The deadline for submissions will be here before you know it as April 30 is right around the corner. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your work included – we want nothing more than to see the artists of Stark County (hearted and otherwise) to succeed. This book is one small way to get your work out there.

Indigo Ink Press, a new nonprofit independent publisher in Canton, Ohio, has announced that it will launch with Stark ARThology, the first book dedicated exclusively to the work of talented and creative visual artists in Stark County, Ohio.

Local artists are invited to submit work for consideration in the book through April 30, 2010.

About the Book

Stark ARThology will be a coffee table style hardcover book that showcases artwork through stunning oversized visuals. The book will feature artists who work in all visual media – including painting, pen and ink, pencil, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, mixed media and more.

The book will be sold through local galleries, studios, art venues, specialty retailers and online through the Indigo Ink website and Amazon.com. The book will also be made available for free to high school and Stark County District Libraries. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to ArtsinStark’s SmArts Program.

The book will be published this fall in time for the holiday gift-giving season and is made possible through a special project grant from ArtsinStark, The County Arts Council.

Artist Benefits

Artists selected for the book will receive two free copies and professional photography services for the selected piece(s), as well as a professional artist headshot photo. Stark ARThology will be celebrated at a launch party in November.

An advisory committee will select artists and pieces for the book. Artists must submit work by April 30 to be considered. Submissions are being accepted online and there are more details available on our website at indigoinkpress.org.

If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Bennett via email at editor@indigoinkpress.org, or call (330) 417-7715.

Liz DeBellis‘ work is woven, whether her stitches are the tactile fibers of her quilts and fabric pieces, or bound together by the liquid stitches of her inks. By print or by quilt, DeBellis entwines us in her story.

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Fiber artist and print maker, Liz DeBellis, is young and talented. Because for an artist who deals in such literal themes – leaves, a faucet, tree limbs – her work is sensationally allegorical. It captures the magic of the symbols of our existence, pieces them together and stitches them up with renewed meaning. She was selected for the annual Quilt National exhibit because of her distinct demonstrations of innovation in quilting. Be sure to check out her upcoming shows and her full resume of accomplishments.

Once again we’ve been introduced to a talented artist who is learning their craft in Stark County while also teaching art to a new generation of artists. DeBellis is aiding young students in New Philadelphia with their formative art education.

Liz just started her “Fiber Dreams” blog, so check it out to get the most up to date scoop on what she’s developing, and be sure to go to her shop on Etsy – great gift items, especially her purses!

Check out more of Liz’s work on her website, or click over to her permanent Hearted-Artist gallery.

Please let us know what YOU think about Liz’s work by leaving a comment below, and by rating her portfolio. Come back in two weeks – to check out our next hearted artist!

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P.S. You’ll never be cool like Liz if you don’t submit your artist portfolio! And if you’ve already submitted, we’ll be picking another hearted artist in two weeks – it might just be you!

The difference this week is really quite simple. Conservation photographer Stephen McNulty’s work is literally imbued with benevolence.

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In the fleeting moments before the eagle sails over his prey, in the delicate, symbiotic palette of shallow tide pools, and in the resplendent electricity of the tiny frog’s environ, we find no hint of the remoteness of the locales. Instead, there is an intimate and accessible component, a beckoning, voyeur view of magnificent creatures and habitats.

The scenes Stephen shows us from his travels – be it Alaska, the Caribbean or Polynesia – are captured impeccably. They go a long way to replicate the wonder he must have experienced first hand, separated by a single, simple lens.

For more about Stephen, be sure to click over to his permanent Hearted-Artist gallery. You can also see his work in person at Cyrus Art Gallery or The Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography, where he is the general manager.

Please let us know what YOU think about Stephen’s work by leaving a comment below, and by rating his portfolio. Come back next week – same time, same place – to check out our next hearted artist!

[ratings]

P.S. You’ll never be cool like Stephen if you don’t submit your artist portfolio! And if you’ve already submitted, we’ll be picking another hearted artist next week – it might just be you!

North Canton artist Renie Britenbucher packs a powerful palette of whimsy, quirk and euphoria into all she brushes.

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Renie’s work has charm and charisma, a soul all its own. She thinks of it as “modern whimsical folk art.” I think of it as a harmonious alternate universe of contentment.

She brings her dreams into being with series like “Peace On Earth” and her thoughtful “Diva” collection. With Renie, one minute you’re “Sailing, Sailing,” and the next you’re taking in her take on the resounding energy of life in her landscapes and cityscapes.

Like what you see? Her substantive portfolio can be viewed at a variety of sites, including her own website (where the site itself takes whimsy to extremes!), as well a variety of sites where you can purchase her work on canvas, on mug, on apparel, and more.

Check out more of Renie’s work over at her permanent Hearted-Artist gallery.

Please let us know what YOU think about Renie’s work by leaving a comment below, and by rating her portfolio. Come back next week – same time, same place – to check out our next hearted artist!
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P.S. You’ll never be cool like Lynn if you don’t submit your artist portfolio! And if you’ve already submitted, we’ll be picking another hearted artist next week – it might just be you!

Color beats like a heart robbed of chest in the work of North Canton artist, Christopher Triner.

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We open on a city bursting with an emphatic pulse. Grit and beauty thrumming together, mesmerizing in the dark…

The scene changes, exposes a richly dappled valley, with limbs reaching, no, tearing toward the sky with unknown urgency…

The scene changes, reveals a windswept field at autumn’s ascent. Blades rustling cautiously in unison…

The scene changes, unveils soft spoken blossoms, lolling in the hazy morning rays, just now waking.

Christopher’s work is a series of scenes – eager, desperate, anxious, and wistful moving pictures. Scenes locked in time with all the theatrics of a good long story.

Christopher teaches visual art for Hoover High School in North Canton. I think you’ll agree – our students are in good hands.

For more about Christopher, click over to his permanent Hearted-Artist gallery.

Please let us know what YOU think about Christopher’s work by leaving a comment below, and by rating his portfolio. Come back next week – same time, same place – to check out our next hearted artist!

[ratings]

P.S. You’ll never be cool like Christopher if you don’t submit your artist portfolio! And if you’ve already submitted, we’ll be picking another hearted artist next week – it might just be you!