If you're in southwest Ohio this Saturday, you should drop by Crafty Supermarket, an indie craft show that I'm putting on at the Northside Tavern in Cincinnati!

There will be 20+ vendors, local food and good music, plus I'll have copies of my just-released book, Crafty Superstar. The Enquirer wrote about the show yesterday, and I'll be appearing on the local Fox 19 morning news on Friday to talk about it.

It's a great way to get an early start on your holiday shopping, and support your local artists while you're at it! Click here to learn more about the show.

—Mona Michael
Managing editor, North Light Books

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Via pica + pixel, this promo video for a typographic film festival is an absolute must-see:

Typophile Film Festival 5 Opening Titles from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

The letters are made of potatoes, plexiglas, aluminum, foam and squash, among other things, and there is no computer animation involved. Very impressive.


MORE RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

• Online Seminars for Fine Artists
• Instantly download fine art magazines, books & video workshops
• Sign up for the Artist's Network newsletter & receive free fine art tips

The Creative Spirit Within by Lisa Cyr (mixed media, 17.5x22)

Lisa Cyr, author of the best-selling mixed-media instructional book Art Revolution, is busy at work on her latest North Light project, tentatively titled Experimental Painting and set for release in summer 2011. We caught up with Lisa recently to chat about the project and some of the things that have inspired her.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I grew up in a family that was very craft oriented. Both of my grandmothers, my mother and my aunt (basically all the adult females in my life at the time) could sew, knit, crochet and embroider really well. There was always extra fabric, thread and yarn around to play with. As a child, I made my own doll clothes and accessories. Early on, I think it was clear to me that something handmade was superior and special compared to anything you could find readymade in a store. Both my grandmothers have since passed but throughout my home, especially at holidays, I have many special things to look at, touch and use that they made for me with their talents. Each piece serves as a reminder of the importance of sharing one's special gifts with others and the impact it has on generations to come.

What’s your home life like?
After living in Manhattan for many years, I moved to the Pocono Mountain area, about an hour and 15 minutes outside the city. I feel like I have the best of both worlds: the richness and culture of the city nearby and the fresh air and comforts of having lots of space to work. I have two cats that I rescued from the streets when I was living in NYC. They are my little buddies, providing creative feedback when I need it. A good supportive purr is all you need sometimes to keep you going! I also have a daughter and she is the love of my life. She inspires me to continue to play and experiment, always seeking new ways to do things.

Any favorite quotes?
I like this quote by Goethe, "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic." I also have a quote of my own that I like to use often. "Create from the heart, innovate without boundaries, strive for greatness and speak to the culture in ways that inspire and motivate."

Favorite artists?
I think if I had to describe where my inspirations come from I would say J.W. Waterhouse and Adolphe-William Bouguereau meet Robert Rauschenberg with a twist of Gustav Klimt.  

Favorite books?
I like when others share their life experience in insightful ways. Artists on Art (Pantheon Books), compiled and edited by Robert Goldwater and Marco Treves, is a collection of writings and letters by famous artists throughout the centuries. From the classical notations of Leonardo da Vinci to the inner workings of Pablo Picasso, the prose is quite uplifting and inspirational.

Give us a taste of your latest project.
Experimental Painting is my latest project with North Light Books. It will feature exciting, in-depth demonstrations that bring a project from conceptual ideation to final execution, showing all sorts of interesting techniques along the way! It will also have a chapter on the artist portfolio, which will divulge into innovative promotional strategies for the artist. In addition to the book, I am planning on doing a mini documentary, showing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this book. I think it will be a great teaching device as well as an interesting inside look into the project and its content.

You can check out a few of the reviews from fans of Art Revolution, and learn more about Lisa on her website.

Santa Fe Mariachis (pastel, 27x27) by Lori Snable was selected to be on Santa Fe's 400th anniversary poster.

