what's new, eh? how about a GIVE AWAY!

So, I guess I took a two month absence from blogging. These things happen.
That does not mean that nothing is going on in the studio.
Lot's going on- lot's of new stuff.


I have a new line of paper goods created by my very dear friend Shari Kratoska- or- Shari theToska- as my kids used to call her. Shari is a self taught artist who has mastered the gelatin printing process. She has tried to teach me a couple of different times but I just can't achieve the same effects as she does.

( HOW DOES SHE DO THAT!)

Shari uses acrylic paints, rubber stamps, and all sorts of found objects to create the most interesting textures and compositions. My favorites are the ones she makes up using old slides for a slide projector.

Pretty cool aren't they? I really like the one in the top row left hand corner. I think these would make wonderful pins or embellishments in collage work.

Shari also makes tags. I will admit I have not quite gotten into the tag thing. But I can see where these would add the perfect touch to a gift or scrap book page.

Shari needed a name to call her paper goods venture so she said- you're the creative one! Think of something!- Oh please- she is just as creative- but this is what I came up with

Shari makes note cards and books and gift bags and doo-dads for scrap booking; wall pieces with quotes on them and large sheets of hand embellished papers so other people can create with her images.

Now, here is the fun part- I am going to give away an assortment of Paper-toska goods to one lucky reader and a friend.



There is more than one way for you to enter-

1. suggest my blog to a friend -have your friend leave me a message saying- so and so sent me


 ( make sure you are also following my blog- leave me a message too!)


2. like my page on facebook Artworks Studio - make sure you leave a message on the blog and facebook page telling me you were here and if you are the friend tell me who sent you!

Winners will be chosen from all the "my friend sent me" messages on January 19th. Please make sure you leave me your email address so I can contact you.

(can you tell I love getting messages!)

It appears that people are having a hard time posting on my blog. Well, we will just fix that! Follow my blog and then POST on my facebook page (link is above) I will pull the winner from there. Take THAT blogger!

Rescue me!

This is my office.
I spend a lot of time here. A lot.
I have reached the point where I can't stand the disorganized clutter. I have my studio very well organized and things are neatly in their place.

The office is more like epic fail.

Stuff stacked all over the place.

I have to move half a dozen different things to find what I am looking for.

Is there ANYONE out there who is up to the challenge of organizing this mess?

It needs to be fun and functional and easy to maintain!

I am a HUGE fan of the barter system! So I would be more than happy to trade services with you.

If you are interested in tackling this mess I have created PLEASE contact me or leave a message here.

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

When I first pitched this idea to my 5th - 8th graders the general reaction was "That's creepy!" until I explained to them what the Day of the Dead was really all about. It's a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration of dead ancestors. Despite the morbid subject matter, this holiday is celebrated joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day, the mood of The Day of the Dead is much lighter, with the emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, rather than fearing evil or malevolent spirits.

As an educator I believe in teaching my students about other cultures beyond our community. Where we live is rural Iowa and when I was a kid diversity was more like being any other nationality but German or any other religion but Catholic. That is changing these days. We have a growing Hispanic population in Carroll as well as families from India and the African continent. I like diversity- it makes you think - about a lot of different things.

So this is our take on the sugar skulls. Enjoy!

ART is IMPORTANT!

2.98 MILLION AMERICANS WORK IN THE ARTS!


One in 111 jobs is in art and design.


The creative industries are an estimated $30 billion export annually.


Jobs in design have increased 43% in the past ten years.

There are over 532,000 designers working in the U.S.

More people are employed in the visual arts than in all of the performing arts and sports industries combined.

Animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming and computer-generated imaging have the best job prospects in future of the motion picture and video industries.

There are about 94,000 computer artists and animators working in the United States.


OVER $385 BILLION IS SPENT ON ADVERTISING WORLDWIDE!

EMPLOYMENT OF GRAPHIC DESIGNERS IS EXPECTED TO GROW 35% FROM 2010 TO 2016!

THERE ARE ABOUT 400,000 AMERICANS WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY!
The computer animation industry generates $33 billion annually.

Jobs and employment in many creative industries are growing faster than the labor force as a whole and make up 30% of the work force by some estimates.

America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year.

By 2016, jobs for artists and designers are predicted to increase by 42%.

Arts-related businesses in the country's largest cities represent 4.3% of all businesses and 2.2% of all jobs in the United States.

There are 3 million people working for over 600,000 arts-centric businesses in the United States.

Wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow 11% by 2016.

PHOTOGRAPHY JOBS HAVE INCREASED 38% IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS!

BY 2016 JOBS FOR MULTIMEDIA ARTISTS ARE PREDICTED TO INCREASE BY 47%!

PEOPLE SPEND APPROX. $55 BILLION ANNUALLY ON VIDEO GAMES!
Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 12%, more than four times the rise in the total number of U.S. employees.

Designers are the single largest group of artists, followed by performing artists such as actors, dancers, musicians, and announcers.

Employment of interior designers is expected to grow 19% from 2006 to 2016.

Median salaries of: Creative Directors–$90,000, Art Directors–$86,505, Fine Artists–$48,870, Multi-media Artists and Animators–$61,555, Graphic Designers–$46,925, Set and Exhibit Designers–$49,330, Producers and Directors–$86,790, Broadcast Technicians–$40,270, Photographers–$36,090, and Film and Video Editors–$66,715.

Sources: Americans for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Entertainment Software Association

Lady of the Purple Roses

This is what I have been working on this week. Inka from Altered Artifacts sent me some images a while ago and I have had ideas in my head on what to do with them. This week it all came together.

I used a collage technique I learned last summer at the Cloth Paper Scissors retreat in Chicago. I used roofing paper for my base. Then I used matte medium and a palette knife to glue my papers down. I used pages from very old books and sheet music. I love the color of old paper.

Inka sent me a digital collage page of wings that she called "wicked" she also posted a free printable on her blog of this Mourning Woman.

I printed two copies of the lady. I used some tulle with gold flecks in it, satin ribbon and antique tatted lace to give her gown some dimension. After gluing  the pieces in place I cut out the second lady print and cut away her paper gown and glued her on top of the first print. I then found a little jewelled link from a bracelet to create the buckle on her gown.

I chose the angel wings from the digital collage sheet Inka sent me and used a dark purple colored pencil to color them in. Now my lady was finished.

I added a Gothic arch with black acrylic paint and then using matte medium glued that down over the arch to soften it up a bit. I used some Japanese Kozo paper.

Last week In ordered some Tim Holtz rubber stamps- I am really getting into unmounted rubber stamps! Anyway- I figured my lady needed some birds above her head. And tiny satin roses at her feet. Here she is all finished.

 I have this vintage gold frame that I will be using to finish the piece.  After James builds up the back for me so I can get glass over her and there is room for the roses. This frame really isn't a frame it's an insert from a frame sop there isn't a rabbit on the back. (That's the groove on the back of a frame that you place the glass, picture and backing into then nail it in place)

THANK YOU INKA! You make the best digital images for me to play with!