7 Days, 7 Backgrounds Ideas...

Here are some background ideas to inspire you to create;

☺♥☺Phone book pages make great backgrounds. They are cheap, plentiful, and the pages are lightweight, so they lend themselves to many mixed-media art applications. Be sure when you use phone book pages as backgrounds that you apply enough other media on top to obscure the names. Old book pages work well, too.

☺♥☺Make textured paint backgrounds. Using acrylic paint or watercolors, apply a wash of two to three colors to your paper or canvas. Then, tilt the substrate this way and that to allow the paint to drip and make rivulets. You could also dab the paint with a wadded paper towel or bubble wrap, or lay crumpled plastic wrap on the paint, let it dry, and then remove the plastic for a mottled effect.

☺♥☺Use resist techniques. Lay down shapes or writing on your substrate using a paintbrush and gesso, a hard graphite pencil, liquid graphite, a stylus, or even a wax crayon. Then paint over your substrate. The paint will resist the areas where the shapes or writing exist, creating a background with depth.
☺♥☺Maps and brochures make terrific mixed-media art backgrounds as they are full of lines, colors, and numbers. Of course, you will want to omit or obscure any material protected by copyright.

☺♥☺Another art technique you can use to make backgrounds is to reuse paper or “failed” artwork as a substrate. What could be faster than starting with a material that is already a perfect background?

☺♥☺Recycling art is a quick way to start a new piece. I like to use gelatin monoprints that don't stand on their own or that suffer from poor color combinations or smudged images.

”Beginning with audacity is a very great part of the art of painting.” -- Winston Churchill

Happy Painting☺♥☺

Paintbrush Loving!

Whether you paint, collage, mixed media, stamping, brush maintenance and care is essential. Not only they last longer, maintain their shape and they preform better when you take care of them.
Here are some tips;
Caring and Cleaning for your brushes:

1) Remove the excess paint from the paintbrush by wiping it onto (or with) a cloth or paper towel. Gently squeezing the bristles from the ferrule to the tip helps to remove the paint, but avoid pulling on the bristles.

2) Rinse the brush in lukewarm to cool water if you painted with a water-based medium. Use turpentine or a paintbrush cleaner specifically for oil-based products to remove oil paint. Never use hot water; it can cause the bristles/hairs to fall out.

3) Wipe the brush on the cloth again to remove any paint that remains. Once all of the excess paint is removed, wash the brush gently with mild soap. Rinse and repeat until there is no trace of paint or soap.

4) Shake the water from the paintbrush and then gently shape the brush head into its correct shape with your fingers.

5) Stand the paintbrush, handle-side down, in a container and allow the brush to air-dry at room temperature. Never rest the paintbrush on its head to dry as the bristles will lose their shape.

And of course, paintbrushes can come in very handy for applying glue, gel medium, and other sticky substances to your mixed-media collage art. For that, I recommend using foam brushes or cheap chip brushes.
If you must use a good quality paintbrush to apply glue, be sure to wash it immediately after use, or the bristles will bond together. I know this from experience!!!

Hope these tips will help you with the proper care of your art brushes, then you will create your very own routine that works for you. Sooo, before you leave your working area make sure your brushes and tools are clean and well placed.

”Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
--Henry Ward Beecher.

Happy Cleaning Time!

Why I Love Mixed Media and The History Behind It!

"I love creating Mixed Media Art, since I started making collages on a big journal that my friend gave me 15 yrs. ago. When I create a Mixed Media artwork is like going to a magical, serene place where all my ideas seems to burst into a kaleidoscope of possibilities".

"The idea of using different mediums, textures, layering, techniques and found objects it's exciting and seeing how all come together at once, to deliver my story, my message it's even fascinating. I usually like to create things that I like and that seems to give an effect in others".

