Kristen Stein is an award-winning Contemporary Artist living in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region. Kristen’s works are currently available on a variety of online venues, or through her websites StudioArtworks.com and KristensCreations.com. Kristen’s paintings are in public and private collections within Australia, Canada, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Japan, Philippines, the United Kingdom, and throughout the continental United States. Her art has appeared in numerous printed media including posters, book cover, CD Covers, calendars and program covers.

Where were you born, where do you live now, any other background info?

I was born in Ohio and grew up in California. I went to graduate school in Virginia and then spent about a decade in Colorado. A few years ago we made a big move to the East Coast and I now reside near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

How would you describe your work?

Some of my works start with detailed sketches while others are created from a blank canvas layer by layer until the final painting is achieved. I like to work in a wide range of styles and materials as this allows me to keep my art fresh and new. I would describe my landscapes as moody, mysterious and atmospheric in nature. They allow me to experiment with color and texture while capturing the beauty of a wide open meadow, field, ocean, or impending storm, etc. Many of these pieces are directly influenced by my time spent in Colorado, California and Spain. My enchanted garden series allows me to capture a world of my imagination where birds, snakes, plants, flowers, trees, butterflies, etc. can be expressed in a wild whimsical way. They are bold, bright and wonderfully fun to create. My art-deco cubist paintings are my story-telling paintings. This style allows me to capture a certain sentiment or tell a story in the painting. Paintings influenced by September 11th, Hurricane Katrina and the deaths of my grandmothers are among the works in the art deco cubist collection.

What processes and techniques do you use to create your work?

My landscapes are created with many layers of contrasting colors working up to the final imagery that I am trying to create with the mood and feel of the particular landscape. I love creating a canvas that looks weathered and worn even though it is brand new. I achieve this through a variety of layers…..sometimes with molding paste, string, tissue, newsprint, sand, grit, flower petals, and a variety of other products added to the canvas (or removed from the canvas) during the painting process.

I daydream a lot! I often close my eyes and picture the painting before it is created. I rarely try to replicate a photograph, but instead use the colors and shapes as a guideline for what I want to create.

Are you a full time artist?

Yes. I am a full-time artist. I feel fortunate to be able to spend my days doing something that I love. I am pleased that my customers, friends and family have been so supportive and have allowed me to pursue my dreams as an artist on a daily basis.

How did you get started?

I remember being passionate about art from a very young age. I started by creating art as gifts for friends and family. Then when I was in graduate school studying for my Ph.D. in Economics, I started painting again as a hobby and as a way to focus my mind on something other than exams. I purchased website domains and listed several of my pieces on major auction sites like EBay. Over time, my hobby grew into a full-time business. I still use a lot of my economics background for the business side of things, but I clearly allowed the artistic side to take over and I haven’t looked back.

Any notable accomplishments?

I have been lucky to have some great exposure for my work recently.

A set designer for Warehouse 13 saw a collaborative work “Spirit of Autumn Fire” that artist Lyse Marion and I did together. This set designer chose the work to be displayed prominently on the Warehouse 13 set.

In addition to the exposure on Warehouse 13, several pieces will appear in an upcoming movie called “The Roommate” due in theaters in 2010, and a new TV show on FOX called “Past Life” airing in January.

A new book “Spirituality of Sex” features my “Shakti: Energy Goddess Design”

The Jazz Club and Angels of September were used as the cover art for the Allied Social Science Associations Annual Meetings.

Here Comes the Sun has been selected for the cover of a Jazz CD due out in 2010.

Mother Nature and Child was used in a logo for a Los Angeles based SIDS foundation:

Lastly, my children’s book “The Vegetarian Lion” was picked up by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for sale in the Children’s section of their website (also available through Amazon).

Where can we find more info and keep up with your work?

You can learn more about me on my website:  StudioArtworks.com
You can follow my blog: kristensteinfineart.blogspot.com
You can stay up to date on Twitter: twitter.com/kristensteinart
Or become a Fan on Facebook : http://artist.to/kristensteinfineart
I have an etsy boutique that offers originals paintings, handcrafted artisan jewelry and gifts featuring my artwork : http://kristensteinfineart.etsy.com
And, of course, you can find a large number of my prints on Imagekind: http://kristensteinfineart.imagekind.com

What artists inspire you?

