Cider Press Review Editor's Prize

To contact us Click HERE
I'm pleased to announce--no, actually I'm ecstatic--that my manuscript "My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass" will be published by Cider Press Review after winning their inaugural Editor's Prize. The day that Ruth Foley, managing editor of the press, called me with the news I was speechless, stunned with joy. And I'm still celebrating.

Congratulations, too, to the runner-up and honorable mentions:

      Runner-Up:
           Snow White, When No One Was Looking, Donna Prinzmetal

      Honorable Mentions:
           The Green Cup, V. P. Loggins
           The Principle of Flickering, Laura Donnelly
           Planetary Nights, Jeanne J. LeVasseur

My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass will be released in the fall of 2013.

I've followed the recent history of the press and admire so much the work that they're doing, the authors that they are publishing. I had the pleasure of hearing Landon Godfrey, author of Second-Skin Rhinestone-Spangled Nude Souffle Choffon Gown, read last fall; I've enjoyed reading Liz Robbins's Play Button; and I fell for the poetry of Joseph Fasano, author of Fugue for Other Hands, when he won the Rattle Poetry Prize a few years ago. Landon, Liz, and Joseph are all past winners of the Cider Press Book Award.

If you're not familiar with this press, please do check it out:

Cider Press Review website

Mark Smith-Soto has won this year's James Applewhite Poetry Prize

To contact us Click HERE
Congratulations to Mark Smith-Soto, winner of the 2012 James Applewhite Poetry Prize for his poem "Last Retreat to Topsail Beach." The winning poem and those of the finalists will be published in the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR). Mark's poem was selected by poet James Applewhite from the work of six finalists chosen by NCLR Poetry Editor Jeffrey Franklin. Almost fifty poets submitted to the competition.

Here are the finalists:

• 2nd place: Laurence G. Avery’s poem “Only Yonaguska”
• Honorable mention: Grace Cloris Ocasio’s “Little Girlfriend”
• Other finalists:
• Richard Betz’s “Picking Blackberries on Yellow Mountain Road” 
• Samantha Lee Deal’s “North Carolina, This Will Be The Last Poem”
• Susan Laughter Meyers’s “Banding Hummingbirds” and “Beggar’s-Lice”

NCLR has further details at its website.

2013 Poet's Market

To contact us Click HERE
At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

SCENE | Levi's® 501® 140 Year Anniversary Party

To contact us Click HERE

Photos by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.
 
L.A. is all abuzz right now with The Grammys (happening as I type), and when there's an award show in town, there's also lots of parties. On Friday, Levi's celebrated the 140th anniversary of their iconic 501 jean with a set by best new artist nominee Frank Ocean and a killer installation at the Ace Museum that featured the evolution of the 501—from farm staple to style staple. Levi's Vintage Clothing accurately reproduces ten different variations of the 501 going all the way back to 1890. So, if you want that 1954 fit, as an example, you don't need a time machine.

While Frank Ocean brought down the house with Thinkin Bout You, there was plenty of tomboy style to go around in 501s and otherwise. Two of my favorites: Solange Knowles in a polka-dot suit with a matching clutch and Rumer Willis in ripped 501s, a black blazer, and bright peach stilettos. Solid.

UNIFORM | Snurfing Safari

To contact us Click HERE

Photo of a girl snurfing in the desert via Snurfer's Journal.

That's right, snurfing, with an 'n'. Snurf boards, or Snurfers, created in 1965 by Sherman Poppen in Muskegon, Michigan, are what many argue to be the predecessors to modern snowboards. Although snowboarding history is dominated by men, the beginnings of the sport actually started with Poppen's 11 year-old daughter who was standing on her sled riding it down a hill. I couldn't find any images of girls snurfing on snow, but I did find an image of this girl shredding sand on a Snurfer!

Original Snurfer (they pop up on eBay now and again); Levi's Made & Crafted tee ($85); Mollusk boardshorts ($60).

