Sunday, November 18, 2012

5x5: Chapter 3


I may be the author of The Pulse of Mixed Media but the true, creative force behind my book is the group of artists who generously shared their secrets and passions and, of course, their art. It was important to me that this book be representative of our entire artistic community, but the total number of contributors I could include was limited by the number of pages in the book. Not wanting to be contained by page numbers, I decided that the Internet was the perfect vehicle to extend the book and be able to include more of the community. With this in mind, the 5x5 Pulse Project was born.


The Pulse of Mixed Media presented the results of a survey in which contributing artists were asked questions that they had to answer with words or provided with prompts that they had to respond to by creating art. These ideas were combined in the 5x5 Pulse Project. I put out an open call for artists to submit artwork created in response to one or more of the following questions that were part of the original book:

1. If your artwork could talk, what would it say?

2. Who has had the most impact on your creative life?

3. What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?

Submitting artists could chose 1, 2, or all 3 of the questions and respond to each by creating artwork in any medium in the form of a 5" x 5" square. They were asked to include words as a part of their artwork as well. There was a tremendous response to this call and I will be posting each submission every Sunday throughout the months of November and December. 


The 5x5 project is also being featured in a ten-page spread in the November/December 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, now available in stores and online here.

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If your artwork could talk, what would it say?

Ella Wilson
"listen to deep whispers...transparent wings appear...mysterious gifts extend...grace grows in fertile mind"

Cecilia Swatton
"If my steampunk art could talk it'd be loud!"

Sara Morison
"transparency...colour...balance"

Pam McKnight
"Thanks for saving us from the trash and turning us into art for the next generation to enjoy."

Carina Karlsson
"Your trash might be my treasure."

Tonia Burgess
"This is what life is about. Life...raw emotion, energy, love, ups, downs, good, bad , ugly, beautiful, daring,  experimental discovery and mostly that I am grateful"
(this 5x5 also answers the other two questions)

Joyelle Brandt
"Anything is possible."

Marcia Beckett
"I am bursting. Exploding with color. Overload. Jam Packed full. More is more."

Stephanie Hilvitz
"Bee happy"
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Who has had the most creative impact on your creative life? 

Arabella Grayson
"My mother. Painter. Quilter. Crocheter. Designer. Stylist. Ceramicist. Seamstress. Cook."

Donna Joy
"My mom introduced me to many types of mediums. We got to try it all: sewing, painting, crayons, ceramics, fabric painting, pastels, drawing, mixed media, decoupage, dioramas, writing."

Raylee Syrch
"My mother taught me to draw, to write, to read, to sew, design, create when I was very young."

Karenliz Henderson
"My mother. She told me to go make art. It's in your heart."

Cindy Lantier
"My husband. He supports and encourages me like no one else. He thinks I can do anything."
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The next edition of 5x5 will be posted on Sunday, November 25th.

13 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

A really lovely assortment this week.

Congrats on the start of your blog update, too.

Parabolic Muse said...

Lovely pieces, and exciting work. I love seeing some of my favorites here!

Pam McKnight said...

thanks for sharing Seth!

Ella said...

Thank-you Seth! It is so fun to see the vibrancy and voices of art, in this form~
It is visual poetry!
Thank you for including mine :D

Kathryn Dyche said...

Love these, so bright and full of color. Just what I needed today.

Anonymous said...

Lots of mums as inspiration, encouragement and support. I would have said both my parents, my mum certainly taught me to sew, embroider, knit and decorate, but my dad supported our family and encouraged us to think for ourselves and choose our own paths. I'd thank my hubby too - he's a wonderful source of support and encouragement even when he doesn't understand quite what he is supporting. His love for me is a safe haven, a port in the emotional storm of being an artist. Thanks to all the artists for sharing their thoughts and creativity. I love seeing the variety that springs froma single challenge!

donna joy said...

Love the variety again-and interesting to see how many moms helped lead us on our creative path!

Jo Murray said...

Great to see that there are so many supportive mothers around.

Anonymous said...

Such a wide array of talent- I am enjoying seeing the artistic bits and pieces of everyone who participated! TFS, Seth!!

Bill said...

Man. I didn't think about the influence my mother had for my love for art. I'm just realizing that was our defense against my father. All wonderful pieces.

Raylee said...

thank you for including my work. i was pleasantly surprised so many mothers were inspirational.

Kim Henkel Creations said...

Beautiful and so inspiring. I loved reading and seeing each one of these. Thanks again!

Unknown said...

I've been enjoying looking at this group of art offerings and have been back again and again. It just struck me that the community made possible by the internet has pulled us all up to become the artists that we are...that the encouragement, the inspiration, the how-to's and the communication overall, has grown us so to speak. This grouping is so wonderful. I learn every time I see a piece. And so it is with these...thanks to all of you. Hugs, Norma, xo