This past Sunday, following more weekend festivities than is normal for us, Mr. F and I took to the beach for the afternoon. There is always something about the salt air, the crash of the waves, and the sand between your toes that is healing for the psyche! Doesn’t the ocean have its own special, briny scent? And it always seems to give sparkle to everything it produces. The paintings of this month’s Featured Artist Carlos Lopez gives expression to the nourishing power of the sea and jewelry artist Emily Miranda‘s Oyster Cuff is the perfect sparkly companion!
Carlos is masterful at expressing the oyster’s gentle, undulating curves in paint, mimicking the rollicking waves, just as Emily Miranda sculpts those same contours from in her cuff bracelet. One work of art to see, one to wear.
To see more of Carlos Lopez‘s work, please visit his website. You can see more gorgeous jewelry by Emily Miranda on her website. Both a feast for the eyes!
Remember candy necklaces? I mean, jewelry you could eat?? Every little girl’s dream! And big girls, too, as it turns out. Scottish jewelry artist Rosie Kimber crafts her own wearable confections from resin, silicone, and sugar crystals creating modern, artistic baubles pretty enough to eat!
These put those candy necklaces to shame. So much prettier and without the yucky slightly sweet chalky taste!
Sometimes an opportunity comes along and you just stop everything else you’re doing to pursue it. Which is exactly what I did when the new Great.ly site launched last week. Haven’t heard of it? Well, let me tell you all about it! Great.ly is an online commerce platform “connecting the dots between makers & tastemakers”. For artists, artisans and other makers, it’s the opportunity to stock an online “studio” with work from which “tastemakers” ( bloggers like me & other influential folks ) fill their Great.ly boutiques and market the work to their audiences.
One of the great joys of writing Artsy Forager is the ability it has given me to help influence the careers of artists whose work I love in whatever way I can. And for me, I see Great.ly as another way to do just that! The Artsy Forager boutique gallery, The Trove, is already stocked with work by artists and artisans whose creations exemplify the excellence I seek to showcase here on the blog and speaks to me ( and to you, I hope! ) on a personal artistic level. I would love to have any one, or all of these pieces for myself! Right now, The Trove is broken up into three main categories, Own the Artsy— where you can find incredible artwork by some of my favorite artists like Emily Jeffords, Kiana Mosley, & Jaime Derringer.
There’s also the Wear the Artsy section, because why just hang the art on your wall when you could hang it around your neck or on your shoulder? And of course, I want to Live the Artsy. Wouldn’t it be amazing if every thing in our homes, down to the most utilitarian objects was crafted not just for purpose but for beauty? The dream can be a reality. I’m seriously lusting over so many of these pieces. If only Mr. F & I had a home to call our own right now! This interview with Great.ly founder Sarah Bryden Brown explains it all so much better than I ever could! I hope this post doesn’t seem too sales-pitchy, as I never want this site to turn into one giant sales pitch. But I LOVE promoting artists and with the creative minds behind this site, including The Jealous Curator herself, I see this as an incredible platform for connection and promotion of artists and their work. And I want to truly embrace it as such. I truly think this is a fantastic opportunity for artists, artisans, and bloggers to join forces and do GREAT things ( pun intended! ).
If you’re an artist or artisan interested in becoming a Great.ly Maker, you can apply here. And if you set up a Great.ly studio, please let me know so I can perhaps add your work to The Trove! And if you just love artsy things, well bookmark The Trove and get to shopping! 😉
*This post contains affiliate links. As a Great.ly Tastemaker and curator of The Trove, I receive a small commission on each piece sold from The Trove boutique gallery.
A while back I wrote about the work of Wendy McWilliams and how to me, much of her work illustrates the glimpses of light and color that give us hope in the dark. We are now well into winter and if you happen to be living in the Northeast, you may be wondering if you will ever see blue skies, flowers and unfrozen ground. February has always seemed to be winter’s last cold blow, preparing us for March and the beginning of our transition into spring. But maybe you can’t wait for March and need to put a little spring into your dark winter days! This painting by McWilliams reminded me that even in the midst of the coldest, darkest winter, we can still embrace the spring in our souls.