 "Te Amo"

Mixed Media by MoMeMa

(acrylics, crayons, embossing powders, crackle medium)

"You can create a Mixed Media artwork in any surface that will support the mediums you are working on. It has no limits and sometimes it breaks the traditional rules in art making. Whether is a little detail in your painting or use it as a focal point in your artwork it will always be a Mixed Media art form".

"I have gather some information to get you started in this amazing art form called Mixed Media":

By definition, mixed media art is any form of art that combines two or more mediums in one work. Use of the term began circa 1912 with Cubist collages and the art of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, but these men weren't the first to create mixed media art.

The Earliest Mixed Media Artists

Although they weren't called mixed media artists, artists of the Byzantine Empire, 330 to 1453 A.D., often used gilded gold leaf on their paintings, mosaics, frescoes and manuscripts. The arts stagnated through the Dark Ages, but flourished with the coming of the Renaissance. In addition to working with tempera, a paint medium that dates to ancient Egypt, oil painting became popular. Many artists applied gold leaf to painted wood panels to achieve vibrant skies or shining halos on religious panels.

Cubist Movement

The Cubist art movement began in Europe during the early years of the 20th century. It broke from centuries of traditional painting by depicting objects as three-dimensional images that could be painted from multiple points of view. Space was no longer limited to the flat canvas; by using an analytical system, artists could fragment and redefine viewpoints.

Picasso's First Mixed Media 

Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are considered the fathers of Cubism. Working separately with no communication between them, both artists created works that were similar. By breaking down art to dimensional points of reference, they worked with form and space rather than realistic images. In 1912 Picasso created his first true mixed media piece, "Still Life with Chair Caning." He pasted paper and oilcloth to canvas and combined them with painted areas.

Picasso's Later Works

Beginning in 1912, Picasso applied mixed media techniques to dimensional sculpture. The "Glass of Absinthe" done in 1914 is a vertical piece with many disparate objects assembled together, while "Still Life" involved gluing scraps of wood and a piece of upholstery fringe together and painting them. More realistic is his 1923 piece "The Lovers" which was done using ink, watercolor paints and charcoal on paper.

Mixed Media in the 21st Century 

Drawing from the work of early artists, mixed media is now an accessible art form for both professional and amateur artists. Assemblage and collage can be found mixed with acrylic and watercolor painting, rubber-stamped art, sculpture and altered books. Fibers, torn papers, inks, glitter and beads are finding their way into works of fine art and commercial pieces like greeting cards and quilts. The future of mixed media, it seems, is limited only by the imagination of artists and whatever they can get their hands on.

Collage

The art critic Clement Greenberg suggested that collage, a form of mixed media in which various items are combined into a single composition, was one of the most significant steps in the development of modern art. Greenberg places the origin of collage in the work of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the years between 1911 and 1913.

Share Your Thoughts...

What kinds of mediums do you use and materials to create your Mixed Media inspirations?

10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For

 This is an Art Advice by Sylvia White

"By the time most artists come to see me, they are usually beaten down and depressed by the struggles of the art world.  They have been abused by their galleries, taken for granted by their collectors, misunderstood by their families and exhausted from juggling real life with creative need. It is so easy to forget how special you are, when there is no one around to remind you, but you.  So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I give you my list of 10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For.  Print this out, fold it up and put in your wallet.  Send it to your artist friends.  Read it whenever you feel all your work is for nothing and you are thinking maybe you should just stop making art and grow up.  Post it in your studio when you are wondering what the heck you are going to do with all this work?  But, most of all…believe it. Remember, it is impossible to feel thankful and be depressed at the same time. "

1. I am thankful that I am not one of the majority of people in this world that wakes up every morning, goes to a job they hate, just to come home and do it all over again.

