artsy forager

Category: Paintings

  • Color. Yago Hortal.

    Color. Yago Hortal.

    Monochromatic.  Neutral. Boring.  Does it ever seem like life just flows from one ordinary and unremarkable day into the next?  In a world dominated by screens and engines, we’ve created a universe that seems devoid of real life and color.

    Barcelona artist Yago Hortal embraces the color many of us run from. In fact, his work seems to revel in all its brash boldness and audacity.

    Yago Hortal | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Yago Hortal | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Yago Hortal | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Yago Hortal | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Hortal_SP60.-acrylic-on-linen.-27x22cm

     

    It seems like we try to curb the color in our lives, perhaps not literal but metaphorically.  That friend, she’s way too “out there”, so we minimize the time we spend with her.  We homogenize our relationships so that everyone we interact with looks like us, talks like us, thinks like us.  So much sameness that it becomes jarring to encounter anyone who is different.  But it is those differences that enrich us and teach us.  Let’s embrace the color in our lives, no matter what hue it may be!

    To see more of Yago Hortal‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Blues. Marta Penter.

    Blues. Marta Penter.

    Philo said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  We all have our pain and struggles that we carry around with us.  But some of us are better than others at hiding our battle scars.

    Marta Penter | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Marta Penter | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Marta Penter | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Marta Penter | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Marta Penter | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart

     

    These paintings by Brazilian artist Marta Penter called to my mind the thought of the lonely and hurting who walk among us.  We can’t see the pain behind their smiles, the wounds beyond the laughter.  Every one of us is one of them.  Some days we might be carry our blues more prominently than others, but they are always there, just beneath the surface.

    To see more of Marta Penter‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

     

  • Livelihood. Michael Muir.

    Livelihood. Michael Muir.

    After spending too much time parked in front of the laptop this morning, I took a little break in our backyard.  Just looking out the window, the landscape seems silent and still.  But one step outside and the realization washes over me that every moment is teeming with sound and movement and life.

    It’s happening just like that.  We are so often caught up in our own microcosm that we forget there is a macro world happening all around us, in full sound, color, and light.  As I type, the branches are softly swaying, acorn shells are dropping from a hungry squirrel’s mouth, clouds slowly pass, the neighbor’s chickens clucks are heard loudly through our little valley.

    Michael Muir | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Michael Muir | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Michael Muir | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Michael Muir | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart Michael Muir | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #fineart

    We’re so self-involved, it’s easy to let opportunities to see and relish the world around us pass by.  Staring at our phones, working, going to the gym instead of going for a walk.  These paintings by Australian artist Michael Muir drive home for me what a beautifully colorful world is awaiting.  We just need to open our eyes to see it.

    To see more of Michael Muir‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Circles. Benjamin Cook.

    Circles. Benjamin Cook.

    You have yours, I have mine.  Sometimes they overlap, often times they don’t.  Our worlds are made up of our circles– of friends, of family, of colleagues.  Some people like to keep their circles separate, no mixing of worlds in their spheres.

    With their concentric orbs, these paintings by Benjamin Cook remind us though they may be different in size, form, and shade, our circles reverberate through us and through each other.

    Benjamin Cook | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Benjamin Cook | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Benjamin Cook | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Benjamin Cook | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart Benjamin Cook | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart

     

    Some of my circles are nearly polar opposites– from good ol’ Southern folks to delightfully hippy West Coasters.  Each one has their influence on who I am and who I am continuing to become.  I love my slight Southern drawl ( I love Mr. F’s even more! ) but my political leanings are very left-coaster.  I’m at home in both those circles because I love those people for exactly who they are, even if I may not agree with all they believe.  It’s important to spend time among each because although they may not mix often, I am their common denominator and experiencing all sides helps me to become who I truly am, not who I am told to be.

    To see more of Benjamin Cook‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Sanctuaries. Susanna Bluhm.

    Sanctuaries. Susanna Bluhm.

    Mr. F and I are purists when it comes to spending time in the outdoors.  We like to keep things simple and spend as much time exploring outside of camp as possible.  For us, it isn’t about hanging out around a campground, it is about abiding in the wild and quiet places.  Yosemite National Park is an incredible example of a scenic sanctuary, but with nearly 4 million visitors a year, it can be anything but quiet.

    Yosemite is comprised of nearly 1200 square miles of wilderness so it just takes a bit of effort to escape the crowds and find some peace.  Our last full day in Yosemite, we awoke long before sunrise, packed up for the day and headed out from Glacier Point to hike ten miles to Nevada Falls.  Beginning in the mist and fog, we had the trail to ourselves for much of the morning.  It is in those moments of solitude that we can truly appreciate the beauty and splendor that surrounds us.  These are our favorite memories of wild places.

    In her Yosemite series, Seattle artist Susanna Bluhm creates paintings based on her own experiences of the park, first from the eyes of a child, then through the eyes of an adult and mother.

