8.31.2010

Sugar Skull SALE!

©2010 Eve Lynch, sugar skull pendant, poly clay & millefiori
September marks the beginning of my preparation for Zombicon and Dia de los Muertos so starting today all of my sugar skull pendants will be selling at my celebratory price of $25.00 until October 1st. (Regularly $35.00)

I have both Frida skulls and sugar skulls in my Etsy Shop. Stop over today and pick up a colorful piece of jewelry to celebrate the season with me.

8.28.2010

Burn your bra - or just mosaic it

© Laura Jacobs

Artist Laura Jacobs creates the most amazing artwork...from bras!

You must go visit her website. Lots of mosaic work!

8.26.2010

More Guerilla Art - Pothole Gardens

Pothole Gardens © Pete Dungey

















UK Graphic designer Pete Dungey transformed mundane potholes into impromptu planters! He filled the holes with potting soil and planted flowers turning this irksome problem into a colorful art installation.

Awesome!

~ via COLOURlovers blog

For more avant-garde installation art check out these posts:

8.25.2010

Flickr Flair


Online Auction and Live Auction
Originally uploaded by Flair Robinson Studio


Just sending out a big thank you to artist Flair Robinson. She has been tipping me off to some of the most awesome examples of mosaic art on Flickr. Her sleuthing abilities have helped me blog some amazing artwork over at the Flickr Mosaic Artists blog, a photo blog that I manage. Go take a peek if you have a minute.

Flair's own artwork is super colorful and full of cheer. If you happen to live near Telluride, CO, you can stop over to the Ah Haa School of Arts and take a class with her.

Thanks again Flair! (Such a cool name.)

8.23.2010

Rain, Rain...GO AWAY!
















I typically love the rain but I have all but lost my patience for its presence here in South Florida today! I woke at 5 a.m. to a deluge pounding against the back windows and it has not let up since.

Our friendly local weatherman mentioned something like "you might want to send your kids off to their first day of school with an umbrella tomorrow morning" but what he really meant (but didn't say) was that they might need a raft to get to the bus stop!

Seriously folks - I'm waiting for the Ark to pull up outside.

8.21.2010

The artists of Creative Glass - Part 3

More of my favorites from Creative Glass...

Pelvis © Erica Rollings


Within the last year I have become interested in anatomical artworks. I have a fascination for the human heart. Even the skeletal system has a strangely beautiful energy to it.

It was Erica Rollings' artwork Pelvis that caught my eye when I was thumbing through the book. Her color choices are perfect!

Her comments evoke a sense of wonder..."An ovum, as seen through a microscope, could instead be a stellar object seen through a telescope...The airways of your lung could instead be branches of a live oak tree."

She also creates ridiculously precise game boards using stained glass...the thought of which makes me twitch. You can definitely tell that she B.A. in Mathematics!

More artists to come!

In the meantime, read the Artists of Creative Glass - Parts 1 and 2 if you missed them.

8.20.2010

Print First Class Mail from home!

We have tons of little satellite post offices hidden in Hallmark stores and packing shops here in Florida and I hate braving the long lines (especially during season) so whenever possible, I print my own postage directly from USPS.com.

I love the convenience of printing my own labels, but currently you are unable to print First Class Mail or Media Mail from home. You can only print the pricier options, Priority Mail & Express Mail. (hmmm. wonder why?)

I hate that, so naturally I went looking for a way around the problem...

...and I found one! And I didn't have to join a subscription based service to do so.

You can print First Class Mail labels (and Media Mail & Parcel Post) if you have a Pay Pal account! (and who doesn't right?) The option is virtually hidden on the website so don't bother looking for it, just go here.

I'm not sure why they make printing a label so clandestine but now I won't have to trudge out to the post office whenever I need to mail something. Yay!

8.17.2010

The artists of Creative Glass - Part 2

Since receiving my copy of Creative Glass, I have been visiting some of the featured artists' websites. The exercise lead me to yet another lesson on marketing artwork.  Here are some tips that became glaringly obvious to me after visiting a dozen or so websites and portfolios listed in the book.
  • Make sure that your website is easy to navigate! If you are selling artwork, make it the focus. Your bio and CV are only marginally important to the casual viewer who came in search of ART, not your life story.
 (I apologize for the small rant but it was something well worth sharing!)

On to more interesting glass art from the artists featured in the book...

 © Aleksandar Lukic
Aleksandar M. Lukic

This artist has quite a bit of work resembling galaxies and space phenomena...some of my favorite things.