I truly am inspired by everything that I see, read and hear. I try to watch and listen to everything in the world around me and incorporate this into my work in some way. There are so many artists whose work I enjoy. It would be hard to choose only a few and I would be certain to leave someone unmentioned. So, I will say that from the many forums in which I have participated, each artist whom I have met over the past 10 years has inspired me and motivated me in one way or the other. As for as the masters, I’d say that artists like Picasso and Gris have influenced my cubist works as well as the fabrics, advertising and illustrators from the art deco period. I have been greatly influenced by the colors and patterns used by Matisse and the geometric works of Rothko and Frank Llyod Wright.

Pascal Tremblay is a graphic designer / illustrator from Montreal. He has been working freelance for the past 11 years doing work for a wide variety of clients.

Pascal’s work has always been an introspective and personal way for him to express himself. He describes his work as a way to “define my emotions and thoughts in a way that when I look at it, I will know exactly how I felt at the moment I created it, but without making it definite for others.” In other words, though he has strong emotion connection with his work, it’s up to the person viewing it to decide what it means to her or him.

Where were you born, where do you live now, any other background info?

I was born in Germany but I pretty much consider myself 100% Canadian since I have lived here all my life almost. My dad was in the army so we moved around a lot and Germany was one of those places. I currently live in Montreal with my fiancee, Elaine. We’ve lived together here for 3 yrs and prior to this we lived in Malaysia for 18 months.

How would you describe your work?

That’s a good question because I never really think about stuff like that. I just like to start creating a piece and see where it leads me. I don’t really have a plan in what I do, I just let my intuition guide me. I think that, as a whole, my work could be described as a series of vague and fleeting expressions of myself. I like to keep the interpretation to the viewer and not pigeon-hole it into what I think it should be saying and, while it’s not a specific goal of mine, I do hope everyone can see a little something different in each piece. Over time I’ve been more and more abstract in what each art piece represents and my use of type has gone in the same direction.. Whereas before I might have put plainly the words I was thinking about, now they’re represented by a specific color or square, or whatever… So in a way I guess my work is a bit like an emotional puzzle to me. I always put a lot of myself into it and if I don’t feel anything intense I really cannot produce the kind of artwork I enjoy the most. That is probably why I can go for months without doing anything, I don’t force it.

What processes and techniques do you use to create your work?

I like to use a technique I coined “create and adjust”. It’s basically a semi-fancy term for “I just do whatever comes to me and then I arrange it all as I go to make it work together”. I really wish I could describe my process better but it’s really just improvisation each time. I don’t have a plan on and the more specific my concept I start with the more difficult it will be for me. If I keep it all flowing and organic it works much better. When it comes to client work I work differently and I can build towards a specific goal with no problems.. however with my personal artwork, it has to come naturally and on the fly.

Are you a full time artist?

No, I do design mostly during the day but I also have other interests that are taking more of my time these days. I do feel the need to take a break from design recently. I’ve been doing this for almost 11 yrs and I need a break. I’d say art-making is the least time-consuming part of my work. Art doesn’t pay the bills unfortunately. It doesn’t pay anything actually and it’s not why I do it anyway.

How did you get started?

I started by dropping out of college and not knowing what to do with myself. Then I discovered Flash websites and it just gripped me. I had never had any interest whatsoever in art before this (although as a kid I would spend hours re-creating country flags with coloring pencils). I just stumbled into this dormant need to express myself, it was something completely new for me and I had finally found something I was passionate about. From there I kind of shifted from Flash to artwork and into print and web.

Any notable accomplishments?

Being able to make a good living off of freelance for 10 yrs is something I am proud of.. I still haven’t received my medal for it, which is very very disappointing.

Where can we find more info and keep up with your work?

Makeshift.ca is my personal portfolio, and while I don’t update it weekly or anything be assured there’s always something new in the works. Most of my work I don’t even post because the bill-paying stuff is rarely ever too exciting or mind blowing.

What artists inspire you?

David Carson is the reason why I am here today doing what I do. Without him I would have never gone the path I chose. I’ve yet to met him. I do have an autographed Raygun magazine which I keep very dearly. It’s pretty much the only design publication I own.

