Mixed Media Artist

  Miami Early in the summer, I got to go out junking with my favorite cousin.  My biggest score for the trip was a jar full of  brightly colored (mostly plastic) buttons.  If you are going to work with plastic, it needs to be BRIGHT, or else hey, why bother?  :-)  I also bought the vintage enameled pin since it had the right colors to match some of the more gaudy buttons.  I rarely work in true yellow and orange, so this piece was a challenge.  What do you think of the name?  Is it too obvious? If you'd like to share your best find from the summer, just send me an email with your story and any image you'd like to share, plus a link to your site or blog, and I'll post it here :-) Email cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) with the subject line "my best find". Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Eileen , The Artful Crafter , writes: We named our website business 2nd Chance Websites . Above is a scrapbook layout I did about forming the company (also about working on the road - lol) and here's the blog post . We came up with the name because we were - and still are - so grateful for the "second chance" God gave us after losing most of our retirement savings in the dot.com collapse. The name's okay; but with 20/20 hindsight we should have chosen something more descriptive of what we do. Sometimes people ask if we are programmers who take failing websites and give them a second chance at success. No, we're a team (married for 43 years) of: two writers, one artist/crafter and one super-smart guy who has taught himself html and CSS (and lots of other acronyms I haven't a clue about), who were given a 2nd Chance at success and security. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals...

Bonnie Ferguson Butler writes: I call my blog and informal business, "Potomac Artworks." As a primarily plein air painter, I often work and photograph along the banks of the Potomac in view of nearby Maryland. I kept the name general so it could include all the media I work in, using artworks as a sort of parallel to ironworks, as in a place to produce. Above is City Perspective , which is a mixed media with semi-precious stones, of Washington DC and the Potomac River.You can see more of Bonnie's work at these two sites: bfbutler.blogspot.com www.workhousearts.org/bonniefergusonbutler Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

A couple of years ago, I asked this question of my readers at a different blog. Did you use your own name?  An image that has always intrigued you?  Your initials?  Was it hard to decide, or are you still trying to decide?  Why did you decide on the name you settled on? Do you have any regrets? I have to be honest with you about this: if I had it all to do over, I might just have used my own name rather than "doing business as" names!  But it's too late for me now :-) You can leave a link here in the comments, or even better, send me an email with the story of your name and any image you'd like to share. I'll post it on Mixed Media Artist with a link to your site or blog :-) Email cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) with the subject line "my business name". Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Gaea Emerging Last year, the Question of the Month that got the most enthusiastic response was this one: What's the best thing you've made so far this summer? So, anybody want to play show and tell again? Wire work, seed beads, lampwork, fused glass, polymer clay, metal or metal clay...we love it all here, and we get enthusiastic about seeing all of it! So come on, don't be shy.  We don't even care if it's not mixed media! You can leave a link here in the comments, or even better, send me an email with an image of your favorite summertime creation so far and anything you want to say about it.  I'll post it on Mixed Media Artist with a link to your site or blog :-) Email cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) with the subject line "my favorite art project"! There's my fave so far, up at the top. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

In answer to our Question of the Month , Rush sent me this reply: i think you are so right about what art cannot tell about you. my mother needs me to make simple, kind of cutsie cards. not much effort, a bit of time and my mom gets what she needs. i am not a cutsie-type person at all. here's an example, from my blog post Beat it to death : so, i do some stuffs for myself...more complicated and different materials...and NOT cards . here's one of my books : see more of my work at my flickr account .  Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Without seeing or knowing you, how do you think other people perceive you solely from your work?  Do you think it's an accurate reflection?  Or do you tend to make pieces that speak more to an alter-ego or to someone else's personality? Since I don't like repeating techniques very much, someone would probably have to conclude that I'm scattered or easily bored.  On the other hand, when they examine the detail and workmanship on one of my big bead embroidered necklaces, I would hope that they see my patience and self-control.  Unfortunately, both may be an illusion!  Just because I have patience for beadwork doesn't mean it translates into the rest of my life! Inquiring minds want to know about you too!  You can either leave a comment here, or better yet, email me your answer along with an image of your work that illustrates the point you want to make!  cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , as...

