Patti Edmon Artist

The two-day workshop that Seth Apter taught (For Your Eyes Only) last weekend at Random Arts was inspiring and challenging and a big step outside my comfort zone. The supply list was fairly extensive and specific but when it was time to pull supplies, like a variety of papers, ephemera and objects, I had a hard time deciding what to pack.  So I pulled stuff without over-thinking it and ended up with ample, albeit completely unrelated-theme stuff.  (Fortunately, Jane's amazing shop has a bit of everything, which alleviates the fear that all the 'right' stuff was left back in the studio. So no worries and I always return with lots more than I took.) Seth's book is amazing and I love his gridded design approach; however, when we started to work I could not make the first one (though I understood the concept). But Seth is amazing. He shares brilliant techniques fully understanding that the same format might not work for everyone (like me), so once freed I g...

The only thing harder than getting to Saluda is leaving it behind. Seth Apter  was an instant favorite last weekend; we enjoyed perfect weather, great food, fun and art thanks to the fabulous Jane of Random Arts . If you haven't taken a class with Seth you should do yourself a favor and check his itinerary. Both workshops were crammed with technique, demos, lots of one-on-one help and finished projects. One of the best experiences ever. The first workshop was a one-day called Shredded Silhouettes and it wasn't long before our work tables were in complete disarray, hands covered with paint. Ahhh, yes. The 'Bingo Bird' at the top is my piece and I really am happy with it, which doesn't always happen.  Spending all five days with Rachel was the icing on the cake. We met in Knoxville and drove to Saluda together; we stayed in the  Carolina Cottage  and it was entirely perfect. I already miss her! The second workshop - 'For Yo...

Not quite certain why I tend to stick more irons in the fire than there are flames, particularly in the spring when my arthritis is most ill-behaved. The past month has had more flare days than good ones, though I try to find ways to create even if I can't work in the studio. I've spent studio days finishing the greeting-card book I'm making for my lovely daughter - in her favorite colors. I honestly cannot believe how fun it is and how much I enjoy the continuous problem solving that arises during any 'first-time' project.  I've made progress on the cover (wow, talk about problem solving!) and all the spreads are ready to bind.    Each spread has one side for attaching notes or photos and I've branched out quite a bit, making pockets, flaps, mini-books and using wire (and fibers) in ways I haven't tried before. A great creative stretching exercise for sure! That's one of the many aspects of workshop...

Several months ago, my daughter was introduced to chronic illness. Nothing life threatening or terminal, just enough to alter her life stuffed with school, dance, competitions, boyfriend and social life to one punctuated by ambulance rides, ER visits, tests, and enough doctor's appointments that I've come to regard myself a certified waiting room consultant. Yes, we try to keep it light, in its spot in the big picture. Having been on that journey myself, I'm deeply grateful for my own illness - well, the experience, wisdom and perspective it has allowed me. The more expansive, empathetic, philosophical, aware self I have become - not the pains and annoyances of the illness itself.  A blog pal, Annie, otherwise known as Bohemiannie Art , commented on recent posts about the low-tech style (thanks Seth Apter !) projects I've been diving into with creative glee (yes, I said it, the word glee, wow) with a note saying I might enjoy watc...

An exciting title - ha - but really just about anything fit for the recycling bin can be a substrate... Kleenex boxes, cigar boxes, puzzle pieces, or in this case, the foot-shaped inserts that came with my son's no-show socks. My photo background is also very glamorous - the underside of an old file box top - wrinkles and all. What I find so enjoyable about these low-tech projects (thanks to Seth Apter for the term:) is that it's WAY easier to let loose and work without that tricky-thinking brain that sometimes turns into a major block.  It also makes me feel a bit better about having accumulated so many supplies that I don't often use - velvet leaves and fabric flowers, stamps, something from just about every bin and drawer in the studio. the gold half-circle with dangling coins is a vintage piece from a costume I wore, well, over 30 years ago! Did I mention it also eases my mind about being a pack rat? A watch face, mica, beads, la...

Not long after whining about the art rut, I was browsing on Create Mixed Media and came across a video featuring Seth Apter , the amazing artist, person and creative friend extr a ordinair e. In the p review of the Easy Mixed Medi a Techniques for the Art Journal DVD, 'low tech' was a term he used to describe using whatever we have at hand to complement our fancy, expe nsiv e art supplies (my words:). After watch ing him make fabulous texture on watercolor paper using acrylics, gesso, wallpaper an d doodling , I was inspired to play. The 'low tech' approach made it easy to bypass my art critic in residence ( in my brain) and start ... I cut apart a Kleenex box and applied gesso to the panels, leaving a few of their design elements sh owing .    Making a book using a tissue box, coffee bags, anything recycled has many benefits. First, how can you screw up a Kleenex box? No fine art standards in this project. It also stimulate...

Most everyone reading this is familiar with Seth Apter and the myriad projects he manages, along with creating his own art... does he ever sleep?? He spends so much time and energy on connecting the mixed media community, through his visits to studios, book reviews, and giving us a window into the 'hearts and minds' of so many talented artists. I wonder though, if you have taken a moment to check out his book, created with Roxanne Evans Stout. I haven't yet 'met' Roxanne, but the collaboration between these two is amazing... seamless. The depth of each piece of art makes me want to reach in and, not touch of course:), but study it again and again. A phrase written by the artist accompanies the art in The Winds of Change . They share their reflections, sentiments about Autumn, change, evolution, staying on the path... such an inspirational vision of a time, a life stage, a season, that is often fleeting but lingers in the soul. Earlier in my life, fall was ...

The following two posts were originally published in 2008; in order to participate in  Seth  Apter's  Buried Treasure project, I read through the archives searching for a post or two that I liked enough to publish again. I write for myself, to stay sane, to express thoughts that  pile up in my head, and, because I've always been a writer (thanks Patti Digh and David Robinson:). But it's my fondest wish that the words I share will inspire, touch, cause a moment's consideration, a twinge or a laugh...  So, if you decide to read them, thanks a million; if you read them when they were originally posted, thanks a million more! 

Seth Apter, a  New York City mixed media artist and participant/creator of genius collaborative projects that draw scores of talented artists, admitted in a July 9th post to being a blog junkie (who isn't?); however, there is a project born of this to saturate oneself with the best of, according to fellow bloggers. It's a concept that has been rooted in literature for decades (I have the entire collection the Best American Short Stories) so when I saw this, I had to jump in.   This fabulous piece-of-art banner, created by Seth, accompanied the post and announced a new collaborative effort: on Thursday (the 16th) we re-publish a favorite post or two and announce to our readers that we will be doing so; Seth will also post a list of participants for those of us who can't get enough! So, I'll start roaming around the archives...