2.  I am thankful that when I am away from my studio, my ideas come with me, they keep me company everywhere I go.

3.  I am thankful for this passion that gives me so much joy (and angst) but mostly joy.

4.  I am thankful that when I have left this earth, I will leave something meaningful behind.

5.  I am thankful that I have a mind that can not sleep, I will never be bored.

6.  I am thankful that there is a part of my life that nobody can control, except me.

7.  I am thankful that no one in the world can ever take this gift from me.

8.  I am thankful that I am brave, it takes courage to pursue my gift.

9.  I am thankful that I am never satisfied, it forces me to move forward and grow.

10.  I am thankful I discovered this list!  Pass it on.

"Sylvia White used to be a member of my International Art Community long time ago, and with her permission, from time to time you will see posts of some of her advices in this blog to be shared with all of you. They are a true inspiration and motivation".

Please visit her site Sylvia White- Contemporary Artist's Services

 

Photorealism- The Eye

I enjoy drawing Still Life but, when it comes to draw eyes on faces they seem to look uneven and not right. I have a hard time with them, that I even had to change my whole painting or drawing idea just because I couldn't achieve the eyes, it's frustrating!!! sooo, here is a great tutorial that I found, to help me and for those who have problems when drawing eyes.

Practice makes Perfect!!!

Illustration by Mark Crilley- www.markcrilley.com

Do you like drawing or painting eyes? Do you have problems like me?

 

 

Start Building Your Own Artist Website

I have put together some of the most famous artist website builders online so, you can start creating, promoting and showcase your artworks for "FREE" yes, Free!

***Free websites builders are basically, a site where they provide everything you need to get your business online (in this case; your art business) with a variety of customize templates and many features you can add to your needs with out waiting around for someone else to edit your site.

"I have over three different online websites where I showcase/sale my artworks and all I have to do is set up, load and published. I had never paid a penny to expose my artworks online. I don't own them but, I still receive the same results as any other paying website owner. The only downside for some of them is the unlimited MB space available but, you can fix this by updating your site periodically and eliminating old items so, your site looks fresh and new."

Here are some of my favorites:

webs

♥ FREE!
♥ Easy Website Building Tools
♥ Professional Template Styles
♥ Powerful Business Applications

wix

♥ FREE!
♥ Is a Flash Web Design
♥ Create & Customize your site
♥ Built a powerful, user-friendly interface
♥ Easy Drag & Drop in the website builder and more!

Google sites

 

♥ FREE!

♥ This is a more simple click page creation

♥ Customizable look

♥ Easy Setting for accessing and sharing information

Weebly

♥ FREE!
♥ Easy Drag & Drop Website Builder
♥ Powerful Hosting Included
♥ 100's Professional Themes
♥ Tons of Multimedia Features


Get Your Business Online by Google

♥ FREE! for an entire year!!!
♥ Easy-to-build Intuit Website
♥ Select your State
♥ Free Web Hosting for a whole year
♥ Free online tools and training


There are many more like Yola.com, Artspan.com, Homestead.com, Freola.com, and many others that are FREE but with a month try out!. not very convenience, when you want to save a buck!

Check them out and try wish one is best for you!

Do you have a website where you showcase your artwork?

What do you preferred; free or fee? Why?

 

A MUST HAVE!!!

A TRUE STORY...

My mother just had her first book published.

She wrote and dedicated this book to ALL, that have fallen and have had the courage to get up, dust themselves, and keep on walking.

This book is filled with thoughts, artwork, her favorite quotes and of course her real story "A Battle with Cancer".  She has inspired many people, with her positive views and experiences that has made her a stronger woman and loving human being.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Get your copy now!

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1182785

Left or Right?

Left brain

I am the left brain.

I am a scientist. A mathematician.

I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear.

Analytical. Strategic. I am practical.

Always in control. A master of words and language.

Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers.

I am order. I am logic.

I know exactly who I am.

Right brain

I am the right brain.

I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter.

I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.

I am movement. Vivid colors.

I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas.

I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.

I am everything I wanted to be.

"For me, I think I am a little bit of both. It depends on the scenario or circumstances."

Which one are you?

