You guys. I am having way too much fun over on Instagram! I’m finding so many ways to be creative and hopefully encourage others to embrace their inner Artsy! I’m on Day 29 of my #colorforaging2014project, mixing up paint every day to bring some gorgeous colors into my Instagram feed. Not only am I learning all the color combos my limited paint supply can create, I’m also discovering beautiful palettes just by the juxtaposition of these colors together. Check out the little Insta-grid the folks at Zatista did of a few of my #colorforaging2014 posts!
Omigosh so pretty all together like that! See what I mean? I’ve been painting these swatches into my sketch book, 4 to a page, and some of the pages became unintentionally pretty palettes. In addition to #colorforaging2014, I’m also continuing a series that I began as a contribution to the #foliophoto selfie mini-project . I loved the week of these artist-inspired selfies so much that I decided to keep posting them on my own! You can follow my Instagram feed and hashtag #theartsyIam to a new “selfie” each week paying homage to a female artist who has influenced me in some way. A new one just went up today!
AND as if these two ongoing Instagram projects weren’t enough to keep me busy, I’m also launching a new #artsydefined project for the month of February! I do love Instagram as a way to help stretch my creative muscles and thought you might be in need of a little creative yoga, too.. so for the month of February, I would love to have you join me in visually defining familiar art terms– for instance–
If you’re on Instagram, I hope you’ll join me in finding some artsy in February! I’ve assigned a different artistic term for each day of the month ( see below, click image to enlarge ). Just tag your photos with #artsydefined so that we can all follow along with each other! I’ll also have a link to the chart in the blog sidebar throughout the month for a handy reference, no excuses! 😉
click to enlarge
Please come and join in! I hate to keep all this artsy fun to myself! Don’t forget to use the tag #artsydefined so I can follow along with your finds!
My friend Veronica and I had an interesting discussion recently about women and photography. Specifically, how so often the wife and mom ends up missing from so many photographs because she is usually the force behind the camera, eager to document big events and special small moments. I think sometimes we’re uncomfortable with being the focus of a photograph because of what it may reveal about who we are at that moment– maybe frustrated with our family or having a bad hair day or feeling bloated. We’d rather be the ones to decide the image we present to the world.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of image and influence. So when We Are The Contributors co-creators Sandra Harris & Melanie Biehle announced a mini-week-long Instagram#selfie project, I was intrigued and wondered how I could express something different and worthwhile with my selfie contributions?
i am.. o’keeffe
Project participants take one photograph of themselves and post it on Instagram each day for a week. I started with a simple selfie Mr. Forager and I took while celebrating our anniversary in Coeur d’Alene this weekend. But as I was lying in bed that night, waiting for sleep to come, I thought, I can do better. I can say something more with this project. Something about who I am.
I thought about the roles I’ve played in the past and the ones I’m playing now, about the people who have influenced me. Then it struck me, what I wanted to explore– the artists who’ve had a profound effect on me. The ones whose lives, work, and words inspired me to begin my journey along this art strewn road and those I keep discovering anew.
So for the rest of the week, I’ll be posting on Instagram a selfie paying homage to my greatest artistic influences, along with a short story about their impact on who I’ve become. I hope you’ll follow along and, if you’d like join in the project! To join, just post a self-portrait on Instagram with the hashtags #selfie #miniproject #acontributor.
I don’t usually post on Sundays, but I wanted to pop in and make sure all the artists who follow Artsy Forager knew about this! I was so thrilled and excited to be a part of the Thriving Artist Summit earlier this month, a free online conference full of amazing advice, tips, and inspiration for artists. But here’s the best news– all of the interviews are being replayed, now through December 31st! So if you missed out on any or just want to listen again, head on over to the Thriving Artist website to gain access if you aren’t already registered.
artmuse.com founder Bonnie Glendinning gathered together 20+ industry experts who, like me, are all on a mission to help artists not just survive, but THRIVE!
I shared my expertise in blogging and social media at this powerful summit and I hope to help you learn how to make these easy and accessible tools work for you!
Increase Your Sales with Marketing, PR, and Social Media
Diversify into Licensing, Wholesale, and Direct-to-Consumer
Get Into Galleries, Shows, and Raise Project Funds
I’d love for you to experience this yourself and JOIN US FOR THIS FREE summit.
The Thriving Artist Summit
With Lesley Frenz and Bonnie Glendinning December 18 through December 31, 2013 Approximately 1 hour, replay available to registrants
Mr. Forager and I are spending this week celebrating Thanksgiving, so I decided to show my thanks to this month’s Featured Artist by re-running a few of her previous posts! This feature first ran in July 2012. This was before I started calling my husband George Mr. Forager here on the blog, in case you’re wondering who I’m going on about. 😉 Enjoy!
Welcome to Day 2 of our Artists Takeover Event! Today’s artist is the only Canuck in the bunch this week, Vancouver artist M.A. Tateishi. M.A. is an artist whose work I immediately connected with and the artist herself has become a great supporter and friend. Our conversation gives you a little behind-the-scenes peek at Artsy Forager!
