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Art Break Wednesday – Drawing, Writing, and Blind Contours

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Want to strengthen your drawing AND maybe your writing, too? Try blind contours!

Want to strengthen your drawing AND maybe your writing, too? Try blind contours!

 

A couple of weeks ago, poet, author and writing teacher Amy Ludwig VanDerwater kindly came by to share her “Drawing into Poems” project.  I’ve been thinking about connections between drawing (slowing down to notice details) and writing (sharing details through words).  So for my monthly poetry column today over at Janice Hardy’s The Other Side of the Story, I talk about all this, with a mini blind contour drawing session to boot.

If any of that sounds interesting to you, I invite you to click on over and share your thoughts!  Happy Creating.

Art Break Wednesday: Terrific Art Springing up – Check Out these Artists!

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Greetings, Art Friends!

On the home front, I’m zipping between region and state tennis tournaments this week for my youngest, a high school senior and captain of the team. DSC_0036 seth with trophy small  (Blog posts I’ve been planning in my head have yet to materialize, in other words!)

But it’s still Wednesday, so I’d love to share a few links which are sure to delight your eyes.  Click around and enjoy!

First up is Chip Ghigna.  chip ghigna art cropChip is the son of noted children’s poet Charles Ghigna, aka Father Goose.  I’ve been eyeing Chip’s colorful, lively paintings on the Father Goose blog for a while now.

 

Chip is a recent graduate of Auburn University and currently enjoying his first gallery show at the Ellenburg Gallery at the Homewood Public Library, next door in Alabama.  If you’re in that neighborhood, check it out!  If not, please enjoy clicking and scrolling online.

 

Next, you’ll enjoy tooling around the portfolios of Joseph Bradley.  I met Joseph briefly at The Maker’s Summit in Greenville, South Carolina, in February.  joseph bradley art cropHe hails from a neighboring town, Pendleton, and I quickly assessed that his paintings on wood panels have more than a few fans.  Take a look-see and you’ll learn why!  Joseph has just added many new pieces.

Last but not least on our mini gallery tour today is the newest member of my wonderful art critique group, fellow Georgian and the creative force behind Doublefly Design, Leighanne Schneider . leighanne art crop Here’s a link to her fine art site, and she has a treasure trunk full of irresistible offerings at her illustration site.  She doesn’t know this yet – nor do my other art critique group partners in crime – but I do plan to feature each one of them in a proper interview post in coming months.  Forgiveness is easier to get than permission, you know…

Here’s hoping you are surrounded by colorful April flowers – and art! – springing up, and that the pollen is passing you by.  Enjoy creating, and support your friendly local artists. :0)

Thanks for visiting.

Art Break Wednesday (on Thursday!) – More Altered Book Collages

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Somehow, Wednesday slipped right into Thursday over here.  I’ll simply share a few items I’ve just listed in my Etsy shop.  Here’s another literary red door, featuring an altered book from the 1800s and an original relief print, with vintage embellishments:

red collage door front 2 arch macl with watermark

It has a couple of lines taken from Archibald MacLeish’s “Ars Poetica”:

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,
…
A poem should not mean
But be.

red arch macl with handred door collage arch macl inside 2 with c

Plus it has a cool illustration of an owl from an 1882 Reader.

I’ve also had a Fey bent lately. Here are a couple of altered miniature books as Fairy Doors.

(Fairy, Faerie – whichever you prefer!)
They also feature vintage metal elements, repurposed text/ephemera, and hand-pulled original block prints.

blue fairy door with window front with csmall blue fairy door inside with windows with w

Descriptions and more pictures of these are at my Etsy shop.

 

small red door inside 2 with wDSC05320 small red door collage front with w

 

 

 

 

Here’s another Thursday update, a variation:
b w fairy door 1 angled with wb w fairy door 1 interior

Thanks for taking a look!

 

 

(And, which DO you prefer – Fairy or Faerie?) ;0)

Art Break Wednesday: Artist Trading Cards for Pocket Change

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ATCs with shutter

I spent much of the day at the home of lovely and talented artist Beth Rommel for our monthly art critique group meeting.  Beth has been working hard behind the scenes on the 6 Degrees of Creativity “Pocket Change” project.  Participants from all over the world have mailed in four Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) apiece.  Each will receive three different ones back, with the fourth kept to be posted and shared with the others, online and possibly in an ezine.