Friday is here again! And on Fridays, I share some of my Friday Favorites. This week I wanted to take some time and highlight some of our amazing member artists taking full advantage of their Imagekind Storefronts. Also, member artist John Kraft just announced the release of his new children’s book featuring artwork for sale right in his Imagekind gallery!

10 Amazing Imagekind Artists’ Storefronts

With the recent launch of Imagekind Storefronts a few weeks ago we have seen some truly amazing artists take advantage of the customizing features. Customizing your Imagekind Storefront can help make it more personal and showcase your artwork, your way. There are so many different customization options available and each of the below has set theirs up a little differently than the rest.

Take a look at 10 of the top Imagekind Artists’ Storefronts.

John Kraft Releases New Children’s Book “The Little Lost Boat”

Imagekind artist John Kraft has been busy the past several months creating his first ever children’s book, The Little Lost Boat. John just released the book for sale this week and you can order a copy from his website. In addition to writing the book, he also did all of the artwork and illustrations included. It is really cool to see the level of creativity Imagekind artists have.

John has made some of the artwork and illustrations included in the book for sale as framed artwork on Imagekind. Stop on by his gallery where you can purchase artwork from the Little Lost Boat!

Also, if you love John’s work as much as we do, be sure to visit the Facebook Fan page he created for the book here. And check out the really cool video that features some of the artwork in the book. Take a look!

Friday is here again! And on Fridays, I share some of my Friday Favorites. Check out this week’s and you’ll see Imagekind seemingly pop up all over the place. From Smashing Magazine, to AOL Home and even USA Today. Also, don’t forget that today we celebrate a very special holiday in honor of one of my favorite foods animals; the delicious mighty cow. And if you missed the big announcement about Imagekind, make sure to catch it below.

AOL Home

Ah, AOL. It brings me back to my first forays on the internet. Anyway, AOL Home’s blog ShelterPop gets it exactly right in their blog post of 5 Sites for Affordable Art. Check out what they say about us below. We are super stoked for the inclusion!

Smashing Magazine

I love Smashing Magazine. And no, not just because they mentioned us in their 35 Beautiful Photography Websites, but because they are constantly posting super helpful and relevant content. They really live up to their motto to “Smash you with the information that will make your life easier. Really.” We are totally thrilled, and humbled really, to be listed among such amazing photographers as a place where they can sell their artwork online. We are glad we have built a reputation that supports such fantastic artists. Thanks Smashing Magazine!

USA Today

I wanted to give a quick and big congratulations to our own Rajesh Srinivasan for taking second place(!) in USA Today’s Picture America Contest. Well done Rajesh! You can see and purchase his winning image right in his Imagekind gallery.

Cow Appreciation Day

I love beef cows. But today might just be one of those days when I put down the cow, and trade it for it’s feathery counterpart. Today, July 10, is Chick-fil-A’s 5th Annual Cow Appreciation day. The deal is, if you dress like a cow and go into any Chick-fil-A’s restaurant, you will get free chicken meal. So what’s this got to do with Art and/or Imagekind? HA! Very little… But to show our support of one of America’s best-loved animals, I thought I’d give them their day in the sun and feature some inspiring cow art on Imagekind! Heck, we have a whole homepage dedicated to them.

Holy cow! I was just told about this: The Cow Appreciation Day photo contest. I love it! If you submit a photo, upload it to Imagekind too! And please show me!

Major Updates to Imagekind

We hope you didn’t miss our big announcement this week. But if you did, no worries, I’ve got you covered. I mean, you could just scroll down a bit and see it on the blog yourself, but if that requires to much time and/or effort, here is the quick version:

1. We’ve removed the upload limitations and implemented unlimited uploads.
2. Premium Members can now create their own customizable Storefront.
3. We also unveiled our new Portfolio Manager to help batch-edit your galleries.

Need more details on the features? Check the actual announcement.

Announcing a host of new features for artists at Imagekind!

Empowering artists to sell their artwork, their way, online, has been our passion from day one. For the past three years, we’ve focused on building one  community for buying, selling and creating art. That’s why we are more than excited to announce today our newest features for artists selling their artwork through Imagekind.