Mark Smith-Soto has won this year's James Applewhite Poetry Prize

To contact us Click HERE
Congratulations to Mark Smith-Soto, winner of the 2012 James Applewhite Poetry Prize for his poem "Last Retreat to Topsail Beach." The winning poem and those of the finalists will be published in the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR). Mark's poem was selected by poet James Applewhite from the work of six finalists chosen by NCLR Poetry Editor Jeffrey Franklin. Almost fifty poets submitted to the competition.

Here are the finalists:

• 2nd place: Laurence G. Avery’s poem “Only Yonaguska”
• Honorable mention: Grace Cloris Ocasio’s “Little Girlfriend”
• Other finalists:
• Richard Betz’s “Picking Blackberries on Yellow Mountain Road” 
• Samantha Lee Deal’s “North Carolina, This Will Be The Last Poem”
• Susan Laughter Meyers’s “Banding Hummingbirds” and “Beggar’s-Lice”

NCLR has further details at its website.

2013 Poet's Market

To contact us Click HERE
At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

SCENE | Levi's® 501® 140 Year Anniversary Party

To contact us Click HERE

Photos by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.
 
L.A. is all abuzz right now with The Grammys (happening as I type), and when there's an award show in town, there's also lots of parties. On Friday, Levi's celebrated the 140th anniversary of their iconic 501 jean with a set by best new artist nominee Frank Ocean and a killer installation at the Ace Museum that featured the evolution of the 501—from farm staple to style staple. Levi's Vintage Clothing accurately reproduces ten different variations of the 501 going all the way back to 1890. So, if you want that 1954 fit, as an example, you don't need a time machine.

While Frank Ocean brought down the house with Thinkin Bout You, there was plenty of tomboy style to go around in 501s and otherwise. Two of my favorites: Solange Knowles in a polka-dot suit with a matching clutch and Rumer Willis in ripped 501s, a black blazer, and bright peach stilettos. Solid.

ICONS | Natural Grays

To contact us Click HERE

Photo of Emmylou Harris in the 1970s via Feather by Feather.

I mentioned how my mom let her hair gray naturally in The Naturalist chapter of the Tomboy Style book and have recently been thinking of other women that have done just that. The one icon that keeps getting referenced in every story about "going gray gracefully" is Emmylou Harris. She started going gray in her early 20s and has pretty much let it fade ever since. While there are many women that stop dying their hair later in life and embrace their gray, I've yet to find more than a few examples of women that gray over time.

I caught a glimpse of my first gray yesterday in the reflection of a window, and although it doesn't bother me (can't you tell!?), I honestly have no idea what to do with it. Pull it out? Let it ride? Any advice?

UNIFORM | La Matera Belts

To contact us Click HERE

Here's one I'm borrowing (and/or buying) from the boys: La Matera belts ($145). They're made in the U.S.A. but definitely have an Argentine heart. Each belt is hand-stitched from imported Argentine woven fabric on vegetable-tanned leather and then conditioned. With an aesthetic that certainly speaks to the Argentine countryside and colorways that can be worn year-round, I think I've found my new dream belt. I'm just having trouble deciding on which one to get. Check 'em out here. Oh and take a look at the La Matera tumblr too, it's so great!

Thanks Caro! x

March 19, 2012: Ed Madden's MFA poetry workshop at USC

To contact us Click HERE
Tomorrow Bryan Penberthy and I will be guest teachers in Ed Madden's MFA poetry workshop at the University of South Carolina. We're both looking forward to the experience, meeting with the students while Ed is away in Ireland. We'll read a few poems, talk about our writing process and publication experience, and teach a brief mini-lesson. My mini-lesson will be on "The Usefulness of Silence in a Poem."

Finalists for the Cider Press Review Editor's Prize

To contact us Click HERE
For the inaugural Cider Press Review Editor's Prize, eight finalists were selected in August from the hundreds of manuscripts submitted. Here is the list, alphabetically, and I'm pleased that my manuscript My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass was included:

     After Jay
     The Green Cup
     My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass
     On the Desire to Levitate
     Planetary Nights
     The Principle of Flickering
     Significant Others
     Snow White, When No One Was Looking


I'm grateful, too, that my manuscript has been a finalist in several other book contests during the three years that I've circulated it. During that time it has also been a semifinalist for The Washington Prize (Word Works) and the Elixir Press Antivenom Poetry Award, as well as a finalist for these:

     The National Poetry Series
     Prairie Schooner Prize in Poetry
     Robert Dana-Anhinga Prize for Poetry
     Cider Press Book Award

Circulating a manuscript is hard work, and I want to thank these presses/contests for their encouragement along the way.

