Predicted Trends of 2018

At the end of 2017, I hosted an informal, totally random survey asking people what one trend they thought would be big in 2018. Now that we are nearing the end of the year, we can see if their predictions came true.

1. Roots. No, not the ones underground, but our origins. There was a strong theme related to "rekindling the love and passion of our roots." Whether that was a general idea or related to a specific art domain, it seems that people want to be in touch with all things handmade, non-commercial, and traditional.

2. Mixed Media. While mixed media is an art movement that goes back to the early 20th century, mixed media as we know it today is hot and getting hotter. Whether it is blending media, layering, combining found objects with commercial products, mixing fibers and paper, or other approaches, mixed media was on the mind of many of the artists who shared their trend predictions.

3. Fine Art Mediums. There has been a steady increase in recent years in the embrace of traditional, fine art mediums within the mixed media and craft worlds. This appears to be continuing with many people noting watercolor paints, portraiture, encaustics, drawing, color mixing, and referencing the color wheel as continuing and coming trends.

4. Nature. All things natural appear to be on the horizon. Think raw surfaces, such as wood, stone, tile and brick, metallics, eco dyeing, water themes, all-things rust, and botanicals.

5. Imperfection. Artists seem to be more and more comfortable embracing the imperfect and it looks like this trend will continue into 2018. Whether patchwork in textile arts, nonrealistic faces in portraiture, or repurposed and up cycled materials, imperfection is the perfect trend.

6. Paint. Paint seems to be the art supply of choice for 2018. Whether watercolors, acrylics or the hot trend of acrylic pouring, paint is definitely our passion.

7. Fiber Art. Perhaps reflecting the trend of returning to our roots, fiber art is everywhere. Stitchery, embroidery, hand sewing, quilting, fringe, patchwork, eco dyeing, and stitching on paper are all hot, hot, hot.

8. Text. Text-based art will continue to be big in 2018. Handwritten and creative lettering, asemic writing, journaling, and using text for story telling are likely to be seen everywhere in the coming year.

9. Journaling. The trend that keeps on giving. Journaling has not yet peaked and will continue strong next year. In recent years, a variety of approaches to journaling led the way. In 2018, bullet journaling and creating your own handmade journals seem to be in the lead.

10. Artivism. An historic trend that seems to reflect the times, creating art and craft for the purpose of political expression, activism, and protest has returned in a big way in 2017 and looks to continue into 2018.

So what do you think? Were any of these predictions correct? And if not...what trends were evident to you in 2018?

Trends of 2018

Best of...

As we end 2017, I was curious as to what artists in our online community were expecting to be big in the upcoming year. In an informal, completely non-quantitative, random survey, I asked people what one trend they thought would be big in 2018. Although everybody had their unique opinion, it was fascinating to see that there was quite a good deal of overlap in predictions.

1. Roots. No, not the ones underground, but our origins. There was a strong theme related to "rekindling the love and passion of our roots." Whether that was a general idea or related to a specific art domain, it seems that people want to be in touch with all things handmade, non-commercial, and traditional.

2. Mixed Media. While mixed media is an art movement that goes back to the early 20th century, mixed media as we know it today is hot and getting hotter. Whether it is blending media, layering, combining found objects with commercial products, mixing fibers and paper, or other approaches, mixed media was on the mind of many of the artists who shared their trend predictions.

3. Fine Art Mediums. There has been a steady increase in recent years in the embrace of traditional, fine art mediums within the mixed media and craft worlds. This appears to be continuing with many people noting watercolor paints, portraiture, encaustics, drawing, color mixing, and referencing the color wheel as continuing and coming trends.

4. Nature. All things natural appear to be on the horizon. Think raw surfaces, such as wood, stone, tile and brick, metallics, eco dyeing, water themes, all-things rust, and botanicals.

5. Imperfection. Artists seem to be more and more comfortable embracing the imperfect and it looks like this trend will continue into 2018. Whether patchwork in textile arts, nonrealistic faces in portraiture, or repurposed and up cycled materials, imperfection is the perfect trend.

6. Paint. Paint seems to be the art supply of choice for 2018. Whether watercolors, acrylics or the hot trend of acrylic pouring, paint is definitely our passion.

7. Fiber Art. Perhaps reflecting the trend of returning to our roots, fiber art is everywhere. Stitchery, embroidery, hand sewing, quilting, fringe, patchwork, eco dyeing, and stitching on paper are all hot, hot, hot.

8. Text. Text-based art will continue to be big in 2018. Handwritten and creative lettering, asemic writing, journaling, and using text for story telling are likely to be seen everywhere in the coming year.

