Daily Art Muse » Miscellaneous

daMuse launches web consulting service

Susan Lomuto — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:14:59 +0000

Today is a special day in my world so I am celebrating with a special announcement and offer for DAM readers!

Dozens of artists have written to me asking how they can get their work seen on the internet – by galleries, potential customers, high level blogs. My answer is always the same:

1. Make quality work

2. Build a streamlined web identity to market the work

You take care of #1, daMuse is here to help with #2.

I am now offering web consulting services to artists. Are you struggling with your current website? Trying to get your first website up? Do you have a Facebook Page but very few people watching it? Do you get overwhelmed just thinking about a web presence? I’m here to help.

I have looked at more than 200,000 artist’s websites searching for art to share with thousands of people who read Daily Art Muse.

When it comes to showcasing contemporary fine craft on the internet I know what works and what doesn’t.

Read more about the consulting service here and here.

Special Introductory Price until September 6, 2010! Busy with Summer fun? No problem! Purchase now at the introductory price and schedule your consultation for early Fall. I look forward to working with you!

Want to show your support of daMuse? Pass along this post to every artist you know who can benefit from a consultation. I’m counting on you!

lomuto and damuse in 2010

Susan Lomuto — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:52:18 +0000

Last night we said a quiet goodbye to 2009, setting intentions for this brand new year and reflecting on the gifts that 2009 brought our way.

Tree of Life {click here to see the ‘before’ picture}
Susan Lomuto on Flickr

New Year. New House. New Town. New Studio. New Attitude!

I view each day of the year as a gift – even the days that bring struggle, uncertainty and hardship – sometimes they offer the most opportunity for change, yes? 2009 was certainly a year of change for me. I was overwhelmed and distracted a lot (could you tell?) and forgot to fill up the well for myself, while I continued to fill it for others.

One of my Intentions for 2010 is to nourish my creative self. That slipped away during the year-long process of searching for a house, renovating the house and finally moving in to the house. We are here now and the process of making our house a home is well underway.

Susan Tuttle, Visual Poetry

In the weeks before we moved the thing that kept me calm, sane and satisfied was Visual Poetry, Susan Tuttle’s online photo manipulation class. It was exactly what I needed to bring my creative self back into focus, providing just enough of a spark to light that fire again. On Monday I will begin a class with DJ Pettit – a lovely way to begin the year and my first days in the studio. Nourish, Nurture, Replenish, Repeat. My mantra for 2010.

DJ Pettit, Memories and Manipulations

As for Daily Art Muse, in 2010 look for a strong focus on learning and teaching, new ways for me to bring inspiring art and artists to your computer screen and more of my work on the blog (I haven’t posted my work in a long time – did you miss it?).

Happy New Year dear readers…wishing you much love, more laughter and many sparks to light your creative fire.

happy birthday damuse – time for a giveaway!

Susan Lomuto — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:56:03 +0000

October 3rd was Daily Art Muse’s 3rd birthday! Thank you for supporting DaMuse through your comments, emails and daily visits.

New here? Read how Daily Art Muse got its start.

Fir..(on a LONG break) on Flickr

It’s the weekend, so let’s have a party! Presents, love and chocolate are welcome. In honor of the blog turning THREE, I also have THREE gifts to give away – here’s the scoop on how you can join the party:

Love DaMuse? Show the love!

Has DaMuse helped you find inspiration, a new piece of art for your collection or simply a lovely way to start your day? Here are two great ways for you to celebrate DaMuse, help me grow the readership or contribute to the cost of maintaining this labor of love:

Blog Birthday Giveaway!

In honor of DaMuse’s birthday, I have 3 gifts – one each for 3 different winners – which means 3 chances for you to win. The 3 gifts are:

Free advertising space for one month on DAM(150 x 150 px)

A collection of 3 books (see pics above) – these are brand new from Interweave Press and Watson-Guptill

A seat at either Tim McCreight’s or Sheri Gaynor’s Craftcast Masterclass next week (winner gets to choose which class)

Wow…nice!

The contest will close on Monday October 12, 2009, 9 am EST. Good luck!

Here’s how to enter (please read carefully):

jacqueline rush lee’s paintures

Susan Lomuto — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:37 +0000

While much has been written about Jacqueline Rush Lee’s book art sculpture over the last decade, I am most interested in the artist’s figurative Paintures – acrylic and oil paint skins and scrapings over metal armatures. The Hawaii based artist’s latest series emerged from her 2007 Chromascapes series as “a playful respite from the labour-intensive task of building sculptures out of hundreds of layers of paint”. Lee found the Chromascapes an interesting idea to explore, but not particularly satisfying. Perhaps the most important feature of the exploration was that it led her to create horse sculptures that come alive when colorful paint skins are attached to their scrap metal frames.

