duck duck GOOSE
When I came home from the hospital with my bouncing baby boy so many years ago, I found a bottle of cold duck in my fridge –a gift from my mother. Not champagne. Cold Duck. This particular variety was a blend of port & champagne. I never asked her why, and I’ve never had it since. But, after a pregnancy free from alcohol for both myself and my husband, it only took a glass a piece to make us a little giddy and able to let go of the fears and stress of being a new parent, if only for an hour or so. It is a fond, silly memory that I treasure. When I came across this work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Vivienne Strauss, it put a smile on my face. The perfect complement. (continues below)
A self-taught painter with a background in Philosophy, Vivienne Strauss works predominately in oil and watercolor. Her paintings often migrating around the humor of being human – shared dejection, things left unsaid, false arrogance, disbelief, inspired irony. She is an observer and chronicler, in the actual world in which she exists and in the world of characters she creates, exposing, with precise wit, the subterranean elements lying in wait beneath the deceptively quotidian.
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Enjoy the witty observation in the work of today’s
AAAD Artist of the Day, Vivienne Strauss!
ARTIST of the DAY: Kathleen M. Robison
backward & FORWARD
Gaining perspective requires your finding your place in the present day by looking BOTH backward toward the path traveled (or not) & forward to embrace possibilities. When I came across this pair of portraits by today’s AotD, I found this idea beautifully illuminated. Ironically, Robison is primarily a plein air painter, which cannot be more rooted in the present. The work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Kathleen M. Robison, offers a beautiful glimpse of Summer contemplation. (continues below).
“Painted this oil painting of a girl who was looking away into the blue sky. The bright light on the scarf drew me in, so did the movement of her hair. Her attitude that day reminded me of the ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’.” — Kathleen M. Robison
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Contemplate new directions with the plein air work of
AAAD’s Artist of the Day, Kathleen M. Robison!
CALL to ARTISTS: Moving Forward
HUNGRY? me too
Because we live 20+ minutes to the closest grocery store, it can be very frustrating to start dinner and realize we’re out of onions or potatoes or eggs or whatever. So, we are all about menu planning at our house. This next Call is about planning as well, but it requires your input, your participation. Take a look…
Check out this Call for Entries from AAAD for 2016-17 Planning & Progress. We have a lot going on, and I need your guidance an input to make sure that AAAD heads in a direction that works for all of us. I even formatted it like our normal calls to be certain that I don’t shake up the routine too much, ha. Keep reading…
CALL to ARTISTS:
Moving Forward from AAAD
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists. You may notice that we have eliminated the Featured Artist program in an effort to publish more of the ART in our name, Art & Art Deadlines. If you have an interest in being an Artist of the Day, we want to hear from you! Look in the juror section for an add’l bonus!
MEDIA: Are we including all the media Calls you want? Am I missing something? Am I under-representing your media? Please tell me. I largely post at the request of jurors and gallerists, so sometimes I unintentionally wear blinders.
DEADLINE: April 18, 2016. AAAD has a #smallworks (9×12 or smaller) Call out with an April 18th deadline, SMALL PLATES: A Response to Hunger. $5 Entry & open to prints. Please enter so that we can provide more show opportunities in the future!
NOTIFICATION: Now. Tell me what you need from AAAD. We have incorporated a lot of changes over the years based on readers’ suggestions. And, I am open to more. The site will undergo some dramatic aesthetic changes and alterations to the formatting of posts and subscriptions, and you can help shape that process. The resources will remain the same, and you’re simply stuck with the food references. But, I’m open to hearing you. Email me, leave a comment on the post (link to comments at top) or reply to your subscription email. Any way you wanna…
FEE: None. I am maintaining my commitment to NOT charge artists for use of this site. Ever.
JUROR: R.L. (Rachel) Gibson, continues to be the Editor. Me. Publication has been a bit sporadic lately because of events that left my family stranded in rural Virginia for a while. Dramatic, I know. I try not to publish personal posts often. But you were so kind when I lost my father a few years ago, that I thought I would share. Here’s the whole #saveERNIE story. So many of you ask me if there is anything you can do to help out at AAAD. There is. Instead of paying a $5 Artist of the Day fee or the $15 Artist to Love fee, donate $10 to #saveERNIE, I will enter you for FREE in both the Artist of the Day competition & Artist to Love directory. Plus, you have a chance to win a house concert. Time runs out Monday, August 18th, so hurry.
SALES: Selling art? Yes? YEAH! No? Maybe I can help. I will be travelling the country this summer giving career development seminars at Arts agencies and collectives. If you have a ideas for someone that I should approach with seminars, including “How to Price Your Art”, “Creative Branding” & more, let me know.
AWARDS: Brownie points. I have millions of “brownie points” up for grabs. You know you want them. It is easy to get them. Choose from one or ALL of these methods:
- Subscribe to our FREE email (top right sidebar)
- Like Us on Facebook. Subscribe to Notification for double points.
