Fancy Footwork Part II

Another Shoe Makeover:

Today I transformed these old Ralph Lauren

blue suede sneakers into red, white and blue fabulousness. It is easy to do and the results are unique. Who wants to wear something that came straight from a cookie cutter anyways? Check out images of Kashi Kicks for inspiration, or to purchase glamorous shoes if you are not the creative or motivated type.

Fancy Footwork

I know it has been a while since my last post, but summers are a crazy time for me. I have been traveling and have had many visitors, but have been creating large quantities of artwork at the same time, so I will try to get caught up her in the next week or so by posting some of the projects I have been working on. The latest project has been taking old shoes and revamping them to make them new wearable pieces of artwork. I have a thing about shoes and I can never have enough. In this economy, we need to figure out how to give ourselves the things we are used to paying for by putting a little bit of our own creativity and effort into it. Here are the shoes before and after

Spring For Art

http://www.associatedartists.org/news-details?article-id=705825020

I will have 2 Pieces in this show opening tonight. It should be a pretty amazing party, so come out and join the cause, ART!

Call for Artists

This is a call for all artists out there with a Facebook connection, I have a group called Art Every Day and it is for any artist or art appreciator to join and post artwork and comments, tricks of the trade etc. I have just sent out an invite calling for some new submissions:

Where have all the artists gone? I know everyone out there has been working on something. Now is your chance to shine. Post something you have been working on, a work in progress, a picture you have taken long ago and has been hiding in a file on your computer just waiting to be edited and posted. Find art in your daily world and capture it. It only will take a a few minutes and will inspire others. Post one or more pieces of art before the end of the month, and keep it up! We want to see what you are doing.

If you are not already a member, please join, post and repeat.

48 Hrs. Special Report

When I heard about two juried shows coming up with submission deadlines less than 48 hrs away, I busted out the power tools.

My first frame was a failure. My second attempt, was also a failure. A late night run to Wal-Mart was made in a MacGyver attempt to salvage my hours of work, and that was a failure too. Now I had 8 years of experience working at a custom frame shop, but was lacking the tools and space of a professional shop. At 2am I was also lacking the physical strength required for the project, so I went to bed. I actually dreamed that I was in a frame shop, framing my artwork and was reminded of something I had been forgetting.

About 5 hours later, I woke to the sound of my alarm and got a fresh start. I stopped at Lowe's, then the Salvage Store to get more molding then went right back to work. I had learned from my various attempts, the errors in my way and my dream. Slightly rested and driven more that ever, I was able to complete 2 large frames, fill out my paper work and made it to the gallery to drop off my artwork before the deadline.

There is an ironic ending to this story, only 2 pieces were due today, the other two are due next weekend. At least I have them ready to go and can spend the rest of my day getting ready for the arts festival tomorrow.

Some Updates

To avoid redundancy

To avoid redundancy

To avoid redundancy.....

I have added new summer show dates to my website and added 2 more sets of note cards to the web store. Please check out the updates and share with friends.

http://artistejbeach.webs.com/apps/blog/

Eastern State Penn - The Lost Files

Let me start off with a little background. From an early time in my artistic career, I was attracted to abandoned locations. In high school, I would go to Woodville State Hospital an abandoned state institution located in Collier, PA. I would walk the abandoned halls exploring and taking photographs of outdated fixtures and peeling paint.

http://www.clpgh.org/research/pittsburgh/history/orphanages/WSH.html

When I was in college I had the opportunity to model for photographer Mark Perrott in his series ROYGBIVhttp://www.markperrott.com/ He gave me one of his books Hope Abandoned where he had photographed Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. As an Artist and Explorer I was drawn to this place in his photographs and was not until a couple of years ago that I was able to visit it to photograph it myself. There is something about quiet empty hallways that makes me feel at peace. If you are ever in the Philadelphia area it is a must see along with the Mutter Museum of Medical Oddities.http://www.easternstate.org/ http://www.collphyphil.org/MUTTER.ASP

I have just added a new album to my gallery of the photos that I took when I was there. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Reynolda

I had a relaxing and rejuvenating day at Reynolda today. It is the home of Tobacco tycoon RJ Reynolds and family as well as an art museum and Formal gardens attached to the campus of Wake Forest. I enjoyed a photography exhibit of William Christenberry and took some time taking my own photos in the gardens. Believe it or not, no editing on this photo.http://www.imagekind.com/poppies_art?imid=26c7178e-df03-4bf4-b81d-68aff026830d

Arts on Sunday Festival

I was at the Arts on Sunday Festival today and will also be there the last three Sundays in May. Arts on Sunday is an Arts For Arts Sake Production and incorporates local Winston-Salem artists, craftsmen, and musicians in a sidewalk festival. If you live in the area, it is definitely worth checking out. Admission is free and there is plenty to do, see, and hear. We can not do it without your support.

An Early Start

From the time I was little, I always knew that art was where my heart was. Being nonathletic, I felt it was one of the only things I was really good at. I remember my grandmother teaching mt drawing techniques early on, and my mother was also artistic, so I received a lot of encouragement. This is one of the pieces of artwork that I still have. It was from the first grade and we had to fill in the blank in the sentence "I like myself because I can ..." "Panti" or Paint was my response. I still can not spell to this day, but I keep this hung at work to remember that all artists start somewhere and with the right direction and encouragement anything is possible.

When I am Famous

When I become famous, who will I most be like? I would have to say my arch nemesis, Andy Warhol.

I will drive the press crazy with one word answers, ummms, and I don't knows. I will be everywhere that is hot and happening, but just sit in the corner and people watch.

Why did I call Andy Warhol my arch nemesis? The truth be told, I hate the man for many reasons, but I also know a lot about him and have studied his work intensely. They say, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." I cant stand when I ask someone to explain why or why don't they like a certain artist or even piece of artwork and they can not explain. I could explain, it would just take me too long. In the short, I hate the man himself for being conniving, arrogant man, but in many ways see parts of myself in him. I do admire his business skills and must credit him for much of the pop art movement. Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Do you think if he was still alive he would have invented facebook or blogspot?

Buy Artist E.J.Beach on Image Kind

http://artistejbeach.imagekind.com/ Now prints, canvas prints, framed art, and cards may be ordered through image Kind. 12 images available today and more to be added soon. They would make excellent decor for the home or office, or unique gifts.

2 Different Sets

I now have 2 different sets of 6 blank cards available at artistejbeach.webs.com

You can choose between 6 cards depicting different fruit and vegetable paintings from my collection or 6 black and white photographs from my collection "Scars"

Blank Greeting Cards Available

I am getting ready to release a set of 6 blank greeting cards from my series "Scars" Each card is 5"X7" and contains a different picture from the series. They will be available on my web site web store in a few days.

My new black and white

photography series “Scars”

takes a closer look at mans

mark on nature through a

series of photographs of trees.

From ancient times, man has

carved into trees and rock as a

type of communication and

expression. This tradition

curiously continues today

despite the ability to

communicate and express

thorough both written and oral

form using technology in a

global capacity. I feel that man

is drawn to the sense of

permanency in leaving this

kind of tribal mark in nature

. Please take a look at my new

series on my gallery page at

artistejbeach.webs.com