Monday, August 4, 2008

Mixed Media Collage Artists Marketplace


Well, after much hard work by Debbie Overton, our fearless leader at MMCA, and many days/hours/weeks, the artists spent creating, MMCA will open it's doors to The Marketplace today. Please take a few minutes to peruse the amazing work by the other artists featured in this special shop. A few of my pieces, as well as prints of some of my work, are available in the Marketplace as well. I appreciate all of your support, comments, and faith in me, as I start out on the road of creative commerce. This is one of the pieces for sale here.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Where's my Voice? And can it be Crimson? (reblogged from 2008)

(As this topic is fresh again, I am putting this back out to the blogiverse)

So as an artist who has only been around the community for a couple of years, I have been discovering some very important things lately. I have determined, for myself, what is ok and what is not ok, when it comes to an artist's "voice". By voice, I mean their "style", their "look", their "thing". When you hear a friend on the phone, you recognize them for their unique voice I believe it is the same thing in art. Every artist has a voice, and as we become familiar with their work, we come to recognize their "voice" in the work they do.

There has been quite a bit of buzz in the online art community lately about an artist's work vs. their technique. For example, while you can obviously claim your artwork as your own, can you claim the technique it took to get there, as your own? If an artists publishes their technique, in a how to article, is the technique now "out there?" If they teach a class, is the technique fair game? And when does it go from a technique, to infringing on an artists personal "voice?"

I have just recently joined the ranks of marketing and selling my work. In this new forum, there are, obviously, far more "do's and don'ts" than just creating for myself. Are the pieces that I put out for sale uniquely my own "voice"? Well, I think I am still finding my own voice. So far, the only thing I notice that permeates almost all of my work is color. My undying and undeniable love for Golden's Quinacridone Crimson and Nickel Azo Gold. Sometimes together, sometimes alone, but always there.

After talking with an artist to get her views on technique and voice, her response has put this into perspective for me. My summary is this: If an artist works hard to create and develop their own "voice", then published technique or not, their work deserves to keep it's originality, and not compete in an over saturated market of copycat works. (I know the word copycat reeks of third grade tauntings, but it is the word that keeps coming to mind.)

So as I continue to search for my own personal style, I hope you will join me, and maybe be there when my "voice" sings, and is recognized for the first time.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Surrounding Wings




This is a 9"x12"x3/4" wrapped canvas mixed media collage, titled "Surrounding Wings". The heart collage in the center is made with vintage texts from a 1868 classifieds page from Harpers Weekly. Some of the ads from back then are hilarious. But these all reflect things of the heart/love. Be it champagne, gold, diamonds or love being "an invaluable medicine". And when we are in love, our hearts soar this way and that. The text reads: "The wings that surround my heart, fly in so many diferrent directions, that sometimes it gets lost out there". This item will be for sale in my ETSY shop.