artsy forager

Category: Finding My Own Artsy

  • Finding My Own Artsy. Slowing down. Gaining Focus.

    Finding My Own Artsy. Slowing down. Gaining Focus.

    Summer is the perfect time for slowing down and regrouping.  Lately I’ve been feeling pulled in a dozen different directions, like a jack of all trades but master of none.  In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to regroup, but I kept putting it off.

    IMG_3191

    All of that would have been enough to prompt a good long look at what I was doing, but getting some difficult news last week threw things into perspective.  If you follow along on Instagram, you may know, but my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Peritoneal Cancer last week.  She begins four months of chemo next week.  She is in Florida and for the moment, Mr. F & I are still in California, so there isn’t much I can physically do for her from here.  But her fight for her life has made me rethink how I’m spending my time.

    At least for the next month or so, I’m going to ease up on blogging a bit– they’ll still be a new “Daily Artsy” each Monday through Friday but I won’t be posting extra features like Design Foraging, Don’t Miss Artsiness, etc. on a regular basis for a while.  I have lots of freelance work coming up that needs to take priority, a special project I’ve started for my mom, and I’d like to devote some serious time to painting.  I’ll still be here and on Artsy Forager’s social media, just taking a little time to slow down and think about what’s really important.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten

    It’s been a while since I shared a new Feminine Wiles piece with you!  I’ve been so distracted by the gorgeous weather, hikes with Mr. F, and my new series on paper, that I let the FW pieces slip a bit.  But then Sunday came and along with it a warm and sunny afternoon, so I spent some time painting out on our little deck.  When I was ruminating on starting this series,   iconic feminine film icons were popping into my noggin’ and Rita Hayworth‘s Gilda was among the first to come to mind.

    Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten: Rita Hayworth as Gilda #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart

    found here

    In the 1946 black & white film noir, Rita Hayworth plays title character Gilda, the passionate and beautiful songstress wife of an illegal casino owner.  The film plays out a dark love triangle between Gilda, casino owner husband Mundson, and Gilda’s former love, and indebted confidante to Mundson, Johnny Farrell.

    The 40s film is teeming with tension– crime, secrets, anger, revenge.  It’s not wonder costume designer Jean Louis outfitted the femme fatale character is slinky black, reminiscent of Sargent’s Madame X.

    Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten: Rita Hayworth as Gilda #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart

    Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell in Gilda, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    My darkest FW piece yet, it also has a slightly looser feel– something that I thought fit the characterization of Gilda so well– full of turmoil and contradiction.

    To see more from the Feminine Wiles series, check out the series portfolio page.  Up next?  I’m thinking a little Monroe. 😉

    Film image source linked above, painting by Lesley Frenz.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: A New Series

    Finding My Own Artsy: A New Series

    If you follow me over on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been a bit obsessed with  flowers this spring.  Growing up in Florida, we really only had two seasons, summer and not summer.  Until we started traveling out West, I’d never really experienced a true Fall, Winter, or Spring.  Spring in the Northwest is especially lovely given all the amazingly beautiful blooming trees, shrubs and wildflowers!  Ever since my first glimpse of cherry blossom petals littering the Seattle sidewalks, I’ve been smitten by Spring here.

    FMO_RandR_Seattle sidewalks collage

    left| cherry blossoms, right| Seattle Sidewalks, acrylic on paper, 18×24

    The juxtapositions of colors and textures inspired me to begin a new series on paper, Rain and Rhododendrons.  I’m still continuing with the Feminine Wiles series, but was itching to get back to painting in a larger format and thanks to a nice big pad of Canson Mixed Media Paper, a portable drawing board, and a sturdy travel portfolio gifted to me by Mr. F for my birthday last month, I was ready to dive in.

    Frenz_Forest Blossoms_acrylic on paper_18x24

     

    Forest Blossoms, acrylic on paper, 18×24

    Like the Feminine Wiles series, these too are color studies, but I’m enjoying experimenting with a looser style, being able to work much more quickly and freely on larger paper than I’ve been able to ( so far! ) on small panels.

    FMO_RandR_arcata marsh collage

    top| Arcata Marsh Wildflowers, acrylic on paper, 18×24, bottom| Allen Pond with wildflowers

    I haven’t had dedicated painting time in a few weeks and I am itching to get back in, especially after Mr. F and I took a camping trip this weekend up to the Trinity Alps.  I am so full of inspiration for this series, I am about to burst!  So there will undoubtedly be more to come, soon.. In the meantime, you can see full shots of each of the pieces I’ve already completed in the Rain and Rhododendrons gallery page.  And in case you missed it, there is also a Feminine Wiles gallery page, both under the My Work heading in the top navigation bar.  I’ve also added an artist statement and bio on the My Work page– so much harder to write those things for yourself than it is to help others!