Alright, here’s the low-down on all the amazing features just released:

1. We’ve removed the upload limitations and implemented unlimited uploads – no matter the account level.
2. Premium Members can now create their very own completely customizable Storefront.
3. That’s right, there’s more. We’re also unveiling our new Portfolio Manager to help batch-edit your galleries.

Need more details on the features? Keep reading!

Portfolio Manager & Image Upload Limits

• Unlimited uploads for all members
• Up to 3 galleries for free members
• Manage all your galleries and images in the new Portfolio Manger
• Select a single image, a gallery or any number of images and edit them all at once
• Use drag-and-drop to change the order of your images and galleries
• Move images easily from one gallery to another
• Add tags, subjects, genres, medium and décor across multiple images at a time
• Set default frame and canvas selections for multiple images at a time

Storefronts (For Premium Members Only)

• Your own customizable storefront, with an easy to remember URL
• Choose from a selection of themes, and personalize it to match your style
• Easy to manage and update – change your storefront as often as you like
• Add, remove and customize pages in your storefront
• Pick the galleries you want available in your storefront, and keep more available in the marketplace
• Edit the CSS of your storefront to make it look exactly the way you want
• Track visits to your storefront using Google Analytics
• Make money by selling ads with your own Google Adsense (or keep it clean and ad-free)
• Collect your shoppers’ email addresses with mailing list sign-ups

Changes to Member Benefits

• Unlimited uploads for everybody
• Up to 250 galleries for Platinum Members, 100 galleries for Pro Members and 3 galleries for Free Members
• Premium Members get fully customizable storefronts
• Framing Commissions: 15% for Platinum, 10 % for Pro and 5% for Free Member accounts

Best of all? We’re still not done… Rest assured this is just the begining of our continued mission of empowering artists to create, discuss, share and sell their artwork their way!

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Make sure to login to your Imagekind account and check out all the features. Including the new Portfolio Manager and Storefront. Want your own customizable Storefront? Upgrade your Imagekind membership!

Harry Kikstra is an outstanding photographer. Simply looking at his Imagekind galleries will confirm this claim. His photographs provide a glimpse into a world that many of us may never experience. Whether it is in the heart (or head) of Tibet or the vastness of America, his breathtaking shots will leave you in awe of our planet and all there is to enjoy about it.

Bio: Harry Kikstra is a climber/expedition leader/ photographer/ filmmaker/ producer/ writer/ public speaker/ cyclist and many other things that have to do with sharing the beauty of the outdoors. I have climbed the 7 continental highpoints and have traveled a lot and will not stop soon, though normally I am based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

His personal site, ExposedPlanet.com is not only a way to show his portfolio, but also to share the beauty of our planet. Nowadays negative press & media might make people scared of everything foreign or different: culture, religion, people and the places themselves. This xenophobia is taking over our lives and prevents us from seeing the real world as it is: a wonderful place with beautiful people. There are no bad or evil countries, religions or people. There is bad and good people in every culture, including your own.

I hope I can share a bit of the amazement I have enjoyed while traveling the 7 continents.

1. What is your inspiration? What keeps you making art?

The wonderful world around me. The desire to share the new places I visit, new people I meet and a deeper knowledge of places and people I already knew before. Positive things like colors and culture, but sometimes also negative things like injustice and anger.

I started my photoblog ExposedPlanet.com not only as a way to show my portfolio, but also to share the beauty of our planet. Nowadays negative press & media might make people scared of everything foreign or different: culture, religion, people and the places themselves. This xenophobia is taking over our lives and prevents us from seeing the real world as it is: a wonderful place with beautiful people. There are no bad or evil countries, religions or people. There is bad and good people in every culture, including your own.

2. What made you decide to be a Photographer?

I always loved to take photos, but it got reinforced by positive feedback on my images. I noticed that my audience got intrigued by my photos and got curious about the stories behind it. Also I love the power of images, just a still moment can say more than a movie of an hour. Besides I love the technical aspects of photography, cameras & lenses & post-processing, trying to teach and improve myself constantly.

