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Seth Apter ~ A is for Artist

By Creative Contributor: Seth Apter

The following images are from Seth's personal collection and clickable for enlarged viewing.  

What makes a maker of art an artist? This is a question that so many of us ask ourselves at one time or another. And it is likely that there are as many answers as there are artists. I remember a time when I asked a friend if she considered herself to be an artist. While there was no question in my mind that she was, replied to the query with a sheepish no. I could tell I touched a nerve. This got me thinking about why it might be that so many people who make art do not self identify as artists. What is it about this label that seems to strike fear in the hearts of so many?

Wikipedia defines artist as “a person who engages in an activity deemed to be an art” and “a person who expresses themselves through a medium.” This is quite a broad definition and it seems as if anybody who has even doodled during class in high school is an artist. Wikipedia goes on to add “the word also is used in a qualitative sense of, a person creative in, innovative in, or adept at, an artistic practice.” This is definitely more specific, but who determines a person’s level of creativity, innovation or adeptness?

People who have children easily identify themselves as parents -- regardless of how effective they are in that role. And those in school comfortably call themselves students -- even if they have a failing grade. But simply making art does not seem to be the only ingredient that enables all people to call themselves artists.

Maybe it is formal education and/or training that separates the artist from the non-artist? Well if that were the case, how do we explain Outsider Artists? A much debated term itself, the Outsider Artist is often thought of as an individual with no formal training, who may or may not be mentally ill, and who usually began creating their artwork with no interest in recognition or commerce. James Castle and Bill Traylor come to mind.

Perhaps it has to do with recognition in the form of sales? If that were true, what about Vincent Van Gogh? The story goes that Van Gogh sold just one painting while he was alive. Does that mean he only became an artist following his death?

How about exposure in the form of exhibitions?  Well that would not explain Martin Ramirez or Henry Darger. While hardly household names, Ramirez’ artwork was exhibited throughout the United States for the first time more than 40 years after his death. And Darger’s artwork is being shown for the first time in his current exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC.

Perhaps it should be the creator of the art themselves who decides if and when they are an artist. Rather than looking toward external acknowledgement in the form of degrees, exhibitions, or sales, each of us who “creates” art can make the choice to embrace or avoid the label of artist, grapple with our identity as an artist, or just plain say it doesn’t matter one way or the other.

Seth Apter is a mixed-media artist from New York City, focused primarily on paper arts, book arts, and textural assemblage.  Using layers of paper, paint, ink, text, transfers, found metal, and other altered objects, he creates highly textured and distressed artworks. 

His work has been highlighted on multiple websites and published in books, national magazines, and independent zines.  His blog, The Altered Page, is a visual journal of his own artwork, photography, and collaborations, as well as a showcase for artists he admires and his creative experiences in NYC.

Blog:  The Altered Page   
  

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

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This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Christine Mason Miller ~ Never Imitate

Creative Contributor ~ Christine Mason Miller

Christine has chosen to share with you some of her favorite quotes and poems in her own handwriting.

Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica based writer and artist who has been drawing, painting, creating, writing and exploring ever since she was a little girl. She began her journey as a professional artist in 1995 with the creation of Swirly, and has maintained a strong audience since with gallery exhibits of her mixed media work, her website and blog. In 2008 she released Ordinary Sparkling Moments: Reflections on Success and Contentment, a full color self-published book that combines her mixed media work and writing, all aimed at exploring the joys of finding wisdom in everyday life.  

Website:  www.christinemasonmiller.com

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

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This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Seth Apter ~ Own Your Own Voice

By Creative Contributor: Seth Apter

The following images are detail shots of work Seth has completed.  Make sure you click on each image to view the amazing layers, fibers, colors, elements and more.   

 

We all know artists that have signature styles. When we see their work, we can immediately identify it as theirs and theirs alone. This is true of many of the great masters and of today’s bloggers as well. But I have heard many people say that they are forever trying to find their own style.  They are no longer satisfied following the step-by-steps in books. They want their own voice.

Many times an artist’s style emerges organically over time. But for some, this doesn’t seem to happen. If you feel this way, the following seven ideas may help you to own your own voice!

