Would you like to see one of your freeform peyote beading pieces in a book? I'm still accepting submissions for inclusion in my upcoming book,
Explorations in Freeform Peyote Beading.
What I'm looking for are
original designs, high-quality
photos and a wide range of styles. The predominant beading style of all
work submitted for consideration must be freeform peyote, though pieces
may include other beading styles, stitches and media. Works may be
jewelry, accessories or small sculptural pieces. This is
open to all artists both within the United States and abroad.
The deadline is March 31st 2014, which is fast approaching.
I'm looking for both finished pieces and for artists willing to show a peak into their process. Here's the skinny:
Finished Works
I need finished pieces to help showcase the breadth and depth of the medium and to help illustrate specific design and construction techniques. I'm looking for both Rock Star stand-out pieces and good solid samples of freeform peyote design.
If I use your work, the caption will include the your name (and your photographer’s name, if different) and the title of your piece. I will also include your name and the title of your piece in an index of photographs,
with a link/URL to your website, blog or estore (limit one URL). In addition, each
artist will receive a digital copy of the completed book.
Share Your Process & Become a Featured Artist
My goal here is to show how other artists tackle the construction and design process. Besides photographs of the finished piece, I'm also looking for several process photos illustrating the key points in helping someone else understand what you are doing. A photograph of your source of inspiration or any design sketches is also welcome. Include some written commentary explaining your process and process photos (2-3 paragraphs).
If you are chosen as one of my featured artists, you will receive a print copy of the finished book and a $50 token of appreciation for your contribution.
Interested in Submitting a Piece?
Read through the general guidelines below
Please use my Submission Form! I am not trying to be contrary here, but it helps insure that I receive all of the information I need and keeps all of the information in one place so I don't accidentally lose track of what you have submitted.
Due to upload limitations, the maximum file size for each image is 3MB,
with a maximum of three images per entry. You may submit up to two Call
for Entry applications if you would like to submit more than three
images. Please let me know if you have larger or other versions of your photographs available.
General Guidelines
Copyright: Only submit work for which you are wholely responsible for both the design and construction. If
your work was inspired by the work of another artist, please include
the name of the artist and their work, explaining how it acted as your
inspiration.
Works submitted for consideration should be relatively new, produced
within the past three years, preferably that has not been published in
any other print format, to avoid potential licensing infringements. If
your work has been reproduced in another book or magazine, you must let
me know where as there may be copyright/licensing issues involved. If
your work has appeared on a blog or other digital format, please let me
know this as well (including URLs where available) and
whether it was
that particular photograph that was used for the site.
Licensing: If your work is accepted into this project, you agree
not to publish your work in any other format (including your personal
blog and social media pages) until the publication date of the book, or
December 31, 2014 if the book has not yet been released. You retain all
rights to your photograph and to the original work. You grant Karen
Williams and Skunk Hill Studio the right to reproduce photographs of
your work in print and digital formats, including publicity materials
(websites, press releases, blog posts, postcards, etc) related to the
book.
Image Format & Sizes: Images may be submitted as .JPG or
.PNG. Minimum file size (1500x2000pixels), Maximum file size 3MB
(3072KB). If your image is selected for inclusion, I may contact you to
see if it is available in a larger format.
Photography Tips:
Backgrounds:
Keep the background simple and appropriate for the piece. Neutral
backgrounds - white or black - work really well so long as they read as
white or black in the photograph (whites that look yellow are hard to
correct without losing color details in the piece, for instance). More detailed
backgrounds can also work, so long as they help tell the story of the
piece without overwhelming it. A fantastic guide to taking great photos
is
The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum (I wrote a more detailed review
here).
Color:
Make sure the photo is as close to true color as possible! If you are
submitting multiple shots of the same piece, make sure that the colors
remain consistent between photos.
Focus: I
can't stress this one enough! The focal point of your photograph must
be crystal clear. I want people to be able to see individual beads. If
you're photographing a larger work, such as a necklace, the entire
piece may not be in focus due to depth of field issues. This is okay so
long as the most important part of your piece is in crystal focus.
Process photos
- it's extremely important that these be on a solid, neutral background
(white, grey, cream or black). I take process photos on my bead mat
which has a very fine texture - that's fine so long as it comes across
as subtle texture and not wear. It's okay to have stray beads mat, so
long as they don't interfere with the viewers ability to see the photo's
focus. Watch out for stray pet fur, lint and other stray bits
though.
In taking process photos, try to come up with the key points in helping someone else understand what you are doing.
Any questions? Let me know! I look forward to hearing from you.