Cider Press Review Editor's Prize

To contact us Click HERE
I'm pleased to announce--no, actually I'm ecstatic--that my manuscript "My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass" will be published by Cider Press Review after winning their inaugural Editor's Prize. The day that Ruth Foley, managing editor of the press, called me with the news I was speechless, stunned with joy. And I'm still celebrating.

Congratulations, too, to the runner-up and honorable mentions:

      Runner-Up:
           Snow White, When No One Was Looking, Donna Prinzmetal

      Honorable Mentions:
           The Green Cup, V. P. Loggins
           The Principle of Flickering, Laura Donnelly
           Planetary Nights, Jeanne J. LeVasseur

My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass will be released in the fall of 2013.

I've followed the recent history of the press and admire so much the work that they're doing, the authors that they are publishing. I had the pleasure of hearing Landon Godfrey, author of Second-Skin Rhinestone-Spangled Nude Souffle Choffon Gown, read last fall; I've enjoyed reading Liz Robbins's Play Button; and I fell for the poetry of Joseph Fasano, author of Fugue for Other Hands, when he won the Rattle Poetry Prize a few years ago. Landon, Liz, and Joseph are all past winners of the Cider Press Book Award.

If you're not familiar with this press, please do check it out:

Cider Press Review website

Mark Smith-Soto has won this year's James Applewhite Poetry Prize

To contact us Click HERE
Congratulations to Mark Smith-Soto, winner of the 2012 James Applewhite Poetry Prize for his poem "Last Retreat to Topsail Beach." The winning poem and those of the finalists will be published in the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR). Mark's poem was selected by poet James Applewhite from the work of six finalists chosen by NCLR Poetry Editor Jeffrey Franklin. Almost fifty poets submitted to the competition.

Here are the finalists:

• 2nd place: Laurence G. Avery’s poem “Only Yonaguska”
• Honorable mention: Grace Cloris Ocasio’s “Little Girlfriend”
• Other finalists:
• Richard Betz’s “Picking Blackberries on Yellow Mountain Road” 
• Samantha Lee Deal’s “North Carolina, This Will Be The Last Poem”
• Susan Laughter Meyers’s “Banding Hummingbirds” and “Beggar’s-Lice”

NCLR has further details at its website.

2013 Poet's Market

To contact us Click HERE
At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

March 19, 2012: Ed Madden's MFA poetry workshop at USC

To contact us Click HERE
Tomorrow Bryan Penberthy and I will be guest teachers in Ed Madden's MFA poetry workshop at the University of South Carolina. We're both looking forward to the experience, meeting with the students while Ed is away in Ireland. We'll read a few poems, talk about our writing process and publication experience, and teach a brief mini-lesson. My mini-lesson will be on "The Usefulness of Silence in a Poem."

Finalists for the Cider Press Review Editor's Prize

To contact us Click HERE
For the inaugural Cider Press Review Editor's Prize, eight finalists were selected in August from the hundreds of manuscripts submitted. Here is the list, alphabetically, and I'm pleased that my manuscript My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass was included:

     After Jay
     The Green Cup
     My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass
     On the Desire to Levitate
     Planetary Nights
     The Principle of Flickering
     Significant Others
     Snow White, When No One Was Looking


I'm grateful, too, that my manuscript has been a finalist in several other book contests during the three years that I've circulated it. During that time it has also been a semifinalist for The Washington Prize (Word Works) and the Elixir Press Antivenom Poetry Award, as well as a finalist for these:

     The National Poetry Series
     Prairie Schooner Prize in Poetry
     Robert Dana-Anhinga Prize for Poetry
     Cider Press Book Award

Circulating a manuscript is hard work, and I want to thank these presses/contests for their encouragement along the way.