It's reassessment time for me!  Time to look back at the goals I set back in January and to decide which ones to chew on this summer :-)  Want to join me in planning? So far this year, I have taken a class and acquired a light box for photography.  I've been working on improving my jewelry photos, making a piece each month for the Bead Journal Project , and I've been continuing on my quest for a good balance between making and writing.  It's all been going pretty well. Oops, I forgot about this goal: Work on a book proposal. If you don't know this already, I've written and released the first chapter (FREE!) of an e-book that has been in my mind for forever: Every Bead Has a Story .  So what happened to the book proposal?  I guess that has gone by the wayside.  Here's the thing...I don't want to end up becoming a slave to my goals, so I allow myself to rethink them as the year progresses.  That doesn't mean that I ignore them or forget a...

I always wonder about what artists other folks find to be inspiring.  Since I am primarily a mixed media jewelry artist, I am obviously inspired by the work of dozens of other jewelry artists.  But I try not to copy their style.  One of the best ways for me to avoid that is to fill my head with the beautiful and challenging works of art of people who work in different media!  So I ask you: What designers or artists have had the most influence on you?  You're welcome to point to any artists that you love, and please feel free to share with us about artists who don't work with the same materials that you do!  You can leave your comment here, or email me at cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) if you'd like to share a piece of your work that is a good example of being inspired by another. My favorite brain break is to visit art museums of any type.  Like many people, I find painters to be extremely inspiring, and I've used several pieces ...

One of Liniecat's fun collages I was so happy to get this response from Liniecat regarding my latest Question of the Month !  I have to say that this would be an amazing adventure, and I can see exactly why she'd like to return: I flew once upon a time, with the RAF as a loadmaster and went round the world to some simply amazing, off the tourist path places. ( Midway Island for instance where primary coloured budgies flew around like sparrows do here in the Uk..and Gooney birds landed in a cartoon like, base-over-apex manner! So funny to watch but in the sky, they fly elegantly and effortlessly) ......BUT ..... if I had the choice, I'd want to go back to see Kathmandu - because at every turn there was something stunning and of interest to photograph, and high above Nepal were these statuesquely magnificent diamond hewed mountains, that reflected the suns rays and were all manner of colours at all times of the day. The streets were visually fascinating, the people ...

Even though I mostly just like to stay home, my all-time favorite place that we've ever gone is Italy, and I'd go back there in a heartbeat! How about you?  What would be your dream vacation if money and time were no obstacle?  Do you have any pictures you'd like to share from a favorite destination? Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Once a couple of months have passed by, I find I need to revisit my (often ambitious) list of business and personal goals for the year and ask myself the Question of the Month: Which new year's resolutions am I actually going to keep? So I'll ask you too: Which of your resolutions and goals seem to be the most likely to be kept this year? Maybe you've already managed to cross a bunch off your list already and you're all set to add the next batch. Or maybe your list has gone the way of most of the lists that start out with "Exercise more and eat less". For me, I've managed to start on two out of five: 1. Take another class this year in something… anything. *** 2. Get a light tent or light box and learn to make my photography better. 3. Work on a book proposal. *** 4. Schedule a better balance between making and writing. 5. Eat better, exercise more, get more sleep…oops! Don’t know how that one slipped in there! I've got a light tent...