Jackson’s Other Steed, acrylic, oil paint scrapings over armature, 6′ x 4′ x 7′

Dark Horse with Puddle, acrylic, oil paint scrapings over armature, 7.5′ x 4.5′ x 12′

Dark Horse with Puddle, detail

Painture No. 3, oil, acrylic paint skins on armature, 5.5″ x 8.5″ x 3′

I like to think of them as being like abstract paintings that have jumped off of the canvas to become 3D figurative works……

cicada ring

Susan Lomuto — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:57:48 +0000

jaimie macdonald: new book

Susan Lomuto — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:15:05 +0000

Back in 2006 we took a look at a Scottish designer who was using film canisters to make unusual jewelry. Jaimie MacDonald’s work has continued to evolve and in February she published her first book, Jewellery from Recycled Materials.

Has anyone seen this book? I haven’t seen it yet, however the description looked interesting – says that it includes step-by-step projects using a variety of materials, including plastic. The piece on the cover looks like it might be some kind of plastic riveted together…I want to know more.

Jamie MacDonald, On The Edge of Something, film canisters on white metal

The link to MacDonald’s book is in the sidebar, where you will find many more inspiring books to jump start your creativity, add to your information database or simply satisfy your sweet-tooth for eye-candy!

sidebar tour

Susan Lomuto — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:04:29 +0000

Here’s What’s Happening In The daMuse Sidebar This Week

Renowned floral artist Naoki Sasaki has a new book coming out that gives us a look at one of Japan’s master floral designers. Japanese Contemporary Floral Art is the first image under the “Blooming” section of the sidebar. While you are there, take a look at three other beautiful resources for botanical inspiration: Orchidelirium, The Metamorphosis of Flowers and Intimacy: The Sensual Essence of Flowers.

Naoki Sasaki Floral Art

And did you see the book about Flower Pounding? Have you heard of it? This is something new to me.

You pound flowers onto treated fabric, transferring the pigments and shape of the flower onto the fabric, and then embellish the image with markers and stitching. Image transfers of a different kind. It’s on my list of things to try this month. Number 54. The list keeps growing.

More Fun In The Sidebar

Another poll (I’m still gathering information about daMuse readers in an effort to make the blog better), two books that will be coming out soon (but you can pre-order them now), and several new advertisers (watch this space for more information soon about advertising on Daily Art Muse!).

search party!

Susan Lomuto — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:44:05 +0000

With more than 2,100 published posts, I often search my own archives to see if I’ve already shared a particular artist or art work. It usually means another half hour lost in the belly of this blog studying poetic, powerful, whimsical, complex, technique-driven, haunting, serious, silly, eye-popping, mind-bending, interesting, lyrical, touching, moving, process-oriented, conceptual, mixed-media, living, breathing contemporary fine art and craft. Again. I’m not complaining.

Click here to see what I found when I searched for “circle”.

Watch this space for Search Party posts - I’ll be sharing my daMuse Search Party Finds with you. Want to join my Search Party? Find something spectacular in the archives that you’d like to share? Post it in the comments or send me an email.

samantha bryan’s fairy aiding inventions

Susan Lomuto — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:48:06 +0000

I know when it is time to take a break from the realities of the adult world and lose myself in childlike fantasy. My body, saturated by mundane daily chores, bucks and stalls like a rebellious horse. Samantha Bryan’s three dimensional illustrations are the perfect antidote.

Bryan captures fairy characters as they go about their every day life – but oh, what a life it is! Created from bits and pieces of wire, leather, found objects and carefully collected materials, each narrative sculpture depicts a detail of life in fairyland, her charming fantasy world. Be prepared to have an out-of-body experience as she transports us back to a time when cultivating our imagination was our only work. Childhood. Watching this mixed-media world spin renews the spirit and sparks the imagination. A diversion every adult needs…maybe every day.

Brain’s pre-flight stretch fairy

Brain’s portable fairy-dust collector

The artist working on a sculpture (image via Arts Council England )

meet bummerbunny, my new hero

Susan Lomuto — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:11:40 +0000

Watch this well-done video that puts the viewer on the fast track into the head, heart and soul of urban visionary artist Laura Castellanos. Every artist who thinks they are ‘just not that good” should feel renewed energy to forge ahead after hearing Castellanos talk about not knowing what she was doing at first, being confused by the rewards she was receiving for not knowing what she was doing, and eventually surrendering to the idea of continuing to do what she loved, regardless of whether or not she knew what she was doing.

Click on the image to go to the video.

A little more than 2 minutes into the 5 minute video Castellanos talks about bummerbunny (pictured above) – don’t miss it. There is a lesson for all of us in the story of bummerbunny. Most artists go through periods of self-doubt. We all need a bummerbunny, don’t you think?

The video was created by Valerie Vozza for Seattle Channel’s Art Zone in the Studio, highlighting the best local talent in the Seattle area (the screen is a bit larger on their site – you can see it here).

bummerbunny has a blog, complete with a picture of Anthony Bourdain wearing a bummerbunny tee-shirt. My daughter might just faint (she’s a huge Bourdain fan and an awesome cook – watch for her blog, coming soon!).

The artist and Turtle Dreams

Castellanos also has a blog – where she takes pictures of herself with her paintings (fresh slant on blogging!) and a website for her paintings.