Cider Press Review Editor's Prize

To contact us Click HERE
I'm pleased to announce--no, actually I'm ecstatic--that my manuscript "My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass" will be published by Cider Press Review after winning their inaugural Editor's Prize. The day that Ruth Foley, managing editor of the press, called me with the news I was speechless, stunned with joy. And I'm still celebrating.

Congratulations, too, to the runner-up and honorable mentions:

      Runner-Up:
           Snow White, When No One Was Looking, Donna Prinzmetal

      Honorable Mentions:
           The Green Cup, V. P. Loggins
           The Principle of Flickering, Laura Donnelly
           Planetary Nights, Jeanne J. LeVasseur

My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass will be released in the fall of 2013.

I've followed the recent history of the press and admire so much the work that they're doing, the authors that they are publishing. I had the pleasure of hearing Landon Godfrey, author of Second-Skin Rhinestone-Spangled Nude Souffle Choffon Gown, read last fall; I've enjoyed reading Liz Robbins's Play Button; and I fell for the poetry of Joseph Fasano, author of Fugue for Other Hands, when he won the Rattle Poetry Prize a few years ago. Landon, Liz, and Joseph are all past winners of the Cider Press Book Award.

If you're not familiar with this press, please do check it out:

Cider Press Review website

Mark Smith-Soto has won this year's James Applewhite Poetry Prize

To contact us Click HERE
Congratulations to Mark Smith-Soto, winner of the 2012 James Applewhite Poetry Prize for his poem "Last Retreat to Topsail Beach." The winning poem and those of the finalists will be published in the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR). Mark's poem was selected by poet James Applewhite from the work of six finalists chosen by NCLR Poetry Editor Jeffrey Franklin. Almost fifty poets submitted to the competition.

Here are the finalists:

• 2nd place: Laurence G. Avery’s poem “Only Yonaguska”
• Honorable mention: Grace Cloris Ocasio’s “Little Girlfriend”
• Other finalists:
• Richard Betz’s “Picking Blackberries on Yellow Mountain Road” 
• Samantha Lee Deal’s “North Carolina, This Will Be The Last Poem”
• Susan Laughter Meyers’s “Banding Hummingbirds” and “Beggar’s-Lice”

NCLR has further details at its website.

2013 Poet's Market

To contact us Click HERE
At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

Must See Website for Painting Inspiration

To contact us Click HERE

'Down the Winter Path'       8x10          pastel       ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $150

I stumbled upon a gem of a website the other day.  I was preparing for my classes on painting winter landscapes and was looking for paintings of winter to share with my students. I came across a website that I never knew existed and I can see myself visiting often for inspiration.

The website is www.Wikipaintings.org   You can search for art by period, style, genre, artist,subject to name a few. Or you can do a search putting in any keywords you'd like.
Here is an explanation of the site:

"The project aims to create high-quality, most complete and well-structured online repository of fine art. We hope to make classical art a little more accessible and comprehensible, and also want to provide a new form of interaction between contemporary artists and their audience. In the future we plan to cover the entire history of art — from cave artworks to the new talents of today."

Winter Landscape with Violet Lights    Janos Tomya

The painting above is one that I found when I did a search for winter landscapes. I found pages and pages of painting in all styles and time periods. Some I recognized. Many were new artists for me. I came across several of Monet's winter landscapes that I had never seen. I was like a kid in a candy store.  
How can this site help you?

• Inspiration!  As soon as I saw the painting 'Winter Landscape with Violet LIghts' I was inspired to do my own version. I loved the color palette. I found a reference photo that I thought might work and without looking back at it did my painting. The painting I did 'Down the Winter Path' was inspired by what I saw on Wikipaintings.
• Art History!  I never had a course in art history so sometimes I feel very behind in conversations with my fellow artists when the topic is art history. But I want to learn. I would like to take an artists or period or genre and study it in depth. This website will be very helpful in this endeavor. I can see myself relaxing with my iPad and studying art.
• Motivation!  If you are a Daily Painter or an aspiring daily painter then you know that sometimes the well is dry.  What to paint next is the question. How about turning to Wikipaintings and look through some art. Try to paint in the style of an artist...or use a color palette you like. Looking at other great art is a sure way to jumpstart your own paintings.