3. How does Travel influence the way you see the world and your art?

It is the catalyst. It opens up a virtually endless array of subjects and stories and enlightens me. It is the best education you can ever get. Many Westerners do not appreciate that our freedom to travel is one of the highest freedoms there is. They take it for granted and do not use this freedom. Those who do not travel do not realize they are stuck in a box, of which walls and windows (if any) are tainted by commercial media and politics. Step outside and look further.

Practically speaking I need to carry a laptop and an external hard disk as well. As it is very likely that if one gets lost stolen or submerged in water, the other will too, so I also use an online backup service. Also, when climbing to high altitude, the weight of the cameras and lenses are a burden, but that is worth it.

4. What programs and tools do you use to create your photography? What equipment do you use?

I switched to Digital 4 years ago, until then I was mostly using slides on my Canon Eos3. After the canon 20D & 5D, I am now using the 5D mark II, a wonderful machine. As I am traveling I am space and weight limited, and need to make a selection of lenses, so I take only my favorites for a fairly broad range: 16-35mm zoom, 50mm fixed and 135mm fixed.

Of course, often opening and closing the shutter only takes as little as 1/8000 of a second, I spend much more time afterward with processing.
Before I used PhotoShop, but now I am very happy with LightRoom, as I do not need all the PS features, mostly I alter only the basics like contrast and fill light, I do hardly ever use any layer masks etc.. I have created some panoramas as well, using LR, PS & Hugin. I can spend hours tweaking one photo, while several hundred others are waiting

5. What is your favorite thing to shoot?

Life. I specially love to capture mountains and kids. It is always difficult to explain to others why I choose to climb mountains (I have climbed the ‘7 summits’, the highest mountain on every continent, including Everest), so I try to show it instead.
Kids are the same all over the world, just their surroundings are different, but I love the honesty & joy in their faces.

6. Which artists inspire you & what are your favorite pieces/artists on Imagekind?

I am a fan of originality and truth, both can move me. I really have no favorite artists, as a favorite style would probably mean that many images will look alike. But am always positively surprised by pieces or art I encounter while browsing Imagekind and random photoblogs. I think there is a lot of talent around that are not famous. The digital world has changed the artist landscape I think.

7. Who is your target audience? What do you do to market to them specifically?

I have never shot specifically for a target audience and do not know who they are exactly, so maybe you should contact my buyers on Imagekind and ask them! I just shoot my images and upload them to my websites, specifically ExposedPlanet.com, where I link to my Imagekind  gallery.

That site is very popular, though it is very basic and has never been promoted by Google advertisements, fancy tricks or software. It is just the content that makes people come, I think it has page-rank 6 from Google at the moment.

I think my viewers are travelers, or people who want to be inspired by travels and want to know the real stories, not what the media wants you to believe. The most images I sell are my landscapes, I think a lot of travelers & climbers buy these, as most do not take heavy equipment up high mountains like I do… I do market the photos from my other website, 7summits.com, which caters to climbers & hikers.

Currently I am not updating my portfolio much, as I am traveling by bicycle from Alaska to Argentina (now in Mexico), but I do post images on my travelblog and some of them are already available on Imagekind as well.

8. Are you a full time artist, do you participate in Galleries and Shows?

I organize Mountaineering expeditions, and run several websites, this takes up a lot of my time. I am a full-time traveler though, have been on the road/mountains for the past several years and will be for the years to come. I work from the road (literally) and therefore it is hard to organize shows and galleries, that’s why Imagekind is so great. I guess I need a manager for the real-world galleries/shows (any takers?), as I am sure it will be great. Many of my images need a large size print before you can truly appreciate the scenery.

9. Do you belong to any social networks? How is it working for you?

I am very suspicious about copyrights management and therefore I have stayed away from Facebook (and most photo competitions). I am on LinkedIn and sometimes share advice on the forums. I use Twitter (@ExposedPlanet) to make some quick blog updates and to share some images, but mostly I use it to search current events.

What is getting more important for me are the social travel networks, such as CouchSurfing.org , WarmShowers.org (for traveling cyclists) & HospitalityClub.org . These are wonderful ways to meet local people, who not only offer free places to stay, but they take you to the real sights, not what the brochures want you to see..

