The F Word

Take 13 minutes and 44 seconds out of your day to watch this video. You will be moved. You will be inspired. You might even be changed.

If Kathy and/or her son Dan has touched your life, consider being part of "The Journey is the Inspiration" - a collaborative, online journal project beginning this month on the blog at daneldon.org. We are now accepting submission at any time.

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THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at daneldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.

In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.

THE FINE PRINT

You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Also please include a link to your own online site if you have one. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.

The Journey is the Inspiration: Call for Contributors

THE STORY

Some stories need to be told and retold. Such is the case with Dan Eldon. Born in London in 1970, he moved to Kenya with his family at age seven, where he remained through high school. He embraced his new life fully and quickly became an explorer of the world. Dan began taking photographs of his adventures while accompanying his mother on her travels as a journalist. These pictures became the basis of his visual journals, in which he documented his life, beginning at age 15. Extremely charitable and concerned about the world around him, Dan traveled extensively and returned to Africa repeatedly. In 1993, having become the youngest photojournalist employed by Reuters, he and three other journalists were stoned to death as they covered the famine and escalating violence in Somalia. He was 22 years old.

His life has had a profound impact on a countless number of people and though nearly 21 years have passed since his death, his legacy of inspiration continues to gain momentum. His mother Kathy and sister Amy have since co-founded Creative Visions Foundation. CVF fosters positive change through its support of creative activists - people who use the arts to raise awareness of social, environmental, and humanitarian issues. His family has also shared his journals and their message through the publication of a series of book, beginning in 1997 with The Journey is the Destination.

Dan was a pioneer and a visionary in so many ways: as an activist, an adventurer and an artist. His journals were created long before the current trend in visual journaling began. And yet his approach - raw, real and very personal - presaged the style of many journalers today.

THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at DanEldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.

In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.

THE FINE PRINT

You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.

Bits and Pieces

The new issue of Pasticcio Quartz is now available. Sarah Fishburn and Angela Cartwright are the brains behind this QUality ART Zine.

This is one of my favorite publications out there. Every issue of Pasticcio Quartz delivers so much and the 60-page, issue #15 is no exception.  In addition to pages and pages of art, there are also interviews, book reviews, movie quips, tutorials, links to discover, stories, historical artist reviews, and so much more.

I so appreciate the wonderful review that Sarah and Angela wrote about my book The Mixed-Media Artist and the fact that they included a piece of my art entitled Seek the Stars.

You can see a preview of Pasticcio and order all 15 issues here.

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Australia here I come. Registration is now open for Art is You Australian Mixed Media Road Show. 

I will be joining four other US artists (Kecia Deveney, Andrea Matus DeMeng, Michael DeMeng and Sue Pellitier, as well as a group of local Aussie artists, in August 2014 in three different locations down under: New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. This all inclusive retreat will include workshops and many special events. I am gobsmacked to be part of this adventure and hope to see some of you there!

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Hot off the presses from the people at Cloth Paper Scissors is a new downloadable eMag called Art Lessons: 2013 Collage & Paint Series Collector's Edition. 

This publication is a compilation of 14 Art Lessons (one from each month of 2013 and 2 new bonus lessons) from artists such as Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Downa Downey, Jane Davenport, Carolyn Dube, Karen Michel, and many others. I am so happy to be part of this group and my Dimensional Stenciling Art Lesson is included as well.

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Congratulations to artist Lesley Riley. Her recently released, self published book Quotes Illustrated has been picked up by North Light Books and will be reissued with additional content. 

If you want a copy of the original book, you only have until midnight 1/1/14 to order. If you want to be part of the new edition, there is still time to submit artwork -- all of which is inspired by quotes. For details on the artist call, click here.

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I have been planning a "project" for quite some time and have been busy behind the scenes working on making it happen. Thrilled that it is now complete and will be revealed just after the new year. My first resolution checked off. See you for the reveal.

Open Call for The Pulse

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline to participate in the 6th online edition of The Pulse is fast approaching: Sunday March 3, just 8 days from the date of this posting. Every person who contributes will be included. In a bit of a twist, this edition of The Pulse will collect your favorites in 10 categories. The results will be tallied and collated and will form the basis for a series of online resource manuals for both artists and art lovers.

All the information you need to participate can be found at this link, which can be accessed at any time from both the [PULSE 6 OPEN CALL] tab just under my header as well as my sidebar. But tally your favorites quickly so you can be included!