Have a look at Wikipaintings.org and see what you think. Feel free to share ways that you might use this website to help your own art!

How Often Should You Take an Art Workshop

To contact us Click HERE

'Friday Afternoon Bouquet'          8x10         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

Is there such a thing as taking too many art workshops? 
 I have had this discussion often with my artists friends. And I have given it much thought especially this year as I am scheduled to attend 3 workshops plus the IAPS convention. That is a lot of workshops in one year and more than I usually take but they just fit so nicely into my travel plans that I couldn't resist.  But I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing.  It all depends on your mindset and where you are in your art journey.

New to painting or to a medium?  Workshops can jumpstart your knowledge base and introduce you to new techniques. Here are some thoughts on how to make them helpful:

• Choose workshops taught by artists whose work you admire. If you don't ever want to paint in the instructors style it is counter productive to learn the style when you are in the early stages of learning how to paint. 
• Try to limit the number of workshops you take in a year to one or two. At the very least be sure to leave time in between them so you have a chance to digest the information and put it into practice. If you take too many too soon you risk getting confused. Time in between to just paint on your own helps you gain confidence.
• Don't hesitate about taking a workshop because you don't feel ready or 'good enough' . I believe that no matter what your level is you can always learn something that you are ready for.....even if it is basic advice and information on things like supplies. AND the bonus is that as you paint more and grow in skill and knowledge you will look back and some of the things you learned will finally make sense.

My Heilman Box....Souvenir of an Early Workshop

Allow me to share a personal story.  Seven years ago I began painting with pastels. I had been painting for about 5 months when I found out that Albert Handell would be teaching a 5 day workshop in my area. I admired his work. I had studied his book. But was I ready to be in a workshop with 20 other much more experienced artists? Would I be overwhelmed and out of my league? Would it be too advanced?  
I am not easily intimidated though so I went to the workshop. And yes, it was too advanced and I was surrounded by artists with more experience than I had. But I wasn't overwhelmed because I took in only what I was ready to learn at the time. A lot of what Albert talked about was way over my head but I dutifully took notes and pictures and paid attention.  And over the last 7 years bits and pieces of his teaching and advice have come back and given me AHA moments.....when I was ready for them. 
I find now that with 100's of paintings  under my belt and more study and reading and other workshops I am now able to *get* what he was talking about. In fact even this week I had another AHA moment and something from that workshop now makes better sense.  But at the time I only processed what I needed then....like how to organize my pastels (I bought my Heilman box at the workshop and it was one of the best investments I have made) I learned what colors I needed (though I didn't understand why at the time) I met artists who have now become good friends. All good things!
Tomorrow I will share my thoughts on experienced artists and workshops. 
Links of interest:Organizing your pastels blog postAlbert HandellHeilman Box

When Should You Stop Taking Art Workshops?

To contact us Click HERE

'Living the Good Life'        18x24        pastel        ©Karen Margulis

Are you ever too experienced to take a Painting workshop? Is there a certain point in your art journey that you no longer need them?  I have heard a few different thoughts on the subject and have given it a lot of thought as well.  In yesterday's blog post I shared some thoughts on taking workshops when you are new to painting or starting a new medium. You can read the post here.
Since I am in the midst of making travel arrangements for the workshops I will be attending this year, this question is heavy on my mind.  Some experienced artists try to limit the number of workshops they take in a given period. Some feel as though they would rather spend their time painting more....allowing them to put together all they they have learned over the years. And this is valid. It does take putting in those miles of canvas and spending quality studio time to take your work to the next level. 
I have been painting now for 7 years. I have taken many workshops with some wonderful instructors. I teach my own classes and workshops. Should I take more workshops or should I just paint?  My answer is ....paint and take more workshops! Here's why.

close-up of 'Living the Good Life'

• PRUNING TIME No matter how experienced we are we can always learn something new. I was listening to an art podcast and the artist who was very successful and respected talked about how he likes to take workshops form other artists he admires because it helps "prune off the dead wood" What a great thought.  We are always growing as painters and sometimes we grow branches that we don't need or that are weighing us down. It sometimes takes some new thinking or another experienced eye to see what we need.