The theme for this project was:

Pocket Change is all about how simple and small acts can create and instill kindness, gratitude, and change.

I sent in my cards and am looking forward to  surprises in the mail later, plus seeing the whole group and learning how the creativity behind all of these cards – and there are hundreds and hundreds of cards – has enriched lives in small and large ways.  Grateful to be participating!

©Robyn Hood Black

©Robyn Hood Black

This was my first foray into ATCs.  I made mini mixed media collages using vintage materials and metal letterpress blocks as stamps.  These four are the ones I contributed to the project. (The other two might end up in my Etsy shop.) :0)

©Robyn Hood Black

©Robyn Hood Black

©Robyn Hood Black

©Robyn Hood Black

imagine ATC

©Robyn Hood Black

ATC back

I had a lot of fun making these, using materials such as a map from an 1875 geography book, an ad from a 1927 issue of Good Housekeeping, and bits and pieces of my own relief printing.  Many thanks to the organizers for putting together this offering of creativity to the world!

 

Art Break Wednesday: the Makers Summit

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photo 3 makers summit MAKE

On Saturday, I tooled up the road a couple of hours to Greenville, SC, for the first-ever Makers Summit sponsored by Indie Craft Parade, held at a great elegant/industrial meeting space called Zen.   It was a day full of sessions and networking for artist-business owners.

photo 2 makers summit crop

Greenville is a special town to me, as my husband and I met at Furman University there and married a couple of weeks after graduation.  Our daughter is a student there now!  But back in the day, downtown was not exactly the destination spot it is today, with so many vibrant shops, restaurants, and a glorious park at the falls.  It’s the perfect location for a workshop such as the Makers Summit.

photo name badge

As you can imagine, it was a talented group of attendees enjoying some very savvy, talented speakers.  In fact, a little Googling online will take you to some professionally shot photos of the day by several who were there.  But maybe these pictures from my phone will whet your appetite to sign up when they do it again!

Speakers included Stephen Fraser from  Spoonflower, Grace Kang of Retail Recipes, designer  Justin Gammon, author  Amy Flurry, artist-entrepreneur and author Barb Blair of Knack Studios, Mail Chimp’s Amy Ellis, and Etsy’s own Kimm Alfonso, with a few other experts on hand to offer additional business advice.  Topics in the general sessions included branding and product lines, online selling, and expanding markets.

Kimm Alfonso from Etsy speaks about "Doing Business Intentionally."

Kimm Alfonso from Etsy speaks about “Doing Business Intentionally.”

One of the perks of the day was meeting fellow artists and craftspeople making a business out of their creative passions.  I had connected, through an Etsy blog, with Karen Sims Deady before the big day.

robyn and karen 1 makers summit

Robyn with Karen Sims Deady of KSDLuxe

It was fun to meet her in person and chat between sessions.  She has a gorgeous Etsy shop,  KSDLuxe, with contemporary artisan jewelry.  She’s also from Georgia, not terribly far from my neck of the woods.

I also had a 10-minute review of my Etsy shop with Etsy Support representative Nicole Bogatitus.  It was helpful to have professional feedback, since running an indie art business is at times like navigating without a map.  (And I found her comments encouraging for my first few months out in the big online world!)

Gatherings like this definitely help artist-entrepreneurs along the way, however.  Navigating by the stars is more adventuresome anyway, don’t you think?

Oh – and there were goodie bags to swoon for.  Just look at all this fun stuff:

goodie bag makers summit

When I finish playing with it all, I have to get back to business – the business of selling my art!  I’m thankful to have some new strategies to ponder and new peers to keep up with.

 

I’ll definitely sign up for the Makers Summit when it comes around again.  My guess is, we should all sign up early.

The Maker’s Summit!

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makers-summit

I’m so excited! I just signed up to attend “The Maker’s Summit,” an all-day business conference on Feb. 2, 2013 for creatives, sponsored by Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, SC.  (The Indie Craft Parade takes place in September.) Speakers include Stephen Fraser (founder, Spoonflower), Grace Kang (founder, Pink Olive and RetailRecipes.com) and Kimm Alfonso (Etsy, community outreach).