Style File:  We have all had the experience of seeing a piece of art that really grabs us. Start a file of images that call your name. But don’t limit yourself to artwork. How about an ad in a magazine that has just the right color? Or an online photograph that gets your heart beating just a little faster. Do not use these images in your art. Instead, as your file grows, try to see what themes repeat themselves. This can be a clue to your own style.

Play Day: Give yourself permission to play with the art materials you already own, without any preconceived plan. Clear the area. Spread out the supplies. Put on your favorite music. And just play. Grab whatever catches your eye. Mix materials that you usually do not combine. Work with no thought of a finished piece. When recess is over, see what you have created. Ask yourself, where did I end up?

Obsess Less: As artists, we all end up collecting (e.g., hoarding) special objects that we hold on to and cannot seem to actually part with to use in an art piece. Grab all these objects and look at them together. After you find any patterns, chose one special object and create an art piece around it. Your creation will provide a hint to your artistic voice.

Playing Favorites: We all have artwork that we have made that has a special meaning - the one or more pieces that we really love. You know…the ones we pick to show other people. Find those few, very special pieces and study them. What is it about the work that resonates? See if a theme emerges across all your favorite pieces.

Book ‘em: Chose a favorite art “how-to” book or just grab one randomly off your shelf. Pick a project or a technique in the book. But instead of following it step-by-step, challenge yourself to change it up. Add a new step. Bring in a new material or technique. Make it your own. Do this a few times over the course of a month. In the end, see what you have brought to the table and try to identify your own influence.

Four Score: Chose 4 pieces of art that you have made that best represent you or that are simply your personal favorites. Show all 4 pieces to 4 different people whose judgment you trust. Ask each person to write down 4 words that in their minds best describe your artwork. Sometimes we already have our own style but find it hard to see it ourselves. It may be clearer to others.

Journal It: Keep track of the results of these exercises in a journal. And keep your journal with you always. Write down artful thoughts, words, and events. Doodle, draw, or paint anything that inspires you. All without any worry about how “good” it is. As your journal fills you will begin to see a pattern in all the entries. You will begin to own your own voice.

Seth Apter is a mixed-media artist from New York City, focused primarily on paper arts, book arts, and textural assemblage.  Using layers of paper, paint, ink, text, transfers, found metal, and other altered objects, he creates highly textured and distressed artworks. 

His work has been highlighted on multiple websites and published in national magazines, independent zines, and three books to be released in 2010.  His blog, The Altered Page, is a visual journal of his own artwork, photography, and collaborations, as well as a showcase for artists he admires and his creative experiences in NYC.

Blog:  The Altered Page   
  

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

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This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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KC Willis ~ KIDS ALLOWED

By Creative Contributor KC Willis of Lipstick Ranch

My step-son has artist written all over him. He's much more likely to be found skateboard and IPod in hand than paint brush...but the inherent inclination is there and I'm jazzed. When I met him, nearly six years ago, he was eight and already as individual as one can be when one can't spell individual. Right from the start he was completely curious about everything in my studio and didn't even seem to be phased one bit that the art I made involved a sewing machine. All he saw was the old bits and pieces that were everywhere and went into these cool things I called collages. He never hesitated to try his hand at the ideas he had. And yes, at eight he had ideas...lots of ideas. So much so that when 3 p.m. rolled around and he and his brother strolled through the door with a chorus of "Hey KC!" I knew all my work was about to come to a screeching halt. After all he had had all day to think of what cool things he could make.

Now I never had children. Never had to share a remote control much less my sacred studio with a child. And I had come from a family of all girls and my mother had come from a family of all girls. When my nephew was born and they came out to tell the family it was boy we all kind of looked at each other like...what the heck are we supposed to do with one of those! And I'm not going to lie to you...those days of stopping my work and relinquishing my art supplies to a little boy who never stopped making noises (I learned early on that if male children didn't have anything to say they made sound effects) while he made his creations was hard on me. Made me down right grumpy at times. But he was so into it. I would tuck away the really rare fabrics and trims, but other than that I let him have at it. It was just another form of babysitting to me.

