. Not an easy thing to do and I'm not even up to 500 posts yet. I've chosen three posts that were very special moments for me.

Cityline March 2010. Kimberley Seldon discussing 'toille' with Tracy Moore. Kimberley included one of my small paintings in the design segment (and even pronounced my name correctly!) You can read the entire post here.

Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign is my second choice. I have a serious love of Vegas, Old Vegas, and neon. You can read the entire post here.

My third best blog post is Eclectic Elegance. I was thrilled to see one of my paintings included in the 2012 Benjamin Moore Color Trends brochure. A second painting was used in a home tour with Sharon Grech on a Cityline episode. The entire post is here.

So now head on over to the Altered Page where you can see all the participating artists. Happy reading!

In Progress.

In progress. There are so many paintings and projects in progress at the moment. Three large canvases are started, the backgrounds almost complete. Four larger brand new canvases sit all bright and white awaiting their turn in the spare room. Finished paintings have been taken to get photographed. I've purchased paints for another DIY and I've been selecting pieces for my art wall in the making.

I have a special collaboration in the works but its much too soon for any real details yet. This is going to be BIG and I'm over the moon when I think about it. It's something that has been on my mind for a few years now, and a few months ago I decided to get off the fence and just go for it. Special things do happen when you step out of your comfort zone. So grateful for all the new and exciting opportunities lately.

It's Treasure Time over on Seth Apter's blog the Altered Page next week and I've signed on to participate.  I agree with Seth in that "there are so many blogs and so little time". So next Wednesday, June 12th, artists will re post one or more of their best blog posts and Seth will have links to each artist on his blog. You can get full details on Buried Treasure here.

Create Mixed Media

I received some wonderful news yesterday. Next month I'll have seven of my mixed media paintings featured on Create Mixed Media. I have been asked to do "the week in art" and I am both thrilled and honored. I was introduced to this site through this post on The Altered Page. If you haven't checked out the site yet you're in for a treat as it's chock full of inspiration and information. If it has anything at all to do with mixed media you will find it at Create Mixed Media.

I'm off to the studio now to dig out my supplies and get creative. This is the part that I enjoy the most. Just playing with the art supplies and letting them take over. It's a very intuitive process for me. I know I'll have to remind myself to stop and photograph my process to share with you in a future post.

Lazy Sunday.

Pigeons  6x6 mixed media on board

sold

First Light 6x6 mixed media on board

sold

Enjoying a somewhat lazy Sunday today. By that I mean now that the household chores are done and the third load of  laundry is in, I've put my feet up and am reading through my fave design mags-March issues. I am dreaming and planning some changes here for spring. Fresh paint on the master bedroom walls, some upgrades on bathroom fixtures and lighting, moving furniture in the main live/work area, and finally, an art wall with framed photography. Photographs taken by my guys and maybe one or two of my own.

Speaking of photography, I'm happy to be included in Seth's post today on his blog The Altered Page, as part of  the Pulse-Collector's Edition Chapter 10. Nearly 150 artists have shared their current collections or obsessions. You can have a read right here.

A Giveaway Celebration.

It happened last week right after I returned from Vegas. Very quietly without any fanfare. I reached 300 posts on my little blog. So today I celebrate. I never imagined this day back when I started blogging. I felt so out of it and out of place diving into a sea of fabulous bloggers with so much to say and share and so many beautiful images. But it was the perfect way for me to share new work and my thoughts about being a working artist in my own little corner of the world.

Some days it's been hard squeezing in a post and there are times when I just can't get to it. New paintings have to be painted, galleries calling with requests for new work, commissions, keeping up with my Etsy shop and doing art "just for me". Add to all this daily family life and it can get crazy. I am truly grateful to be doing what I love.

And I am truly grateful to all my readers. Yes you!! Today I celebrate all my beautiful blog friends. Those that have stopped by from the very beginning and those that are just joining me.

Pink Sky 6x6 Mixed Media on board.

I'm having a little giveaway and here is the original mixed media painting that you can win. "Pink Sky" is from the series of mixed media paintings that I feature in my Etsy shop.You can view more of the series here and here and here. My poor little Etsy shop has been sitting empty for awhile and is long overdue for some new mixed media paintings. That's where you come in and how you can win this giveaway.

Leave a comment with this blogpost and tell me what sort of imagery you'd like to see in my shop. Nature-birds and trees, industrial-urban, retro, still life objects, steampunk, travel etc. I have definite ideas for a new series but I'm curious as to what sort of imagery you are into these days. I have a friend who is so obsessed with owl imagery it fills her home. So go ahead, leave your comment and you could win. Feel free to pass this on and tell your friends. The more the merrier at a blog party. Comments will close Sunday at midnight (east coast time) and I'll announce the winner on Monday October 18.