The Walls of This Old House, mixed media with resin, 36×48
M.A. Tateishi | You feature a lot of inspiring and different artists. How do you find the artists, and is there a particular reaction you have to art when you find it…like an immediate fall-in-love feeling, or does some work grow on you? Do you have to sort through a lot of “bad art” to find the good ones?
Artsy Forager | I find the artists I feature through a number of different avenues– some I’ve known through working in the industry, others I’ve found through galleries ( both visited in person & online ), social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, through other artists, through other art blogs, lifestyle blogs, even some DIY, fashion & home decor blogs will occasionally feature interesting artwork. Really just keeping my eyes open at all times. I try to always have a pen & paper handy, as you never know when you may happen upon something amazing! The reaction is a little like falling in love or at the very least having a crush! My heart will skip a beat and many times my mouth will drop open. 😉 I’ve been told I have a “great eye” and my husband used to always ask how I knew really great work from mediocre– it’s hard to describe, it’s more of an artistic intuition, I guess. It’s funny, but many of the sources through which I find work are so full of great stuff that I don’t really have to sift through much “bad art”. I do get emails from artists whose work doesn’t quite make the cut for Artsy Forager, though. I always want to be encouraging to anyone who is willing to reach out and ask to be featured, but I strive very hard to keep the standard of work featured high. If I do need to “reject” an artist, I try to offer other avenues for online exposure.
Pixelated Rhythm, mixed media with resin, 36×48
MAT | How do you organize your writing? Do you have a lot of posts ready to go, or do you work on deadlines? Do you have an editor/friend to bounce things off, or do you work alone? And how to you manage all your social media? Are you typing away on your iPhone while you’re waiting at the post office?
AF | I plan out Artsy Forager posts usually no more than a week or two ahead. I’m a bit of a procrastinator by nature, something I’m trying to work on, so right now, that’s about as far out as I can plan & organize for the posts themselves. Since I post to the blog Monday-Friday and my husband’s schedule can change, I’m sometimes writing & scheduling posts in advance for the days when he is off. For instance, he’s currently working Wed-Sun, so I make sure to have all my posts completed and scheduled for Monday & Tuesday by Sunday night, so that we can enjoy time together without too much distraction. I normally work alone, but will sometimes bounce ideas off fellow bloggers, artists and of course, my hubby is always a ready ear. I’m still learning to smartly manage social media.. I finally signed up for Hoot Suite, which allows me to advance schedule posts to social media and has gone a long way toward helping me maintain an online presence even when I may not be physically near a computer. 😉 You may be surprised to learn that I don’t have an iPhone or even internet access on my cell phone and right now the hubby and I share one MacBook Pro between us. It can make keeping up more difficult, but it also helps to be able to disconnect when spending time with my hubby.
Neon City, mixed media with resin, 36×48
MAT | Finally, what motivates you to do the Artsy Forager? As an artist I can see the benefits for me, and I think it’s important to bring original art to as many people as possible, but I was wondering what inspires you?
AF | This is a really interesting question and one I’m sure many artists are curious about. I began Artsy Forager when I left a long time gallery/ art consultation position and was preparing to leave Florida to begin traveling the Northwest with George. I knew that I would be bored without something to occupy my time while George was working and getting a different job in a new town every 3 months didn’t seem appealing or even possible. I thought about what I’d loved the most about my former position, what really excited and motivated me– it was the artists themselves and their work. I’ve always loved writing, I was almost a Lit major before switching to Art History and I thought blogging would be an interesting way to fuel my passion for art, help artists succeed in whatever way I could and allow me to build and create something of my own. What really inspires me is the relationships I’m building with artists from all over the country. When artists come to me for advice, I am honored, humbled and inspired to do more of whatever I can to help them succeed. Who knows where Artsy Forager may lead in the next few years. I hope it leads to greater success, not just for me, but for every artist featured.
Champagne Pop, mixed media with resin, 24×36
To see more of M.A.’s work, please visit her website. Taking over tomorrow: Christina Baker!
Remember when I mentioned the need to stretch some creative muscles? While not exactly the painting project I had in mind, this Instagram project, initiated by Sandra of Raincoast Creative Salon and Christie of Bedside Design, came along at just the right time! #Foliophoto is the name of the game and the objective is to take an Instagram each day of October based on a word prompt [ see list below ], then use hashtag #foliophoto to mark your Instagram and follow what everyone else is doing.
The project is about bettering our visual storytelling, improving our photography, and building creative community. A definite assortment of goals I knew I could benefit from and have some artsy fun at the same time! Want to join in? It’s not too late! Just find the word prompt below corresponding with today’s date [ i.e., for today, Oct. 8th, the word is pattern ]. Then take an Instagram inspired by that word. Get creative!
I hope you’ll play along with us! I love going through the #foliophoto entries at night and seeing what everyone else has come up with. So much creativity, you guys! You’ll be more creative and you’ll be inspired by what other folks are doing. Come and play! #foliophoto
What better way to kick off the Fall than to give away a beautiful autumn-inspired original painting? Artist Deann Hebert generously offered up the chance for Artsy Forager readers to win this gorgeous 30×30 canvas and folks, WE HAVE A WINNER!
