2017 #8 Find your Layers {by Seth Apter)

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

Seth has been super-busy exhibiting his works in New York lately. His art is a mix of Topic 7 (Found Objects) and Topic 8 (Assemblage), and so it makes perfect sense that he is our bridge blogger between both topics! I have also encouraged him to share some of the works he exhibited as they are for sale, and I am sure that some of you might like to add a Seth Apter original to your collection. Read on to discover how!

Hi PaperArtsy peeps. Seth Apter here. I am excited to be back on the blog and thrilled to be the first to post for a new theme: assemblage and 3D art. Given my love for all things layered and dimensional, this falls right in my comfort zone. 

I have heard from people that the idea of creating an assemblage can be daunting. However if you think of assemblage as basically a grouping of objects or a dimensional collage, it automatically becomes more accessible. The piece I am sharing here today is the perfect example of just how simple an assemblage can be. It makes use of my Wood Chips to create layers, dimension and impact.

The Wood Chips I designed for PaperArtsy are lightweight, dimensional, wooden  objects that are in the shape of  squares, circles, tags, stars and bars. Each set comes with a solid shape as well as a matching frame. These are the perfect ingredient for an assemblage as they take paint well, are easily adhered with glue and are ready-made to stack.

My artwork is only 4x4 inches but I wanted it to shout. So I painted the board and the circle Wood Chip with a large number of colors of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish acrylics (Purple Rain, Wisteria, Key Lime, Mud Splat, Cherry Blossom, Mermaid) to create a complex and compelling surface.

I also added some some extra surface design using the texture stamps from Lin Brown's ELB32 stamp set. 

Once the paint was dry (which doesn't take long with Fresco Finish paints), I stamped over the circle with my ESA04 stamp set, one of two sets that are designed to work perfectly with the Wood Chips.

Using stamp set EEA05 - most definitely my new favorite alphabet - I added the word VOICE and then used a white gel pen to add some shadowing to make the word pop.

In the end, I think it is the 3D portion of this piece that is the most exciting. It makes a statement, pops off the substrate and calls attention to the artwork. 

I am hoping my piece and all the upcoming posts for this theme inspire you to try your hand at assemblage and 3D art. Would love to see your creations, especially if you use the Wood Chips. And for a bit more encouragement, I am sharing a few other assemblages that I have recently made using found objects as well as all sorts of flotsam and jetsam. With  mixed media assemblage, anything goes. 

Some of my original art pieces will find their way into my online shop very soon. 
Keep your eye on this link, or follow me on social media for status updates.

See you all soon! Seth Apter
Blog: The Altered Page
Facebook: The Altered Page
Twitter: Seth Apter
Instagram: Seth Apter

It's always so lovely to see how you build a piece, and it doesn't matter how simple the layers, you create such depth and complexity in your layers that there is always much to pour over and investigate. Thanks for this close-up insight! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.