9. Journaling. The trend that keeps on giving. Journaling has not yet peaked and will continue strong next year. In recent years, a variety of approaches to journaling led the way. In 2018, bullet journaling and creating your own handmade journals seem to be in the lead.

10. Artivism. An historic trend that seems to reflect the times, creating art and craft for the purpose of political expression, activism, and protest has returned in a big way in 2017 and looks to continue into 2018.

Trending Trends

Best of...

As one year turns into the next, trend watchers often share their finds of what to expect in the new year. This is the case in art and craft as much as in every other industry. Here is a summary of predictions from online trend spotters from a number of different industries, many of which are likely to be reflected in art and craft as well.

1. Mixed Media is Hot. In our online art and craft community, mixed media has been a hot trend for a number of years now. There has been a huge shift in the craft industry in the last several years away from traditional scrapbooking toward mixed media. This has been evident at the last few Association of Creative Industries (AFCI) annual trade shows and I expect it to be true in the upcoming January show as well. But...mixed media has crossed into other industries as well. 

---Fifteen Design includes mixed media as one of its visual design trends for 2018.

---RVD Media Group says mixed media will have "its most splendid moment" in 2018.

---WHO WHAT WEAR highlights the mixed media trend in fashion.

---Benicia Magazine echos this trend of mixed media in fashion, characterizing it as aligned with the "Art"-ivist woman, a boundary pusher who is both artist and activist.

---Yellow Creative is even calling for mixed media content in website design trends in 2018.

2. Type is King. Lettering and typography, already a big trend, gets bigger.   

---Kelly Elko references the Doneger Group who predicts the use of lettering and type in china and glassware.

---Complex, hand drawn and bespoke type are trends to be according to Fifteen Design.

---The popularity of lettering on home goods, such as pillows, was also referred to by Natalie Way.

---Design Hill lists among the trends in typography and logo design for 2018 bright colors, bold fonts, increasingly creative type, hand drawn and broken typography.

3. Metallics are Mighty. Iridescent and metallic surfaces and colors are hot and getting hotter.

---Elle Decor references Leatrice Eiseman who speaks to the trend of metallic and iridescent colors and says they have become neutrals in home design. 

---Both Refinery 29 and Elite Daily talk about the unexpected trend of metallics in hair color.

---Rachel Hosie lists metallics as one of the 6 big trends expected in interior design in 2018.

4. Bold Colors are In. Across the board, bold, bright and intense colors are predicted to be popular. 

---Realtor.com shares Pantone's prediction that intense colors, reflective of our lifestyle today, will be big in home design.

---Fifteen Design feels that web design will move away from pastel colors toward bright colors that are "stronger and rebellious."

---Creativeworld predicts that intensive shades such as magenta, yellow, cyan, orange-red, azure, violet and emerald will play the leading role in color.

---Top Drawer shares that Farrow and Ball predicts the popularity of strong and powerful colors.

---WebCreate.me highlights the trend of bright, contrasting and vivid colors.

Top Ten Trends in Mixed Media Art in 2017

Trends. Some people watch them, some follow them, and some people avoid them at all costs. But trends are a very real phenomenon that often determines the items available in your local art and craft shop, the art books that you see online, the workshops that are available to take, and the pictures which pop up in your Facebook feed.

The following is a list of the top ten trends among mixed media artists in 2017.  While by definition trends come and go, the list below suggests that trends do come - but may never go. As noted, many of the trends listed have been popular in the recent past and show no signs of disappearing.

Remember that this represents just one artist's opinion and has been limited to ten. Feel free to add any trends that you may have noticed in the comments below. 

And stay tuned for January which brings my list of the top ten trends coming in 2018 as seen at Creativation, the annual trade show for AFCI - the Association for Creative Industries (formally known as CHA).

THE TOP TEN

1. Wet Media. Acrylic paint continues to be the number one choice in this category. While traditional fluid and heavy body paints are the most popular, paint pens, daubers, and sprays are increasing in popularity as well. Of late, there seems to be a spike in people who are engaging in acrylic pouring. There has been continued growth in the use of watercolors as well. More and more companies are developing products in this area, which not only include traditional paints but also watercolor pencils, metallic paints, along with paper and products with a watercolor design.

2. Texture. Adding texture to mixed media artwork continues to be a trend. New formulas of gesso, gels, pastes, and textured elements are continually being developed. Ingredients used to create texture run the gamut from commercially made products to natural elements. Style-wise, they range from matte, vintage and rusty all the way to shiny, glossy and sleek.