Pulse 6: Open Call

It is once again time to take your pulse! The Pulse is a collaborative experience that has been part of The Altered Page since January 2008. Its purpose is to "tap into the pulse" of the online, art community. With so many talented and creative artists to follow, I thought it would be fun, informative, and inspiring to bring them together through a series of ongoing projects, which have included: five online editions, a zine, my book The Pulse of Mixed Media published by North Light Books, and a series of live artist panels. 

I am now gathering participants for the newest version of The Pulse and every person who submits will be included. In a bit of a twist, this sixth edition will collect your favorites in 10 categories. The results will be tallied and collated and will form the basis for a series of online resource manuals for both artists and art lovers.

All the information you need to participate can be found at this link, which can be accessed at any time from both the [PULSE 6 OPEN CALL] tab just under my header as well as my sidebar. But tally your favorites quickly -- the submission deadline is 3/3/13.

Number 6

COMING SOON

open call for sixth online edition

stay tuned...

Happenings

Sending thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic response to the release of my book. I am having the time of my life right now and it has been so satisfying to see that people have responded so positively to The Pulse of Mixed Media. For those of you who have a copy of the book, I would so appreciate it if you would take a few minutes and leave a review on Amazon to help me spread the word!

I continue to add events to both my online and live schedule for the book tour. Go here for live events and here for online events. And you can always see where I will be by clicking on the links on the sidebar of my blog.

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A reminder to all tweeters: Join me tonight for the Twitter Launch Party to celebrate the release of The Pulse of Mixed Media. The party will be held from 9-10pm EST and the list of confirmed guests keep growing. You will have a chance to chat live with many of your favorite contributors from the book: Angela Cartwright, Judy Wilkenfeld, Julie Prichard, Lelainia Lloyd, Holly Dean, David Hayes, Denise Aumick, Susan Tuttle, Linda Woods, Trish Baldwin Seggebruch, Laura Quilligan, Bridgette Guerzon Mills, and more. All the info you need to attend the party can be found here.

Please note: in order for everybody at the party to see your tweets, you must make sure that your Twitter account is not set to 'protected' for at least the hour that the party takes place.

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There is still time to respond to my open call for art to be part of my newest project related to The Pulse. I have selected 3 questions that were asked of the artists in the book, and am now asking all of you to answer these questions by creating 5" x 5" artworks. There is no judge or jury. All submissions will be posted on my blog and select pieces will travel with me and be displayed on my book tour. There is no official deadline for this project but expect an announcement that one day in April, submissions will no longer be accepted. All the info you need to submit is found here.

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Once a month, David Hayes from Clearer Reflections holds a collaborative online project called 'Dave's App Recipe Book Project.' The brief: take a picture and edit the picture using your App(s) of choice on an iDevice -- and not on your Mac or PC. The participants share their image and their App recipe on their blogs. Dave then lists all the participants links on his blog. Head on over to check out all the contributions. And it is not too late to participate yourself!

Today I decided to share an altered image of the Chrysler Building, one of the many iconic sites from my hometown, NYC. On this beautiful, 70 degree day in March, I thought celebrating NYC was the perfect thing to do. Single App used: Snapseed

New Open Call: The Pulse of Mixed Media

The Pulse of Mixed Media is all about community. Our community. The thing is, 144 pages is not nearly enough space to showcase and highlight all the creative people out there. And that just ain't right. Our community is nothing if not inclusive. I want everybody to be part of The Pulse.

So I invite all of you (...yes that means you...and definitely YOU...and you as well even though you are already a contributing artist...) to be a part of the book. With a twist. Well, several twists really. 

Twist #1: This project will be online. Given that the book would not have existed without the cyber version of The Pulse, it seems only fitting that some component of the book should be online.

Twist #2: There is no jury. All submissions that meet the requirements of the open call will be accepted*. So scratch that off as a reason for not submitting. (*The fine print says that I do have the right to pass on any entry if given reason to but I am assuming and hoping that this will not happen)

Twist #3: This open call is a mail call. Snail mail and not email. Entries must be mailed to me:

Seth Apter

PO Box 2036

New York, NY 10021

The deadline to receive entries for this call is April 30, 2012

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So by now you are probably saying "why is he telling us the rules before he is even telling us what the project is?" My answer...now I know that everybody has actually read the rules.