Signing Your Art so People Can Read It...more tips

      Signing your art is an integral part of the creative process. The instant you apply your name to a piece of your art, you declare that art officially finished and ready for public exposure. No matter what your signature looks like, what form it takes or where you put it, no work of your art is complete without one. Your signature identifies your art for all time as having been created, completed, and approved of by you and you alone (with the exception of collaborative works, of course). When someone wants to know who created your art, your signature tells them. When someone sees your art for the first time and wants to know who the artist is so that they can see more, your signature helps them find you. When you're not around to identify your art (and sooner or later you won't be), your signature identifies it for you.

Rule #1: The most important of all...Sign your artwork.
Rule #2: Sign your name so that people can read it. To repeat: Sign your name so that people can read it. You don't necessarily have to sign legibly on the front of the art, but make sure you clearly sign or otherwise label or identify your art as being by you-- somewhere, anywhere-- as long as it's on or attached to the art.

For instance, my real name is Monica but my artistic name is MoMeMa. I had used this name since I started creating arts back in college, MoMeMa is a combination of two letters of my first name and my two last name. It sounds different and some what difficult for some people to pronounce, but it is ME!.

Helpful tips:
→Sign your art in the same medium in which you create it (except for graphics or limited editions, which are generally signed in pencil). For example, sign a watercolor in watercolor, an acrylic in acrylic, and an oil painting in oil paint. When you sign in a different medium, you increase the chances of someone will eventually question whether or not the art was actually done by you. Hey-- it happens all the time.

→Placing your signature or monogram into the compositions of graphics or limited editions (signing in the plate or composition) in addition to signing them by hand provides extra means of identification and can also "brand" your work or even protect it against people who try to copy it.

→ Sign all of your art in pretty much the same way. Signatures should be consistent in size, coloration, location, style (written or printed), and other particulars. That way, people who aren't necessarily familiar with all the styles of art you've produced over your entire career will at least be able to recognize your signature. Signing your name in many different ways or locations eventually makes it easier for forgers to sign fakes in various ways and claim they're by you.

→Date your art. You may not think this is important now, but after you've been making art for several decades, you'll understand why. If you don't want to date your art on the front, date it inconspicuously on the back-- or even on the edge. Obviously, dating your art minimizes any guesswork as to when something was completed. The better known you become, the more important dates are for anyone interested in your evolution as an artist... and that includes those who'll be curating your retrospectives.

→ If you make works on paper, you may want to use an embossing stamp or even a fingerprint in addition to your signature, thereby making the act of completion more formal and official. Art with your signature and a stamp or a fingerprint is also more difficult to replicate, forge or copy.

→Sign your art as soon as its done, preferably while the paint or clay or whatever medium it's in is still wet or pliable. Collectors prefer signatures that are "embedded" in the art because those types of signatures are the most difficult to forge or duplicate.

→Don't sign on top of a varnished painting or completed sculpture because the signature then looks like it was added later.

→Your signature should not be so bold or overbearing that it actually interferes with or detracts from the composition unless you purposefully intend for that to be a consistent characteristic of your art.

→Remember, you're not always going to know where every piece of your art is or where it's journeys will end. And you certainly won't be around for all eternity to vouch for it. Those who buy your art today will not necessarily own it tomorrow (or even remember that you were the artist). Regardless of where your art ends up or who eventually owns it, make sure that it will be treated with care and respect at all times, and never relegated to the "I don't know" pile. By taking the signing your art seriously, you maximize the chances that people will be able to identify and remember you through your life's work for generations to come.  

Digital Whisper Artist Spotlight- MoMeMa

This was FUN! my first on-line interview by Patty from Digital Whisper, an on-line community network for Digital Artists.
You may also visit October Artist Spotlight
 

Interview with an Artist

Today we have the pleasure of getting to know MoMeMa.

(pulse on photo to link site)

I invite you to stop by, read all about me, and become a Member of this exciting, friendly and talented group of Digital Artists.
 
Visit Digital Whisper

Here I go again!

Just, what I have been waiting for!.

After participating at the Orange County 5th Annual Visual & Performing Arts Contest

and taking home 2nd Place Winner with...

