Arts and Dafts

Gotta See It: Pooh Sticks by Lenny

2010-03-11T16:51:17Z

This has got to be one of the most unique and imaginative photo collections I've seen in awhile. Lenny combs the beach for odds and ends (wood, feathers, flowers, etc) and creates these little boats.

The images of these little creations are absolutely wonderful. Something as simple as a piece of wood with a leaf becomes a reminder to let your imagination go and an inspiration to create.

It's not all Pooh Sticks with Lenny though. Be sure to check out the rest of the Flickr stream and his blog as well.

So, what will you create today?

Etsy Wednesday - Photography Five Ways

2010-03-10T15:00:00Z

In celebration of getting a new machine and the ability to work on my photography again, I figured I'd better feature some Etsy photographers. I've been lucky enough to stumble upon some really amazing artists and share them with you. Enjoy!

Click on the images to go to their individual listings on Etsy.

Polaroid

Pocket Memories is a collaborative project by Coeurenbois (Marta Vallejos) and Buhoazul (Eduardo Martinez) focusing on "vintage and alternative photography." They offer originals and prints of their Polaroids ranging from $15-$300. With these two very unique, but cohesive eyes, you're bound to find something just right for you.

]]> Digital and Paint

Labokoff offers beautiful and subtle mixed media prints from France. The work consists of digital photography and her other favorite medium, painting. She offers cards and prints ranging from $15-$180. For more visual inspiration, see her website: LaBokoff La Boutique

Landscape

Jude McConkey has such incredible work in her Etsy shop, I was hard pressed to choose just a few for this post. Ranging from $10-$140 and offering award winning work, how could you not want a piece on your wall?

Portraits

Imagine Studios uses mixed media to create these stunning portraits and finds inspiration from classic artists like Degas, Waterhouse and Monet. The artist prints all of the artwork herself, guaranteeing high quality work. Prices range from $18-$28 for portraits.

Collage

Helviticaneue Fine Art Photography has an incredible collection of collages called "Construct" where she stitchest together photos of architecture creating little fictional blocks. A brilliant idea and beautifully executed. Print prices range from $35-$85.

Kick Starter of the Week: Saving a Piece of 1972

2010-03-09T15:00:00Z

Pledge to this week's featured Kick Starter and help an artist keep a long term promise to his mother.

How can you resist this one? Rick Pierce made a promise to his mom when he was 16 that he would take care of her 1972 Super Beetle as he grew up. So far, he's managed to do so. However, as you can imagine, over the years it's gone from old to older to just not workin' anymore.

I'm sure you've guessed by now what this Kick Starter is asking for, but I'll tell you anyway. Rick wants to get the ol' clunker back up and running again and that takes a good chunk change.

$2,000 is the goal and (as with every Kick Starter) you get a little something depending on how much you pledge. You can get a couple fun little things for $10 and under, but the real prizes (besides knowing you helped out of course) start at $50+.

Pierce is a graphic designer and he will design an advertisement for you at $50, design a logo for $100, album cover or letterhead package for $250 or an entire site for $500 (limited to 10 people). So basically, you're not just helping a guy's dreams come true, you're getting an insane deal on some professional graphic design for your brand/site.

Dude.

FYI, before you wonder if he's planning to sell the car or anything like that, check out the Kick Starter page for some FAQ. The short of it, he's gonna keep it for his family and pass it on to the next generation.

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Follow Up on past featured Kick Starters:

Shaker Love still needs your help. 41% funded - 22 days to go
My Best Khaki Pants - Success!
Bit Parts Photographs - Success!
Noon Design Studio - Success!
Sound Through Sight - Success!
Artist - Pandhandler Partnership Success!

Greenlight Go! Finally back to 'work'...

2010-03-08T18:48:57Z

After what felt like years, but was actually just a few months, I have a new computer! And by the most amazing stroke of luck, it was gifted to me. What does this mean? Well first that I am suddenly the luckiest gal in NYC, but more importantly I can finally get back to work on my photography.