The Pulse of Mixed Media: Online Open Call

The Pulse of Mixed Media presents the results of a survey in which artists were asked questions that they had to answer in words or provided with prompts that they had to respond to with art. Here we combine both. Below you will find 3 questions from the book, one of each from the three different sections in the book. 

1. The Artistic Ingredient: If your artwork could talk, what would it say?

2. Passion in Action: Who has had the most impact on your creative life?

3. Secrets Revealed: What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?

For this open call, you can chose 1, 2 or all 3 of the questions and answer them individually. Your answer must be presented on a 5" x 5" square, which could be a piece of paper, cardstock, canvas, wood panel, fabric...could be anything. Your answer must be in words, which can be written, typed, drawn, sewn, painted, etc. Since we are artists, I encourage you (but you do not have to) also make your submission visually interesting...in any way you desire. 

Entries will be photographed and presented on my blog. Please include your name, email address (for my records only and will not be posted anywhere) and one link to your online site with your entry. You have the option of submitting anonymously as well. All submissions must be mailed. Emailed jpegs will not be accepted.

Select entries will follow me around the United States and Canada and become part of my artist panels, book signings, and exhibitions. Please note: no entry will be returned to you.

Please read through the instructions here carefully. If you have any questions, please comment on this post or email me at shap97@gmail.com.

Paper Stacks

Paper Stacks - A Call for Collaborative Participants!

Earlier this month I posted this picture on my Facebook Page. I had been moving some things around in my studio and had temporarily stacked these journals, papers, artworks, and handmade books in a pile. Couldn't resist the photo op. One of my visitors, Heather Campbell from Blissful Things, commented 'I love stacks of paper and handmade books...we should all take a picture of our own. Maybe Seth you have a place we could post them?' Great idea Heather. Ask and ye shall receive.

One week from today, on Wednesday September 21st, The Altered Page will host Paper Stacks, an online collaboration. Please leave a comment on this post if you would like to participate. All you need to do is post an image on 9/21 on your own blog of your stacks - be they papers, books, journals, or anything else of your liking. On the 21st I will post a list of all participating artists on my blog so that you can be sure to find all the links to the stacks. Feel free to let your own readers know about this project by spotlighting it on a post on or prior to reveal day. Please (and this is important) email me with a link when your post goes up so I know to add you to the posted list on my blog.

This is one time when the higher your stacks of stuff, the better.

The Sunday Paper

Three new survey questions are now on my sidebar. Head on over and have your say!

If you are participating in the newest edition of The Pulse, please remember that your responses are due on June 12th, one week from today. If you are interested in participating but have not yet signed on, there is still time. Email me at shap97@gmail.com for information.

The next post in my new series Your Blog, Your Way goes live this Tuesday 6/7 at Create Mixed Media. If you haven't yet seen the first post (or done your homework), you can find it here.

Sending out a thank you to kimalousartsyfinds for including Fides from my Making Waves series in her newest treasury Can't Stop Looking. Fides is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

I designated yesterday as a book only day. No art making, no blogging, no chores. Thanks to everybody who commented about this on my Facebook Page. I really enjoyed the books I revisited from my collection. I read them cover to cover and managed to go through seven books -- a drop in my library bucket. I found the day both mellow and exhilarating at the same time and it reminded me of what I did so much of before the days of the Internet. I recommend this 'Day of Books' to all and will definitely be scheduling another soon.

My reads...

Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner: Filled with an endless number of well-explained techniques for acrylic paint and acrylic mediums but a resource for so much more as well. The two page 'essential acrylic tips' section alone is worth the price of admission.

Art Making, Collections & Obsessions by Lynne Perrella: What artist doesn't love to collect? And what could be better than page after page of collections, obsessions, studio shots, artwork, stories and quotes from 35 artists. Lynne Perrella knocked it out of the ballpark with this one.

Artists' Journals & Sketchbooks by Lynne Perrella: The perfect blend of gallery photos and how-to advice. This book is one of my favorites and has a ton of post-its marking pages to return to. There is a lot of inspiration to be found here and it is a great source of imaginative ideas.

Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media by L.K. Ludwig: I am all about the collaboration and this book highlights an endless array of collaborations that have been done by mixed media artists. There are great visuals but also the collaborative process is broken down step by step.

Art Making & Studio Spaces by Lynne Perrella: My third book by Lynne. Her books always tap into the most fascinating themes but more than that, she is simply a very talented writer. This book invites you into the studio spaces (and the heads) of 31 artists and makes you feel right at home.

