Miscellaneous Artist Wisdom

Painting by Dreama Tolle Perry

Scheduled Air Date: Thursday, April 28, 2011
"Miscellaneous Artist Wisdom"

Join Artists Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry as they highlight ways to sell your art on-line. Join us as we share our "wisdom" about art. Every week we get lots of emails and questions about art.  So listen to today's show as we share all of our answers and ideas!
To listen to this show, click here.

Getting ready to hit Art Brussels ;-)

Some things are clearly improving in the 'Capital of Europe' & its annual contemporary art fair is definitely one of these. Getting cooler year by year, don't miss the change to see plenty of cutting edge art on this event starting right now.
Stands not to miss are the Amsterdam's Grimm (with, amongst others, Nick van Woert and Matthew Day Jackson) and Ron Mandos Galleries (showing the fab trio Silvia B, Cindy Wright & Ron van der Ende). Plenty of great stuff from Belgium itself, including the Brussels-based Meessen de Clercq, Baronian-Francey, Aeroplastics, Tulips & Roses or Base-Alpha & Zeno X from Antwerp.
London, Paris, NY & LA have sent their top deputies too, with Lisson, Daniel Templon, Yvon Lambert, Lisa Cooley & Barbara Gladstone.
And much, much more, so we're grabbing the camera & heading towards the Atomium!!

Interview with Author Robert V.S. Redick!

Greetings, Dear Readers. I’m about to run off to France because my sister, lovely soul that she is, bought me a ticket to come visit her while she is there this semester teaching. Lucky me! Anyway, I will be out of the country until May 11th, then immediately off to the New England SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference for the following weekend. Speaking of which, I am going to start posting opportunities for children's book writers and illustrators so tell all your kid's book friends to visit my site.

Okay, on to our daily business. Today I am thrilled to welcome author Robert V.S. Redick to Mira’s List to talk a bit about his new book and his creative process. Robert is the author of three epic fantasy novels:
The Red Wolf Conspiracy, The Rats and the Ruling Sea (The Ruling Sea in the U.S.) and The River of Shadows, the latter published April 19 by Del Rey and Gollancz U.K. Together with the final volume (2012) these books make up The Chathrand Voyage Quartet. Before turning full-time to fiction, he worked for the antipoverty organization Oxfam, reviewed theater for two New England newspapers, taught in a bilingual school in Cali, Colombia, and ran a writing workshop as part of the International Development and Social Change program at Clark University. His unpublished mainstream novel, Conquistadors, is set during the Dirty War in Argentina, where he studied and traveled extensively in the 1990s. Redick has an MFA from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and an M.A. in Tropical Conservation and Development from the University of Florida. He lives in western Massachusetts with his partner Kiran Asher, as well as a cat, dog and three-striped mud turtle. He can be reached through his website, redwolfconspiracy.com

1. Robert, thanks so much for visiting my blog today. First I want to say congratulations! You have a book coming out on April 19th, River of Shadows, the third book in the Chathrand Voyage Series. I’m reading book one right now, The Red Wolf Conspiracy and it’s amazing! Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell my readers a little bit about your fantasy series?

With pleasure, Mira, and thanks for having me here! The Chathrand Voyage is epic fantasy. It tells the story of the crew and passengers of an immense, 600-year-old sailing ship, the Chathrand, who find themselves at the epicenter of forces that are rending the world about them to pieces. That world is called Alifros, and like many fantasy settings it’s both very like and utterly unlike this world. Like, in that it is war-torn, and perhaps standing on the edge of an abyss. Like in that it is fractured along ethnic, religious and economic lines, and no one’s hands are clean. Unlike, in that it is populated not by humans alone, but also by a growing number of intelligent species. I say “growing” because that is literally the case: a disease or spell is at work in Alifros, which causes animals to suddenly attain human intelligence--often with disastrous consequences for their sanity. This force is spreading quickly, and no one knows just where it will lead. There are also many non-human but humanoid species, though they appear to have been deciminated in numbers by human civilization.

Fortunately we enter this world through just a handful of core characters. Pazel Pathkendle, first of all, is a youth working as a “tarboy” or shipboard servant in the merchant navy of the very empire which seized and annexed his country five years before—and no, the choice was not really his. Thasha Isiq is a young woman born into the military elite of that empire: in fact she is the daughter of the very admiral who led the invasion of Pazel’s homeland. By the oddest circumstances they both end up on the Chathrand, which is under the command of the infamous, sadistic and possibly deranged Captain Nilus Rose. Who is in turn under the eye of the emperor’s elderly spymaster, Sandor Ott. Who in turn has some ugly connections to Thasha’s family...and so on.