 "Metaphorical World"
Mixed Media/Collage on canvas
I was hooked! the exhibition was amazing and the opportunities were endless. 

This year I'll be submitting two pieces, one of Mixed Media/Collage on canvas and another of Abstract Figurative (not sure about this one yet).
BTW, my daughter and sister will be participating too!.
Creativity runs in our family☺♥☺♥

I'll be posting some WIP so you can enjoy with me this exciting journey. I haven't participate on any exhibitions for over two years but, I'm ready again to expose my artworks and to do more networking which I enjoy doing.

"I love this year flyer, it's exciting and has a modern look"

Arts Contest Happy Creating☺☺☺ HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK☺♥☺♥

See you soon my inspiring friends☺♥☺♥

How to Price your Art (some ideas)

 There are so many facets to consider about when creating a work of art, because this category and subject can get very detailed and is quite broad based on each individual and style of medium. Whether you sculpt, paint, sketch, weld, to the many mediums and styles of painting, colors, textures media etc., you can spend more time in trying to determine what the final masterpiece will be priced at that what it took to create it.

First of all, don't shortchange yourself, YET, be very practical. Now, this is not to say that you should give your art away but at the same time don't give your potential customers unrealistic sticker shock either. Listed below are a few different methods that may work for you, these suggestions can assist you in some of the wandering questions that we have all experienced at a point in our artistic careers. Try one or all of these, experiment, you may find one that works well for you, based on the size of the piece, time measure and pace yourself. As you get started with this it can give you a better idea of your scale for pricing.

1.) Time clock yourself. See how long it takes and use it as a tool to determine if this method can work for you. Give yourself a starting hourly wage, add into the sum the supplies "at cost". Add them up. Based on your hourly wage can determine the cost of your piece.

2.) Add up the materials and give yourself a humble fee, then times it all by three. For instance your canvas 15.00, usage of paints 6.00, your humble fee based on a four hour project 40.00. Sub totaling 61.00, times three 183.00. This is just an example, you can make your humble fee whatever you feel is fair for you. Work with the numbers, but feel good about the result.

3.) Let the canvas be your guide.... determine the price of your art based on the size of the canvas. Give yourself a hard and fast rule that you charge a specific price per canvas and stick to that price. You can never go wrong with this method, as long as you are comfortable with a price for the works that you are producing.

4.) Let the canvas be your grid! Use a simple pricing structure like a specific cost per square inch. This is another way that you can be consistent with your pricing and it can give a potential buyer a good range to work with when considering a commissioned piece. For example you have a 16" x 20" canvas (320 square inches), your charge .20 cents per square inch, your total will then be 70.40. For this and Item #3, have separate grid pricing structures for different mediums canvas, paper, matboard, cardboard, masonite etc.

5.) Try not to base your prices on your ego or "originality". Unfortunately not everyone can be a Warhol and it always better to get your pricing structure to gain in popularity, let your reputation easily progress.

6.) Keep consistent with your pricing, play it cool and don't get "green eyes" while you may be on a good selling streak. Buyers notice this and they will appreciate the consistency.

7.) On all the above suggestions you should factor in advance all your supplies, do not tack on "supplies" when invoicing your art, it's cheesy and unprofessional. They are purchasing a piece of artwork, from you, not a bag-o-itemized-deals from Bobs warehouse. If you do not presently complete an invoice for your buyers, you may want to think about doing this, if for no other reason than it make a great impression. You can get a booklet of pre-printed invoices from the stationery store.

8.) Again, be humble and start easy, it is far easier to gain your popularity rather than to start high then to have to back down, this will not make you feel all that great and you do not want to impair your creative ability. Also, take into consideration if you would rather sell more in quantity and really get exposed.... This will create your repeat customer and you can build from there. :o)

9.) You are your own artist, do not worry about what other artists are doing and getting for their pieces, there are several reasons for this and it can be from their reputation to what they do for a living, it can be their own dedicated following, to perhaps where their geographic location is, it may even be a non productive auction page.