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Nine

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Nine

    Perhaps this is sacriledgious type talk, but I’ve never been a fan of the Wizard of Oz.  I just never really connected with it.  But I do love me some Judy Garland.  Meet Me in St. Louis?  Easter Parade?  I’ll take those over flying monkeys any day!  When it came time to think about an iconic Garland role to do a color study of for the Feminine Wiles series, A Star is Born‘s Vicki Lester seemed the quintessential choice.

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Nine | artsy forager #art #artists #judygarland #abstractart #colorstudy

    found here here and here

    In Lester’s rise to fame and the effects of her success on her marriage, we see a story of drive, devotion, self-sacrifice, and desolation.  A sweeping melodrama filled with mountainous highs and the deepest of lows, it made sense for costume designers Jean Louis and Mary Ann Nyberg to dress Garland’s Vicki in moody lavenders, blues, and greys.

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Nine | artsy forager #art #artists #judygarland #abstractart #colorstudy

    found here

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Nine | artsy forager #art #artists #judygarland #abstractart #colorstudy

    Judy Garland as Vicki Lester in A Star is Born, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    If you’d like to see more in the Feminine Wiles series, check out the archives!  Gathering up inspiration for some more to come!  Do you have a favorite you’d like to see me tackle?  Let me know in the comments below!

    All film image sources linked above.  Art by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Eight

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Eight

    You know what made for a perfect Sunday afternoon for a young Artsy Forager?  A few lazy, rainy hours and Pillow Talk on my parents’ bedroom TV.  If I was ever tempted to trade my brunette locks for blonde, Doris Day could make me do it.  As an awkward preteen growing up in the 80s, I was always drawn to Day’s down to earth flirtiness.  So when I began the Feminine Wiles series, I knew without a doubt that Doris Day would make my list of inspirations.  

    FMO_Day_poster

    found here

    The first of three movie pairings of the quintessential romantic comedy duo of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Pillow Talk not only launched their iconic partnership, it also drew box office and critical acclaim.  In the movie, Day plays Jan Morrow, an independent Manhattan interior decorator who finds herself sharing a party line with Hudson’s composer playboy Brad Allen.

    Like many films of the era, Pillow Talk is painted in the pastel frosted palette of the late 1950s.  Perhaps owing to Day’s trademark blonde locks, noted designer Jean Louis  and the film’s costume designer Bill Thomas  often dress Day’s Morrow in buttery yellows and creamy ivories.

    FMO_Day_collage

    found here here here and here

    Even in the set design, she is often surrounded by lemony hues.  Maybe a nod to the innocence of this unattainable “golden girl” or the hidden warmth buried beneath the icy ( at least to Hudson’s Allen ) exterior.

    Frenz_Doris Day in Pillowtalk_acrylic on canvas panel_6x6

     Doris Day as Jan Morrow in Pillow Talk, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    Day’s natural sunniness and the joie de vivre of this classic romantic comedy made a creamy yellow color study a natural choice for this piece.  Although Pillow Talk doesn’t necessarily hold up well in terms of gender equity, its brightness outshines its dated conventions.

    Want to see more in my Feminine Wiles series?  Check the archives!  I’m beginning to brainstorm how to display and where to show these pieces.  Think I have some fun ideas!  If you’re a boutique or gallery owner or know someone who might be interested in partnering, give me a shout!

    Film image sources linked above, painting by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Seven

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Seven

    Or maybe it would have been more appropriate for this to be Painting 8.  This seventh painting in my series of small color studies, Feminine Wiles, is based on Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8.  Elizabeth Taylor plays Gloria Wandrous, a promiscuous party-girl model with a propensity for attracting wealthy suitors.

    FMO_Taylor_Butterfield 8

    found here

    Although Taylor has been said to have disliked the film, her performance garnered the actress her first Oscar.  Gloria is a character filled with passion and sexuality, but flawed in her own humanity.  I thought it was so fitting that the palette of the film should be so full of fleshy pinks and peaches.

    Frenz_Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8_acrylic on canvas panel_6x6

    Elizabeth Taylor as Gloria Wandrous in Butterfield 8, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    To see more of my Feminine Wiles series, check out the archives here.  Oh and Feminine Wiles has received its first bit of press!  The Woven Tale Press included a spread on FW in their latest issue!  So exciting!

    Butterfield 8 image source linked above, art by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Six

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Six

    Like many women of my generation, I somehow missed An Affair to Remember until Meg Ryan brought it to my attention.  It was beautiful, witty, romantic and sappy, just like a great chick flick is supposed to be.  And Deborah Kerr’s Terry McKay was completely captivating and one of the first iconic female characters I thought of when beginning the Feminine Wiles series.

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Six | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #abstractart

    found here 

    With her warm auburn locks and creamy complexion, the film’s wardrobe designer Charles Le Maire wisely capitalized on her natural palette by using autumnal peaches and oranges in her costumes peppered throughout the movie.

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Six | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #abstractart

    Deborah Kerr as Terry McKay in An Affair to Remember, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    The character is smart and sassy, beautiful but down to earth and practical.  Characteristics perfectly portrayed with a warm, simmering palette.