By the time you reach The River of Shadows, you’re good 1200 pages into a story that pulls few punches with complexity. Peace treaties become tools for warmaking, allies become foes and vice-versa, conspirators are used by other conspirators, ships sink, monsters devour pivotal characters ... And the choices of Pazel and Thasha remain at the heart of it all. You can probably tell I’ve had the time of my life, writing these books.

2. Wow, what a huge project. What have been some of the greatest challenges so far in working on such a long series?

Doing it very well, and fast. No other challenge compares to that one. Publishing is a lean business, and publishers don’t want any part of the audience for a series to drift away between volumes. Nor do writers, of course. The challenge is to not appall anyone with the length of time it takes you to continue the story, nor to harm your books by rushing them, nor to collapse. It’s a very tough balance to maintain.

Beyond that, it can be tough to know just how much allowance you want to make for readers who pick up a book out of sequence. For the record, I’d strongly urge readers to start at the beginning. This is one story, not four, and you’d never read a story bound in one volume by cracking it open halfway and plowing forward. All the same, sometimes you just end with the second or third book in a series in your hands, and want to get started. I try to make that enjoyable, without distorting the narrative as a whole.

3. Would you mind telling us about your writing process?

So many ways to answer that question! Do you mean the daily routine, the overall effort with a book, the psychologial approach I try to take? Or perhaps something else?

Well, I get asked that question a lot myself when I do readings and I find most people want to know what I do on a daily basis. So I’ll approach it that way. What does a normal writing day for you look like, if there is in deed a 'normal' day? Do you ever take time off from writing, i.e. long stretches of time or do you tend to write every day?

With very few exceptions, I write each morning. At that time of day my mind’s uncluttered, and I tend to be more able to access the storytelling part of me. It often feels like a race, to see how quickly I can get up, attend to the animals, warm the house and my body enough to contemplate holding very still for a number of hours. If it’s a free-and-clear day with no other commitments, I keep up the work until early afternoon. Then I get out of the house on any pretext whatsoever. I tend to make it back to the desk in the evening at some point—maybe just before or after dinner—but that second work session is nearly always shorter.

Of course when you’re in the middle of a book, a part of you is always wrestling with the next scene, the next chapter, the next challenge. When something clicks in me, it doesn’t matter where I am—I stop and think about it, and write out my thoughts before they vanish into the ether. The same is true at night. Pencil and paper on the bedside table are a must.

4. I do that too. I actually keep a small notebook in every single room, even the bathroom! Anyway, I'm intrigued about your past—you’ve had such an unusual background—you’ve studied Russian and tropical conservation, you worked at Oxfam, you lived and traveled extensively in South America, just to mention a handful of things. Eventually, you ended up in Warren Wilson's low-residency MFA writing program. What ways do you feel your pre-MFA life experiences helped shape your writing today?

Everything that I feel and think and ponder and remember has an effect on the story. The Chathrand Voyage, of course, is not about my life. But it is nonetheless a most intimate project for me, as I hope all my fiction will be. As you say, I have roamed around a bit. And I dare say you, Mira, know how much that can change a person. Provided, of course, that you go there open to change, not wrapped in a cultural coccoon. I did have transformative experiences in Argentina and Colombia and elsewhere. But the truth is that the urge to go places was itself the symptom of a much older way of relating to the world, which I’d describe as both a desperate hunger to belong and a militant effort not to. I’ve never been comfortable with the notion of membership in a club. And I’ve never been able to resist trying to speak across boundaries of belonging. There’s something a bit pathetic in this, if you ask me. But it does create good circumstances for storytelling.

5. Do you feel like going to an MFA program was helpful?
Tremendously. And I say that as someone who walked away from an MFA, after spending two semesters and $20,000 on the experiment, and moving to the opposite side of the country. All that before eventually finding a program that did help me, and loving every minute of my studies. OK, not every minute. Just 92% of them. Warren Wilson was a delirious joy.

But the point I’d like to stress is that you must stay true to yourself and your work, even as you open yourself up to learn. You will get bad advice along with good. You will see pettiness and backbiting, alongside generosity and kindness. And you must never, ever downgrade your depth of feeling about a story. That story is what counts. It is never a “school project,” never a “thesis.” You have to be prepared to fight your program for the sake of your own work—or even walk away if necessary. Just as vitally, though, you have to be not just willing to hear what’s wrong with your work, but famished to hear it. That’s what you’re there for! And when you’ve begged and pleaded and cobbled together all the feedback you can get, you must be able to decide what part of it you believe, and what you don’t.