But then I started noticing little things and not so little things. The way he observed the world around him, soaking it in, his ability to mimic (quite hysterically) the voices he heard. How his face lit up when I told him he could have a small piece of canvas and handed him some acrylics and a brush. He didn't just go into my studio and scribble some cute little kid rainbow. He put headphones on and found the right music so he could feel what he was painting. Don't look at me! When he was given an assignment to write poems in 4th grade, he tackled it with great enjoyment and seriousness and wrote a small booklet of poems that could take your breath away. His teacher told us that this young man was the kind of student he got up for in the mornings. Us too.

But when he came home from school with a paper that ended with "And when I grow up I want to be an artist because KC taught me how to be creative,"...well I don't have to tell you that right then and there art stopped being Super Nanny. I realized that this boy had already packed his bags and was heading down a road he paved everyday with his own ideas. What an incredible thing to be even a small part of.

Now, as a teenager he gets all that angst and energy out by learning every trick he can on the skateboard and speaking "skater-ese" which I assure you is a language unto itself...but he also spends hours in his room teaching himself the guitar and writing notebooks full of songs. He tapes and edits short films, is funnier than any kid I know, and isn't embarrassed to show you the beautiful sunsets pictures he has taken on his phone. He digs looking at art and I dig looking at him looking at art.

It's not that difficult of a thing to do...to encourage creativity in a child or to gently open up the world of art to them. Sure, it helps to have a youngster with a natural inclination to explore his creative side, but any child...ANY CHILD can have their world changed by us sharing with them the thing that changed ours.

 KC Willis immersed herself as a young girl in the stories of western life and fell in love with Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane and the idea of heading west.  Each of her fabric embellished collages tells a story featuring these women and more.  Her original "Old Hope and Glory" flag is featured in The Art for Obama book, "The Women - The Flag" is in the permanent collection of The Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth TX and her collectors are world wide.

KC is an online workshop instructor, as well as holds Studio Retreats in her gallery in Colorado.  With over 20 years of experience she is sharing how she started to where she is now with her Marketing Mindset online workshop. And now KC is "Hittin' the Road" holding workshops from coast to coast.

 

Website:  Lipstick Ranch 

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Seth Apter ~ The Art of the Collaboration

By Creative Contributor: Seth Apter

Each of the images Seth has shared are from some of the collaborative projects he has participated in.

 

A big part of my artistic life consists of collaborative art projects. In fact, at this very moment I am actively involved with 6 different collaborations. While these commitments do take away from my time to create my own artwork, I have found them to be very satisfying and a big part of my artistic identity. For me, there are so many benefits to being involved in collaborations.

 

First and foremost are the relationships that develop and strengthen as the project unfolds. Creating art can at times be quite an isolating activity. This of course is not a bad thing. Some of my best moments are when I completely lose myself in the creative process and have no idea that time is even passing. However, I am a firm believer in balance and too much art time alone is not a good thing for me. When I am involved in a collaboration, I can reach out to the other participants at any time. We talk about art and we talk about life. And in a funny way, I am never alone if I am working on a collaborative piece because the other artists are there speaking to me at all times through their artistic contribution.

A second benefit of collaboration is education. There is nothing more instructive in my mind then actually seeing artwork in person. The existence of the internet, websites, and blogs has completely changed my life in art. But nothing can replace being able to hold and touch an artwork. When you collaborate you repeatedly have this opportunity. You can see firsthand the materials used, the patina created, the colors chosen, and more. Each piece is like a mini workshop in and of itself.

Inspiration is a big part of collaborative projects as well. It starts from the moment you receive the package in the mail. There is always so much excitement and anticipation I feel when I first open the box. And that inspiration only grows as I explore the artwork itself. This is fuel for my creative fire and my mind immediately begins to create.

A further benefit is the creative stretch that comes from collaborations. Often the work that the other participants have made takes me in a direction that I would not have gone otherwise. In addition, there are times when the particular artwork created by another artist is in a format that you may not be familiar with. For example, when you are a paper artist and you have to work in fabric, your abilities are stretched and as a result, your artistic repertoire is extended.

I wish I could say that every collaboration I have worked on has been smooth. Life has a tendency to get in the way and there are always bumps in the road. As long as there is good communication and mutual respect amongst the participants, there is always a way to work out problems. There has only been one collaborative project I have worked on that ended badly, when my part of the project was never returned. That is an inherent risk but so rare in my experience that it should not deter the process.