It’s only a couple hours away from my home in Georgia, so within striking distance, even during a busy weekend on my end.  My husband and I met at/graduated from Furman University in Greenville a few moons ago, and our daughter is there now. Back in the day, downtown was not really any kind of destination spot!  I loved the art museum, but the rest in my memory was just kind of industrial terrain to stay away from.

Now the city is a vibrant tourist destination, with a gorgeous park at the waterfall, many fine restaurants and unique boutiques, horse-drawn carriages, art galleries, and character galore.  We love going up there!

I look forward to connecting with other artists and creative indie business owners.  In fact, I stumbled upon a comment on an Etsy blog about this conference from an Etsy shop owner who lives in the Atlanta area.  So we’ve already exchanged cell phone numbers and plan to meet up. :0)

It this conference is calling you, too, click on the logo above to learn more.  Happy Creating!

 

Art Break Wednesday: Registration is Open for SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators Day!

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Interested in Children’s Book Illustration?  Whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned pro, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Region is hopping with talent, resources, and folks to get to know.  Led by Illustrator Coordinator Elizabeth Dulemba, with assistance from Kathleen Bradshaw, the region offers ways to develop your craft and network with industry professionals throughout the year.  (Click here for the Southern Breeze Illustrators Corner.)

One of the most ambitious events is always Illustrators’ Day, jam-packed with talks from leaders in the field as well as feedback on artwork.

Robyn Hood Black, Jo Kittinger, special guest Greg Christie, Elizabeth Dulemba, special guest Peter Brown, and Kristen Applebee enjoy the SCBWI Southern Breeze 2012 Illustrators’ Day in Atlanta.

Held previously in September, the event is moving to the Friday just before the Southern Breeze Springmingle conference in Atlanta, the last weekend in February.

(Note:  I will actually be in the building but involved in the other Friday option that day – a verse novels intensive with Nikki Grimes!  But I look forward to meeting some of our Illustrators’ Day guests and taking a look at portfolios, etc.)

Here’s the scoop on the 2013 Illustrators’ Day:

Friday, February 22nd, from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Century Center Marriott (the same location as Springmingle).

Cost: $65 per person for SCBWI members, $70 for SCAD or AIA students, and $85 for non-members. Audit options will be available to regristrants after the first 30 slots are filled.

Organizers are looking forward to the new date and digs.

“We hope that with this new change, our illustrators will want to stick around to enjoy the advantages of the entire conference weekend, although it’s not required,” says Elizabeth Dulemba. “We will also be overlapping some of our speakers.”

Binders Art Supply will host a Portfolio Viewing Cocktail Party from 4:00pm to 6:00pm for local Art Directors, gallery owners, instructors, etc. to drop by and view attendees’ work. (In other words, you’ll want to stay later, says Elizabeth! Please include take-aways with your portfolio – business cards, postcards, bookmarks, tear sheets, etc.)

“We will also have a display table just for book dummies along with the portfolios,” adds Elizabeth.  “We’re offering amazing new opportunities for our illustrators to learn more about the business of children’s books and perhaps get some good leads for freelance work.”

The  incredible line-up of speakers and mentors includes  Chad Beckerman, Creative Director for Abrams (Abrams Appleseed, Abrams Books for Young Readers, and Amulet Books) Dianne Hess, Executive Editor at Scholastic and Blue Sky Press,and Will Terry, illustrator and innovator.

Illustrator Mark Braught will mentor the first 12 registrees (first-come, first-served) with an assigned project before the workshop. The goal:  to create a finished piece ready to show on Illustrators’ Day during the Portfolio Reviews.

Portfolio Reviews: The first 30 registrees will display their work and receive feedback from this illustrious faculty in a public overview manner (timed – no more than 2 minutes).   (Attendees should follow the Portfolio Guidelines on the Southern Breeze site.)

NEW! Dummy Display: This year a designated table in the portfolio viewing area will be dedicated to the display of picture book dummies.

Registration is now open!
For more information, for links to all these great speakers, and to sign up, click here.
For questions, contact  Elizabeth O. Dulemba: http://dulemba.com elizabeth at dulemba dot com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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Happy Holidays to all – Art Break Wednesday is taking a holiday break this week.

Wishing you and yours a lovely rest of the holiday season, and much joy in the New Year.

Moon and village carving made by my hubby from a new pattern he found this year. :0)

Here’s to a Creative 2013!