MFAs can do great good, or great harm. You have to be the judge of your experience, and act accordingly.

6. That's great advice. I went back to get my MFA in writing after many years doing other things. For me, the best part of it was finding a handful of great readers who became friends. They are still my readers now and then and still my friends. On another note, as you know, I help people find funding and residencies so that they have time and money to do their creative work. Have you ever done a residency program anywhere? If so, where was it and in what ways did it impact your writing?

I’ve never participated in such a thing, and would love to. But I should note that low-residency programs like Warren Wilson are essentially short, hyper-intensive learning retreats strung together by semesters of one-on-one mentorship. Those retreats, or residencies as they’re called, squeeze the book geekery of a whole year into about ten days (for which you may well have prepared for months). I had six such residencies, each challenging and strange and exhausting and adrenal. They were a bit like the scenes in The Matrix where Keanu Reeves is force-fed knowledge through a brain cable. You walk away feeling electrified, feeling there’s nothing you can’t do. And then the work begins.

7. Hah! I love that. The Matrix thing sounds a little like what it felt like going to my first AWP (The Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference years ago. So in closing, any brilliant words of advice to emerging writers out there?

Don’t burden your writing or yourself with awful spectres—as I did. Don’t tie up your sense of self-worth with “making it” as a writer. Embrace things—many things, if you can—that have nothing to do with putting words on a page. Then you’ll have more stories to tell, and some natural immunity to the foolishness that you’ll encounter in the writing life. And then, if and when you do write—well, respect your dreams. They’re on your side. They’re the gold in your hands.

What a wonderful way to end our interview! Thanks so much for joining us today and I wish you great success on your new book, The River of Shadows, and good luck on finishing up the final book in the series. I can’t wait to read them all.

Thank you Mira!

You can get Robert V. S. Redick’s books at your local bookstore (please support your local indie bookstores!) or on Amazon and Barnes & Noble of course. But have I mentioned yet that you should support your local independent bookstores and keep them alive and thriving? I will try to post from France if I can—I will have limited email access though and won’t be bringing my computer (yay!). So if you don’t hear from me, you will later in May. Also, I do have other kinds of artists in the queue for interviews (painters, printmakers, filmmakers, etc.) but for some reason, the writers always respond pronto and my other interviewees are a bit slower to write their answers back to me. See you soon! Love, Mirabee

Last chance: Marc Séguin

Our NY brother According to G visited the Marc Séguin show @ Mike Weiss Gallery this week and sent us this image of a drawing with a feather skull. At Happy Famous Artists we love skulls! Flipping through the pictures of the exhibition, it seems like one not to miss. The show is called "Failures" and pictures the darker side of humanity through near-photographic images in oil, charcoal, and ash on canvas. On display till April 30th. Thanks again to According to G for the tip & the image!

Grant for Artists Over 45

Hi Everyone,

Here's a great grant coming up for artists over forty-five. Coming tomorrow or Monday, an interview with author Robert V.S. Redick. Until then, hope you all are well!
Mirabee

(ARTISTS) Provincetown, MA: Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is proud to announce the second round of The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant, a source of funding for mature American painters.

Grants will be offered to American painters aged 45 or older who demonstrate financial need. The primary emphasis is to promote public awareness and a commitment to American art, as well as encouraging interest in artists who lack adequate recognition. Grants will range from $5,000 to $30,000.

Applications are available online at www.paam.org or by calling 508.487.1750. Completed applications must be postmarked by August 15, 2011.

Art Cologne Picks: Bouke de Vries

Bouke de Vries is a Dutch artist with a background in design and restoration of ceramics. On Art Cologne we saw a couple of his works on the booth of the Japanese gallery Super Window Project. There is something fascinating in this broken pieces approach: it turns what is broken into - in our eyes - even more beautiful objects and it transforms the old or even kitsch into something contemporary. #like!

For All You Fantasy Book Lovers Out There: Book Launch Party Tonight in Amherst, MA

Coming soon....this weekend in fact....a delightful interview with author Robert V. S. Redick! And just so you know, those of you who live in my neighborhood, i.e. the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts—there is a book launch party for Robert TONIGHT to celebrate the third book in his fantasy book series. The book is called The River of Shadows and details for the book launch party are here:

Book Launch Party

to celebrate the publication (at long last) of

THE RIVER OF SHADOWS

Book III of The Chathrand Voyage Quartet

HAPPY HOUR, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 5:30-7:30 PM, at Amherst Books
8 Main St, Amherst MA

Drinks (booze and other) • Indian Snacks • Cake • Books for Sale

I hope to see some of my Mira's List peeps there! And keep your eyes peeled this weekend for an interview with Robert Redick.