So how do you begin? With an idea and a few emails. That is all it takes. What are you waiting for? Get to collaborating!

Seth Apter is a mixed-media artist from New York City, focused primarily on paper arts, book arts, and textural assemblage.  Using layers of paper, paint, ink, text, transfers, found metal, and other altered objects, he creates highly textured and distressed artworks. 

His work has been highlighted on multiple websites and published in national magazines, independent zines, and three books to be released in 2010.  His blog, The Altered Page, is a visual journal of his own artwork, photography, and collaborations, as well as a showcase for artists he admires and his creative experiences in NYC.

Blog:  The Altered Page  

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Christine Mason Miller ~ Art & Fear

Creative Contributor ~ Christine Mason Miller

Christine has chosen to share with you some of her favorite quotes and poems in her own handwriting.

Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica based writer and artist who has been drawing, painting, creating, writing and exploring ever since she was a little girl. She began her journey as a professional artist in 1995 with the creation of Swirly, and has maintained a strong audience since with gallery exhibits of her mixed media work, her website and blog. In 2008 she released Ordinary Sparkling Moments: Reflections on Success and Contentment, a full color self-published book that combines her mixed media work and writing, all aimed at exploring the joys of finding wisdom in everyday life.  

Website:  www.christinemasonmiller.com

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Seth Apter ~ Embrace Mistakes

By Creative Contributor: Seth Apter

 

As artists, there are many things we can be taught: technique, composition, and color theory to name a few. As I have spent more time making art, the more knowledge I have gained. But I have not only learned the “right way” to do things. I have also learned the “wrong way.” And by this I mean mistakes. No. I did not have to learn how to MAKE mistakes…that came naturally. But what I have come to understand is how important it is to EMBRACE mistakes. And in some ways, this lesson has been one of the most important I have learned.

 

Creativity is stifled when a person approaches any creative endeavor, art or otherwise, with a fear of doing something wrong. Options are taken away and possibilities are removed. Worrying about a potential mistake only serves to place limits on our creative process and progress. There have been times when I felt intimidated by pushing my creative boundaries further outside my comfort zone. Fear of ruining an artwork sometimes led me to consider an unfinished piece complete. Even when I knew I had more in me to express.

Has this ever happened to you? You have been working on an art piece and have reached a point where you are happy with what you have done but at the same time know that it could be even better.  The piece calls out for more work and your inner voice tells you that you have not said all you can say at this point. BUT there is fear holding you back from proceeding. What if I add another layer of paint and the beauty of what I have already done disappears? What if that section that I like so much gets covered? What if I throw off the composition? What if my next step ruins all my hard work?

With a fear of making mistakes, you might respond to these thoughts by playing it safe.  Best leave well enough alone and time to call this one finished. Or you chose to go further and actually make the mistake you feared you might. Then the frustration comes and either the piece is torn up to be used as collage fodder later or the canvas is painted over.

Art is all about risk. Creativity should not be bounded. Once you embrace the mistake, the door swings open and the possibilities are endless. Do not give up. Rather, go on! Take the next step and take a leap of faith. And you know what? If it doesn’t work…keep going. Some of my personal favorites have come as a result of working through a mistake. In my experience, 9 out of 10 times the artwork ends up being a truer expression of me. And that 10th time? Well...nobody is perfect and not every creation can be your masterpiece. I say, step back, check your ego at the door, and learn from your mistake for the next time.

Recognize that mistakes are natural. We all make them and they do not in any way reflect failure. In fact, they reflect effort and passion and a willingness to achieve. As in life, what is most important is how we react and respond to the mistakes we make. And as in life, if the fear of making a mistake holds you back, you will never reach your potential. You may never know what you are capable of. You may never unleash the artist inside. So embrace the mistake. You will be happy you did!

Seth Apter is a mixed-media artist from New York City, focused primarily on paper arts, book arts, and textural assemblage.  Using layers of paper, paint, ink, text, transfers, found metal, and other altered objects, he creates highly textured and distressed artworks. 

His work has been highlighted on multiple websites and published in national magazines, independent zines, and three books to be released in 2010.  His blog, The Altered Page, is a visual journal of his own artwork, photography, and collaborations, as well as a showcase for artists he admires and his creative experiences in NYC.