• Fresh eyes.  When you are a new painter taking too many workshops can often be confusing because everything is so new.  Experienced painters can benefit from workshops because new information or something put in a new way will be more obvious.  You may hear something you already knew explained in a different way. All of the sudden a lightbulb may light. It could make all the difference in something you are struggling with.

• Workshops give us time to paint. Sometimes experienced artists get caught up or bogged down with things other than studio time.....marketing, business, art associations, galleries,teaching.  Attending a workshop is a way to give you some dedicated painting time. And the bonus is that you might learn something new.

• Networking and the camaraderie of other artists. One of the benefits of attending a workshop for artists of any level is the opportunity to spend time with like minded people. There is something special about meeting other artists and immersing yourself in all things art for a few days.  Learning from other artists is often just as valuable as learning from the instructor.

• An excuse to travel. This is one of my favorite reasons. A workshop is a great excuse for a road trip with my art friends!

Another close-up

I am excited to take workshops this year for all of the reasons above. In case you are interested,  here is who I will be studying with this year:
Doug Dawson in Florida
Elizabeth Mowry in Georgia (our SPS judge)
Bill Creevy at IAPS
Stan Sperlak in NJ

Developing a Painting Style

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'A Gentle Reminder of Spring'          11x14       pastel      ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $165

Quick. Before you read any further grab a piece of paper and write down three words or phrases that describe how you speak.

'Tiny Eggs'       2.5 x 3.5     pastel

What does this have to do with painting style?  Many artists struggle with the idea of a painting style. Perhaps they want to change their style or they are new to painting and don't know how to describe their style or if it has even developed.

 I believe that a painting style develops over time and changes as the artists grows and learn .....but also that everyone possesses natural tendencies that can be very hard to completely get away from. I like to encourage my students to embrace their natural tendencies and refine them and make them work for them....rather than fighting what comes natural. How do we know what are tendencies are?

• Take out 5 of your recent paintings and line them up. Study them. How are they similar? What is the common thread? Is it color choice? The way you make your marks? The way you compose?

• Take out the paper that you wrote on. Look at those three words/phrases. How do they correlate to your paintings?

I read a quote from Robert Genn that intrigued me.

"Your style is the way you talk in Paint"

Perhaps this is true for you and can give you insight into your painting style. And if it is true it can also give you insight into how you can tweak your style to use what comes natural to you and make it even better.  Just think about how you can change the way you speak to achieve a different result. Now apply this same idea to your paintings.

By the way, the phrases I wrote down were shy and quiet but loud and strong when needed. I think this  accurately describes my painting style. 

In my classes this week we all painted from the same photo so we could compare and see our unique painting styles.  It is always fun to see how each person interprets the same scene in their own unique way. And in many cases their paintings matched their personalities!