He uses cool little glass "globs" (for lack of a better term) and mottle glass. I really love the solder mixed with the iridescent glass here.

I've been fascinated with outer space, planets and galaxies forever and when I realized that I could recreate them using glass I was ecstatic.

Finding Aleksandar's artwork reignited my desire to focus on space themes again. His work sparked a flurry of ideas.




 © Brandon Martin - That Ain't Art

I discovered an interesting off-beat website called That Ain't Art (exactly my thoughts when I discovered deep fried beanie babies being called art) and although this artist isn't featured in the book, he should have been!

Brandon Martin's glass sculptures are so other-worldly. There are so many interesting details and weird little characters to look at. I know my robot obsessed friend Rebecca would like them.

© Brandon Martin - That Ain't Art

That's it for now. More to come!

In the meantime, read the artists of Creative Glass - Part 1

8.16.2010

Sugar skulls - I adore thee

When I first discovered Mexican sugar skulls, I was instantly bewitched. The combination of sugar and folk art was intoxicating.

The sugar paste calaveras come in an endless array of colors and patterns and, as it seems with much of the Mexican culture, there is no overdoing them. The more elaborate the better!

Sugar skulls appeal to my love of small, intricate crafts. I have been a sugar egg devotee for as long as I can remember. I became fascinated with the tiny scenes that were created on the inside of the eggs. The mini rabbits and ducks and the colorful sugar flowers that graced the outsides. The dioramas were  micro-worlds, just waiting for me to shrink down and jump inside. Oh, I loved those things!

Sugar skulls take me back to my fascination with small, artfully crafted works made of sugar and it is that fascination that has caused me to be preoccupied with them ever since!

I've been creating artworks that spin off of the sugar skull idea for at least two years and I feel like I still have dozen ideas to get to.

©2010 Eve Lynch, sugar skull pendants, 1 sq.in., polymer clay & millefiore

Today I made these sugar skull pendants using millefiori & little skulls that I sculpted out of polymer clay and hand painted. Each pendant comes with an 18 inch rubber cord to string the small artworks right around your neck. Perfect for your Day of the Dead celebrations.

I'm wearing my favorite one (top row, middle one) right now!

Available in my Etsy shop.

8.15.2010

Perilous plastic!

This video (quite disturbingly) shows why I have such a distaste for plastic packaging. Our disposable culture is negatively affecting wildlife and the environment miles from our shores!

8.14.2010

The artists of Creative Glass - Part 1

My artwork was featured in the coffee table book, Creative Glass, along with many other amazing artworks made from glass. I've had some time to digest the book a little bit and have some favorites to share!

daleutions © Victor Chiarizia
 
Victor Chiarizia

The artist uses a combination of techniques (non of which I am very familiar with) to create his detailed artworks.

I am captivated by his Legends & Icons series where he uses blown glass, flame work and cast glass to create the most interesting sculptures.

For those of you that love Buddha, he has several that are beautiful representations of the Buddha Tree in Thailand.

If I could live for two or more lifetimes, this is the type of work that I would like to attempt.




Kobuki Glass

I have been fascinated by Borosilicate marbles for a long time now. Seeing a life-like jellyfish "swimming" in crystal clear glass seems like an absolute magic trick to me. The sheer wonder in this art form draws me into it.









The artist responsible for this fantastic jellyfish marble, John Kobuki, also makes the coolest Lady Slipper Orchid marbles. The detail and patterns that are recreated from glass are out of sight!

Who said glass was an inflexible material?

More of my fave artists coming soon.

8.13.2010

Blogging to drive business

A small snippet of advice from one of my LinkedIn groups... 


"Using a blog for personal branding is a must in today's business world because people are interested in you first and then your business."

8.12.2010

Bravo's Work of Art - The Finale

Bravo's Work of Art has come to an end.

It was the only show on TV dealing with artists creating artwork in "real time" so I am sad to see it go...however...I find that I don't have a whole lot to say about it leaving! The entire concept angered me and had me riveted (at times). I only wish there was more behind the scenes footage of the contestants working on their final projects. It was the creative processes that held my interest.

Abdi winning the final challenge restored my faith in the judging process. His work is amazing and I really believe he was the most consistent throughout the show.

I loved Peregrine's twin fawn piece but I was surprised to read on judge Jeanne's blog that it was photographed by a professional photographer. Apparently, this is still considered her art because Peregrine directed the photo shoot.