3. The adult coloring book trend appears to be losing steam. Last year at this time, the top ten list of mixed media/craft books on Amazon was overflowing with coloring books as were the magazine shelves at Barnes and Noble. Still evident in the marketplace however, these books have lately been focused on highly specific markets rather than coloring in general.

4. Lettering. All things text, letters, fonts and calligraphy remain a powerful force in the mixed media market. Whether as a stand-alone technique, incorporated into artwork, or used as a relaxation technique, lettering remains hot. Think of all the fancy lettering you have seen this past year on those ubiquitous inspirational quotes on Facebook The continued popularity of art journals and planners is a strong contributing factor as well.

5. Stencils. Stencils have become a hot item in the last number of years and, at this point, seem to be more of a staple for mixed media artists rather than a trend that is likely to disappear. Artist designed stencils - rather than more generic, computer-based designs - seem to be driving this continued resurgence. The acceptance of graffiti and street art as a full-fledged art domain has also contributed. Ironically, stencils developed for home decor have been evident this past year, mirroring the purpose of stencils popular back in the 1970s-1980s.

6. Art Journaling. Creatives continue to embrace art journaling and its popularity only appears to be increasing. Many artists find the freedom that comes with keeping an art journal ("no rules") very appealing. The availability of journaling products, books, groups and workshops have taken what at one point was a solitary activity and turned it into a group exercise. While many people still keep private journals, an ever increasing majority share their pages. And as in many creative things, build a community and they will come.

7. Tradition. While it might at first glance seem strange that tradition could be seen as a trend, it often seems like long-standing art domains periodically emerge as popular approaches for mixed media artists. In addition to watercolor, as noted above, collage continues to be strong, with people incorporating paper as well as painted elements, found objects and the many commercial embellishments created for artists and crafters on the market. Portraiture has shown a resurgence, helped along by workshops, books and products such as face stencils that are now available. Other traditions showing an increase in popularity this past year include cold wax, encaustics, paper cutting and sketching.

8. Fiber. Mixed media artists continue to integrate materials and techniques more historically associated with fiber artists. Hand and machine stitching, eco dyeing, shibori, and fabric-based books have all been increasingly evident over the course of 2017. Mixed media weaving to create texture and dimension is also notable and has been supported by the release of small, easy-to-use looms from multiple companies.

9. Mark Making. Mark making has been synonymous with abstract art for many years but it is an area that has been increasingly prevalent in mixed media over the last few years - perhaps in part because the concept of mark making seems so much more accessible to many people than drawing. As more and more people have become increasingly comfortable with the freedom of expression that goes along with mixed media, they have also become more willing to experiment and take risks via mark making. This trend has led to (or been fueled by) an increasing number of mark makers being produced by the craft and art industries and the popularity of more rustic, hand-made mark makers.

10. The Rest. Other mixed media trends noted throughout the year include 1) layering: always a hallmark of mixed media but recently simplified by the many companies releasing "kits" of stencils and stamps, dies and stamps, coordinated products, etc.; 2) metallics: in the form of pens, paints, and mediums, foils and related adhesives and machines, embellishments, paper and design elements; 3) planners: a recent mainstay in the craft industry, 2017 saw the rise of planners in the style of the traveler's notebook; and 4) apps: painting and drawing apps continue to be popular and are bring used as both digital sketch books and to create finished work.

Trending Trends

Best of...

As one year turns into the next, trend watchers often share their finds of what to expect in the new year. This is the case in art and craft as much as in every other industry. Here is a round-up and summary of predictions from online trend spotters.

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Top Drawer, a design-led, lifestyle event in the UK for creative retailers, shares six trends that cut across craft, home, gift and fashion for Spring/Summer 2017...

The Blues: The tranquil tones of myriad different blues grace everything with a touch of beautiful, ethereal cool.

Honest Simplicity: Here the aesthetic is fluid; the color palette soft, warm and natural.

The Tribe Vibe: Pattern, material and texture reference a tribal, natural vibe.

Echoes of Deco: Bold geometrics. metallics and an aura of luminous luxe characterize this ultra-glam trend.

Happy: This direction sees eye popping colour, modern materials and strong, graphical influences...

'70s Remix: The distinctively bright color combinations and dynamic patterns so redolent of '70s decor get a fresh update.

                                        

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Creativeworld, the annual, international trade fair in Frankfurt for hobbies, arts & crafts, and artists, focuses on trends in both exhibition and education. They have created three "trend worlds" for 2017/2018.

Whimsy: a trend full of contrasts. Playful, bizarre or lively. The idea is to mixed and patch together intensive colours with various patterns or outlandish forms...juxtapose contrasts and in turn generate a new exciting unity.