- Follow us on Twitter. Regularly RT for triple points
- Talk to that one friend that needs motivation about subscribing to AAAD. We need friends.
- Send me your success stories by email or comment. I need motivation too. 🙂
Thanks for the love.
ARTIST of the DAY: Melissa Hill
star light STAR BRIGHT
Some days are tougher than others. On the toughest of days, I wish for the ability to see things through a larger lens, if you will. I wish for perspective. The ability to see things without the subjectivity of whim or personal tragedy or privilege. Surely a different view would lend answers to the who and the why. Or maybe just compassion and tolerance for others, for oneself. The work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Melissa Hill, gave me just a glimpse of that perspective I crave. (continues below).
“I hope that my work has enough longevity and nuance for people to look at it and take something from it and for those same people to walk through life, change themselves, and then reflect upon it in a different light. I want their interpretation to shift and evolve as they do. I want this because in the end, I think that the act of creating and recreating is at the very heart of being human.” — Melissa Hill
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Ponder the big questions with the work of
AAAD’s Artist of the Day, Melissa Hill!
ARTIST of the DAY: Mark Castator
cooling OFF
My brain spins. And my mouth usually keeps up. I turned to my husband recently & asked, “Are your ears tired? I can’t seem to shut up.” I struggle to quiet my mind, hence twenty years of insomnia. Some days I require a sole project or a single object upon which to focus to have a more solitary soundtrack in my head. I find the work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Mark Castator, requires me to concentrate on the forms within the form which is oddly calming. (continues below)
“Engage the eye. Quiet the mind. Open the heart.” —Mark Castator
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Calm your mind with the work of
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Mark Castator!
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ARTIST of the DAY: Barbara Witkowska
gray DAYS
Cold weather can be lovely –in its season. But I crave blue skies. I get a few during winter’s grip; however, as March marches forward, I am growing intolerant of the gray days. My optimistic nature makes me want to find the beauty in the gray. Imagine my delight to find the work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Barbara Witkowska with all his glorious shades of gray. (continues below)
“The idea of human value intrigues me, the desire for domination & power over the world.” —Barbara Witkowska
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Celebrate the shades of gray in the work of
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Barbara Witkowska!
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ARTIST of the DAY: Jylian Gustlin
abstract math PORTRAIT
I have a well-known soft spot for portraiture. A significant part of my own work has revolved around facial expression, but abstract art calls to me. I buy abstract work. I find that my interpretation and feelings about this work evolves as my time with it increases. I am always delighted to find a marriage of the abstract and the figurative. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Jylian Gustlin gives me just that marriage. (continues below)
“I knew that if I finished [a degree in computer science & mathematics], I would never make art.” —Jylian Gustlin
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Delight in the math with the work of the
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Jylian Gustlin!
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ARTIST of the DAY: Oriol Malet
musical GEN(i)US
I find artist inspiration in unexpected places. Lately, I’ve had a rash of commissions that have come musicians –from punk to folk. My brain processes the sound aesthetically and the imagery just appears. I appreciate the opportunity to exercise my creative brain differently. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Oriol Malet finds much of his motivation in jazz. (continues below)
Malet assures us that he does not take his references from graphic design but from literature and music. Oriol’s drawings derive more from the work of Boris Vian or Charles Mingus than from any visual artists. He has been studying music for five years on the drums he has played all his life. Now, in addition, in honor of his devotion to jazz, he has begun to play the trumpet.
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Find your inspiration in the work of the
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Day Oriol Malet!
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ARTIST of the DAY: Alicia Tormey
testing BOUNDARIES
In addition to being the Editor of AAAD, I spend a considerable amount of time consulting with artists individually on branding their work, unifying their message & the philosophical packaging of their work for consumption. Technology is vehicle that allows delivery of work that is complete in contrast with that very technology. I appreciate the push to expand my knowledge, to remain relevant, to drag a few artists wit me. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Alicia Tormey finds her own motivation in testing boundaries. (continues below)
“An insatiable curiosity drives me to constantly experiment while testing the boundaries of this medium. The mystery of not knowing what’s going to happen next has the power to hold my attention for long stretches of time. The unpredictable nature of encaustic and the open flame of a torch captivates me and pulls me along for a never ending ride.” —Alicia Tormey
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Discover the encaustic paintings of the
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Day Alicia Tormey!
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ARTIST of the DAY: Adam Flynn
doing the MATH
In a house with a Music major & an English major, you’d be surprised how of the words “let’s do the math” are uttered. It is actually a reference to time. Because our performing careers require extensive preparation & travel, we “do the math” backwards to calculate leave times, load-in times, travel times. Language is defined by the user. Sometimes it joins us; sometimes it divides us. When teaching branding, I like to remind people that art is inclusive but labels like illustration & graphic design are often consider exclusive. Creativity boxed. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Adam Flynn invites you to do the math and appreciate creativity in all its many boxes. (continues below)
“Colourful pixels are distorted through pixel sorting algorithms to create a unique effect.” —Adam Flynn
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Discover more from
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com Artist of the Day Adam Flynn!
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