The Altered Page, The Pulse and Studioscapes.

Anyone that's at all interested in mixed media art has to check out out the Altered Page, Seth Apter's blog. The Altered Page is a cornucopia of all things mixed media. It features not only the fabulous work of Seth himself but the work of so many other mixed media artists and the many collaborations that Seth has created and worked with. This Sunday Seth will present Studioscapes and I believe I am included in this chapter. I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Seth as part of Inner Works, a round robin altered book collaborative last year, and participated in the Pulse. There is so much to explore and read on the Altered Page that you better grab a coffee or beverage of your choice. I promise you'll be reading for awhile!

Staycation.

Exciting new original art coming to Red Banana's Etsy shop soon!

Secret Garden 12x24 mixed media on canvas.

Have a question about a purchase or commission? Email me.

A mixed media page I created in Seth Apter's altered book with the Inner Works Collaborative.

My old studio.

Good Monday afternoon. I hope you had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. It's Simcoe day here (long weekend for many) so it's a quiet in the city. I have decided to do the cleaning and washing today but I'm doing it in vacation mode. That means taking it easy and having little breaks between the loads of laundry and other cleaning. Reading on the balcony with lunch was a treat.

"Fresh" has closed at Arts on Queen and I mailed out a commission this past Friday. I'm bursting with ideas for new paintings, and new art for my Etsy shop. I'm amazed that August is upon us already-how fast did it come around?

So I just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a week or two away from blogging but I'll be back soon with some exciting news. Stay tuned.

Altered Book Collaboration-Seth's Pages in My Book.

Today I'm showing you the pages that Seth did in my book Gifts From the Sea. This is part of the Inner Works altered book collaboration that I spent a year working on with five very talented mixed media artists. Supria Karmakar, Veronica Funk, Seth Apter, Jill Zaheer, and Roxanne Evans Stout.

Seth Apter is a fabulous mixed media artist and I discovered his blog the Altered Page early on in my blogging history. In fact, when I first read about Supria's idea for a book collaboration and I read in the comments that Seth was going to be involved, I knew I had to be a part of this group.

Seth is involved in numerous collaborations of all sorts, and is creator of The Pulse, an ongoing online project focusing on the art and blogging community. The Pulse is now in it's fourth edition. Seth also sells his mixed media creations in his Etsy shop right here.

The pages Seth created in my book are a wonderful addition and I just love how he's interpreted my theme.

And I enjoy looking at the pages and reading the words that he's included. Thanks Seth. I'm very proud to happy to have your original mixed media art included in my book.

The artists studio. The place where the artist makes the magic happen. For some it's a small room, a space carved out from another living area. For some artists it's a large space perhaps separate from where they live, dedicated to their art/craft.

My space is not large but it's perfect for me. I work in the living/dining area of our not too large apartment. The dining space is dedicated to my art. I have an easel and a large glass table from Ikea. There's plenty of shelving for supplies and large windows that face west.

Some days my studio is clean and neat and styled for photographs. This is not very often. Mostly it's messy with supplies and canvases in various stages strewn about. Total creative chaos.

And of course I have my studio helpers (our 2 cats Iggy and Nami) that keep me company and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Seth at the Altered Page has a wonderful post on studio spaces. He has studio shots of over 95 artists that took part in The Pulse. I always find it fascinating to peek into the lives of other artists and see how they work and how they have their studios set up. How about you? Do you have a space carved out where you can be creative? Are you an artist with a space dedicated to your art/craft? Feel free to share links with your comments.

The Pulse The State of the Art and Secret Sunday

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you know that I've been involved in a number of "out of the Box" venues this year. As well as my gallery work, I've been delving into mixed media quite a bit. I've been working with Inner Works on an altered books collaborative which is now winding down and we are each to receive our own books back. My book "Gifts from the Sea" will have pages altered by very talented Seth, Jill, Supria, Roxanne, and Veronica. It's through Inner Works that I got to know Seth, although I was well aware of his blog and his involvement with all things mixed media for quite awhile. So when I heard that Seth was working on the fourth edition of the Pulse - The State of the Art, I jumped right in and wanted to be a part of this online resource.

The Pulse - The State of the Art is a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. This fourth edition has over 200 artists participating. Stay tuned for The Pulse coming soon to The Altered Page. In edition to The Pulse, Seth has created Secret Sunday on his blog the Altered Page. Every Sunday your favorite artists will reveal a secret technique, a secret product, a secret source, a little known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything. Bravo to Seth for organizing such a large number of creatives in this event. I'm really looking forward to reading what all the participating artists have to say.