Again, I have a lot to learn about what is considered art and why.

Miles' show was exactly what I was expecting. The whole White Castle thing left me feeling lost and the black and white prints, although visually interesting, were pretty stark. Probably exactly how a homeless guy who frequents White Castle feels.

I do agree that the kid has some genius ideas running around in his head but I don't get his type of art. With that said, his creative processes are by far the most interesting.

The most intriguing comment came from the guest judge David LaChapelle. He said something to the effect of "the more I hear about the work, the more interested I become".

That really resonated with me because I firmly believe that the more insight a viewer has into your creative process and thought process, the more they will be drawn into your work. Your artist statement, particularly one written for a specific artwork rather than a series of works, is the bridge that connects the viewer to your art. Throwing art up on a wall without that bridge is akin to leaving your viewers standing in the cold.

If Bravo has any sense at all, they will continue with a second season of Work of Art. My only suggestion is that they find a way to allow the artists to work creatively without boxing them into ridiculous challenges. The format works for shows like Top Chef but is annoying and limiting in this instance.

8.10.2010

Killer rabbits and menacing flowers

My current commission is moving along nicely...

I've finished the majority of the creative mosaic work and a good portion of the back fill. I'm taking a break so that I can rethink my glass colors.

I would love to show some work in progress photos at this point but it would spoil the reveal! I can be very vague and say that I used an awesome caramel colored mottle glass for the "rabbit hole" and made some wicked little flower faces out of polymer clay. I was slightly influenced by the sinister artwork from the book, The Poison Diaries. (A must read - if nothing else, for the artwork.)

The blue glass that I had intended to use for the "surround" has been deep sixed. I think I'll be going with black. It will help to tie in the dark art feel that I am shooting for.

My main character, the Rabid Rabbit, is finished and is ready for painting. I'm waiting for the mosaic work to be done so I can tailor his colors to the glass.

I was a bit unsure of how to proceed when I started working on him. I didn't want to create a model of the Monty Python rabbit. I wanted to stay focused on a combination of humor and nastiness.

He's been through some editing - I removed a gold tooth and added some rotten teeth made from an organic material. He was starting to look too "Brer Rabbit" to me...anyone that has ever spent some time at Disney World knows what I am talking about! The whole thing was a bit too hickish - think rabbit wearing overalls and carrying a bullfrog.

Hopefully the finished bunny will ring true to his evil roots.

8.09.2010

Crash course in prepping for publication

I recently posted about my artwork being featured in the new glass art book, Creative Glass. After seeing the finished book and examining my artwork and all the artwork of the other featured artists (all 116 of them!) I have learned some important lessons on prepping artwork for publication.

Here's what I discovered:
  • Take amazing photos. 
You've heard it before but it cannot be said enough. When you are showing your artwork to the world in print or online, great photographs are your greatest ally.
  • Get rid of distracting backgrounds!
  • Submit your images in the largest format allowed by the publisher. This assures that your artwork will be featured in all its glory and not scaled down because of poor quality image files.
All of the artwork featured in the book was amazing but you could definitely tell which artists had their work photographed in a professional studio. The lighting was perfect and the graduated backgrounds highlighted the work.

I'm not saying that I am going to run out and hire a photographer (or even use special backgrounds) but I am going to pay more attention to getting better quality photos.
  • Write your bio in the 3rd person. 
I personally hate writing about myself in the 3rd person. I would much rather write in the 1st person because I am the one making the artwork and "speaking" to the audience. I don't want to appear disconnected from the people who come looking for my artwork so I use a lot of "I" and "my".

With all that said, the biographies that were written in the 3rd person had a stronger voice in the book. Save the more casual point-of-view for your website and social networks.

©2010 Eve Lynch, page from Creative Glass
All in all, I am thrilled to be a part of this book and I am in very good company (more on that in a later post).

My only regret is that I received the email to participate a year too early. I really feel like my work has grown since I created the pieces featured in the book and I have a few other artworks that I would have chosen to feature instead.

There is always next time!

8.06.2010

Bravo's Work of Art - Make your mark

I'm starting to think that the only reason I am still watching this show is because it has the word "art" in the title...

The good news is that the remaining 3 artists will be able to make art that represents them rather than some ridiculous theme. Hopefully there will be interesting stuff coming from all three. One can only hope.

It was pretty obvious that Miles was going to end up in the top three. The judges seem to be overly willing to subject themselves to his complicated descriptions of art that could easily pass for construction debris. Holes punched in walls? Bleach stains on paper? Seriously?