Each entry was assigned a number corresponding to when they commented on the contest post ( 1 for the first entry, 2 for the second, etc ) and according to the Random Number Generator, the winner is..
Claire Alderman, this is your number! You are the winner of Caramel Crisp by Deann Hebert! And just look at some of the lovely fall-ish images she pinned to her board!
Claire,I’ll be shooting you an email so we can get your new painting on its way to you!
Thanks to all the participating Artsies! You guys sure got me into the Fall spirit. Now excuse me while I go make some cider..
Finally, finally FINALLY.. It’s Fall ya’ll!! I think I may have mentioned once or a hundred times how very much I love this season. The crisp, cool air, the brilliant changing of the leaves, the warm yellow light, it is by far my very favorite time of year. Tennessee artist Deann Hebert & I have that in common. She, too is a fall fanatic and wants to share her love of the season with you and what better way to do that than to GIVE YOU SOME ART!!
Here is the stunner of a painting you could win– Caramel Crisp by Deann Hebert, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 30×30. Gorgeous right?!
Here’s how you can enter to win this painting for your very own–
1 | Create an Autumn-inspired Pinterest pinboard, it can be inspired by the painting or just the season itself! You can see a few of my own pins below and check out more of my Artsy Welcomes Autumn board on Pinterest!
3 | Comment on this post with a link to your pinboard. Easy as pumpkin pie!
Sorry, Artsies, this contest is now closed. A random giveaway winner will be announced here on the blog on Wednesday, October 2nd! Contest is open to U.S. residents only.
Good luck! Now grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte and get to pinnin’!
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
The Closing Time lyrics kept running through my head last night, ya’ll. Today is a bittersweet milestone for me. You see, Thursday evening, I accepted a full time position and started my new job today! Our dream of living in Seattle permanently is actually happening! I’ll be taking a professional step in this new direction I’ve been pursuing these last two years. I have a chance to gain invaluable experience, add to my skills and make a difference in this company’s future.
But with all this joy and excitement, comes some sadness. The new gig is a great opportunity but will require very long hours. As in 10 hour days plus a hour and a half spent commuting by bus each day ( yikes! ). Which will leave me precious little free time. And that will be spent on Mr. Forager! I adore you all, but our little family of two is my highest priority, forever and always.
What does that mean for the future of Artsy Forager? In the long term, I’m not quite sure. In the short term, I’ll be taking a hiatus from Artsy blogging. Artsy Forager will be put on hold for a while. How long? I have no idea. I just know that in order to do my best at my new role and my best at being a wife and partner to Mr. F, I will need to step back. So after today, things will be quiet around these parts.
The website will remain up, as the hosting is paid up through April 2014 and the Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram feeds will all stay put for now. But you won’t see much activity from me there. Well, maybe Pinterest.. because I’m addicted and can’t live without it! 😉
The time I’ve spent doing Artsy Forager has meant so much to me on a personal level. I’ve “met” so many spectacularly talented artists, passionate art lovers and just plain nice folks! I’m so incredibly grateful to have had this time to create this little Artsy world. I will truly miss it and all of you. But I strongly believe our lives flow in seasons and I’m so excited to move into a new Spring! If I find that I have more free time than I thought I might, you might see me around here again. Until then, Mr. F & I thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for the past two years.
Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting. So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists. Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!
I grew up in a family of motorheads. My grandfather owned a neighborhood service station from 1961 to 1979, the kind where you didn’t pump your own gas and a fluid check and windshield wash was complimentary. I was only seven when he retired but can still remember the sights and smells of the station. Seattle photographer Todd Jannausch’s series Garage Evidence captures the decline and decay of these iconic landmarks.
Garage, 2009
Through Jannausch’s photos, I can practically smell the familiar faint odor of oil mixed with orange cleaner ( my grandfather kept his place immaculate! ) and hear the ring of the station bell as a car drives over it, signaling Granddaddy to service.
Tune-Up, 2009Little Boxes, 2009
I can remember playing on the lifts in the garage, drinking Coca-Cola in glass bottles and following my grandfather around like a puppy.
Old Pumps, 2009
Just like my grandfather’s station, these old relics have been replaced by more bigger, more efficient yet less friendly models. Thank you, Todd, for capturing their last breaths and for taking me back to the time I spent in such a place. Be sure to check out Todd’s website for more from the Garage Evidence series, as well as his other work.
PS– Scroll down for a peek at my granddaddy, Lester ( aka L.V. ) Hamilton on the day of his retirement, April 14, 1979, the day before my 7th birthday.
I am in the midst of packing and researching Seattle apartments and am going kind of insane, so I’ll keep this short & sweet.. HUGE congrats to our April Art Association winner, Niki Bradly!
Niki’s winning Pinterest board
We loved the cheekiness of Niki’s associations! I mean how awesome is that Hard Livin’ Barbie?? The reward for Niki’s hard work is this fun Voss print by Jessica Brilli.
Thank you to everyone who pinned their hearts out for the contest! Erin and I will have another edition ready for you next month. Get your pinnin’ fingers ready!