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Mirabee Update

Hi everyone! I just came back from NYC----the last of my book tour events for THE MEMORY PALACE. Thanks to all of you who came out to hear me read this week in NYC and last week in CT. The paperback is coming out early—August 9th! So all of this starts again. If you have a book club, you should know that the paperback version of my book will have a great book club reader's guide in it as well as an author Q & A.

Anyway, I'm going to post a new interview shortly but first, I want to let you know that I will be out of the country from April 26th to May 11th, then at a conference until May 15th. So you probably won't hear from me in a little while unless I can get computer access where I will be staying overseas. If not, have a great couple/few weeks and check out the interview I'm about to post!

Happy Earth Day!

Mirabee

Art Cologne picks: Joris Van de Moortel

Joris Van de Moortel gave Art Cologne a moment of rock 'n roll coolness during a live performance on a self constructed stage. This Belgian artist in his late 20ies loves to create, destroy and re-create. The work is often linked to music and made us think of the spirit of the early years of Einstürzende Neubauten. Joris Van de Moortel has been shown on the big art fairs like The Armory Show and Volta. Enjoy some more pictures of the performance on the HFA Flickr

Art Cologne picks: Evariste Richer

Last w/e we visited Art Cologne, enjoyed the great weather, stroll along the Rhine and another contemporary art fair of this year, with the usual suspects and some nice discoveries. As always, it was a pleasure to visit the booth of the Brussels gallery MSSNDCLRCQ. No shopping window mentality here but a carefully selected number of beautiful works. The work pictured above is "cerveau" by Evariste Richer and was our favorite piece. It is made out of a combination or pyrite - also nicknamed fool's gold - and mosaic from Pompeii. The sculpture - with a weight equivalent to a human brain - "combines like this mischievously nature and culture..."
We look forward to the galleries' selection of works on Art Brussels.

Liberate Tate

More images by Immo Klink here.

Wednesday (20 April) artists from art activist group Liberate Tate are staging a performance in the Tate Britain on the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days.

A naked member of the group has had an oil-like substance poured over him by silent figures dressed in black and wearing veils, and is now lying in a fetal position on the floor in the middle of the exhibition Single Form. Dedicated to the human body, Single Form is one of a series of ‘BP British Art Displays’ staged throughout the galleries of Tate Britain.

Simultaneously a letter was published in The Guardian signed by 166 artists, writers, curators & academics (myself included) calling for the Tate to end its relationship with the oleaginous BP. The UK's National Portrait Gallery also enjoy patronage from BP with the Portrait Award, a fitting venue as the accumulated portraits of witless inbred aristocrats & religious figures testifies.

Also see Mathew Cain @ Ch4

The One-Year Anniversary Show

Painting by Leslie Saeta

Scheduled Air Date: Thursday, April 21, 2011
"The One-Year Anniversary Show"

Join Artists Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry as they highlight ways to sell your art on-line. Join us as we celebrate the one year anniversary of the Artists Helping Artists radio show! Today we will reveal our best tips of the year (including some great new ones ...) and share a great listener "success story" with Oliver Longuet.

Be sure to call in live to the show as we will be awarding many of our live callers with wonderful prizes ... an original oil painting, a workshop with Dreama and me, a marketing consultation and more! Also, if you can't call in live you can still win. Listen to the show to find out more.


To listen to the recording of this show, click here.


If you would like to share our "AHA Show Badge" on your website, go the the AHA blogtalk radio page and click the link titled "Embed this Show". You can post the link to your blog and help share our show. Thanks!

International Residency Program at The Darling Foundry in Canada

(ARTISTS) International Residency Program at The Darling Foundry—The Darling Foundry, located in Old Montreal (Quebec, Canada), is an alternative visual arts complex with an outstanding architectural design. The Darling Foundry provides opportunities for research, creation, production, and exhibition. Its multifaceted spaces, spanning 3500 square meters, provide room for residency studios, living accommodations, technical workshops, gallery spaces, a restaurant and offices.