Thoughtful: delicate and modest. This trend uses modest neutral colours and delicate minimalist patterns... This modest style uses neutral grey, black and white nuanced colours which are complemented by sensuous pastel shades such as rose and bright blue.

Imperfect: the new perfection... Derived from nature and folklore... it closely mirrors the Japanese Wabi-Sabi principle which says you can find beauty in everything, even imperfection... It is where imperfect and haphazard meets ordered and conventional.

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Robert Rusin shares his 5 top 2017 trends for artists and designers...

Abstract Compositions

Unusual Geometric Shapes

Bold, clashing colours

Free-hand sketches

Random Photography 

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Miriam Harris shares 5 visual trends for 2017 in multiple categories, including...

Colour: Pantone'c color for 2017 is greenery and is all about new beginnings, freshness, and environmentalism.

Also expect to see a rise in deep hues such as khaki, olive green, brick reds, maroon browns, and charcoal grey. The long term colour forecast is a trend in primary colors of red, blue and green.

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Based on search terms, Getty Images shares 6 visual trends in photography for 2017...

Virtuality: Rather than looking at an image, we are now in the image.

Color Surge: Color is no longer just one component of the image; it became the star.

Unfiltered: Fearless and passionate, bold documentary-style imagery is quickly gaining ground.

Gritty Woman: Fighter, feminist, phenomenon - more concerned with what she can dothan how she should look.

Global Neighborhood: Our collective cultural identities will be less about where we are and more about what we believe.

New Naivety: Celebrating visuals that are spontaneous and playful, and at times uncomfortable.

Top Ten Trends In Mixed Media

Twice a year, the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) publishes a report for their members that covers the trends in the industry. Relevant to manufacturers, retailers, designers, bloggers, crafters and artists, this document presents a snap shot of both the current and the upcoming trends in the world of craft and art.

For Winter 2016, the report was expanded and includes the following categories: Altered Pages, Art & Illustration, Canadian Craft Trends, Colors & Motifs, Children's Crafts, European Craft Trends, General Craft Trends, Home Decor Handcrafted, Jewelry Art, Mixed Media, Needle & Sewing Arts, Paper Arts & Craft, Renegade Crafts Stateside, Renegade Crafts Global, Surface Design, Tools & Techniques, and Wearable Art.

As a member of the Trends Committee of the Designer Section of CHA, I am responsible for writing the section on mixed media. I wanted to share some of latest trends from the report with you.

Top 10 Trends in Mixed Media

1. Art Journaling: more focus on art rather than text, with a continued emphasis on authenticity and the addition of hand-drawn details and visually complex imagery; Bible journaling continues to gain popularity as well

2. Mark Makers: markers, pens and pencils continue to be popular and used in conjunction with many of the other 2016 trends (see #1, 5, 10)

3. Collage: an art mainstay seeing a resurgence, with paper, metal, fabric and hand/machine stitching increasingly popular

4. Texture: the addition of increasingly varied texture mediums on the market is fueling an increased interest in all-things textural and dimensional

5. Text and Lettering: this trend, strong in the past few years, continues with no end in site

6. Stencils: popularity continues with trends evident in abstract patterns, nature-themes, background texture, and text

7. Color Palette: increased use of subtle color tones and metallics can be seen, along with a decrease in bright, bold colors

8. Design Elements: circular, organic and natural shapes are replacing the hard, geometric shapes popular in recent years

9. Portraiture: an increased interest in adding faces to art continues, especially with the help of stencils, masks, and collage

10. Coloring: coloring books for adults are booming and fueling increased interest in pencils, crayons, sketching, and stamping

Seeing your own trends? Add your thoughts to this post in the comments section.

Top 10 Trends in Mixed Media

Twice a year, the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) publishes an in-depth report describing the trends within the craft industry. This publication is a snapshot of the products, supplies and techniques that are hot at the present time and likely to emerge in the upcoming months. It makes for a fascinating read for all crafters, artists, manufacturers and retailers interested in better understanding the "State of the Union" of our community.

The report covers the following areas: general crafts, children's crafts, home decor, jewelry arts, mixed media, needle arts, paper craft, and wearable arts. As a designer member of CHA and part of the Trends Committee, I was responsible for the section on mixed media. I have summarized 10 mixed media trends for mid-year 2015 below. Click here to read the full report.