My real social network is the world. We are all connected, but we only have one life to enjoy it.

I hope I can share a bit of the amazement I have enjoyed while traveling the 7 continents. The more I see, the more I know I still have to see and I will. Life is too short to focus on not-existing enemies & fears.

My images show some of the varied culture and nature that is to be found on our 7 continents. I hope that it will sparkle your imagination, make you curious or even just educate you a bit, being maybe the 3 most important aspects of society in my view. A picture can say more than a 1000 wars and can maybe help understand the world around us. It’s a small place, so maybe we can make the best of it together.

Mario Zucca is a well-established editorial and artistic illustrator and graphic designer. His works have been included in several major publications both print and online. His bold use of color and sharp lines gives his work an appeal to help tell a story and clearly spread ideas through images. Both thought-provoking and humorous (often at the same time) his work is definitely among some of my personal favorite.

Bio: Mario is a freelance Illustrator/Artist/Graphic Designer currently living in Pittsburgh, PA. He is a 2003 graduate of Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA, with a BFA in Graphic Design/Illustration. Mario is a multi-disciplined Illustrator whose work is suited to a variety of genres, from Editorial Illustration, Book Illustration, Packaging, and Advertising. His clients include ESPN: The Magazine, Crayola, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Jose Cuervo, The American Medical News, Klutz Books, Running Press, and Quirk Books. Mario has had work chosen for the American Illustration website for four years running (vols. 23–26), and he is also the recipient of a 2005 Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Award. In addition, Mario has shown work in a number of group gallery shows, most recently Small Talk in Orlando, FL.

1. What is your inspiration? What keeps you making art?

What keeps me making art is the desire to always be telling a story with a picture. From the time I was a kid, writing and drawing my own comic books, to the work I do today as a freelance illustrator, there’s always some sort of narrative to my artwork. Although I don’t make comics anymore, I’ve always been a big fan of comic books and graphic novels, and I consider R. Crumb to be one of my biggest influences. More recently, I’ve gotten into the work of guys like Edward Gorey, Daniel Clowes, Jeffrey Brown, and a local comic artist, Jim Rugg.

2. What is your process?

Whether it’s a commissioned work or a personal project, it always starts with a concept. I always brainstorm exactly what it is I’m trying to communicate and how I can creatively express that idea. It doesn’t always come easily though. Sometimes editorial work doesn’t lend itself to a great concept, or the Art Directors I’m working with have their own concepts and are fairly rigid about new ideas. However, I find I work best when I’m able to collaborate with an Art Director and we can toss ideas back and forth. For example, the American Medical News is one of my favorite clients to work for because the Art Directors always present their own concept but leave the door open to new ideas. It’s not until I have a concept hammered out that I start thinking about the piece visually.

3. What made you decide to be a designer?

Like a lot of kids who decide on design school, I did it partially out of practicality. I saw Graphic Design as a way for me to have a stable profession while still being able to creatively and artistically express myself…a nice balance between the two. I actually almost pursued Architecture for similar reasons…

4. Humor seems to be an important part of your art. What makes you laugh? What role does humor serve for you?

Humor is extremely important to me. There’s no bigger travesty than when someone takes themselves too seriously. I think it was Mark Rothko who said something to the effect of, and I’m totally paraphrasing here, “If you don’t break down and cry in front of one of my paintings, then you’re missing the point.” It’s statements like that that make me want to barf. As for what I find funny…I’m usually drawn toward subtle, dry humor. A simple, well-placed joke can go a lot further than someone beating you over the head with their comedy.

5. What programs and tools do you use to make your illustrations?

I almost always start with a pen & ink drawing on Bristol board. Then I usually scan in the black & white artwork and add all my color/patterns/textures digitally. I’d say almost half of my time working is spent on the computer, and about 90% of that time is spent using Photoshop.

6. What have been your favorite editorial subjects? Do you take on editorials you don’t believe in?

I very rarely have to illustrate ideas I don’t believe in. I tend to work for publications where the viewpoint being expressed is similar to mine. One of my favorite recent pieces was for the Pittsburgh City Paper for a feature about how awful the Pittsburgh Pirates are. The Art Director’s idea was to depict the funeral of the Pirate Parrot (their mascot)…

7. Who is your target audience? What do you do to market to them specifically?

Concerning my illustration work, I mostly market myself to editorial clients, although I’ve illustrated a few books now and am interested in further pursuing that genre. Concerning my personal work, I honestly don’t consider a target audience. I simply draw the things/people that interest me, and if I happen to share common interests with someone, great. If not…oh well!