10.) Don't try to figure it out or you may go nuts, put your creative energy at work on your canvas and work on being successful! Work with the methods and best of luck with your pricing!

by Sonya Paz

Make The Impossible, Possible!- How can I Inspire Others?

 Have you ever had the desire to inspire? That feeling that you wanted other people to look to you and feel their hearts getting warmer and their decisions to make the most of their lives clearer?

We have probably all heard of people or met others who seem to elevate us by the way they approach life. They may have overcome the greatest odds to reach the top of their field or they may have managed to do only “normal” things like running a marathon or learning to read or write, but they did it with significantly less resources than we have. These people are inspirational and we can learn a lot from them.

Well known inspirational people like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi and Helen Keller all seem to be driven as well as centered at the same time. The combination of these two characteristics seems to play a role in making them extraordinary. This ability to be driven while they are centered appears to help them through difficult times and make them inspirational. Therefore, if we want to learn from them and also inspire others, we also need to cultivate these two characteristics.

1. Being centered. These inspirational people’s actions stem from a deep conviction about life. They know what they believe and value and they are not uncertain about their purpose in life.
Their centeredness thus spring from the fact that they know what they stand for. They have a clear vision of what they would like life to look like and therefore they believe in what they are doing. They follow their heart, no matter what the odds are or what their circumstances are and this has inspired others to also carry on in the face of adversity.
2. Being driven. Because inspirational people really believe in what they are doing, they are focused on what they want to achieve. They have set their eyes on the prize, the ideal they want to achieve and they will not allow anything else to distract them from this mission. Their clear and almost single-minded focus thus enables them to put all their energy into making their dream a reality and thereby inspire other people.
These two characteristics set inspirational people apart from others. However, these are also qualities that each one of us can develop in our lives. You can become centered by thinking about what you believe.

Take some time to think about what you want to do with your life by answering the following questions:

 What are you convicted about?
 What are your dreams for the world and other people?
 What is your purpose in life?

Once you have your purpose, put your energy into making your dream a reality by focusing on it and setting appropriate goals to achieve it.

When you do this, you will become driven – not by your dreams, but by your purpose. When you transfer these qualities of being driven and centered by your purpose to every aspect of your life, you will not only live a purposeful and focused life, but will indeed be inspiring to others as well.

Sources by Jaco Beukes at SelfGrowth.com

WOW, just inspiring! and "I thought I had it all figure it out. I guess, I really need to do some real deep thinking right now."

I hope this article helps you just like it helped me, get an idea on how to Inspire Others, Self Growth, Understanding characteristics of inspirational people, how to find out what you want in life and what is the purpose of your existence.

Have a blessing day!

Be Inspired, Inspire Someone Today!

Inspired by Zena Holloway

Few months ago, I was searching for Underwater Photography and I came across with Zena Holloway and I got INSPIRED! and Who is Zena Holloway? 

Zena Holloway is one of the world’s leading underwater photographers.

Her photos are striking, instinctive and driven by a deep understanding of her art medium.

Born in Bahrain in 1973, Holloway grew up in London, where she currently lives and works. At age 18, while working her way around the globe as a scuba diving instructor, Holloway began experimenting with underwater cameras and gradually taught herself the skills needed to master this most technical of photographic techniques.

 Zena’s renowned underwater photographs regularly appears in publications such as How to spent it, The Observer magazine, 128, Tatler and Dazed & Confused. She has won numerous international awards. Her clients includes; Nike, Umbro, Polydor, Epson, Sony, Herbal Essences,
National Geographic and Jacuzzi.