    Susanna Bluhm | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #yosemite Susanna Bluhm | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #yosemite Susanna Bluhm | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #yosemite Susanna Bluhm | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #yosemite Susanna Bluhm | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #yosemite

     

    We see the marks of human hand in Bluhm’s landscapes, graffiti-like marks and geometrics reminding us that we are ever encroaching on these wild temples.  There is a reason, though, that we continue to return.  These pristine spaces call to us, call to the untamed spirit that dwells deep inside, the one buried beneath the worries and wires of modern life.

    To see more of Susanna Bluhm‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Balm. Seth Smith.

    Balm. Seth Smith.

    Last year in Eureka, summer practically passed us by.  I think I wore shorts twice.  Which is just the way Mr. F and I like it.  But this year in Marin, we’ve seen our fair share of warm days.  And while the warmth definitely wears on me, the knowledge that it is short lived helps me enjoy its stay just a little.

    Seth Smith | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Seth Smith | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Seth Smith | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Seth Smith | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Seth Smith | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings

     

    Now don’t get me wrong– I’ll complain about the heat!  But I’ll take the blue skies and sparkles on the water in exchange for the extra warmth.  It helps soothe my soul to know that this time is fleeting, that soon the blue skies will change back to gray, the color in the leaves will begin to shift, the air will again be crisp and cool.  Summer, you may come and I’ll bask in your short-lived presence because it reminds me this season will depart soon enough.

    The paintings featured are by artist Seth Smith.  See more of Seth’s work on his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Shifts. Eric LoPresti.

    Shifts. Eric LoPresti.

    As we approach the blank surface, perhaps there is a preformed destination in mind.  Or maybe we simply begin and follow where the paint takes us.  For many artists, painting is as much about process as it is about finished product.  Actually, it is likely more about process and hardly about product at all.

    Last year, New York artist Eric LoPresti created a series of paintings repeating the same composition but shifting to various degrees stylistically.

    Lopresti1 Lopresti2 Lopresti3 Lopresti4 Lopresti5

     

    Even the artist that begins with an idea of where they are going will often find the paint taking them in a different direction entirely.  It is when we are open to those new directions that the magic really happens– the subconscious takes over and our heart wields the brush ahead of our mind.  All it takes is the placement of a certain color or line and suddenly we are off into worlds as yet untraveled.

    To see more of Eric LoPresti‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Uprise Art.

  • Sparkle. Kurt Pio.

    Sparkle. Kurt Pio.

    Gems are cut to take advantage of the quality and color in the stone– for optimal sparkle.  In the cutting and shaping we might assume that we’d lose the natural beauty of the stone, but instead, the process of refining the angles means the gems brilliance can be fully taken advantage of.

    Kurt Pio | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Kurt Pio | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Kurt Pio | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Kurt Pio | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings Kurt Pio | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings

     

    We are much the same.  We begin as raw material and years of learning and living shape and refine us.  Our first stage, that most natural state is beautiful in its purity, but as we are cut and polished by experiences, the light hits our depths and we truly sparkle.

    The paintings featured are the work of Kurt Pio.  To see more of the artist’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via The Jealous Curator.

  • Landing. Richard Claremont.

    Landing. Richard Claremont.

    Mr. F and I have been doing this travel thing for over four years now.  That’s four years on the road.. four years of not knowing, four years of adventuring.  We are getting ready to think about our next spot, taking off and landing again in a new place, awaiting discovery.

    Each fresh spot brings not just a new landscape, but new environments, new vibes, new spaces.  Every place comes with its own sense of being.  Australian artist Richard Claremont  interprets the character of landscapes near his South Coast home in paint and color.

    Claremont1 Claremont2 Claremont3 Claremont4 Claremont5

     

    I like to look back on the places we’ve been and think about our time in terms of what we felt and experienced in each one.  Claremont’s paintings with their pink light and lush brushstrokes evoke the warm and loving feeling of a landscape well loved.  We’re looking forward to finding our own well loved landing.

    To see more of Richard Claremont‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Christina Foard on Facebook.

  • Commune. Kate Shaw.

    Commune. Kate Shaw.

    Our time here in the Bay Area is getting short.  As of today, we have less than a month left in Marin County.  We’ve tried to take full advantage of the area’s beauties, but every time we venture out for some peace and quiet, something gets in our way.  All the other humans.

    These paintings by Melbourne artist Kate Shaw, with their layers of ink, glitter, and powder, speak to the way we as humans are corrupting the natural world we claim to love and appreciate so much.

    Kate Shaw | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #landscapes Kate Shaw | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #landscapes Kate Shaw | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #landscapes Kate Shaw | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #landscapes Kate Shaw | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #landscapes

     

    Mr. F and I don’t want to come off as crotchety old so-and-so’s ( although, maybe we are! ), perhaps it’s just that our expectations of what it means to spend a day in wilderness areas are a bit high.  We want to see and experience renowned beauty, but in places that are so heavily populated, the enjoyment seems to come with a price.  The best thing about these places is that they should be refuges of peace, but it’s hard to commune with your thoughts as Rhianna is blasted down the trail.  While Shaw’s work deals more perhaps with chemical devastation and destruction, I feel like there is a spiritual decimation happening, too.  Or maybe we just need to find a cabin in the woods for a while.

    To see more work by Kate Shaw, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.