The International Residency at the Darling Foundry is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. The program supports foreign visual artists from outside of Canada. One residency of six months will be awarded. The schedule of the residency is from the beginning of January 2012 to the end of June 2012. The resident artist will receive a grant amount of 23,000 CDN which contributes towards travel, subsistence, and production costs.

The resident artist will be provided with a studio measuring 100 square meters and a separate living accommodation (for single occupancy), with access to common living spaces. In addition, the Darling Foundry provides the laureate with organizational and technical assistance, promotion and networking opportunities. The resident artist will have the option to participate in open studio events, studio visits by arts professionals, and trips to artistic events. Applications are evaluated by a selection committee consisting of arts professionals. The committee base their selection on the artistic quality of the applicant’s artistic work, the potential impact of the residency on the applicant’s career, and the contribution to the Montreal and Canadian arts community. Application deadline: June 1st, 2011

Application and Support Materials must be submitted by June 1st, 2011 to:
SELECTION COMMITTEE - International Residency Program at the Darling Foundry
Darling Foundry 745 Ottawa Street
MONTRÉAL, Quebec H3C 1R8 CANADA
Tel: 514.392.1554
Email: residence@fonderiedarling.org
http://www.fonderiedarling.org/encourager_e/residences_int.html

Sympathy for the Devil @ Vanhaerents Art Collection

Next week, Art Brussels will attract a lot of collectors and artists to the city. It will also be a perfect opportunity to visit one of Brussels' most amazing private collections: the Vanhaerents Art Collection. Seeing last year's installation of David Altmejd, Colossi, had something of a true 'wow' element for us - one doesn't expect to find such impressive set-up around its own corner ;-).
This year Walter Vanhaerents and Pierre-Olivier Rollin have curated a show along the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil". Each work in the group show has a link to the song: "the fascinating beauty of evil, the attraction of moral or psychological hell, death and danger as a celebration of life, extreme and transgressive behavior, aggressive plastic expressions and a pronounced tendency towards sexuality."
The show is opening on Friday 29th of April & will be on display till November 30th (on appointment only). A real must-see...

Grants for Artists & Writers with Children, Fellowships for Photographers, A New Residency with Stipend in Norway and More!

Greetings...first, a quick note to all of you who send me notices of opportunities from your organizations: I do not post about contests, opportunities to exhibit, etc. I really try to focus on finding people funding and residencies.

Below are a few things coming up—very soon and down the road. Also, I will be posting a new interview in a few days, this time with fantasy writer Robert V. S. Redick who has a new book coming out on April 19th called River of Shadows. I also have some other great interviews coming up this spring and summer with a printmaker, children's book author, and a couple artist residency directors, so keep checking back or subscribe via email or RSS feed (see my right hand side bar for info).

Cheers,
Mirabee

(A couple of the announcements below are from http://artrubicon.com, a Canadian site for visual artists).

(PHOTOGRAPHERS) Howard Fellowship—Stipends of $30,000 will be awarded to support photographers working on projects for the academic year 2011-2012. Howard Fellowships are intended primarily to provide artists and scholars with time to complete their work. They are not intended for publication subsidies, for equipment purchase, for preparation of exhibits, or to support institutional programs. There are no residency requirements for individuals who receive awards. The deadline for submission of applications is November 1, 2011. Fellowship recipients will be announced in April 2012. http://www.brown.edu/Divisions/Graduate_School/Howard_Foundation/

(ARTISTS & WRITERS) Sustainable Arts Foundation 2011 Awards— In recognition of the challenges of leading a creative life while raising children, the Sustainable Arts Foundation provides financial support to writers and artists with families. They offer a number of $6,000 awards in both the Spring and in Winter. The applicant must have at least one child under the age of 18. They welcome applications from anywhere, but give some preference to residents of the San Francisco Bay area. In addition, they award a number of Promise Awards of smaller dollar figures to applicants whose work may not qualify for the main awards, but demonstrates both skill and potential. As with most grants, your portfolio aids the judges to rank you. They are also interested in hearing about your plans and how this award might assist you in attaining your goals. For more info, go to: http://www.sustainableartsfoundation.org/ (Thank you Hope Clark @ FundsforWriters for this new one!)

(WOMEN/PHOTOGRAPHERS) Magnum Foundation and Inge Morath Foundation - Inge Morath Award 2011—The Magnum Foundation and the Inge Morath Foundation announce the tenth annual Inge Morath Award. The annual prize of $5,000 is awarded by the Magnum Foundation to a female documentary photographer under the age of 30, to support the completion of a long-term documentary project. One award winner and up to two finalists are selected by a jury composed of Magnum photographers. Deadline: 30 April, 2011! Further Information and application http://www.ingemorath.org/index.php/2011

(WOMEN ARTISTS) New Canadian Artist Residency At MAWA, Winnipeg, Manitoba—Two deadlines: April 29, 2011 (for residencies in 2011) and October 28, 2011 (for residencies in 2012) MAWA is offering their urban, loft-style apartment to women visual artists for residencies of 2-4 weeks in duration. Applicants can use this space and time for research, reflection, networking and/or production. They will provide free accommodation and a $300 honorarium.

Please send applications to: Residency Program, MAWA, 611 Main St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1E1. If you have any questions, contact Lisa at 204-949-9490 or programs@mawa.ca For more info, go to: http://tinyurl.com/43fqvpq

(ALL/ENVIRONMENTAL ARTISTS) Chesapeake Bay residency—Annmarie’s residency program provides a serene place on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay for visual, musical, and literary artists to create works that address ecological issues and/or inspire community involvement. Residencies are meant to focus on merging the arts and the environment and should include the involvement of the local community to some capacity. Spring/Fall Residencies: residents are required to work with field trip groups and/or school outreach programs as scheduled. Summer Residency: summer residents are required to design a public art project that engages the visitors to Annmarie Garden in the art-making process. Summer residents are required to work alongside the public for at least 12 hours/week.

Studio Information—Resident artists have access to studio space within the living quarters (one bedroom), and are also welcome to use other gallery and classroom space as available. Annmarie has a modest ceramics studio with a kiln, slab roller, and potter’s wheels that are also available for use, as well as a painting studio with easels. With numerous indoor and outdoor exhibition and installation options, artists are encouraged think creatively about how and where to display their work. Artists should bring their own equipment. For more information, please E-mail gardenprograms@chesapeake.net or visit the website: http://www.annmariegarden.org DEADLINES: April 30 (summer), July 15 (Sep-Nov), Jan 15 (Mar-May)

(ARTISTS) AiR Sandnes Residency in Stavanger, Norway—Sandnes City Council and Rogaland County Council, offer a residency to professional artists. The artist can be from abroad, a Norwegian national or a regional artist wanting an alternative project space. The offer consists of a 1-3 months residency in a rent-free studio with accommodation situated in the city of Sandnes in the municipality of Rogaland, close to the city of Stavanger.

The art studio is situated in the same building as several other artist studios at Stasjon K, right next to Kinokino – Centre for Art and Film. Housing is located at the city end of the largest park in Sandnes, Sandvedparken, about a five-minute walk from the city centre and studio space. In addition to a one-person bed the flat has a sofa that can turn into a two-person bed. On those premises we can accommodate for collaborators, a couple, or possibly a family of three.

The organization also provides funding—all artists receive 1,000 Euro per month. There is no specific application form. The application should contain a CV, a brief project proposal, documentation of earlier works and preferably some info about yourself as an artist and your artistic practice. Please do not send original work, as we do not return the applications. Application deadlines: June 1st and December 1st. For more info, go to: http://www.airwestnorway.no/default.asp?art=47&kat=6&sp=2

lesley grainger : artists who blog

Today's artist is Lesley Grainger, who is originally from England where she studied art and illustration. She moved to California with her family in 1999. Her cheerful designs are inspired by her children, color and nature. Enjoy!

Lesley's blog: www.lesleygraingerdesign.blogspot.com

Lesley's website: www.lesleygrainger.com

Lesley's shop: www.etsy.com/shop/grainger

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

Since I was little I wanted to become an artist, more than anything. It's my purpose. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, unless I'm called to do something.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?"

Absolutely! I believe if you do what you are made to do everything else will follow. It's not always smooth sailing going thru some storms but there's always a rainbow.

How has the Internet influenced your work as an artist?

Blogging and the internet are an essential part of my business. Communication with clients is so easy with these tools. I have met so many amazing people thru my blog and I love it. Blogging is an artform, a tool I use to express my art.

Please name 3 of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special.

http://printpattern.blogspot.com Bowie posts such great work, she connects us to the design world.

Flora Bowley - http://florabowley.typepad.com has the most amazing organic paintings. I love the colors and the feel of her abstract paintings.

A great blog for learning about Art Licensing: http://artlicensingblog.com

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

My greatest fear is to fear. And the way I overcome it is prayer. Worry about nothing and pray about everything. I love this quote, "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere."

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

I would like to trade places with Chagall and paint like him for one day.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

I work from my home/studio so it's easy to get distracted, ARTIST ADD. I have to make lists, focus on what I need to get done and prioritize my work or I can easily waste my day.

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? 

Wow that's a great question. I think I would like to live in France. I traveled there for art college. It was amazing and inspiring! Being in France made me want to paint even more.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

This is sometimes difficult because I work from home and I have two children. I try to treat my work like a regular work day. Get the kids off to school. Make some tea and get to work on whatever projects I have going on. I have learned to stop when its time for family life and I try go to the gym regularly.

What are your top 5 goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

Online shop

More fabrics

Children's book published in April 2011

Going to Surtex in May 2011

More children's books

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Do what you love, be inspired with your dream and the reality will come.

Thank you Lesley! I appreciate your sharing your artwork and your thoughts with us today. I wish you lots of success at Surtex next month!

Showtime: Wayne Horse @ HLP

Harlan Levey Projects project space and office got a makeover & fresh paint on the walls since the opening of the space last October with the great Super Hero Project show of Abner Preis.
This time, HLP treats us on "More Future", a solo exhibition by Willehad Eilers aka Wayne Horse featuring two years of work and a "première" of his new film project called ‘The Ill Mannered Milkman'. The show opens April 23rd and runs till June 1st.

Mirabee is Reading in NYC Next Week!

Greetings all,

Well, I’m back from the TransCultural Exchange Conference in Boston where I got to meet people from all over the world who run artists residencies. I'll be posting some deadlines from those places over the next few weeks and months as well as an interview or two. If you can make the conference in two years, I highly suggest going! And if you plan ahead, you can apply for a scholarship as well as a small professional development grant from your local arts agency so you can help pay for your trip. I hope to see some of you there in 2013!

The other thing I wanted to tell you is that I will be coming to NYC next week to read from my book The Memory Palace. This is the last leg of my book tour until the paperback comes out in late summer. If you are around and can come and hear me read, please do! On Tuesday, April 19th, I'll be reading at the Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, at 7 pm and on Wednesday, April 20th, I'll be reading at Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow Street at 7 pm with writers Moshe Shulman and Emily Rubin, followed by the band Flutterbox.

And tonight I'll be at the Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road in Fairfield, CT at 7 pm. I hope to see some of you at one of these events!

Fahamu Pecou is the shit!

Fahamu Pecou will have his first solo exhibition in France end of this month. In order to celebrate this event and rock/shock the French gallery scene in real "Fahamu Pecou"-style, he has created a digital project called "Fahamu Milliondollababy Pecou". During the month before the show, the artist turns his Facebook page into an online performace platform where all the interactions with the audience are recorded. This will ultimately be compiled in a DVD, available during the gallery show. We love to see this cross-over between "gallery art" and "digital"!
The gallery show @ BackSlash Gallery is called "Hard 2 Death" and will have new paintings on display where the artists is "questioning the idea of the boundary between self-protection and self-destruction".  Opening on April 30th, on display till may 28th.

A Conversation With Darrell Hill

Painting by Dreama Tolle Perry

Scheduled Air Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"A Conversation with Darrell Hill

Join Artists Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry as they highlight ways to sell your art on-line. Join us as we interview artist Darrell Hill to find out what's new with his daily life in Hawaii. We'll talk about what it is like to sell in a tourism market, painting largetr paintings, his workshops nad painting the beaches of Hawaii.  

To listen to the show, click here.

Before I die ...

New Orleans artist Candy Chang - founder of Civic Center, an urban design studio focusing on civic engagement - turned the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood "into a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them." A poetic work that transforms a neglected space into a platform for the hopes a fears of the people on the street. Beautiful! (via Creative Review)

No Show This Week But Back Next Week With Artist Darrell Hill!



Painting by Leslie Saeta

 There will be no show this week, but we'll be back next week (Wednesday,April 13) with Artist Darrell Hill of Hawaii.  We have  more great guests lined up for upcoming shows too including  artists Scott Burdick, Susan Lyons, and Karin Jurick.  Be sure and sign up to receive notifications of upcoming shows, guests, and air times!

Pass the Sickbag

After diamond-covered Skull & diamond-covered iPhone, here comes another shiny gadget: diamond covered iPad. And at just $20 000, a real bargain! So if diamonds are your thing & you couldn't get "The Skull", grasp this chance. 3 shiny stars on Angry Birds will get a whole new dimension ;-).
In fact, I can think of couple of people who probably already placed an order...

hollie chastain : artists who blog

Today's artist interview is with Hollie Chastain - a collage artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I do believe she is the first artist I've featured from Tennessee, which is special for me since I was also born and raised there. I love Hollie's way of combining papers, drawing, and vintage collage materials, and I'm sure you will too. Enjoy!