In my opinion, Abdi has been one of the best artists on the show and I've been impressed with his work and attitude since Day 1. I am rooting for him to win the whole shebang. Go Abdi!

The jury is out on Peregrine. I like her then I hate her. I can't decide. She seems to be imaginative, intelligent and creative so I'm hoping that he final show will be different from the last few pieces of art that she made. Her tree/person sculpture had a tiny bit of promise before Miles the Beguiler whispered in her ear. If she can pull off art as interesting as her wardrobe, I'll be happy.

I was sad to see Nicole go. She has a magical way of relating her art and inspiration to the natural world. I love how she references her family and her experiences in her pieces. While I didn't love much of what she made for the challenges, her creative mind inspires me.

And finally, Jaclyn. Her parting comment about "leaving her mark" seemed incredibly desperate. She has tons of talent but her self esteem issues are drowning her. She should stop worrying about "being forgotten" - there are worse things that could happen to a person.

I hope there is some awesome artwork to come!

8.05.2010

My artwork debuts in new book, Creative Glass

I was contacted last year by author Danijela Kracun regarding having my artwork featured in her upcoming book. I'm always a bit skeptical when I receive unsolicited requests to submit my art for publication. I have the old adage "when it seems to good to be true, it probably is" stuck in the back of my mind, so I proceeded with caution.

After about a year of waiting for publication, Creative Glass, a beautiful 208 page hardcover book featuring the artwork of 117 glass craftsmen (including me!) has been released.

I had no idea what to expect when I submitted my artwork but I am very pleased with the results. The book is beautiful! The artwork is AMAZING and the overall design is pretty spectacular.

I am honored to have been included in the project and when I finally got my hands on the book, I was startled to discover that I was 1 of only 4 mosaic artists that were featured. Awesome.

The process was a learning experience and I now have some do's and don'ts to share regarding submitting good photos and writing an artist's statement. (More on that later!) I was also a little surprised to see how much my art has grown since I became involved with the book.

If you can manage to get your hands on a copy, it is worth a look. The featured artwork is really fantastic and runs the gamut from stained glass to fused glass.

I plan to feature a few of my favorite pieces in the weeks to come. You won't be disappointed!

8.02.2010

Dead

Baby Juvenile mockingbird

I saw a little Mockingbird sitting in the middle of the street on my way to the Beach.

I thought he might be waiting for a good time to cross to get a bug that happened to be in the road, but he was fat...still a juvenile.

I looked back at him in the rear view mirror and thought he might fly away. There were no cars coming in his direction and he sat there. Not moving.

I watched him for a minute and prayed that he would be gone when I passed on my way home. I contemplated turning back to move him out of the street...but I kept going.

On my way back I looked for him. There were no bumps in the road. Nothing that I could see that would indicate that he met with an untimely end.

And then I saw him. Flattened like a pancake. In the same spot that he sat when I passed 15 minutes earlier.

He was alive, heart beating, eyes open...and now - dead.

I could have saved his life. If only I had stopped. Trusted that voice that said "move him". Instead I kept going...wishing that he would fly away or someone would swerve to miss him.

Within the last few days I have had several close calls with animals. A small rabbit ran under my tires when I was leaving one night to run to the convenient store. A frog hopped dangerously close to  the front of my car on the way home and a dead squirrel lay dead in the same area where the frog crossed the street a night earlier. 

The bird signifies something. 

Life is short.

8.01.2010

Purple hair sucks

©2010 Eve Lynch, horror portrait work in progress, 8x10 inches
Having purple hair might be pretty cool but creating purple hair out of stained glass just sucks.

I'm not exactly sure why my zombie portrait is giving me so much trouble today but I can't get anything done without having to rip out half of it!

When I last posted about my progress, I was planning to use opaque whitish/purple glass for the hair but it drew too much attention away from the face. The green complexion and undead stare are supposed to be the focal point of the portrait and I don't want to distract from that. Hopefully I haven't.

I pulled all of my purple glass out and will continue to fill the remaining areas with it until I am either:
  1. finished
  2. completely insane (which is certainly a possibility)
I have my fingers crossed that the zombie will be recognizable when I'm finished.

On another note, my workspace is a total disaster. It's really much worse than the photo can convey. I am covered with tiny shards of glass and I'm pretty sure there is a blast radius of about 3 feet in all directions from where I was sitting.

Can stained glass go bad from age? This batch shatters terribly easy.
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