I love how the Tapestry Necklace brings together the dark and light of McWilliams’ painting, the colors echoing the painting and the inspiration, as well as mimicking the beautiful messiness of the brushstrokes. Perfect for a shot of color and would keep your neck warm while it’s still freezing outside!
To see more of Wendy McWilliams’ work, please visit her website and to see more fiber art necklaces like these ( I want one! So many gorgeous choices! ) check out the You Made That shop on Etsy.
Maybe because it has been so long since Mr. F and I were able to get out and hike. Or maybe I’ve been cooped up inside too much this winter. Whatever the reason, I can’t get enough of these lovely woodland jewelry creations by Anna Fiala!
So simple, yet so beautiful, they remind me of necklaces made of flowers popular with little girls everywhere or a wide swing covered wrapped in vines. I love how graphic those wire petals and leaves are, especially against the small branches.
Oh how I love some pretty jewelry candy! I asked Mr. Forager Santa to put a pretty little artsy bauble in my Christmas stocking. Think its too late to add one of these to my list? These handmade glass and fiber pieces by Asheville artist Arlie Trowbridge aka Urban Revisions would be sure to add an artsy touch to every day.
Aren’t they lovely? Like wearing beautiful little pieces of rock candy. The top necklace and bottom rings are my fave. Which do you love best?
It’s too late to order from Urban Revisions in time for Christmas, but never too late for an anytime gift for yourself! 😉 See more pretty artsy baubles on the Urban Revisions website here.
I am a long time fan of Seattle artist Liz Tran. Evidenced in posts herehere and here. The color and movement in her work creates such a lovely, happy atmosphere. Obviously, its work that I return to again and again. Following an artist residency in North Iceland this June, Tran created a series of Electric Necklaces out of ceramic pieces found on the beach in Reykjavik. Most of the elements in the necklaces are old electrical components that have been worn by the North Atlantic and then transformed by the painter’s hand.
Aren’t they magical? You can see more work from Liz Tran on her website. And if you really want to stir up your own green eyed monster, follow Liz on Instagram, where she is taking you along on her very artsy tour through Frances. Tres jaloux!
You know sometimes I love a piece of artwork so much I wanna wear it. Like all day, every day. This month’s Featured Artist, Candace Fasano has oodles of lovely new work, but this particular piece, Bird Pod, just keeps speaking to me. Alas, the painting is sold ( lucky duck, whoever you are! ), but that won’t stop me from dreaming about it!
jewelry | from top: Branch Bangle, Fan Ring, Geo Colour Bangle by Anthony Roussel
Don’t these sculpted pieces by jewelry artist Anthony Roussel remind you of Bird Pod? That same organic, cosmic magic could still be mine. Oh yes it could!
As a part of the purging to travel light process, over the weekend, I went through my jewelry and decided what pieces I just had to have with me on the road. While I have some lovely pieces– many of them vintage courtesy of my maternal grandmother who had a large collection of costume jewelry from the 1950s-80s– there’s something about most pieces that just don’t quite feel me. A little too safe, a little too ordinary, which I hope this Artsy is not! I would love to revamp my collection and I’ve got my covetous eye on these beauties by Italian jewelry artist Marzia Rossi!
Stanze #4, mica, acrylic glass, shibuishi, red goldTransparent Orchid #2, acrylic glass, white gold, cold enamelSpinosi #4, silver, micaStones #2, azurite, acrylic glass, red goldTransparent Orchid #6, acrylic glass, red gold, cold enamel, silk
Her work is so delicate and the organic materials and shapes are right up my alley. And the construction details? Just might be the best part. Want to see more? Head over to Marzia Rossi‘s website and drool all over your keyboard.
Mr. Forager and I are beyond excited to make Seattle our home! The city holds such a special place in our hearts, after a long friendship, Seattle is where Mr. F & I finally fell in love. We can’t wait to get back, settle in, and start getting to know the city again. I’m afraid we’ll be walking around for a long time with huge grins on our faces! To celebrate our arrival in The Emerald City, I’ve rounded up some design finds to show our Seattle spirit. Enjoy!
I hope you don’t mind me gushing about my favorite city too much! Mr. F & I have been waiting a long time for this. We arrive on Saturday and that’s when the real fun begins– apartment shopping. Gah! But in the meantime, we’ll enjoy the cool air and grey skies. I hope the mountains come out to greet us.