Most recently, she completed a two year project to illustrate Charles Kinglsey’s 1863 novel “The Water Babies” confirming her as one of the world’s most patient photographers for her ability to work with both animals and children underwater. (bio from ZenaHolloway.com)

 "Don't you would love to try this type of art medium??? I do!... I can't imaging the extensive work that is involve on making just one photo. This type of art medium is very difficult to practice for what I'd read and that also requires specialized equipment and advanced techniques to achieve these amazing and beautiful photos. I think that underwater photography is also one of the most rewarding career. Underwater photography is a very specialized form of art, so very few photographers attempt it." Sooooo,

"I immediately wrote an email to Zena Holloway requesting permission to use her images in some of my Digital Photo Manipulations and I got a prompt response with a YES! I got granted permission. Reading her response, she was delighted and  that she was busy working on a new project. How exciting!".

and so, this is what my inspirations took me...

Big Thanks, to Zena Holloway for allowing me to use your amazing and beautiful photographs and keep on inspiring others!
Visit her site @ www.zenaholloway.com

How to Sabotage your Art Openings, Shows and Sales

Feeling too famous? Selling too much art? Getting too popular? Based on actual experiences I've had with artists at their openings and shows and including myself participating as an artist at these events over the years. Seems like some artists are just plain determined to undermine their careers. Now if you're wondering whether that might describe you, then check out some of my observations and see if you can use them to sabotage your art openings or any other occasions where your art is on display:

* Act important, distracted and preoccupied. The key here is to look as unapproachable as possible.

* Speak only with people you already know.

* Disappear for significant periods of time and make sure you tell no one where you're going. Or tell someone where you're going and then go somewhere else. Or tell people what time you're arriving and then either show up late or don't show up at all.

* Have bad art show opening protocol; Trash talk about others artwork techniques and their artists. (this happen for real and I was very disappointed by this artist)

* Acting like you are the best of the show and walking around like you don't need to talk to nobody, my artworks speaks for itself.(I really like this one, NOT)

* Talking to other artists about your success exhibitions and making then feel less then you.

* When people ask you questions about your art, tell them you don't know or haven't really thought about it. Or answer them, but look really put out by it.

* When people ask about the significance or meaning of your art tell them it's whatever they want it to be.

* When someone asks the price of a piece of your art, tell them you don't know or you're not sure. Or tell them you haven't figured it out yet. Or better yet, ask them what they think it's worth.

* Talk to one person for a really long time (preferably someone you already know and can speak with anywhere) and ignore anyone else who appears to want to speak with you. (I actually had an artist tell me once that he'd get to me as soon as he was done talking to his next door neighbor. You guessed it; I left immediately.)

* Act like you can't wait to end a conversation with someone, and then as soon as it's over, start a conversation with someone else and act much more interested in them.

* Interrupt or abruptly end a conversation with someone so that you can start a conversation with someone else who's walked up to you.

* End a conversation for no apparent reason, walk away, and start a whole new conversation with someone else.

* Walk up to anyone who has a profile in the art community like critics, collectors or bloggers, introduce yourself and immediately start talking about yourself and your art... whether they're interested or not. The longer you talk and the fewer opportunities you give them to respond, the better.

* Deliberately avoid eye contact or better yet, look straight through people who you can tell would like to speak with you, but who you don't know and, based on that, have decided to ignore.

* If you notice that someone is interested in speaking with you while you're speaking with someone else, continue the conversation for as long as possible and refuse to even acknowledge their presence.

* Surround yourself with several friends at all times so that no one has easy access to you.

* One the opposite end of the continuum, hover around your art and as soon as someone looks at it, tell them you're the artist and either ask them if they have any questions or just start talking.

* Launch into long and detailed explanations of your art whether the person you're speaking with asks for them or not.

* If someone can't figure out or understand what you're saying, make sure you act condescending or inconvenienced by it.

* Disagree with people's impressions or responses to your art and correct them as often as possible.

* Act amazed and astonished if someone you're speaking with hasn't heard of you or is unfamiliar with your art.

* Drink too much, smoke too much or do whatever else you have to do to make sure you're completely out of it.