Honestly, there is nothing like being able to concentrate on your art stress free. This never really occurred to me until these last few months when processing a simple photoshop action took 20 minutes...or crashed the program. When uploading became an hour long process. Hell, even blogging was becoming a serious hassle (typing with a lag = tearing out hair).

It's like I was trying to paint with a paintbrush that had no bristles. It can be done, but I'd rather poke my eyes out.

Of course now I have a shitload of catching up to do so here's a few quickies I played with today when I finally got everything up and running. (see a few more over on my Flickr page).

Anything like this ever happened to you? Is there something you simply can't live without (as I clearly discovered is the case with me)? Ever have to paint without bristles?

Happy weekend! 5 Super Simple DIY Projects

2010-03-06T15:06:11Z

Print out these super cool Bookplates from Deisgn Sponge. All you need is a printer, paper, scissors and some glue. Oh, and of course a book or two...

Turn your plain china into something new with this great how-to from LoucheLab. Just grab a porcelaine marker and paint, a paint brush, glass cleaner and your oven. Voila!

Who needs boring bookmarks when you can make these cuties from Light Studio. Paper clips, ribbon, scraps, buttons, other embellishments and some glue is all you need to get this project done!

Got some old tile laying around? Turn it into handy countertop message boards with Courage to Create. Add some little felt or cork feet and grab your dry erase markers...tada!

Just a little chalkboard paint and chalkboard and you've got these easy to label canning jars by Flighty Girl. Just think of all the things you could label...muuhahahaha!

Gotta See It: Layer Tennis - It's on!

2010-03-05T18:11:02Z

It's that time of year again...time for Layer Tennis! I wrote a post last year on what it's all about so check that out. In short though, it's a 10 round live competition between two artists swapping layers and making something new every time. In the past it's focused mostly on design, but this year there's typography and photography manipulation as well.

Check out the beginning and end of the last match where two typographers duked it out:

Click here to view the entire complete match.

This week, a match after my own heart where two photographers (Sam Javanrouh of Toronto and Naz Hamid of San Fransisco) "shoot and upload a live dialogue of photos from their respective cities." There's also commentary that follows the competition from a neutral party, however this time Mark Greenberg of Mayfair Recordings will be composing a score to go along.

Amazing.

Get going! The match has begun! And be sure to keep checking back for future bouts.

Creative Block? 7 Helpful Resources

2010-03-04T15:26:24Z

I find myself so overwhelmed with the day to day sometimes that when I actually sit down to create (when I make the time...which I must make more of as well), I'm totally blocked. Or even worse, totally indecisive.

Thankfully the web has become an incredible source for inspiration. A couple of clicks and I have a new idea or two. (The key is not to get too distracted of course.)

There are probably thousands of resources on the web about how to battle a creative block so I'm gonna go ahead an make a little list for you. Now you can skip the Googling and get to the creating.

You're welcome.

(image from ISO50)

Overcoming Creative Block by ISO50: A really incredible article ISO50 asks 25 different artists how they combat creative block. This is a must read.
The Creative Drive by Design Informer: A great post for designers (and other artists alike) on how to stay inventive and deal with creative "burn out".
Six Ideas for Breaking a Creative Block by Jennifer Farley: Six very simple ideas to get your creative blood flowing and some great ideas in the comments as well.
10 Tips to Avoid a Creative Block by Inspired Magazine: 10 great tips from Jacques van Heerden's (freelance digital artist) point of view on how to avoid a dreaded block.
Beat the Creative Block by NetMag: A long but well thought out article on what creative block is and how to combat it. Well worth the read.
10 Ways to Beat the Hell Out of Creative Block by Outlaw Design Blog: Danny Outlaw lays it out plain and simple with these easy ways to beat a block.
How Do you Beat Creative Block on Fuel Your Creativity: This site brings up the question and you'll find some great answers in the comments. Check it out and add your own.

Etsy Wednesday - Fine Art in 5 Mediums

2010-03-03T16:44:43Z

This week we're going to take a look at some of the fine artists on Etsy and just a small handful of the mediums they cover. Enjoy!