Blog:  The Altered Page   

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Cindy Davis ~ Are we there yet? Working Vacations and Artist Dates

By Creative Contributor: Cindy Davis

This week I have been on a solo Vacay in South Florida. My intentions were quite pure ~ quality one-on-one with my art. But like a young child waiting for recess, once the bell rang I had a difficult time settling down into making “real” artwork.

It is important to play

All week I have had that nagging little feeling that I was somehow wasting my vacation. As a mom and wife, I don't get the chance to abandon my responsibilities and fly solo very often. I didn't want to squander it.

But playtime is important for your inner artist. Julia Cameron, author of several books on unleashing and unblocking your creative self, suggests a weekly artist date in her book, The Artist's Way. She advises to make certain to nurture this little seedling inside your creative self. Don't ignore it. Feed this part of you once a week with an artist's date.

Playtime is pretend time. Setting aside the pressure to create so called real artwork, playtime can result in all sorts experiments. Get out of the studio. Take time to play.

My results: Nothing to show for it?

Although I have been painting for years and have read numerous books on color theory, this week I revisited some old ideas. Working with Betty Edwards textbook, Color: a course in mastering the art of mixing colors; I made color wheels.

I sketched. I wandered around looking at tree trunks holding up my goofy, handmade grayscale value wheel. I got some strange looks. Who cares? I was feeding...

I believe all of this has seeped into my head in a subtle way and will dribble out into my artwork over the next few months in unanticipated ways.

As I head back home with a car full of art supplies instead of finished paintings, I really don't care. I have a head and heart full of something more important … fresh ideas.

Grab some time for yourself:

You don't need an entire week's vacation to recharge your creativity. Grab what you can.

If you only have an hour every other Thursday – TAKE IT ! Scheduling regularly scheduled play-date with yourself is important. Feed that little creative monster. Be immature. Be childish. Be free.

Three Ideas for Artist Dates:

ONE: Grab your camera. Bring a beeping, alarm watch or some other form of noisy time measuring device. Set the alarm to go off every 3 minutes. Walk, drive, or otherwise move about your environment. When the alarm beeps, stop and take ONE photograph. See what you get at the end of the day.

TWO: Visit an art museum this time takes notes on the WORDS beside each painting. Collect the words you like. Sit in the cafe and sketch the words you just saw in the galleries, perhaps drawing inspiration from the artwork if you feel so inclined.

THREE: Visit a place that is very familiar to you with the sole intention of finding a new way to look at the it. Take a place you visit often your church, a store, a park, a school and stay until you find a something you have never noticed before. Photograph or sketch it, then change it or doodle on it until it becomes something entirely different. 

Cindy Davis ~ Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Davis has lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee and most recently Jacksonville, Florida before relocating to Albany, Georgia in 2005. Painting professionally for over five years, Ms. Davis has exhibited her work throughout the Southeastern United States.

Her paintings has been exhibited in solo and group shows at Albany Council for the Arts, Fort Valley State University, Phoebe Memorial Hospital, Turner Center for the Arts, the Georgia National Fair, and other locations throughout Georgia and Florida.

She is a member of the International Society of Acrylic Painters and the Womens Caucus for Art of Georgia. A self-taught artist, she holds a BS degree in Economics from the University of Tennessee.

Find Cindy online at http://www.cindydavisart.com/

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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KC Willis ~ Finding My Signature Style

By Creative Contributor: KC Willis

It's an amazing thing when a gift falls into your lap and as soon as you unwrap it in your mind you know exactly what you're going to do with it. That's kinda what happened in April of 2000. A few months before I had read a book on the journals of pioneer women and was really impacted by their strength and the haunting ring of their words. Something started to tug at me. Somewhere in one of those books I saw where a woman who had gone West in a wagon train had later made a momento of the journey by taking an old weathered piece of the tent they had slept under and stitched a blurry photograph someone had taken of them to the piece of fabric. She had then written in thread simply "Piece of the old tent." Something continued to tug at me. Not long after that I watched for the first time in quite a few years parts of the Ken Burns PBS Series, "The Civil War." Here Burns touched you visually with the power of the old photographs and grabbed you emotionally with words read from the letters of that time. Something started to bug the heck out of me.