I enjoy very much participating, visiting art exhibitions and art galleries, but I also had left with bad impressions. We artists tend to focus more on making arts for weeks and forgetting on how we need to present ourselves in public. What is your purpose in the exhibition??? "SALES" Be positive, respectful, humble, know your art, go straight to the point, stay alert, stay sober, no complaining, be nice, stay true to yourself and most important of all HAVE FUN ! the rest will fall in place, you never know who's observing you or really interested in your art.
Have a great day creating!

Awesome Recycle Art sites...

 Recyclart finds products that are made from re-cycling, re-using, up-cycling, etc. (In English)

recicloteca-arte.blogspot.com/

Spotlights creativity achieved with reused materials in eco-friendly design, art and architecture. (In Portuguese)

housewife.splinder.com

Don’t visit Art for Housewives unless you have lots of time on your hands! Written by the amazing Cynthia Korzekwa who has an uncanny ability to uncover a million interesting links full of artful objects made from recycled materials. (In English)

hautenature.com/
HauteNature is edited by Holland Seydel and focuses on innovative methods of harnessing the earths resources without waste. (In English)

Get Creative with COLLAGES!

I was introduced to Collage Art years ago by a dear friend, she gave me a big journal and some tips on how to create and to put my imagination on paper by using magazine images, textiles, paints and anything I can think of and see my thoughts come to live. Collage is one of my favorites art mediums because it is forgiving, until I glue the images to a surface, I can change my mind, experiment with composition, and add subtract pictures until I get it right.

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In fact, these days Art Therapists are using Collage Art as part of their curriculum to help children and adults cope with their emotions. Therapist often use magazine photo images as a projective technique-that is, as a means to simply get an individual to tell a story in response to visual stimulation.

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Collages are another easy art therapy idea to implement. If for some reason you’re not familiar with collages or you need a quick refresher on some different types of collages, here’s a little explanation as to what they are.
The term collage originates from the French word coller, which means “to glue.” The collage is a form of the visual arts and is created by gathering many different pieces or chunks of things. After you’ve gathered a variety of pieces you can then assemble the pieces into one, collective piece of art. This usually achieved by placing the individual pieces and gluing them onto a canvas or piece of paper, for instance, essentially creating a unique piece of artwork.
Some examples of things you can include in a collage:

1. Pictures or photographs
2. Bits of newspaper
3. Ribbons and/or bows
4. Other pieces of paper – can be different colors for example
5. Pictures or images from magazines
6. Pieces of other artwork
7. Old clothing or fabric
8. Comics
9. Food labels
10. And many more!

Collages of a certain type can include the following:

1. Paper collage – One of the more basic forms of collage. Various pieces of paper gathered and put together to create a unique collage strictly from paper products.
2. Photomontage – whether done by hand or with the help of a computer, a photomontage is a collage of pictures or photos.
3. Painting collage – Gluing pieces to a canvas and then painting over and/or around those pieces on the canvas, thus creating an original and unique painting.
4. Collage & architecture – Less about the technique, more about the concept of infusing different ideas into architectural design…probably not as much use in an art therapy sense as some of the others.
5. Wood collage – Create from pieces of wood, whether it be from scraps, old furniture, crates, barrels, house parts, driftwood, branches, sticks, bark, etc.
6. Digital collage – Using a computer to gather the visual pieces and put them together.

Here are some of my COLLAGE ART COLLECTION:

Card stock, recycled drier sheets, embossing powders, silk leaves, etc.

"Metaphorical World" on canvas- acrylic paints, images, spray paints, stencils, embossing powders and colored paper.

 "Senses" on paper- glue and images

Domino Table Top on wood- glue, images, digital photos, papers and resin.

"From my rose garden" on paper- tissue papers, glue, images, textiles.

"Bella Mia" on canvas- acrylic paints,squares of plywood, digital image, embossing powders, medium gels, pouring gel, molding paste and glass beads gel.

"Road To Redemption" on paper- glue and images.

"Puerto Rico me encanta"-Digital Collage Art prints