My friend Eileen Bergen , aka The Artful Crafter , sent me a list of blogs that she finds inspirational in response to our Question of the Month .  Since Eileen was on my list, I would of course suggest that you add her to your own list of blogs to visit :-) Faint Art Heart Bueno Brushes Cathie Filian Lost and Taken Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery Tim Holtz Beading Arts (in the name of full disclosure, I have to let you know that this blog is one of mine, and I feel very flattered that Eileen included it) Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Darren Rowse over at Problogger posed the question a few weeks ago, who are the bloggers that you consider to be Bloggers to Watch ?  Darren's world focuses on, of course, blogging itself, so while most of the suggestions he got are folks who blog about blogging, I started thinking that most of us probably prefer reading about paper, fabric, mixed media art... So, do you want to share your list of  Bloggers to Watch ?  If so, put together your top ten (please include their urls), plus an additional  link to your own site too, and send it to me to share with everyone.   I'll bet we can all find some great new blogs to follow this way.  Just send the links to cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces).  Please put "MM bloggers to watch" in your subject line. My top ten Bloggers to Watch list is easy.  It includes the blogs of artist friends of mine.  I also read a lot of industry blogs which are really great, but these are ...

I received this great picture yesterday from Geneviève Crabe who owns Amaryllis Creations , showing the current project on her work table!  Here is my work table today, I'm working on a framable bead embroidery piece. The centerpiece is one of my first attempts at polymer clay. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

LuAnn Kessi sent me this great picture from her work table in answer to my Question of the Month!  Isn't this great? This is a very recent image of my worktable directly next to my sewing machine. I am passionate about creating quilted textiles. This is not a posed shot.......it always looks like this. I love color, I love humor, and orderliness feeds my soul. I am not big into keeping things clean......I just like them well organized. If I have to search for an hour to find something.......it takes the joy out of creating. Things get strung all over when I am in the middle of a quilting project, but when the quilt is completed, I take time to do a clean sweep, put everything back in its place, then I can start the all over again! Tour my Thread Shed Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

I always clean off my table at the end of the year...more often if it's really necessary :-)  After I did the deed the other day, I realized that I should have taken a picture of THE BIG MESS first.  Everything is relatively tame now, so I've got to put out the call to all of you:  I double dog dare you to be brave enough to send me a shot of your worktable...without cleaning it off first! Two years ago, Stephie Hall of Princess Jewellry sent me the picture above.  I was in awe!  Even though there's a lot of stuff on the table, it all seems pretty well organized.  Way to go, Stephie! So come on, be brave.  Send us a picture.  Tell us a little about how you work, or let the picture speak for itself!  Send all entries to cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces) and use the subject line "Art Worktable" . I'll post them as they come in, with links you, your site or blog. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , ...

Question of the Month: Would you ever do an art show where you knew you wouldn’t sell anything? Recently, I did exactly that! Our town has been holding an arts fest for a couple of years now, called Art Smart. Local artists, musicians, teachers, and organizations are invited to participate. It’s the only “show” that I do anymore, and even though I sell very little (sometimes nothing) at it, I still like to get out there once a year and hear what people are thinking. Why do a show that you know doesn’t cater to your target audience? I love my town and I love the people. Sometimes that’s good enough. How about you? If doing shows is important to your income, can you imagine doing one that you knew would be a selling bust? You can leave your comments here, or if you’d like to share a picture of your show booth and a link to your site, email me with the details at cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces). Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photo...

The Question of the Month for October: What is your signature style or something you are known for? How did it come into being? I received an answer from Nikki Yeager , who has a lot of mixed media art on her website. Nikki writes: My signature style is probably a mixture of a few different things- canvas, paint, anything that's attachable and irony. My friends like to say I'm the type of artist that makes you stop, do a double take and ask yourself "why is that there?" I like to think my creativity just explodes onto my canvas. Either way you look at it, my art is rather spontaneous, so maybe that's my style? Spontaneity. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

The Question of the Month for October: What is your signature style or something you are known for? How did it come into being? I guess I’m best known for not making the same thing twice! A lot of that comes from being an educator at heart: I was an English professor for 10 years. When I shifted my focus entirely to the art side, I knew that I didn’t want to end up back in a classroom, but I still wanted to help other people on their own journey. Just when I think I’ve found a style that I could stick with forever, the itch to move on starts up again :-) How about you? You can send me an image to post along with your name, website link, and an explanation of your signature style if you’d like. I’d love to be able to share it with everyone. Email me at cyndi @ mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces). Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals