Greetings all. I'm sorry I've been gone all week. Holiday stuff---turkeys, a multitude of dogs, humanoids and the usual sugar coma following excessive pie consumption. But I'm back now and was disturbed to find out that yet AGAIN, google disabled my Mira's List gmail account. So I'm switching to another email address and it won't be with google. I'll do that later today or tomorrow so check back to see my new email address in the next day or so. I am sincerely sorry that some of you haven't been able to reach me.
On another note, I've had several comments about the last post, the one that offers financial support for an artist (ARTWORKInternational, Inc.). Some people thought it was a little dodgy and they couldn't tell if the $12,000 was in the form of professional services or if the artist got funding plus professional help. Some readers also objected to the $35 application fee. I looked at the grant more closely and yes, it is true, the $12,000 award is not given in actual financial assistance but rather it pays for the professional help that this organization provides. So those of you who are looking for a lump sum of money, this is not for you. However, this could be valuable to some of you who really need to jump-start their careers but don't have the funding to do it. That said, I cannot vouch for this organization as I really don't know much about it. I found the announcement in a couple very reputable sites though, and there are several organizations that offer funding this way, i.e. in the form of professional help, so I don't find that part odd (although they only let you know in the fine print way at the bottom of the webpage, which I do find sneaky.) Anyway, if you are interested in checking this place out and you find more info on it, please let me know. I simply don't have the time.
A word about application fees though---most of the time, I try to find opportunities that don't charge a fee to apply. However, the fact that some do charge a fee should not stop you from applying if it's a great grant or residency. Some of the more prestigious fellowships and grants charge a fee, anywhere from $15 to $50. The stakes are much higher, and they sometimes have to pay judges, and (unfortunately) some places feel that if you are willing to pay to apply, you are probably more serious. Think about college applications. You have to pay for those too and pay a lot. So I wouldn't discount something just because there is a fee.
Here is one situation I WOULD discount though, and that is the fee for contests that offer little money. I often see writing contests (more than visual art ones for some reason) that charge, say, $15 to enter, yet the top award is only $100! Forget it. As far as I'm concerned, those contests are bogus. I just wouldn't enter them at all. Any reputable and serious literary contest (or art contest) offers a prize of at least $1000 if the entry fee is $15. That's my little rule. The other ones are not respected in the writing world. Often, people just start these contests because they want to make money. Think about it--you get a bunch of people to send in $15. You're not paying a judge. It's all online so there's no processing or mailing costs. It's not a literary journal so the writer doesn't get to publish the piece she sent. And all they have to do is pay the person who wins $100 to $500. But how do we know there was a real person who won the prize? I've checked out some of these websites and they just post someone's name and the title of their piece. There are no respected judges from the world of letters, no opportunity to publish, just some individual who is taking your money. BOGUS.
I know some really wonderful and helpful people are posting these opportunities on their blogs. But I have been in the literary world for a while and trust me, if you want to enter a contest, go to Poets & Writers or check out what is going on in AWP's Writer's Chronicle for reputable contests. These other contests are just not worth your time.
Okay. I'm done yelling. I'll post my new email address soon. In the meantime, stop reading this and get back in the studio!
Cheers,
Mira
showtime: kira o'reilly @ sk-interfaces
till january 10th 2010, you can see the show 'exploding borders in art, technology and society' @ the casino luxembourg. click here to find out more about the show and here for more work by kira o'reilly, one of the artists in the exhibition.
design: arik levy
awesome: arik levy's fractal cloud lights - on display, together with other memorable design pieces @ rove, london.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS, FILMMAKERS, PLAYWRIGHTS AND WRITERS!
Thanks to ArtSake for these first two:
(ARTISTS) ARTWORKinternational, Inc. New Financial Support Grant: ARTWORKinternational, Inc. is pleased to announce a financial support grant for the full-spectrum career development of individual visual artists in the amount of $12,000. The selected artist will be awarded one full year of career development via ARTWORKinternational, Inc.’s comprehensive global services. Beginning on January 15th, 2010 the grant recipient will become a “career client” of ARTWORKinternational, Inc., benefiting from a wide range of services, including portfolio design and creation, resume building, grant writing, full-spectrum career development, placement with gallery and museum venues and much, much more. Deadline is December 31, 2009. Visit the website for more details: http://www.artworkinternational.com/grant.php
(PLAYWRIGHTS) The Professional Artists Lab 4th Annual Script Competition: Scientists/Technologists/Artists Generating Exploration: The Professional Artists Lab and the California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara are offering the the fourth STAGE International Script Competition, open to plays about science and technology. The winning script will receive $10,000. Submitted plays must explore scientific and/or technological stories, themes, issues and/or events. Science and/or technology must figure prominently in the script, whether in form or content or both. Deadline: December 15, 2009. For more info, go to: http://stage.cnsi.ucsb.edu/index.html.
(ARTISTS) Artist-in-Residence Program at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc.: The goal of the Artist In Residence Program at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc. is to use art to inspire people to recycle more and conserve natural resources. The company provides selected local artists with the opportunity to create art using materials they gather from San Francisco's refuse. This includes 24-hour access to a well-equipped studio, a monthly stipend, and an exhibit at the end of their residency, but artists seem most excited about having 24-hour access to the materials. For more information, go to: http://www.sfrecycling.com/AIR/index.php?t=d .
(FILMMAKERS) Cinereach Grants: Just a reminder that the Cinereach Grants are due December 1st, 2009, for the winter grant cycle. Grants usually range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are awarded to filmmakers at any stage in their career. Visit the website: www.cinereach.org for more information.
(ALL) Petrified Forest National Park Residencies in Arizona: The Artist-In-Residence Program at Petrified Forest National Park offers professional visual, performing, and literary artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park's inspiring landscape. Selected artists stay in park housing for two-week periods from April through October. No stipend is provided. Applications will be accepted for the 2010 program with postmarks dated through March 15, 2010. For more information, go to: http://www.nps.gov/pefo/parknews/artist-in-residence.htm.
**(Thanks to http://www.fundsforwriters.com for this one)
(ARTISTS) ARTWORKinternational, Inc. New Financial Support Grant: ARTWORKinternational, Inc. is pleased to announce a financial support grant for the full-spectrum career development of individual visual artists in the amount of $12,000. The selected artist will be awarded one full year of career development via ARTWORKinternational, Inc.’s comprehensive global services. Beginning on January 15th, 2010 the grant recipient will become a “career client” of ARTWORKinternational, Inc., benefiting from a wide range of services, including portfolio design and creation, resume building, grant writing, full-spectrum career development, placement with gallery and museum venues and much, much more. Deadline is December 31, 2009. Visit the website for more details: http://www.artworkinternational.com/grant.php
(PLAYWRIGHTS) The Professional Artists Lab 4th Annual Script Competition: Scientists/Technologists/Artists Generating Exploration: The Professional Artists Lab and the California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara are offering the the fourth STAGE International Script Competition, open to plays about science and technology. The winning script will receive $10,000. Submitted plays must explore scientific and/or technological stories, themes, issues and/or events. Science and/or technology must figure prominently in the script, whether in form or content or both. Deadline: December 15, 2009. For more info, go to: http://stage.cnsi.ucsb.edu/index.html.
(ARTISTS) Artist-in-Residence Program at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc.: The goal of the Artist In Residence Program at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc. is to use art to inspire people to recycle more and conserve natural resources. The company provides selected local artists with the opportunity to create art using materials they gather from San Francisco's refuse. This includes 24-hour access to a well-equipped studio, a monthly stipend, and an exhibit at the end of their residency, but artists seem most excited about having 24-hour access to the materials. For more information, go to: http://www.sfrecycling.com/
(FILMMAKERS) Cinereach Grants: Just a reminder that the Cinereach Grants are due December 1st, 2009, for the winter grant cycle. Grants usually range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are awarded to filmmakers at any stage in their career. Visit the website: www.cinereach.org for more information.
(ALL) Petrified Forest National Park Residencies in Arizona: The Artist-In-Residence Program at Petrified Forest National Park offers professional visual, performing, and literary artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park's inspiring landscape. Selected artists stay in park housing for two-week periods from April through October. No stipend is provided. Applications will be accepted for the 2010 program with postmarks dated through March 15, 2010. For more information, go to: http://www.nps.gov/pefo/
**(Thanks to http://www.fundsforwriters.com for this one)
(WRITERS) Andrews Forest Writer's Residency in Oregon: The mission of the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program is to bring together writers, humanists and scientists to create a living, growing record of how we understand the forest and the relation of people to the forest, as that understanding and that forest both change over time. For the Andrews Forest Residencies, writers are provided a comfortable, three room apartment at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, access to a majestic ancient forest and world-renowned research site opportunities to interact with research scientists as they go about their work opportunities to have their writings included in The Forest Log. For more information, go to: http://springcreek.
**(Thanks to www.fundsforwriters.com and http://www.practicing-writer.
lists - fuck, yeah!
italian polymath umberto eco in der spiegel: "i like lists for the same reason other people like football or pedophilia." click here to read the full article.
(via crackunit)
thereza rowe : artists who blog
Thereza's blog: www.tinyreddesign.com
Thereza's website: www.therezarowe.com
Why did you decide to start a blog?
I was still at university studying for my design degree and felt I needed little place to show my drawings, experiments and illustration work so a blog seemed a good start.
How did you come up with the name of your blog?
Red being my favorite colour, I knew it had to be called something red, so one day, whilst playing with my moleskine the name tiny red popped up. Just like that!
How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?
Blogging works like an e-sketchbook for me and it has given me a lot more than I expected as it soon became an outlet to document and keep track of my own journey and development as an illustrator. It became a reminder that each ordinary day can be a special one just through sharing what you have noticed on that day. May it be through a doodle, pictures, a link, etc...
What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?
Oh dear, there are so many! If I mention a few, I know I’ll be forgetting others so let’s just say my favorite blogs are the ones that have a good mix of original imagery, context, honesty and a great personality. Hello my faves, you know who you are!
Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?
It depends on what you intend to achieve... Personally, I blog for fun and it’s an excellent way of networking with like-minded people. I’d say: Have fun and do it because you love it.
What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?
Networking and interacting with amazing artists who I might otherwise not have had the opportunity to... There’s so much good stuff out there and to be inspired and be able to inspire whilst being part of a community is such a great feeling. Also, the feedback I get from visitors is awesome!
What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?
Most difficult>> handling the business side of things... eventually I might need an agent and an accountant, I think... most rewarding>> production, all the way from the brainstorming process through to the final piece.
Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?
I have a website, a flickr account and a twitter page and iI think it’s more than enough... there are far too many social networks nowadays, can’t keep up!
Offline >> business cards, postcards, etc
How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
That’s a tough one! I have a quite hyperactive head and even when I’m not working I’m always noticing, processing, thinking of what’s next... it’s part of doing what you love, I guess...
What would you like to accomplish by the end of 2009?
Oh my, that’s only a couple of months away... so, other than getting more commissions, nothing massive...
From a work’s perpective I want to see if I can organize myself to open a little online shop plus learn to do more with my wonderful Canon SRL camera would be good too ☺
Thanks Thereza!
showtime: jeff koons
jeff koons shows his new ab fab pieces @ gagosian beverly hills
congrats to jeff & respect! to the painters ;-)
MUSICIAN GRANTS, PARIS ART SCHOLARSHIPS, AND MORE!
Some new deadlines for you...please note that the first one is one I recently posted but the previous deadline was wrong (it is Feb. 8th, not the 10th). Cheers, Mira
(ALL/SCHOLARS) Five College Women's Studies Research Center Associateships: The Center invites applications for its RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS for 2009-2010 from scholars and teachers at all levels of the educational system, as well as from artists, community organizers and political activists, both local and international. Associates are provided with offices in our spacious facility, faculty library privileges, and the collegiality of a diverse community of feminists. Research Associate applications are accepted for either a semester or the academic year. The Center supports projects in all disciplines so long as they focus centrally on women or gender. Research Associateships are non-stipendiary. Deadline is February 8, 2010. For further information, contact the Center at TEL 413.538.2275, FAX 413.538.3121, email fcwsrc@fivecolleges.edu, or visit the website: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/fcwsrc/ .
(ARTISTS & MUSICIANS) The Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship: Fondation des Etats-Unis: The Harriet Woolley Scholarship: 8,500 euros plus an art studio or music studio at the Fondation des Etats-Unis in Paris for nine months. These grants are awarded to American graduate students or post-graduates in the areas of visual arts or music. Applicants must be between 21 and 35 years of age and possess American citizenship. Preference is given to applicants who have already done some graduate study. For more information, visit the website: http://www.feusa.org/en/cultrue/harriet-hale-woolley-scholarship. Deadline is January 31, 2010.
(MUSICIANS & COMPOSERS) Omni International Arts Center Residency: Each August, approximately a dozen musicians--composers and performers from around the globe--gather for two and a half weeks to share in a unique collaborative music making residency program. Music Omi encourages its residents to participate as members of an international musical community; sharing ideas, performing each others’ works and writing music for one another while exploring their own musical vision. Music Omi invites applicants from all musical disciplines who wish to broaden their artistic horizons and engage actively with a diversity of other musicians. Unlike most artists residency programs, where artists come to work in isolation, Music Omi actively encourages the exchange of ideas and the sharing of cultures through active collaboration.
The Omi International Arts Center is located approximately two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. The facilities, set on 300 acres of rural farmland, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios, as well as the 150 acre Field's Sculpture Park. Although no travel funds are provided, full room and board are provided for participants. For more information, go to: http://www.artomi.org/music.htm.
(WRITERS & SCHOLARS) National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities (NEH): NEH/CNR Fellowships for Research on Italian Cultural Heritage: The NEH and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (CNR) of Italy are cooperating in the support of scholarly research. They invite applications for humanities research focusing on Italy's cultural heritage in relation to that of the United States. The Fellowships program accepts applications from writers, teachers, and researchers, whether or not they have an institutional affiliation. Award is $50,400 for twelve months. Deadline is May 9, 2010, however, this is an anticipated deadline so please check the website for details: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/fellowships-italy.html. Also, please check the NEH website for other large fellowships in the humanities.
(ALL/SCHOLARS) Five College Women's Studies Research Center Associateships: The Center invites applications for its RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS for 2009-2010 from scholars and teachers at all levels of the educational system, as well as from artists, community organizers and political activists, both local and international. Associates are provided with offices in our spacious facility, faculty library privileges, and the collegiality of a diverse community of feminists. Research Associate applications are accepted for either a semester or the academic year. The Center supports projects in all disciplines so long as they focus centrally on women or gender. Research Associateships are non-stipendiary. Deadline is February 8, 2010. For further information, contact the Center at TEL 413.538.2275, FAX 413.538.3121, email fcwsrc@fivecolleges.edu, or visit the website: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/
(ARTISTS & MUSICIANS) The Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship: Fondation des Etats-Unis: The Harriet Woolley Scholarship: 8,500 euros plus an art studio or music studio at the Fondation des Etats-Unis in Paris for nine months. These grants are awarded to American graduate students or post-graduates in the areas of visual arts or music. Applicants must be between 21 and 35 years of age and possess American citizenship. Preference is given to applicants who have already done some graduate study. For more information, visit the website: http://www.feusa.org/en/cultrue/harriet-hale-woolley-scholarship. Deadline is January 31, 2010.
(MUSICIANS & COMPOSERS) Omni International Arts Center Residency: Each August, approximately a dozen musicians--composers and performers from around the globe--gather for two and a half weeks to share in a unique collaborative music making residency program. Music Omi encourages its residents to participate as members of an international musical community; sharing ideas, performing each others’ works and writing music for one another while exploring their own musical vision. Music Omi invites applicants from all musical disciplines who wish to broaden their artistic horizons and engage actively with a diversity of other musicians. Unlike most artists residency programs, where artists come to work in isolation, Music Omi actively encourages the exchange of ideas and the sharing of cultures through active collaboration.
The Omi International Arts Center is located approximately two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. The facilities, set on 300 acres of rural farmland, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios, as well as the 150 acre Field's Sculpture Park. Although no travel funds are provided, full room and board are provided for participants. For more information, go to: http://www.artomi.org/music.htm.
(WRITERS & SCHOLARS) National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities (NEH): NEH/CNR Fellowships for Research on Italian Cultural Heritage: The NEH and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (CNR) of Italy are cooperating in the support of scholarly research. They invite applications for humanities research focusing on Italy's cultural heritage in relation to that of the United States. The Fellowships program accepts applications from writers, teachers, and researchers, whether or not they have an institutional affiliation. Award is $50,400 for twelve months. Deadline is May 9, 2010, however, this is an anticipated deadline so please check the website for details: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/fellowships-italy.html. Also, please check the NEH website for other large fellowships in the humanities.
(MUSICIANS) The Traditional Music Foundation Grants: Funds provided to individuals in the form of need and merit-based scholarships to students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree-granting institutions. These scholarships allow artistically talented individuals with financial need to pursue college and university degrees focusing on traditional or bluegrass music studies at an eligible educational institution. Recipients must be pursuing a full-time course of study focusing on traditional or traditionally derived music such as bluegrass. Recipients must prove full-time enrollment with good academic standing at an eligible educational institution, and must be following a course of studies focusing on traditional or bluegrass music. These scholarship funds must be used for tuition and related fees paid to the university excluding room and board. Artist development grants are also available from TMF. For more information, please go to: http://www.traditionalmusicfoundation.org.
(MUSICIANS/MUSICOLOGISTS) The Henry Reed Fund Award: The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, presents an award from the Henry Reed Fund for Folk Artists every other year. The next call for applications will begin in February 2010. The award amount is usually between $400 and $1000. The award may be split between more than one recipient. Visit the website for more info: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/grants.html#archie.
Projects and activities might include:
- Payments to folk artists, their families, their descendants, or their cultural communities in connection with publication or dissemination of documents (audio recordings, manuscripts, photographs, etc.) in the American Folklife Center's collections.
- Honoraria or reimbursement to folk artists for programs, such as concerts, workshops, or exhibitions, which feature those folk artists and their arts.
- Programs honoring and celebrating folk artists for their cultural contributions.
- Support for the costs of documenting distinguished folk artists and the acquisition of resulting documentation by the Library of Congress.
(STUDENTS) Hispanic Scholarship Fund/ McNamara Family Creative Arts Project Grant: The Hispanic Scholarship Fund / McNamara Family Creative Arts Project Grant is designed to provide financial resources to outstanding Latino undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a creative arts related field: media, film, performing arts, communications, writing, etc. This grant is only intended to assist students in beginning and completing an art project. Students may be potentially eligible for grants up to $20,000. Check website for deadlines and details.
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED: SOME SUGGESTED SITES
Greetings all,
Well, it looks like my email is up and running again. Sorry about the confusion. Anyway, today I wanted to remind you to make sure to check my sidebar once and a while because I periodically upload new links and resources. I have also finally separated my blogrolls into two lists: blogs that relate to Mira's List subjects (and other issues, such as how to find an agent, how to write a great query letter, etc) and blogs that are my personal and quirky favorites (okay, I like food, I like neuroscience and I have a special fondness for the strange marriage of art and science, particularly science during the Age of Discovery. I also am fond of baby animals, graphic novels and 19th century polar exploration. Well. I could add to the list but I won't bore you any more than I already have.
One another note, and this one is for writers—Lately I have been getting a lot of personal mail asking me about the publishing world. Now, while I do know a bit about that elusive and mercurial world, I think there are many more bloggers out there who are really experts in this field. Here are a few of my favorite sites for you writers out there who have written me asking about how to get an agent, how to write a query letter, etc. Victoria Mixon, who writes eloquently and amusingly about a variety of publishing and writing issues: http://victoriamixon.com/. I love Victoria and suggest you visit her site. Another blogger I just adore uses the name Moon Rat and you can find her at http://editorialass.blogspot.com. She is an editor at some unnamed publishing house and, for my money, offers the best advice for both emerging and published authors. She's hilarious, witty, ironic and will answer all your burning questions about the publishing industry. I am all about Moon Rat.
If you want to write a kick-ass query to an agent, then there is no one better than Wendy Burt-Thomas at askwendy.wordpress.com. She is the author of the The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters
which I will add (right now!) to my bookstore at the bottom of this blog. Another great site is literary agent, Nathan Bransford's blog: http://blog.nathanbransford.com. Nathan is an agent for Curtis Brown so he really knows what he is talking about. I find his posts extremely insightful. And knowing what I know about the biz and how hard most agents work at getting writers deals (mine certainly deserves a Purple Heart), it is heartwarming to know that there are some literary agents out there willing to take time out from their busy schedules to help emerging writers understand how to get published.
Anyway, there are so many great sites in the blogsphere that deal with publishing and breaking into the literary market that I am just leaving it all up to them. Come here for your weekly dose of Mira's List but go to these experts on the business of getting your great poems, stories and novels out into the world.
And speaking of publishing, please check out the books at the bottom of this blog. And if you have a hankering to buy any holiday gifts from Amazon in the next few weeks, please do your book search from my site, on the right sidebar where it says "Search for Grant Books!" because I might earn a couple pennies that way!
More to come in the next few days....and we have some great interviews lined up for you for December and maybe this month too. Now get off the computer and do your art.
Cheers,
Mira
Well, it looks like my email is up and running again. Sorry about the confusion. Anyway, today I wanted to remind you to make sure to check my sidebar once and a while because I periodically upload new links and resources. I have also finally separated my blogrolls into two lists: blogs that relate to Mira's List subjects (and other issues, such as how to find an agent, how to write a great query letter, etc) and blogs that are my personal and quirky favorites (okay, I like food, I like neuroscience and I have a special fondness for the strange marriage of art and science, particularly science during the Age of Discovery. I also am fond of baby animals, graphic novels and 19th century polar exploration. Well. I could add to the list but I won't bore you any more than I already have.
One another note, and this one is for writers—Lately I have been getting a lot of personal mail asking me about the publishing world. Now, while I do know a bit about that elusive and mercurial world, I think there are many more bloggers out there who are really experts in this field. Here are a few of my favorite sites for you writers out there who have written me asking about how to get an agent, how to write a query letter, etc. Victoria Mixon, who writes eloquently and amusingly about a variety of publishing and writing issues: http://victoriamixon.com/. I love Victoria and suggest you visit her site. Another blogger I just adore uses the name Moon Rat and you can find her at http://editorialass.blogspot.com. She is an editor at some unnamed publishing house and, for my money, offers the best advice for both emerging and published authors. She's hilarious, witty, ironic and will answer all your burning questions about the publishing industry. I am all about Moon Rat.
If you want to write a kick-ass query to an agent, then there is no one better than Wendy Burt-Thomas at askwendy.wordpress.com. She is the author of the The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters
which I will add (right now!) to my bookstore at the bottom of this blog. Another great site is literary agent, Nathan Bransford's blog: http://blog.nathanbransford.com. Nathan is an agent for Curtis Brown so he really knows what he is talking about. I find his posts extremely insightful. And knowing what I know about the biz and how hard most agents work at getting writers deals (mine certainly deserves a Purple Heart), it is heartwarming to know that there are some literary agents out there willing to take time out from their busy schedules to help emerging writers understand how to get published.Anyway, there are so many great sites in the blogsphere that deal with publishing and breaking into the literary market that I am just leaving it all up to them. Come here for your weekly dose of Mira's List but go to these experts on the business of getting your great poems, stories and novels out into the world.
And speaking of publishing, please check out the books at the bottom of this blog. And if you have a hankering to buy any holiday gifts from Amazon in the next few weeks, please do your book search from my site, on the right sidebar where it says "Search for Grant Books!" because I might earn a couple pennies that way!
More to come in the next few days....and we have some great interviews lined up for you for December and maybe this month too. Now get off the computer and do your art.
Cheers,
Mira
anyone can be rembrandt -
- claims damien hirst in his interview with the guardian. judge for yourself @ his two london shows: "no love lost" (wallace collection) and "nothing matters" (white cube)
lisa golightly : artists who blog
Lisa's blog: kikiandpolly.com/blog
Lisa's website: kikiandpolly.com
Lisa's shop: kikiandpolly.etsy.com
Why did you decide to start a blog?
Probably the same reason many people do. I had been reading blogs for years and started wanting to share some of my ideas and how I work. I think I had been writing posts in my head for quite a while before I actually took the plunge.
How did you come up with the name of your blog?
It’s just my name and that of my website. And yes, that is my real name. The name Kiki and Polly was inspired by my daughter. Polly was her imaginary friend and Kiki was the name she gave a bird that came to our yard.
How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?
Hmmm. I guess one of the greatest things for me is getting to hear feedback. Putting my work out there and hearing peoples thoughts on it has been really gratifying and inspirational.
What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?
Too many to list here (I swear it grows daily!) But a few are:
design is mine
frolic
Camilla Engman
design milk
Art Addict
Antler
Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?
I try to balance what is inspiring me, my daily life and what I’m working on, mainly because those are the aspects I enjoy most in other people’s blogs. So to blog what it is that draws you to other blogs is a good place to start.
What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?
Like I said, hearing from people who have found my work has been amazing. I am a pretty quiet person so having a blog helps me out of my shell!
What do you find the most difficult/most I part of having a creative profession?
I have kids, so balacing time and giving enough to each is the hardest. I heard an artist say once that his wife couldn’t be a true artist because she made the choice to be a mother and art requires too much of yourself to make that sacrifice. Well, I think that’s bull@#$%$, but that said, somedays it would be very helpful to have a few extra hours in the day.
Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?
Participating in online art markets, maintaining an active etsy store, and introducing yourself to art/design blogs.
How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
That’s the big question, right? Some days I feel like I have acheived it, others I still struggle. Just recently I started back at my childhood love of horseback riding which has been huge for me. I think the biggest realization for me has been that I don’t neccesarily have balance on a daily basis, but if I step back and look at the overall picture it’s there.
What would you like to accomplish by the end of 2009?
I’d like to keep getting my work out there, keep pushing myself and making the most of some fun opportunites I have coming up.
Thank you Lisa for sharing your thoughts and your lovely artwork!
EMAIL PROBLEM AGAIN
Dear Readers,
Once again Google has disabled my Mira's List email account and I don't know why. While I am waiting for a reply, if you had tried to email me and still have a burning question or comment after checking out my FAQs, just leave a comment below this post and I'll get back to you. Sorry about the inconvenience!
Have a great weekend.
Best wishes,
Mira
Once again Google has disabled my Mira's List email account and I don't know why. While I am waiting for a reply, if you had tried to email me and still have a burning question or comment after checking out my FAQs, just leave a comment below this post and I'll get back to you. Sorry about the inconvenience!
Have a great weekend.
Best wishes,
Mira
DANCE RESIDENCY IN TRINIDAD, LBGT SCHOLARSHIPS, FIBER ARTS GRANTS AND MORE!
(DANCERS & PERFORMANCE ARTISTS) Artist Residency in Trinidad: The Republic of Sydenham welcomes proposals from international dance and performance artists who are interested in a self-directed residency in Port of Spain. Self-directed residencies are opportunities where the artist is free to experiment and explore new directions in the production of his or her work. Interaction with other artist residents is encouraged through creative collaboration, showings, and informal discussion. Applications are open to professional dance and performance artists from all around the world. The next application submission date is January 1, 2010. Please contact the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Joyce at republicresidency@gmail.com and/or visit the website for more information: http://makedathomas.org/resapp.aspx.
(ARTISTS) NYC Residency in the Art of Illumination: The Illumination Atelier, an on-going project in the arts, seeks individuals interested in learning the fine art of illumination. The Illumination Atelier will provide an introduction to the history and special characteristics of manuscript illumination and illuminated painting. Apprentices will work on and complete the actual illuminated paintings, utilizing knowledge gained in the Atelier setting and the specific characteristics of illumination pertinent to the current project. The Atelier accepts two live-in interns per internship period; non live-in interns are welcome at all times during the year, depending upon available openings. Interns are provided with full board during their internship residency.
Interns also receive nine months of free studio space within a larger, shared space with 24/7 access. Living space is not provided. There is a modest one-time stipend depending on funding. There is no monthly living stipend.The deadline is April 2010. Please check website for more details: http://www.efiaf.org/atelier.htm or write: info@efiaf.org.
(ALL/SCHOLARS) Five College Women's Studies Research Center Associateships: The Center invites applications for its RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS for 2009-2010 from scholars and teachers at all levels of the educational system, as well as from artists, community organizers and political activists, both local and international. Associates are provided with offices in our spacious facility, faculty library privileges, and the collegiality of a diverse community of feminists. Research Associate applications are accepted for either a semester or the academic year. The Center supports projects in all disciplines so long as they focus centrally on women or gender. Research Associateships are non-stipendiary. Deadline is February 8, 2010. For further information, contact the Center at TEL 413.538.2275, FAX 413.538.3121, email fcwsrc@fivecolleges.edu, or visit the website: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/fcwsrc/ .
(STUDENTS) Scholarships for LGBT Students: Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, announces the opening of its 2009 application season. Students who will be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2008-09 school year are eligible to apply for the prestigious, multi-year scholarships. Applications for the 2009 cycle will be available January 2, 2009 and close March 1, 2009. The application process is open to all LGBT students in the U.S.A., regardless of level of education or citizenship. However, all scholars must attend an accredited college or university in the United States.For more info, go to: http://www.pointfoundation.org.
(CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS) SCBWI Golden Kite Awards: The Golden Kite Awards offers $2,500 to authors and illustrators in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, picture book text, and picture book illustration. Editors of winning books will also receive $1,000, and for the winning book in the Picture Book Illustration category, an additional $1,000 will be given to the book’s art director. Authors and illustrators must be SCBWI members. Please visit the web site for more details: www.scbwi.org. Deadline is December 15, 2009.
**I will do a special post (hopefully soon), addressing the very underrated yet incredibly vital world of Children's book writing and illustrating, so stay tuned!
(ALL) The Harry Ransom Center Fellowships: The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin annually awards over 50 fellowships to support scholarly research projects in all areas of the humanities, including literature, photography, film, art, the performing arts, music, and cultural history. Applicants must demonstrate the necessity of substantial on-site use of the Center's collections. The fellowships range from one to three months, with stipends of $3,000 per month. Also available are $1,200 to $1,700 travel stipends and dissertation fellowships with a $1,500 stipend. Complete applications for the 2010-2011 Research Fellowships in the Humanities must be received by February 1, 2010. More information about the fellowships and complete application instructions are available online at http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/fellowships/
(ARTISTS) NYC Residency in the Art of Illumination: The Illumination Atelier, an on-going project in the arts, seeks individuals interested in learning the fine art of illumination. The Illumination Atelier will provide an introduction to the history and special characteristics of manuscript illumination and illuminated painting. Apprentices will work on and complete the actual illuminated paintings, utilizing knowledge gained in the Atelier setting and the specific characteristics of illumination pertinent to the current project. The Atelier accepts two live-in interns per internship period; non live-in interns are welcome at all times during the year, depending upon available openings. Interns are provided with full board during their internship residency.
Interns also receive nine months of free studio space within a larger, shared space with 24/7 access. Living space is not provided. There is a modest one-time stipend depending on funding. There is no monthly living stipend.The deadline is April 2010. Please check website for more details: http://www.efiaf.org/atelier.htm or write: info@efiaf.org.
(ALL/SCHOLARS) Five College Women's Studies Research Center Associateships: The Center invites applications for its RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS for 2009-2010 from scholars and teachers at all levels of the educational system, as well as from artists, community organizers and political activists, both local and international. Associates are provided with offices in our spacious facility, faculty library privileges, and the collegiality of a diverse community of feminists. Research Associate applications are accepted for either a semester or the academic year. The Center supports projects in all disciplines so long as they focus centrally on women or gender. Research Associateships are non-stipendiary. Deadline is February 8, 2010. For further information, contact the Center at TEL 413.538.2275, FAX 413.538.3121, email fcwsrc@fivecolleges.edu, or visit the website: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/
(STUDENTS) Scholarships for LGBT Students: Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, announces the opening of its 2009 application season. Students who will be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2008-09 school year are eligible to apply for the prestigious, multi-year scholarships. Applications for the 2009 cycle will be available January 2, 2009 and close March 1, 2009. The application process is open to all LGBT students in the U.S.A., regardless of level of education or citizenship. However, all scholars must attend an accredited college or university in the United States.For more info, go to: http://www.pointfoundation.org.
(CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS) SCBWI Golden Kite Awards: The Golden Kite Awards offers $2,500 to authors and illustrators in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, picture book text, and picture book illustration. Editors of winning books will also receive $1,000, and for the winning book in the Picture Book Illustration category, an additional $1,000 will be given to the book’s art director. Authors and illustrators must be SCBWI members. Please visit the web site for more details: www.scbwi.org. Deadline is December 15, 2009.
**I will do a special post (hopefully soon), addressing the very underrated yet incredibly vital world of Children's book writing and illustrating, so stay tuned!
(ALL) The Harry Ransom Center Fellowships: The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin annually awards over 50 fellowships to support scholarly research projects in all areas of the humanities, including literature, photography, film, art, the performing arts, music, and cultural history. Applicants must demonstrate the necessity of substantial on-site use of the Center's collections. The fellowships range from one to three months, with stipends of $3,000 per month. Also available are $1,200 to $1,700 travel stipends and dissertation fellowships with a $1,500 stipend. Complete applications for the 2010-2011 Research Fellowships in the Humanities must be received by February 1, 2010. More information about the fellowships and complete application instructions are available online at http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/
(WRITERS/SCHOLARS) Schomburg Center Fellowships: The Schomburg Center Scholars-in-Residence Program assists those scholars and professionals whose research in the black experience can benefit from extended access to the Center's resources. Fellowships funded by the Center will allow recipients to spend six months or a year in residence with access to resources at the Schomburg Center and other centers of the New York Public Library. The program encourages research and writing on black history and culture, facilitates interaction among participating scholars, and provides wide-spread dissemination of findings through lectures, publications, and colloquia and seminars. It encompasses projects in African, Afro-American, and Afro-Caribbean history and culture. For more information and for application qualifications and instructions, please visit the website for deadline and application information: http://www.nypl.org/research/
(FIBER ARTISTS) Fiber Artist Grant: This $500 grant is open to all national and international artists who work with Fiber Materials/Fiber Techniques (Textiles). All media welcome, traditional & contemporary, including public art and installation. Open to photography, ceramics, fibers, sculpture, printmaking, and video artists who tap into the fiber realm. If you are the winner, your images & a short bio will be added to the IFC website. Images of your work and research along with descriptions will also be included in the International Fiber Collaborative's 2009 May Newsletter. Deadline is February 15, 2010. For more information go to www.
ab-fab: rob pruitt
click here for an interview with the man behind the guggenheim’s first annual art awards, here for an article about his show in gavin brown's enterprise, and here for his 101 ideas you can do yourself
acme climate action by provokateur
'acme climate action’ was amongst the finalists for the british book design awards in the environment category - congrats to chief agitator joshua!
design: bunka for diesel
be quick to secure yr own bottle from the limited edition of diesel's 'only the brave'. click here for bunka's blog and here for artoyz
happy famous artists made it to 100 best blogs for the literati!
click here for the entire list, which next to art blogs features also blogs about philosophy, film, politics, history, literature etc
jewellery: alexander mcqueen
silver knuckle duster...drool, drool....
loaded & stylish individuals can click here, others better think twice before visiting the site - serious damage to yr finances granted! ;-)
(via the recently pimped-up/restyled who killed bambi)
showtime: footloose @ waldburger gallery
click here for the gallery and visit the sites of jakub nepras and lynn hershman leeson. other participating artists are: madein (xu zhen), matthias dornfeld, ding yi & eli cortinas
Commission, Part 3
I wanted to blog about the other pieces I created for my commission, and this is the second on that I worked on.
The original piece is two 12" x 12" panels that I created about 5 years ago, while I was in grad school.
If I remember correctly, the panel on the left has white paper and a color copy of clouds glued to the surface. I drew the triangles with oil pastel and did a solvent transfer of the telephone pole from a copy. The right panel is similar - white paper, oil pastel, and a solvent transfer. Except I can't remember how I made the transfer on the right so much lighter...
So they wanted this piece to be 48" x 66". Since the original was a diptych, I decided to do this piece on 2 panels as well, so the panels ended up being 48" x 33".
This piece was by far the most difficult. Nothing worked out the way I had originally planned it. Plan A was to glue down a color copy of clouds, do solvent transfers of the telephone poles onto the panels, paint clear wax on, collage in a large piece of tissue/rice paper with the triangles and words, and then add some transparent blue wax.
Well, the large copies that I had made for me wouldn't transfer with the solvent. I had done a test with a copy I already had and it worked. So maybe they changed the type of machine they used or they type of toner, or something. But it worked as a transfer directly onto the wax (without solvent), so I decided that I would do that.
Lots of other things didn't work, either. The large color copy was way more than I wanted to spend, so I got a black and white copy and colored it with colored pencil.
I also had a problem collaging in the paper. The only paper that I could find that was large enough to cover the whole panel was apparently not absorbent enough, because it didn't soak into the wax like I needed it to. It just made a big wrinkly mess.
And the transparent blue wax didn't work. As I mentioned before, working large in encaustic is definitely a challenge. I couldn't get the surface to look smooth and even like I wanted it to. I just didn't like the way it looked. So I scraped it off. From both panels.
So on to Plan Q...
Here you can see how I transferred the words to the right panel. That's the tissue paper that I was originally going to collage in. I used blue transfer paper to get it on the panel. Then I wrote over it with a blue colored pencil.
I then covered both panels with clear encaustic medium. It was much easier to get the clear wax smoother. Or maybe the unevenness just wasn't as noticeable with the clear.
Here are the panels with several layers of clear wax added.
So then I did the transfers. I have good transfer karma, for some reason. I have friends that have tried and tried to do transfers (solvent or wax), and can't do them at all. So these large transfers weren't hard, just time consuming. The paper really stuck to the wax, so most of the labor involved wetting and rubbing the paper off.
Here's what it looks like after I've burnished the transfer and I'm rubbing away the paper that has stuck.
And here are both pieces with the tranfers. I couldn't really make the one on the right lighter like it is in the original, but I tried to make it rougher and less dark. I even sanded away a little bit of the toner.
Instead of using the blue wax, I decided to rub a thin layer of oil paint onto the surface. I scratched the triangles and the houses into the surface using a needle tool and rubbed the oil paint into the scratched lines, and then continuing over the whole surface. If it got too heavy, I would add some linseed oil to a paper towel and rub some of the oil off.
And here's the final piece. I like the way it came out, even though I think it's different than the original.
The original piece is two 12" x 12" panels that I created about 5 years ago, while I was in grad school.If I remember correctly, the panel on the left has white paper and a color copy of clouds glued to the surface. I drew the triangles with oil pastel and did a solvent transfer of the telephone pole from a copy. The right panel is similar - white paper, oil pastel, and a solvent transfer. Except I can't remember how I made the transfer on the right so much lighter...
So they wanted this piece to be 48" x 66". Since the original was a diptych, I decided to do this piece on 2 panels as well, so the panels ended up being 48" x 33".
This piece was by far the most difficult. Nothing worked out the way I had originally planned it. Plan A was to glue down a color copy of clouds, do solvent transfers of the telephone poles onto the panels, paint clear wax on, collage in a large piece of tissue/rice paper with the triangles and words, and then add some transparent blue wax.
Well, the large copies that I had made for me wouldn't transfer with the solvent. I had done a test with a copy I already had and it worked. So maybe they changed the type of machine they used or they type of toner, or something. But it worked as a transfer directly onto the wax (without solvent), so I decided that I would do that.
Lots of other things didn't work, either. The large color copy was way more than I wanted to spend, so I got a black and white copy and colored it with colored pencil.I also had a problem collaging in the paper. The only paper that I could find that was large enough to cover the whole panel was apparently not absorbent enough, because it didn't soak into the wax like I needed it to. It just made a big wrinkly mess.
And the transparent blue wax didn't work. As I mentioned before, working large in encaustic is definitely a challenge. I couldn't get the surface to look smooth and even like I wanted it to. I just didn't like the way it looked. So I scraped it off. From both panels.So on to Plan Q...
Here you can see how I transferred the words to the right panel. That's the tissue paper that I was originally going to collage in. I used blue transfer paper to get it on the panel. Then I wrote over it with a blue colored pencil.I then covered both panels with clear encaustic medium. It was much easier to get the clear wax smoother. Or maybe the unevenness just wasn't as noticeable with the clear.
Here are the panels with several layers of clear wax added.So then I did the transfers. I have good transfer karma, for some reason. I have friends that have tried and tried to do transfers (solvent or wax), and can't do them at all. So these large transfers weren't hard, just time consuming. The paper really stuck to the wax, so most of the labor involved wetting and rubbing the paper off.
Here's what it looks like after I've burnished the transfer and I'm rubbing away the paper that has stuck.
And here are both pieces with the tranfers. I couldn't really make the one on the right lighter like it is in the original, but I tried to make it rougher and less dark. I even sanded away a little bit of the toner.
Instead of using the blue wax, I decided to rub a thin layer of oil paint onto the surface. I scratched the triangles and the houses into the surface using a needle tool and rubbed the oil paint into the scratched lines, and then continuing over the whole surface. If it got too heavy, I would add some linseed oil to a paper towel and rub some of the oil off.
And here's the final piece. I like the way it came out, even though I think it's different than the original.