    I have no idea how many of these I’ll do, but am thinking of broadening soon into more contemporary film characters– maybe even by decade?  Um, hello, Molly Ringwald anyone? To see more paintings in the Feminine Wiles series, check the archives here.

    Film image linked above, art by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Five

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Five

    OK, Artsies, please don’t judge me, remember I was a young, impressionable girl growing up in the South.. but I was obsessed with Gone With the Wind as a youngster.  Don’t recall how old I was when I first saw the movie, but I’ve already confessed my early love for glamour and gorgeous design.  Then as a pre-teen, I read the novel, my first “adult” book, and the full-blown obsession began.  The movie always drew me back in and as an adult, I grew more critical and analytical of the characters and design.  The fifth painting in my Feminine Wiles series, is a color study of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, prominently featuring her signature color.

    FMO_Scarlett collage

    images found here here here and here

    The character’s costumes, designed by Walter Plunkett feature a heavy dose of emerald and jade hues.  The green is an obvious nod to Scarlett’s Irish heritage and her notable green eyes.  But perhaps the color was used to make a few more subtle clues into Scarlett’s personality..

    FMO_Scarlett painting collage

    film image found here

    Earthy yet regal, in green, we see Scarlett as the renown beauty and notorious flirt, but also the pillar of strength and a cut-throat businesswoman.  She uses whatever and whoever may be at her disposal to get what she needs.  A character that’s often difficult to love.

    Frenz_Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara

    Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind by Lesley Frenz

    acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    Did you have any movies or characters you were obsessed with when young?  I still can’t resist watching a bit of GWTW whenever I catch it on.  Want to see more of the work in my Feminine Wiles series?  Check out the archives here.  This is the last piece I currently have finished.. guess someone needs to do some painting this weekend!

    Film image sources listed above, paintings by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Four

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Four

    Another week, another painting in my Feminine Wiles series to share with you!  Feminine Wiles is a series of small abstract color studies based on iconic female film characters.  My introduction to many of these films and characters came through my mom, with whom I share a love of sappy love stories, witty characters, and gorgeous design.  One of her favorite character turns ( and mine!! ) is Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.

    FMO_Funny Girl collage

    images found here here here and here

    I’ve always loved the palette of this film– filled with warm earthy browns and oranges, highlighted with delicate pinks and passionate reds– but when thinking about this project, I was struck by the reoccurring use of lavender hues on and around Fanny.  Of course, this could have something to do with how the cool hues so beautifully compliment Streisand’s creamy complexion!  But I like to think that costume designer Irene Sharaff and the production team were delicately clueing the audience in to the fact that the character of this young girl from Henry Street was destined for greatness.

    Frenz_Barbra Streisand as Fanny Bryce

     Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl by Lesley Frenz

    acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    Purples hues are often associated with royalty, riches and power.  So it isn’t surprising that Fanny would often assume a lavender glow.  She was a star, but unlike Jo Stockton, one of her own making.  She was confident in her talent and passionate in her pursuit of fame and stardom, even at personal loss.

    FMO_Funny Girl collage with painting

    Funny Girl still found here

    In the end, despite setbacks and heartache, Fanny perseveres and shows that the strong will always survive.  I’ve always thought there were great lessons to be learnt from Funny Girl— of tenacity, talent, love, humility and perseverance.  Oh and let’s not forget that unbelievably beautiful voice!

    To see more from the Feminine Wiles series, check out the archives here.  Next week, a polarizing character and one of the most iconic!  Hint: drapery.

    Film image sources linked above, art images by Lesley Frenz.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Three

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Three

    I admit, I’m a big fan of the candy color confections of the film variety that came out of the 1950s and 60s.  The costumes!  The dancing!  I love it all.  One of my favorites of these sweet treats is Funny Face, starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.

    FF341

    image found here

    For the third painting in my Feminine Wiles series, I wanted to capture the glamour and struggle of Jo’s transformation in Funny Face.  Intellectual and bookish Jo finds herself thrown into the world of modeling and couture fashion, finding herself struggling with reconciling her newfound feminine allure and her high minded beliefs.  I love that the character doesn’t allow her physical transformation to change her ideals.

    FMOA_Funny Face collage

    hepburn image found here

    In the scenes in which she wears this blue satin cape, the character is distressed over what she sees as insurmountable differences of mind between herself and the man she’s falling for, photographer Dick Avery played by Astaire.  The color is such an intense, moody blue, with hints of grey and lavender, I’ve always felt like it captured the conflict inside her character beautifully.

    Frenz_FW_Audrey Hepburn_Funny Face

     Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton, Funny Face, The Blue Cape by Lesley Frenz

    acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

    What do you think of this one, Artsies?  I wish my camera could do these little paintings justice.  Any sources/tips for photographing paintings using a point & shoot digital camera?  Would love a DSLR but don’t see it in the budget any time soon!  If you have tips to share, please let me know in the comments!

    You can find more of the Feminine Wiles series here.  I’ll have a new one for you next week, one of my favorite all time characters!

    Film images linked above.  Paintings by Lesley Frenz.