Charcoal

From Jeffrey Richter Fine Art. Pictured above: Love Song, Ingrid and Desire all originally drawn in black and white charcoal. Jeffrey, an artist since high school, has also been a sculptor and painting instructor (I'd like to take his class!). You can purchase prints and originals from his Etsy shop so hop to it!

]]> Digital

From John W. Golden. Pictured above: Mom Mobile, Ted Box Art Robot and Golden Longboards. John creates all of his work digitally and has an impressive design and animations resume (seen on Cartoon Network, CBS, TNT, etc). Everything you in his Etsy shop begins as a blank computer screen. Impressive! How can you not snag yourself a signed print?

Ink

From Pale Preoccupation. Pictured above: The Dressmaker, The Keyhole and Beatrix and her Knees. This artist draws inspiration for their ink work from childhood. From the shop: "As a child I wanted to know what was inside, what was under, what was behind things. I still do." As a fan of Alice in Wonderland, I really find myself drawn to these works, do you?

Oil

From RozArt. Pictured above: Nest, Cowboy and Leap. Roz has been a full time artist for 20+ years and has sold hundreds of original works. She likes to call her work "whimsical fine art" and I'd have to agree. Commissions are available and they're all original on canvas!

Pencil

From CB78. Pictured above: Tandem Bicycle, Polaroid Camera and Vesuvio Bakery. Christine Berry is a freelance illustrator from Glasgow. Her current love, as you can see here, is drawing every day scenarios and objects. Personally, I want every print of the camera collection. Go see!

Kick Starter of the Week: Artist-Panhandler Partnerships

2010-03-02T19:27:10Z

This week's Kick Starter is just too unique (and a little bizarre) to pass up.

After seeing a billboard with a famous artist collaborating with a famous clothing brand, Cate White came up with this really incredible idea: buying ad space on a panhandler's sign. (See the video on the Kick Starter page to hear more about how the idea came to life).

She will pay these pandhandlers whatever they request, as long as she can afford it, to slap a sticker on their signs displaying her website. It's a win/win situation with the homeless getting a little money in their pocket and Cate driving traffic to her website: CateWhite.com.

So the dough you pledge is going towards the website (designer fees), the stickers, the "advertising" budget and a little extra to give those who appear in her videos food/cigarettes, etc.

White is asking for a modest $2000 to complete her project. What do you get in return for your bucks? $5 gets you behind the scenes videos of panhandlers discussing the project, blog entries and your name on the donor list. $70 gets you the above, a URL on the donor list, a copy of her zine, a postcard of Cate's art and a surprise piece of her artwork. There's way more, so please go check it out.

With only 13 days left to go as I write this and 85% funded so far, she's only got a little ways to go. So pass up that dollar menu today and send it Cate's way. It's a pretty damn amazing cause.

Designing a Logo - 14 great resources

2010-02-26T16:21:04Z

I've kept it pretty quiet, but you should know A&D is in the middle of a pretty big overhaul. In the coming months you should see a complete redesign, some new features, the works. Part of that is coming up with an official logo.

I'm really lucky to have a design minded mom who has a great eye for this stuff and she's been working her ass off on the new logo. However, I found myself getting curious about what it takes to design one. In my adventures (ie - Google searching) I've come across some extremely helpful tutorials and websites devoted to the art.

Do you have a logo? Have you ever designed one? Planning one for the future? Keep reading for a great bunch of logo design resources:
]]> Logo Related Sites/Blogs:

Tutorials, resources, humorous and inspiring takes on everything logo at LogoDesignLove. If you can't find it here, well you'll be hard pressed to find it anywhere else, but give these other blogs a try.

A place for designers to share ideas with their peers, Logo Lounge is basically a social network for logo lovers. Upload your own work and maybe even be a part of their "Best of" publication. A great source for inspiration.

"Focused purely on branding, logo and identity design", LogoDesignerBlog has an easily navigated site with helpful links for everyone from beginners to experts.

Looking for some quick inspiration? Logo of the day is the perfect site for some logo browsing. Vote on your favorites, find out what's popular or suggest a logo yourself!

Helpful Logo Links:

To Blogher or not to Blogher?

2010-02-25T16:01:02Z

Straying from the arts to bring up an important blogging topic: The 2010 Blogher Conference.