TOP 10 TRENDS IN MIXED MEDIA

SUMMER 2015

--Art Journaling: with a shift toward more authentic, raw journaling and less emphasis on pretty pages

--Bible Journaling: faith-based journaling directly into bibles is on the rise

--Text and Lettering: a hot trend from 2014 continues in many forms

--Paint Mediums: more and more companies are diving into the paint business and paint pens are a hot product in 2015

--Fine Art: crosses into mixed media via the popularity of encaustic and cold wax techniques, portraiture and watercolors

--Stencils: continues to ride a wave of popularity with text, geometric shapes, nature, portraiture and and background designs trending as themes

--Fabric and Fiber: crossing into mixed media in many forms

--Surface Design: renewed interest is evident on fabric and paper, both digitally and handmade

--Sketching: a continued resurgence in sketching and drawing is evident

--Coloring books for adults are hot, hot, hot

Seeing your own trends? Add you thoughts to this post in the comments section...

Trends to Watch

As I walked the floor of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) mega show last week, I kept my eyes peeled. 

Not only did I want to see the new products that were being released but I also wanted to see where the industry was headed in terms of trends. And to see which trends from last year might be on their last legs. 

Of course it often seems like the pendulum always swings, so I never really count any trend as down for the count.

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In no particular order, this is what popped out to me at the show...

--Brights: Bright colors were everywhere, from scrapbook paper to planners. Vivid and bold colors in both pastel and jewel tones were in evidence.

--Letters: A very popular theme at the show was the use of text as a design element. Large bold letters were frequently seen not only in product but in booth design as well, where too many booths to count used marquee-style letters (with and without light bulbs) to spell out their company names.

--Watercolors: A number of companies highlighted a watercolor look in their papers and/or other products.

--Planners: The newest incarnation of the scrapbook are planner-style books, complete with dated pages and to-do lists but with the addition of art-filled pages as well.

--Metallics and Iridescents: One of my personal favorite trends from the show, metallic and iridescent could be found in paints, sprays, markers, paper and more.

--Stencils: The stencil trend from last year continues unabated, with more and more companies dipping into the stencil pool.

--Mixed Media: Mixed media was everywhere and it seems like more and more companies that have been traditionally based in the scrapbooking-arm of the market have fully embraced mixed media products including paint, texture mediums, and the like.

In terms of trends losing steam, I noticed the following...

--Vintage: The vintage style continues to dwindle, which seemed to me to be a very polarizing occurrence. While many people I asked about this cheered, an equal number mourned.

--Washi Tape: While still available, washi tape was not evident in abundance as it had recently been.

--Chalkboard: Last year it seemed like a majority of companies were embracing chalkboard products. At the 2015 show there was definitely less to be found.

--Rub-ons: Not sure that anybody would have said these were a trend last year, but they are a personal favorite of mine. I hunted and hunted for rub-ons, but in the end saw relatively few.

In terms of buzz...

--I asked many of my colleagues which product(s) stood out to them and seemed to generate the most buzz at the show. Unfortunately, person after person had a hard time with this question and noted that there seemed to be less innovation and excitement in the releases this year.

Am I missing something...

--If you were at the show or have noticed any trends in your local shops or online, please share them here in the comments. I am curious as to what others have seen.

2013 Trends in Mixed Media

Becoming a member of the Craft & Hobby Association - better known as CHA - has been a fascinating and exciting experience for me. Membership comes with a lot of opportunities...not the least of which is the ability to attend their annual trade show. But more than that, they provide support, education, networking, and a host of other services.

If you have been wondering what CHA is all about or are interested in finding out what membership entails, click here.

Soon after I joined as a Designer Member, I volunteered to be part of the Trends Team. Among other activities, the team puts together an annual report that reviews the trends of the prior year and predicts those to come. Not surprisingly, my focus was mixed media. The report also includes general crafts, paper crafts, home decor, beading/jewelry making, sewing/wearable arts, and fiber arts/needlework.

While the report in its entirety is available only to CHA members (yet another reason to join),  I wanted to at least share with you a summary of my findings regarding mixed media.

(special thanks to the folks at Art is You for creating this mosaic)

2013 has seen increased popularity in:

1. Upcycling and recycling of nontraditional materials
2. Use of stencils in innovative ways
3. The manufacturing and use of stamps (rubber, cling mount, etc.)
4. Zentangling, mark making, and doodling 
5. Integration of hand-done and digital approaches
6. The use of the Gelli Plate in expanded directions
7. Adding faces to artwork via drawing, stencils, and stamps 
8. Encaustic and faux-encaustic approaches
9. Art journaling
10. Online workshops
11. Live workshops taught collaboratively by multiple artists

Any trends I missed? Add your thoughts by leaving a comment to this post...