Hollie's blog: drkennedyjones.blogspot.com

Hollie's website: www.holliechastain.com

Hollie's shop: www.etsy.com/shop/drkennedyjones

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

I can't remember a moment where I ever really decided to become an artist. It's always been my favorite thing to do my entire life so seemed like a pretty natural progression even though it took some time to be able to do it full time. There are 100 things I would love to try but I can't imagine feeling fully satisfied at the end of the day if I can't create.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?"

I do in a way. The statement sounds so carefree but really it's so much work. You have to be prepared to push and move constantly towards your goals but it's the love for what you're doing that makes it worth it and fuels the energy to accomplish those tasks every day even if they aren't the fun creative tasks.

How has blogging and the Internet influenced your work as an artist?

The handmade blogging community is a whole world of support and inspiration and a real feeling of work mates when so many of us are alone in the studio for the majority of work time. It's nice to share and see what fellow artists are up to every day. Even though it's not quite the same as popping over to the next desk to look over someone's shoulder you have the advantage of so many work mates all over the world. Seeing so many viewpoints and opinions and techniques, both in the blogging community and the internet in general, helps keep my mind open and thinking in new ways.

Please name three of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special. 

The Nonist – This one might be a bit of a cheat because it's no longer an active blog (that fact makes my heart weep) but the archives are still accessible. It's a completely fascinating look into so many eye and mind opening subjects and I can't drink it in fast enough.

A Journey Round My Skull – When I don't have time to go out and explore the bookshelves of thrift stores and junk shops then I get my fix here. He always finds the most amazing vintage illustration that makes my heart race.

NotPaper – The very best collection of collage artist information and introduction. It's a source of constant inspiration.

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

Fire! I'm kidding. But I do think about it sometimes as I'm sitting surrounded by dry and dusty paper. I think my biggest fear is losing my own view as an artist. As great as the internet is for inspiration and discovery it's a constant bombardment of a million and two things a day. It's a balancing act to let those ideas and images and feedback inspire and motivate without allowing it to carry me in an unnatural or inorganic direction in my work. I follow design and studio blogs but try to match that exposure with discovery sites; science and “found item” and history blogs.

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

I've always been completely fascinated with Emma Kunz. Her work is the perfect blend of art and earth science and mystery. I would love to see things the way she did for a day.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

There is a lot of advice out there about how to juggle and organize but I think that everyone's life and circumstances are different and you just figure out as you go. If I try and set a daily schedule then I drive myself crazy trying to stick to it as unexpected things pop up then I end the day a ball of anxiety. I try and keep a loose schedule, more of a to-do list, and complete the task that means the most to me right in that moment. Nothing good comes from forcing a creative task to meet a deadline but if I can knock out the clerical parts of running a business when I find a free minute here or there then it opens up larger blocks of quiet time during the day to work in the studio without feeling scattered mentally.

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? Why?

I would love to explore Iceland for a year. Everything about it appeals to me (except the cold but I can deal with that) and it seems to have a very distinct and strong personality. The folklore and music feel so specific to the country as if they couldn't have come from any other place. Also it has some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen and very different from the landscape here at home so I wonder how that might affect my creative process with such different visuals around.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

Setting my own studio hours and having a wonderful supportive husband makes this easy most of the time. If I give up weekday studio time to volunteer at the school or if sick little ones stay home I am thrilled to get to drop everything to devote all my attention to that and know that I can make up the studio time if I need to in the evenings or a quiet Saturday morning. It's never a complete balance but we have a pretty great routine worked out that works for us.

What are your top five goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next five years?

Being slightly obsessed with early stop-motion animation I am dying to give it a try with some paper dolls I am currently working on. Next year an attempt at an animated short will be made and we'll see how it goes. I would like to continue adding retail locations where my work is available and get together a solo show every year. Putting out a small self-published book of found book pages and photographs and artwork is quickly moving towards the top of the general long-term To-Do list. First and foremost I am moving into a bigger work area the beginning of 2011 and that will make all other goals that much easier to accomplish!

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Don't compare yourself to others, don't get discouraged, take the product seriously without taking yourself too seriously and work work work!

Thank you Hollie for your words of inspiration and for sharing your beautiful artwork!