It's that time of year again when people start getting excited, buying their passes, discussing the sessions and making their plans for the conference in August. This year NYC (my hometown) will be hosting the event which means I finally have a shot at going. In the past the conference passes, plane tickets and hotel room have just been WAY out of my price range.

Although I don't have to travel more than a short subway ride this year, I'm still struggling with the cost. The early bird special (ending this weekend so hop on it!) is still steep for my pocket book (as if I carry a pocket book), especially with this ongoing struggle of saving up for a new computer.

So the question: is it worth it to put everything on hold to buy a ticket to Blogher?

What is Blogher? It's a large community of mostly female bloggers coming together and sharing their views on everything. I mean everything: blogging, cooking, being a mom, illness, politics, the arts, etc.

The Blogher conference is an annual event with parties, sessions on blogging/social media/etc and most importantly, networking. As a blogger looking to reach the masses, can you put a value on meeting hundreds of other writers face to face? Handing out dozens of business cards and making personal connections with potential new readers? Nevermind the wealth of information you can glean from the sessions.

Sure, there are a few opportunities to win a pass (here & here for example) but do I risk the early bird prices for a potential (and let's face it...unlikely) freebie? Do I beg people who have no idea who I am to sponsor me? Do I forgo the pass altogether and just stalk the Hilton during the conference?

So, what about you? Are you going to what some people consider the most important blogging event of the year? Do you already have your ticket? Are you entering contests to try and win one? Are you sponsoring someone? Inquiring minds want to know!

Etsy Wednesday - 6 Super Giveaways

2010-02-24T15:34:46Z

I thought it might be fun to do a little roundup of some of the Etsy giveaways going on around the web this week since there always seems to be a handful of them. Find something (or things) you just gotta have? Click the Giveaway link and enter to win!

What: Twitter Love Bird Earrings
By: Simply Flaunt Handcrafted Jewelry
Giveaway: Christie Cottage
How-To Win: Post a comment at the link above with your favorite piece in the Simply Flaunt Etsy shop. Ends next Wednesday.

What: Prickles the Hedgehog
Who: A LIttle Character
Giveaway: Stuff by Tace
How-To Win: Simply leave a comment at the link above! Ends March 2.

What: A surprise!
Who: Kara Annis Jewelry
Giveaway: Kara Annis Blog
How-To Win: Leave a comment at the link above and also check out what previous winners received! Ends Feb. 28.

What: Pair of Twisted Copper Rings OR Twisted Sterling Ring
Who: Muffin Top Designs
Giveaway: Muffin Top Blog
How-To Win: Leave a comment, twitter, purchase something. So many ways to win! Ends March 24.

What: Baby Congrats AND Happy Birthday Cards
By: Rue Renee
Giveaway: Splendid Things
How-To Win: Choose a fave from the Etsy shop and leave it in a comment. Additiional entries available. Ends Monday.

What: Choose Your Own
By: Little Prints
Giveaway: Little Prints Blog
How-To Win: Fave the blog, heart the Etsy shop and/or blog about it for a chance to win $20 worth of goods! Ends 2/28

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Kick Starter of the Week - Sound Through Sight: Understanding Music in 2010

2010-02-23T15:27:39Z

This Kick Starter aims to answer a question in my own mind: What exactly is the current state of music and the music industry?

Tom Williams (writer), Sarah Mulligan (photographer) and Rahawa Haile (filmmaker) are gearing up for a "Gonzo" road trip across the country to seek out answers. They plan to to talk to bands (small and large), record store clerks, venue owners, label managers and of course, the fans.

So why now? Why try to understand the music industry in 2010? As they note on their Kick Starter page, every decade has been defined by a genre, but after the decline of the major music industry in the '00s (labels collapsing) and the underground scene becoming a little less underground (internet!), the possibilities for the next decade are truly endless.

Your pledges will help them publish a book they intend on writing after their trip to NYC, Richmond, Chapel Hill, Athens (GA), New Orleans, Austin (SXSW Fest), Monterrey (Mexico) and Nashville. Plus a little towards food, gas and other amenities along the way.