Then the gift appeared. On a Sunday morning in April the solidified thought of what I would do with the inspiration I had received didn't exist...but by that evening I had put together what would be the first of thousands of pieces of work that I would sign my name to over the next ten years. Now mind you it was a distant cousin of the pieces I do today, but the idea was there. I didn't wait for it to be worked out perfectly in my head...I just started moving things around and the picture became clearer by the minute. I knew that what I wanted to do would require putting layers together and that it even might mean sewing. Problem was I didn't know how to do that. I didn't like sewing...or so I thought. (Years earlier, when I was a professional singer, I almost quit a band I was in because they wanted me to sew my own costumes.) I didn't own any fabrics really...why would I? But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to stitch that photo down just like my "tent-lady." I gathered up some unprimed artist canvas that I had in my little paint studio, a couple of pieces of cardboard and a couple of cotton blouses whose fabrics I didn't mind sacrificing. Strangely enough my husband at the time, had a little $100 Sears sewing machine in his workshop where he would make little pouches for all the electrical cords he took out on the road with him when his band toured. I had to read the manual on how to wind a bobbin. As it turned out, the imperfection of my sewing was perfect for the rustic, old look I was going for. He also had some photo-transfer paper on hand from trying out photos on t-shirts before the band made them to sell. Basically, I had no idea what I was doing. But I knew to get to the idea I had in my head it would be a process and not an event...so I began the process.

The first piece was rough to say the least...and not exactly what I had in mind. Tried it again and felt like I was getting a little closer. A big mostly cardboard piece followed (still lacking in the fabric department). Not happy. Then I did my first Annie Oakley piece and something clicked. I knew from the beginning I would recognize what I was after when I saw it. That piece was closer to the story I was trying to tell...but it was still rough around the edges and someone who didn't know how to sew was trying to make art with a sewing machine.  But, I decided that if I wanted to ever be good at this I had to give myself permission to be bad at it for awhile.

Then I did something that made all the difference. I stopped trying to tell "my girls" and my materials what I wanted them to say and started listening to what they were already saying. The first of well over a hundred quotes, that I would write via this "listening thing" followed, and the gift was completely unwrapped. I love layering fabrics and papers and listening to these amazing women as much today as I ever have. I create over 1200 pieces a year and I love every minute of it. I have never stopped feeling like this work was a gift to me and everyday when I go to my studio I unwrap it again and again.

KC Willis immersed herself as a young girl in the stories of western life and fell in love with Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane and the idea of heading west.  Each of her fabric embellished collages tells a story featuring these women and more.  Her original "Old Hope and Glory" flag is featured in The Art for Obama book, "The Women - The Flag" is in the permanent collection of The Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth TX and her collectors are world wide.

KC is an online workshop instructor, as well as holds Studio Retreats in her gallery in Colorado.  With over 20 years of experience she is now sharing how she started to where she is now with her Marketing Mindset online workshop. 

 

Website:  Lipstick Ranch 

 

Images provided by KC.  

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

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This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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Christine Mason Miller ~ Seed of Creation

Creative Contributor ~ Christine Mason Miller

Christine has chosen to share with you some of her favorite quotes and poems in her own handwriting.

Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica based writer and artist who has been drawing, painting, creating, writing and exploring ever since she was a little girl. She began her journey as a professional artist in 1995 with the creation of Swirly, and has maintained a strong audience since with gallery exhibits of her mixed media work, her website and blog. In 2008 she released Ordinary Sparkling Moments: Reflections on Success and Contentment, a full color self-published book that combines her mixed media work and writing, all aimed at exploring the joys of finding wisdom in everyday life.  

Website:  www.christinemasonmiller.com

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To publish/reprint this article you must respect the copyrights of the author and MMCA Marketplace by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes, including title and content with ALL links active and clickable.  You must include the following (between the dashed lines) in the same font size at the end of the article.  Without adhering to ALL of the above is a violation of copyright laws.  Common courtesy is to let the author and MMCA Marketplace know when you reprint this article.

-----------------------------------------------

This article is courtesy of the MMCA Marketplace Blog, a place to connect, promote, inspire and share resources to help others live a creative life in their artful journey!  The MMCA Marketplace Blog is a subsidiary of Debbie Overton Designs LLC.

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