Collage of student nest paintings....evening class

Seven Fun Things to do on the Beach when the Water is Too Cold

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February and especially March start to get much warmer in the low country with temperatures teasing from sixties to occasional eighty degrees Fahrenheit. The weather is optimal for biking, golfing, tennis and whatever else a coastal Carolina visitor fancies. The beach can also be a fun retreat, but the colder Atlantic can put a damper on things if you plan on going swimming. The water temperature usually hovers in the fifties in February and March. That is a bit cold for a Spring break plunge. I have been down to Kiawah Island for Spring break numerous times and have seen the brave and willing go for a dip (head to toe) into the water. No thanks, I make it as far as walking maybe knee deep into t he water then turn back. The cold ocean temps should not deter anyone from visiting the beach. The miles and miles of sand allow the perfect environment for warming up from a cold winter. I put together a list of five fun things to do on the beach when the water is too cold:1.       Sun Bathe – Yes. This is obvious! Bring a towel or your favorite chair and a good book. The water may be cold but the sand is usually warm and feels good on the feet. Even consider a nap to the sleepy sound of the waves. Just don’t forget to bring the sun block. You do not want to wake up red like a lobster. Quiet time on the beach allows for an opportunity to clear the mind and worries. 2.       Search for Treasures in the Sand – Bring an old bucket and walk along the surf and set out to find that one in a million sand dollar or conch shell. I am not sure why but the shell selection seems better during the spring months as opposed to my visits in the warmer months. Another popular way to search for treasurers is to roam the beach with a metal detector.3.       Sand Art – Test your abilities to make your very best sand castle or sculpture. The beach is your canvas ready for the perfect masterpiece. Just bring some assistants along to help tote the water and tools.4.       Volleyball – Bring a net, a ball, and some friends for a fun afternoon of seaside volleyball. Volleyball is always much more enjoyable in the sand. Just don’t forget the cold drinks and a snack.5.       Bicycling – Depending upon which beach you are at, consider bicycling along the waterfront. Kiawah beaches are ideal for bicycling as the sand is densely packed. Just be cognizant of the wind conditions. What may appear to be an easy glide or coast in one direction (courtesy of the wind) could turn out to be a very tiring pedal on the way back.6.       Fishing the Atlantic from the Beach – Consider shore fishing. I have never fished the surf, but will occassionally spot a shore fisherman during the morning bike rides. The Atlantic is teeming with a variety of fish just waiting to be caught. No boat needed.7.       Running and Walking the Beach – Running in sand is a great workout. Taking a jog or long walk along the seashore is a great way to get the mind off the exercise and keep your vision on the sand and surf ahead of you. I usually combine a run/walk over a few miles which allows for great opportunities to look at some really nice homes and golf courses along the oceanfront.

Why an Artist Needs a Froggy Butt

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'Signs of Spring'          8x8       pastel       ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $145

You might have a Froggy Butt and not even know it. It would be a good thing to have in your studio though. I didn't even know I had one until one of my workshop students told me about hers.  OK you must be curious about Froggy Butts!  And what on earth does it have to do with being an artist?
Picture this ... a golf club cover shaped like the bottom of a frog with his legs sticking up out of the golf bag. You can't help but laugh when you see it. My student has one and calls it her Froggy Butt.  It reminds her to laugh and have fun and not take her golf game too seriously. 
This got me thinking that artists can benefit from the same kind of reminder as the frog cover does for my friend's golf game.  What if we had something silly on our easel that would remind us to enjoy the painting process. Sometimes we get too serious, frustrated and down on ourselves especially when a painting isn't going the way we want it to.

Say hello to Mike Wazowski!

I have a large plush 'Mike Wazowski,  a character form the movie Monter's Inc (one of my favorites). I have him sitting up on a shelf in my studio. He is my Froggy Butt.  I can't look at him without smiling. He is a good reminder to laugh and have fun when I am in the studio.  Sure I get frustrated sometimes and often a painting isn't going my way. But I have to member not to take myself too seriously. It's only paper.  It is supposed to be about the process and enjoying the act of creating something.  If I get a successful painting than that is the bonus.

Today's class was such a good example of the benefit of a sense of humor and fun in the studio. We were painting bird nests and there was a collective groan about it. But in the end everyone had fun with the subject and did some great paintings. We laughed and enjoyed our struggles and successes. The frog was in the room with us today!

This student chose another way to paint eggs in a nest!  Great fun!

Do you have your own Froggy Butt?  I'd love to hear about it.  Be sure to visit the blog this week for more on painting bird nests!

Pastel Mini Demo BIRD NEST and What Inspired it!

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'Gathering Eggs'      6x6         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $55

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. We are painting bird nests in class this week and after my third nest demo I was wondering how I would paint yet another one for the evening class. I was out of ideas. I went upstairs to make lunch and realized I had my painting apron still on. Looking at it got my attention. Wow! my apron has the best color palette for a nest. It even has little turquoise birds on it. So I quickly ate lunch and ran back downstairs to paint a little nest for me!  
Moral of the story: Always be open to inspiration. It can come at the oddest times and from the strangest places. Enjoy today's mini demo and be sure to come back tomorrow to see why we are painting nests.