8. How do you market yourself?

I try to do a few promotional mailings per year that usually consist of 1000 or so postcards that are sent to editorial art directors, design firms, book publishers, etc. I also try to utilize any free form of self-promotion, particularly online. Sites like Flickr, Myspace, and Facebook can be valuable tools to help you network with other designers and illustrators. I also make sure to always keep my website updated, and occasionally I’ll send out bulk emails. Although, I try to limit emailing to only important occasions…like if I finished work on a book or something.

Also, I made many valuable contacts through my art school. A lot of my former classmates and professors are working as designers or art directors, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with several of them.

9. Do you participate in Galleries and Shows?

I’m actually participating in a group show later this year that explores the idea of communicating in the 21st century, and how advancements like texting and online social networking have affected the way we talk to one another. It should be a lot of fun. Nevertheless, aside from the occasional group show, I don’t show work too often. My work has so many digital elements, and I usually draw on quite a small scale; therefore, my original pen & ink work doesn’t often look great hanging on a gallery wall. That’s why I find that showing high-quality digital prints is probably the best way for me to get my work out there.

10. What do you do when you are not making art?

I have a number of hobbies/activities. I’m a pretty big movie freak, so I’m constantly watching whatever obscure indie or foreign film I can get my hands on. I also love finding new music and making mix CD’s for my friends. I like playing my guitar, albeit poorly, and bowling, also poorly. I also try to stay active by running or riding my bicycle every day. Now that summer’s upon us, I find myself camping and hiking a lot more as well.

11. Do you belong to any artist networks?

Admittedly, I could stand to network a bit more than I do. I’ve never joined the Society of Illustrators or the Graphic Artists Guild, and I’ve had mixed feelings about them for quite some time (i.e. whether the benefits of membership are actually worth the dues). I am however, trying to get more involved in the local art scene here in Pittsburgh. Even if it’s as simple as attending more gallery openings, I think it’s really important to be in touch with what kind of artwork is being created around you.

12. What are your favorite pieces/artists on Imagekind?

I’ve always been a big fan of Christoph Niemann’s. His concepts are always so simple yet so damn clever and funny!

Dennis Mash has been making works of art using non-traditional techniques for decades now. His ideas and techniques have evolved over the years, but he has carved a niche for himself with his gorgeous x-ray images of shells, sea life, and everyday objects. Dennis was kind enough to share his image making methods and his marketing ideas with our blog readers!

The Inside Nature Gallery is a collection of shells and sea life from oceans around the world, all of which have very cool looking internal designs. When friends or clients would see my work, they would come up with other ideas for me to X-Ray. The Inside Design Gallery represents those ideas. I am currently the President of Medical Insights Inc., specializing in consulting, integration and implementation of solutions for the diagnostic imaging market. I continue to work at a local hospital to keep up my diagnostic skills and look for new subjects.

1). How did you start making these types of images?

It’s not like I discovered this technique – other people have done similar things before. When I was in the Navy, my friend Lynn Walsh had the idea. We were both in special procedures – specifically looking at arteries with an x-ray. One day, Lynn said “Hey! Why don’t we x-ray this shell?” We were always looking for new ways to make a little money, and when we saw the images we knew we could sell them matted and framed.

2). What techniques do you use to get your images? How has your technique evolved?

The technique was originally a combination of Radiography and Radiographic film processing. (By the way, a Radiograph and an X-ray are the same thing.) At first, it was trial and error. We were using film, and developing the films in the radiology darkroom to create a negative. We varied the exposure till we got just the right contrast and gray scale to show all the internal dimensions of the shells. The next step would be to go into the darkroom and combine the negative with a piece of subtraction film. Subtraction film gives you a positive image, with a clear background. The original images were the actual films mounted onto a white pebble background, giving it a sense of depth. It looked more like a pen and ink drawing than an x-ray. I taught myself to do matting and framing, and when put all together it looked really neat. This is how I created my prints until 1980.