Mark Greenberg steps up to greet me with a welcoming handshake and good news about several artists in his gallery, including Lori Snable, who was recently named poster artist for the celebration of Santa Fe's 400th anniversary. "She was one of the first artists I wanted in the gallery," Greenberg says enthusiastically of the New Mexico pastelist. Near the poster piece depicting mariachis is Story Writer (right; pastel, 33x27), another painting by the artist featuring a couple nesting at a table in a downtown Starbucks.

Greenberg Fine Art, perched at the base of the gallery-laden Canyon Road in Santa Fe, opened in August. Greenberg is one of a trio of local gallerists taking a leap of faith in this arty enclave and throwing open their doors in the midst of a recession. "I had been director of a gallery on Canyon Road for five years and built up a clientele," he says. "The space became available, and I felt like it was fate. It was the space I always wanted."

A few blocks off the plaza, Evoke Contemporary also opened earlier this year and is currently displaying expressionistic landscape works by Louisa McElwain on its walls. And just around the corner, Skotia Gallery, another new gallery, represents more top western-based artists, including Montana figurative painter Steve Huston, who is known for his moody, muscular portraits of fighters in the ring.

For Greenberg, with three months under his gallery belt, optimism reigns supreme. Business has been better than expected. "I believe things are going to turn around and I will be well positioned for the future," he says.


MORE RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

• Online Seminars for Fine Artists
• Instantly download fine art magazines, books & video workshops
• Sign up for the Artist's Network newsletter & receive free fine art tips

What defines a drawing versus a painting? How do you classify one from the other?  Can we always distinguish between the two? People have been debating this question for years. Obviously, the two are interconnected, and both can be very expressive forms of art. Some artists love the process of drawing, others love the painting process, and there are parts of both that appeal to many artists. For me, drawing is a little more spontaneous and looser; painting takes more planning and decisionmaking. This past week, I found a happy medium using a process that mixes the two.

I confess, not all of my drawings (or paintings) turn out to be exactly how I envision. When good drawings go bad, I find that stopping is a good solution. But sometimes an errant drawing can become the basis for taking a piece in a totally different direction. This drawing started out as a portrait of a woman’s face, but the features weren't as well-drawn as I wanted, so I decided to turn it into a mixed-media piece.

On top of the drawing I randomly applied a thin layer of colored gesso. On top of the dry gesso, I redrew a new figure using conté crayon. I used oil pastels to accent the figure, and graphite and more conté to add darks to the composition. In some places, I blended the conté and oil pastel using a paper stump, and then etched into it with a metal palette knife. Working on a drawing that I already considered ruined allowed me to engage in a liberating, discover-as-I-go process. The drawing has taken on a more painterly feeling with a definite drawing edge, so for me it was win-win. Next time a drawing isn’t going the way you want, take a chance and mix it up by adding some other mediums. You might be pleased with the results.

Recommended reading for the creative mind:

• Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self
• Journal Spilling
• Collage Discovery Workshop

—Kathy K.
Editor, North Light Books

Oregon-based painter Mitch Baird was surprised to hear the good news when we called him. At the American Impressionist Society show held at Saks Galleries in Denver, he won not just one but two top awards for his painting Morning Ensigns, Italy (oil, 16x12): Best of Show (selected by Quang Ho) and Southwest Art’s Award of Excellence.

For the past few years, Mitch says, he's usually entered landscapes in contests. But this time he decided to take a chance and enter something a little different with a figure in it. The inspiration for the piece originated from a trip to Venice two years ago, he says. "I was actually up one morning early on my way to San Marcos Square to get reference photos and paint the area before the crowds showed up. I turned onto this particular street looking into the light, and the Italian flags were lit up like firecrackers! I had walked this street before, but in this light and with the missing crowds it was something special. Because of light and perspective, I felt it might make an impression or add variety to the show."

Mitch was right. In the future, he plans to paint more figurative works, he says. Read more about Mitch Baird in Southwest Art's January issue, where he's featured in our Artist to Watch column.