Kaleidoscope - Ideas + Projects to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis: This book is filled with fascinating projects, how-tos, inspirational stories, strategies to become more confident as an artist, and much more. Over 30 artists have contributed and It is like an all you can eat buffet for art.

Journal Revolution by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino: This book is part manifesto, part how-to, and part self-help manual. Follow along not only to learn how to journal your life but also how to free yourself from the inner critic and let lose in your journaling and artistic styles.

Past, Present, Future

Past: Three items will retire from my Etsy shop over the course of the next 10 days. I am offering free shipping on all three pieces if bought before the retirement party. 

Steps

Moments

Reasons


Present: Thanks to everybody who has responded to the questions in my ongoing survey. You will hear about all the results, some of which are very surprising, in my upcoming 'Your Blog, Your Way' posts on Create Mixed Media. For now, three more questions have been added to my sidebar. Head on over and speak your mind!

Future: Thanks to everybody who has requested information about the newest edition of The Pulse. Over 175 of you have asked for the guidelines! There is still time to join the project. The deadline for submissions is June 12th. Shoot me an email if you are interested in participating.

To those in the US, enjoy the long weekend. To everybody else, enjoy your usual weekend!

What's New?

New survey questions have just been added to the sidebar of my blog. Head on over and have your say - totally anonymously of course!

The Pulse, edition #5, is starting with an open call. I have already had almost 150 artists ask for information. Join the party and email me. I will send you all the specs!

Iaso debuts in my Etsy shop. She is the Greek Goddess of Cures, Remedies, and Healing.

What's new with you?

Pulse V Open Call

It is once again time to take your pulse! The Pulse is an online and print project that has been part of The Altered Page since January 2008. Its purpose is to "tap into the pulse" of the online, mixed-media arts community. With so many talented and creative artists to follow, I thought it would be fun, informative, and inspiring to bring them together through a series of ongoing projects. The aim: to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and to provide a window into the creative hearts and minds of a talented group of individuals.

I would like to put out an open call to all mixed-media artists who would like to participate in the 5th online edition of The Pulse. You can access all prior editions by clicking the links on the sidebar of my blog. You are more than welcome to leave a comment on this post, but if you are interested in participating, please email me and I will forward all the information you need to join in. Go ahead. Email. You know you want to!!

The Daily News

Thanks to everybody who signed up for a chance to win The Winds of Change, the book that Roxanne and I self-published. Your comments were all so positive and affirming.

A thank you also goes out to Patti Edmon from Altered Attic who reviewed the book in this post.

I wish I could give a copy to everybody! But today the lucky winner is ...Gillian McMurray. Congrats Gillian. I hope you love the book.

The book can be previewed and purchased here. It would make a great holiday present for any art lover, including yourself!

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If you haven't added your answers to this week's survey questions on my sidebar, head on over and speak your mind. The questions will be up until late Wednesday, at which time four new questions will be posted.

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Submissions for my book The Artist's Pulse (working title) have been streaming in. The responses to the questions have been wonderfully authentic and the art images I have received are stunning. The open call continues and all the details can be found here. A reminder to all that the deadline for Q & A responses is November 30, a week from tomorrow. The deadline for the artwork is December 31. If you reading this and debating whether to send something in...consider this a sign that you should!

Artist Call - Update 1

I would like to thank all of you for your amazing response to my recent announcement about and call for entries for my upcoming book. I have received hundreds of emails and comments and feel such gratitude that people are responding so enthusiastically to the project. Submissions have already been coming in. It has been truly fascinating to see both the variety of answers to the questions as well as the artwork created in response to the prompts. My hope is to create a book that is honest, authentic and raw, and the submissions so far fit the bill.

There have been a number of questions being asked and I thought I would use this post to outline and clarify some issues.

Artists working in all media are welcome to submit. I am looking to represent the whole of the artist community and therefore want to showcase a wide range of styles and formats.

This is an international call and there are no geographical limitations to submitting artists.

To be considered for inclusion, artwork must be new and cannot have been "published" anywhere before, including online. As such, you cannot post your submitted artwork on your blog. However, my publisher has said that you can post a glimpse of up to 30% of any submission online.

Please remember to include with all submissions your name as you would like it to appear, your email (which will not be published), your hometown, and one web url.

As many have guessed, the survey questions that have appeared on the sidebar of my blog since September are in fact for the book. If you have not yet answered the 4 current questions, please head there now and do so. This, and every Thursday, new questions will be posted.