In 1980, I started working with Andy Reisberg, owner of Photographic Archives in Dallas, Texas. Andy had seen my work and suggested I collaborate with him to take my art in a different direction. He turned my films into gorgeous silver-gelatin prints, sometimes sepia or selenium toning them. We focused on my 13 most popular pieces. Andy and I really collaborated on the process to get the artistic results that I wanted.

Later on, I had my negatives scanned to make giclee prints. I now use different digital techniques to put the images together as collages.

3). What post processing work do you do them?
After scanning, I clean up the backgrounds so they are pure white. If the image is not toned, I will apply a duo-tone filter in Photoshop. It’s a very time intensive process to get it looking just right!

4). How do you choose your images? What are you favorite subjects to work with, and why?
When I first starting making these images, I was in San Diego. Everywhere you looked there were shell shops. Shells were easy enough to get my hands on, and they were gorgeous as well.

I’ve x-rayed many other items as well, though, mostly at the suggestion of family and friends. One year, I made an x-tray of penny loafers for a shoe company that presented at the Apparel Mart in Dallas. They put up the images in their showroom. It was a different, fun advertisement for the shoes. The musical instrument images that are in my gallery were borrowed from a band store in Dallas, and I just paid them back in images!

I prefer working with shells though, but maybe I have just been pursuing them longer. I’ll x-ray pretty much anything!

5). What was the catalyst to sell your images as fine art?
As soon as I saw the first image that we made, I knew I could sell it. Once I saw the finished framed and matted product, I knew that others would want to buy it and they did. It was fine art from the beginning. I try to connect my art to every aspect of my life. It has become the thread that connects my artistic side to my professional life.

6). Do you show your work in galleries? Do you participate in shows and competitions?
I am still represented by the Photographic Archives Gallery in Dallas, Texas. I participated in a number of competitions in the early ‘70s, but I hate to say it, I just don’t have time anymore. My main focus is getting my internet presence worked out and developing my online marketing plan. I might participate in more competitions and shows in the future.

7). You send out some interesting material to your buyers and fans. Can you tell us more about it?
I travel a lot, and wanted former clients and potential clients to have a way to easily see my artwork in my Imagekind galleries. So, I created a marketing email that I sent out to my email list that showed examples of my various pieces matted and framed.

I also designed a CD that I would give out at any Radiologic meetings that I would go to, and I think most radiologists would be interested in my work. I designed the CD in PowerPoint, and built a slideshow to showcase my images. I even added a little jazz music that plays in the background. One thing I learned is that a lot of people are not comfortable with just sticking a CD in their computer, and going to find the drive, and then the file to get it to play. I took that advice to heart and bought an auto-play program so that the CD plays automatically as soon as it is put in the disk drive. The CD boots up with a menu of options, including buttons linking to my Medical Insights web site and my Imagekind galleries.

I really like to have options for those that can’t afford to buy a print. My work is really popular as greeting cards. The greeting cards at Imagekind are great quality, and that’s what I use today when giving out samples of my work. I always give a box of greeting cards to the Radiology departments after an installation. I think it’s important to reach out to those that would be interested in your work.

8). How did you decide on Imagekind for printing?
I started using Imagekind after searching for a way to output my digital files. It’s also really convenient to have my images available on the internet without building a big website. I don’t need printing experience or a lot of money to sell excellent quality images – the printing is great! I knew it would be a great way to market my work for the future, and I found it at the right time.

9). What do you do when you are not making art?
Currently, I am the President of Medical Insights Inc. I still work in the hospital as a Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist part time. I’m married and we have 3 sons. If I’m not traveling for my job I am working on my website and projects.

10). Who is your favorite artist on Imagekind (besides yourself!)
To be honest with you, its hard to answer, because I just haven’t had the time to look at everything! I can’t possibly give you a favorite because I haven’t looked at everything. I do have to say that I look at all the artists who have become my fan, and all of them are extremely talented. I really think there is a ton of great talent on Imagekind, and if my work isn’t quite right for someone, I will always recommend my fellow Imagekind artists.