I start with a quick drawing on dark brown Canson paper, smooth side      size  6x6

I block in the dark masses. Building the nest from big simple shapes before any details.

Putting in the eggs. They will be refined later in the painting.

Continuing to build the nest with darkest colors to lightest. Mixing thick and thin lines.

Putting in the background color...spring greens. Adding some violets in the nest.

Continuing to weave the nest with thin and thick strokes and mixing browns and violets.

Putting in the finishing touches...brighter straw and touches of turquoise. Refining the eggs.

The finished painting along side my very inspiring painting apron!

SCENE | Levi's® 501® 140 Year Anniversary Party

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Photos by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.
 
L.A. is all abuzz right now with The Grammys (happening as I type), and when there's an award show in town, there's also lots of parties. On Friday, Levi's celebrated the 140th anniversary of their iconic 501 jean with a set by best new artist nominee Frank Ocean and a killer installation at the Ace Museum that featured the evolution of the 501—from farm staple to style staple. Levi's Vintage Clothing accurately reproduces ten different variations of the 501 going all the way back to 1890. So, if you want that 1954 fit, as an example, you don't need a time machine.

While Frank Ocean brought down the house with Thinkin Bout You, there was plenty of tomboy style to go around in 501s and otherwise. Two of my favorites: Solange Knowles in a polka-dot suit with a matching clutch and Rumer Willis in ripped 501s, a black blazer, and bright peach stilettos. Solid.

ICON | Susanna Clark

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Photo of Guy and Susanna Clark in Nashville by Jim McGuire, 1975. 

I think my new all-time favorite couple might be Guy Clark and his late wife Susanna. Both of them Texans who became mainstays of the Nashville music scene in the 70s, the Clarks seemed to have a Johnny and June thing going on with the addition of Townes Van Zandt as a third wheel (this clip from Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt pretty much says it all). Susanna Clark not only wrote songs that were covered by greats like Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, but she also was a revered painter, providing cover art for several albums, such as Willie Nelson's 1978 Stardust.

STUDIO VISIT | Hilary Walsh

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I ventured up into the hills of Echo Park this rainy L.A. morning to visit photographer and designer Hilary Walsh in her studio. We both worked on the same story for Foam Magazine last year, she was shooting Angela Lindvall for the cover and I was writing the story, but we didn't really meet until I bumped into her at Feal Mor last month where I basically attacked her like a teenaged fan girl asking if I could please come hang out with her one day. The embarrassing truth is that I legitimately am a rabid fan of Hilary's. Beyond being a huge fan of her photography (her book Lola is deliberately placed in the most visible spot on our coffee table), I'm also so thrilled that she is developing a clothing line focused on hand-dyed indigo. Her eponymous label will be out later this year in small batches, and from what I've seen so far, it's going to be incredible.

Although the indigo dying process is tedious and taxing, that's precicely what Hilary is drawn to about it. Because unlike modern photography, where you can cheat and take short cuts (with digital cameras or Instagram filters), the indigo dying process can not be hastened. It takes commitment and skill and is labor-intensive, similar to shooting on and processing film. While I hope her new line doesn't detract too much from her photo career, I'd be lying if I wasn't salivating at the idea of her taste-level and eye applied to fashion. And because Hilary's talents are in no short supply, I should also mention her forthcoming Rizzoli book about denim publishing next Spring (!). For now though, all I can offer you are some of my amateur photos of her refined yet rustic Echo Park studio.

2013 Poet's Market

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At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

What I'm Loving Now

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I LOVE the knitted coffee cozies I am seeing all over Etsy right now! Not only are they so cute, but they are great for the environment instead of the cardboard holders and will keep your coffee or tea warmer longer. I really like this one shop Natalya's Studio. 


 She makes these adorable cozies in several colors.

She also has patterns you can purchase to make your own. So maybe it is time for me to get the old knitting needles out and make one for myself.  Check out her shop for knitted cowls also.. I have really wanted one, but it hasn't been that cold here in the South the last two Winters. Hopefully it will be this year so I can buy, or make one for myself.


Have a wonderful day!





Linda