All they ask is $1400 to cover the cost and they're nearly there, but there's only 16 days left to pledge. And as always, if you give a little, you get a little. Give $5 and get a postcard from the road, give $15 and receive a signed paperback copy of the book and for $1000 they'll personally drive to your house to interview you for the book!

Of course, there are loads of other options so head over to the Kick Starter page and see for yourself!

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Kick Starter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. Fund a project today!

Day of Catch Up - 5 Ways to Help Tackle an Overwhelming To-Do List

2010-02-22T18:05:58Z

After an extremely long weekend (5 shows, an opening night, visit from the fella's mom, etc) I've found myself incredibly behind and overwhelmed with my list of to-do. So much so that I couldn't even wrap my brain around an actual physical list.

So what do I do in these situations to help calm the brain and get to work?

1. Write down the damn list! I know, obvious right? But have you actually written your list today? For me, writing the to-do list is often part of my to-do list. It appears daunting at first and maybe even 2 pages long, but an actual pen and paper list is the most helpful part of getting my day going. There's nothing quite as satisfying as physically scratching out an item. Then, even if I haven't come close to finishing by the end of the day, I can look at all of those wonderful crossed out words and feel like I got something done.

2. Talk to someone else, even if for 5 minutes. Whether you lay out all your problems to this person or just talk about what's for lunch, I find talking to someone else about anything helps me refocus when the conversation is over. Almost like a reboot.

3. Pick the simplest task and just do it. I don't know about you but my daily list is always a hodgepodge. From the simple tasks like "upload photos" to the not so simple like "write your artists statement" (gross). When I knock out all the little things, it makes me feel much more accomplished, and therefore more productive.

4. Go do something else, duh. I find it really difficult to pry myself away from a heavy list, but staring at it isn't going to make it go away or make any more sense of it all. We need to remind ourselves that a little R&R is the only fix for a crowded mind. For me this is pouring a new cup of coffee, a few clues on that crossword puzzle I've been working on or play a round of Guitar Hero (my current video game weakness...curses!).

and of course...

5.Clean your desk/workspace. Put all those bills somewhere else (you definitely don't need to think about those right now...unless they're on your list of course), put your pens back in your pen holder, clean up those coffee rings. I hate to clean just as much as the next person, but a clear space always helps me reorganize my brain a little.

Bonus tip, 'cause bonuses are awesome:

6. Get dressed! I know, this sounds crazy but when it's a day where I'm working from home on my photography, blogging... whatever, I sometimes find myself still in PJs at 3pm. That's all fine and good for a lot of people, but I feel more like I'm a functioning human being if I take that shower and put on some shoes.

~~Write a blog post.~~

Between Creation - New social network for artists

2010-02-18T16:12:59Z

I know what you're thinking, "Just what I need, another social network." Well you really do need to check this one out. BetweenCreation is brand new (just a couple days old), invites are currently open and the interface is perfectly simple.

So why would you join yet another social network? Because it simply is what it is. A place for artists of every medium to upload, share and comment on other people's work. That's it. It's not the next Facebook (though one could dream!) and it's not full of so many whistles and bells that you get lost on the purpose, viewing art.

From the site:

At BetweenCreation we aim to:
1. Help artists develop their career by letting them publish and sell their artwork
2. Connect artists and increase possibilities of them working together
3. Promote artists / galleries, by giving them space to post the latest events
4. Assist art lovers to find interesting artists and fascinating events to attend, in their city or the rest of the world.

There's still a few things missing, like a place to put all of your links on your profile (though I just put mine in the About section). There's currently no way to private message other members yet and there aren't any forums, which I'm actually OK with for now. That leaves more time to do what you're there to do. However, there are plans to add more features in the future.

Uploading is really simple. You can make separate albums, upload up to 20 images at a time and easily title, describe and tag each piece. When you do, your work shows up on the homepage wall, your profile and the "Newest Artwork" section at the bottom of every page. So no one is going to miss out on your stuff.

So sign up for your invite (or send me a message with your email and I'll send you one) and get crackin'! And don't forget to follow the BetweenCreation Twitter for featured art and latest news!