Remember, you can always click the "call for entries" icon on the top of the sidebar of my blog to be taken back to the original call for entries.

I am so excited about this project and know with your participation, we can all create a true collaborative book together. Thank you!

A Call for Entries

I am so happy to be able to tell you that my online collaborative project The Pulse has been picked up by F+W Media and will be published as a book by North Light Books. The working title is “The Artist’s Pulse” and the tentative publication date will be in Spring 2012. All four of the online editions of The Pulse have been based on surveys in words and images of the online artist community. The book will have the same basic premise but will also be expanded into additional, new directions as well.

The premise of the book is to “take the pulse” of the online artist community that loosely falls under the category of mixed media. This will be accomplished through a series of projects that include both questions and answers as well as the presentation of artwork created specifically for the book. While the book will include practical, art-related information, it will primarily focus on more personal and provocative issues. In the end, I hope to provide the readers with a window into the creative hearts and minds of the participants and offer a snapshot of the state of our community today.

I am announcing a call for entries for the book. To have your work considered for inclusion, please carefully read and follow the instructions below. Please note that you do not have to complete all the projects described below to be considered for inclusion. Think of the following as a menu for you to choose from.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Please answer the following eleven questions. While I would prefer that you respond to every question, you have the option to answer one, some, or all. Please err on the side of responses that are too long rather than too short. But please be aware that some editing for length may be necessary to maintain a degree of consistency among different artist responses.

1) One thing I have never shared with the art community is…
2) Have you ever lost a friendship over art?
3) What is your secret dream as an artist?
4) Have you ever received artwork from others and reworked it to make it your own?
5) What is one current trend that you wish would go away?
6) In your opinion, is creativity built-in or learned? Or both?
7) How has the Internet changed your artistic practice?
8) Do you think creative types are moodier than those with less artistic inclinations?
9) Do you enjoy working more intuitively or by carefully thinking through your process?
10) Do you create art to work through inner issues or is studio time more of a distraction to keep from facing your problems?
11) What do you think your preferred art medium says about your personality?

Deadline for submission for the Questions & Answers section is November 30, 2010.

ARTWORK: I am asking for submissions of new artwork to be created specifically in response to the three prompts below. Again you have your choice of creating artwork for one, two, or all three statements. Feel free to create without restriction as to medium and/or dimension. For each piece that you submit, please include a title, the dimensions, and the list of materials used. In addition, for each piece you need to include text that explains the artwork and describes your response to the prompt.

1) Share a secret as expressed in an artwork.
2) Create an artwork that expresses your biggest fear.
3) Create an artwork that reflects the innermost part of you.

Deadline for submission for the Artwork section is December 31, 2010.

SUBMISSIONS: Entries are to be completed via email to shap97@gmail.com. Images of your artwork must be high resolution, .jpeg or .eps format, and need to be a minimum of 3” x 3” at 300dpi with no compression. Please label each image with your name and the words "secret", “fear” or “innermost” depending upon the prompt you are answering. Also include with your submission your name as you would like it to appear, your email (which will not be published), your hometown, and one web url.

ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS: Because of the personal nature of the themes within both the Questions & Answers and the Artwork sections, I recognize that some artists may not feel fully comfortable responding publically. To that end, you have the option of having your artwork and/or your responses to the eleven questions published anonymously. If you do submit this way, please be aware that your name will not be included in the book at all.

As anonymous contributors, you are still legally required to sign a release form if your artwork is selected for publication. Therefore please note that although the form with your name on it will ultimately be sent to and held by F+W Media, your name will not be published and will remain in the strictest of confidence.

Release forms are not required for text only. So if you are uncomfortable with sending your responses to the Questions & Answers section via email, you may anonymously mail them without attaching your name or return address to:

Seth Apter

PO Box 2036

New York, NY 10021

DEADLINES: Deadlines for this submission as noted above are not flexible. Please know that if the guidelines are not followed correctly, your submission may not be able to be considered. In addition, please be aware that not every submission will be published. There is likely to be a greater number of submissions than space in the book and ultimately the publisher has final approval. If your work is selected you will receive notice prior to February 15th. At that time, you will be provided with a release form for your artwork that will require your signature.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the submission process.

I am very excited about this book. The success of the online version of The Pulse can be credited to the contributions of so many creative artists. I am hoping that with your submissions, “The Artist’s Pulse” the book will be a must-have for every artist and every art lover’s shelf!