Abstract Art Artsy on Escape Into Life

Artsy on Escape Into Life: Jill Ricci

Special treat for your Monday!  Due to Escape Into Life website maintenance, my EIL feature ran early yesterday.  Head over and enjoy!

Love at first sight.  That’s what I felt for Jill Ricci’s work. The colors!  The texture!  The graphics!  I love it all and am sharing it over on Escape Into Life today.  Click on the link below to fall in love!

Hocus Pocus, mixed media on canvas, 20x30

Jill Ricci on Escape Into Life

Daily Artsy Sculpture

Raku Pop: Karen Shapiro

Isn’t it funny how seeing an object from our past will immediately take us back to a certain time and place?  It seems that we have an innate sense of nostalgia within us, whether we relate our memories to a place, an object, a film, a piece of music.  Ceramic artist Karen Shapiro, after working for years as a pastry chef, now creates raku concoctions of iconic products from long ago and what will soon be past.

Animal Crackers, raku, 14.5x8.5

Just looking through the images of her work, memories come flooding back.  As a young girl, I used to love to buy Barnum’s Animal Cracker boxes.  It was like a little purse with cookies inside?!  What could be better?

Noxzema, raku, 10x10

As with any Pop Art, Shapiro puts her own spin on her recreated icons.  These effigies are literally larger than life, as you can see in the Starbucks image ( below ), just as the cultural staples often come to symbolize not just a product, but an era.  Her use of raku, an ancient process whose temperature change causes characteristic crazing or cracking, gives a nod to the temporal nature of the more contemporary icons.

Starbucks Coffee, raku, 10x14

Prozac, raku, 15x4.5

I’m quickly coming to an age where the pop culture and products that populated my past are reaching iconographic status.  It does make me wonder how future generations will look back on us and all that we have consumed.  Will it be with disdain or idyllic fascination?

Campbell's Soup, raku, 8.5x15

To see more of Karen Shapiro’s work, please visit her website.

This artist found via Daily Dolan Geiman.

PS– I still occasionally treat myself to a box of animal crackers!

Featured image is Chiclets ( wall piece ), raku, 25x11x1.75.  All images are via the artist’s website.

Art News

Happy Birthday, Artsy Forager!

Artsy Forager is one year old today!  My little blog baby is moving from infancy into toddlerhood and I am one proud momma.

It's Not My Birthday, That's Not My Cake- Coconut by Lori Larusso, acrylic & enamel on panel, 18x18x1.5

It’s been a year of discovering amazing artists, fantastic galleries and enthusiastic art lovers!  I’ve gotten to know so many incredible people through the blog and would like to thank every one of you for continuing to read, support and share in the art love here at Artsy Forager.

In the coming year, look for even more incredible artists, gallery features, inspiration for artsy living and a blog redesign that will ( hopefully! ) make the website even easier to peruse and use!

You guys make this labor of love a pleasure.  As a birthday treat, I’ll be tweeting some of my favorite Artsy Forager features throughout the day.  Keep your eyes peeled!

Much artsy love!

Lesley

For George– Thank you my wonderful husband for all of your encouragement and support.  You make my dreams come true every day.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy

I’m loving the slightly Celtic feel of Kelly Eberly’s work!  Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, don’t you think?

Meragivilato by Kelly Eberly

Check out Kelly’s blog to see more!

Design Foraging Paintings

Friday Faves: Different Kind of Hanging O’ The Greens

Sometime in my late 20s I went through a slight obsession with the Irish part of my heritage & Irish culture in general.  I think it stemmed mainly from too many Maeve Binchy books and multiple PBS viewings of Riverdance.  Add to that the fact that my husband thinks Guinness is the greatest thing since, well, Guinness, and it isn’t any surprise that we love St. Patrick’s Day.  So to get you in the mood for a little Erin Go Bragh, how about some artwork to remind us of the Emerald Isle?

Runaway Trees by Christina Baker, acrylic on canvas, 48x48

Ives Pond I by Susan Morosky, acrylic on canvas, 30x30

Cold Feet by Casey Matthews, mixed media, 24x24

Covenant Commitment by Steve Williams, mixed media on canvas, 84x84

Christina Baker | Susan Morosky | Casey Matthews | Steve Williams 

Make sure you check out these artist’s websites ( linked above ) to see more of their work.  Happy St. Patrick’s weekend!

Featured image is Empty Bathtub, Full Power Meter by Steve Williams, mixed media, 84×84.  All images are via the artist’s websites, linked above.

Daily Artsy Paintings

Angelic Imaginings: Maribel Angel

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, then you know that I have a few absolute favorite artists.  These are the artists whose work I absolutely adore and return to again and again.  Today’s artist, Maribel Angel is high on my list of favorites.  From the first time I saw her work, during my gallery career in Florida, it was delight at first sight.

Bird Park, acrylic on panel, 34x24

The irresistible charm of Maribel’s work is pretty obvious, but even more so when she begins explaining the inspiration behind each one.  For these latest paintings, she found unknowing muses in the form of all the birds congregating on her lakeside property in North Florida due to such a mild winter ( even for Florida! ).

Fruit and Bandits, acrylic on panel, 12x12

From the artist: “..all those feathered creatures that flew south for the winter used our yard as their tourist destination for several months. Not to mention all the local birds who had no reason to fly further south – so we had double the  population than usual and I could hear them chattering and chirping non stop from dawn till dusk while i was working in my studio. It wasn’t like song birds keeping a tune and creating a beautiful orchestra of sound – it was just full on chatter! Similar to the sound you would hear of camp kids shouting and playing at the pool.  I enjoyed their company and while I was painting I would imagine the stories they were sharing with each other.

Gentle Whisper, acrylic on panel, 34x24

The way she renders animals in such stylized simplicity is so appealing.  Her horses stand lean and graceful, birds are bright and cheerfully scattered.  She enriches each with beautifully layered color and texture– as stunning as they are online, her work is even more wonderful in person!

Crossing Over, acrylic on panel, 12x12

New Nest, acrylic on panel, 12x12

To see more of Maribel Angel’s work, please visit her website and the Gallery Orange website.  If you’re lucky enough to be in New Orleans, you can stop in at Gallery Orange to see her work in person or in Florida, check out Maribel’s work at Southlight Gallery.

Featured image is Shangrila, acrylic on panel, 48×12.  All images are via Gallery Orange, Maribel’s representing gallery in New Orleans.  For more on Gallery Orange, check out the recent Artsy Spot feature on the gallery here.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy

Organic Entanglements: Yellena James

Isn’t it amazing to think that there are worlds all around us that we can’t see?  Worlds invisible to our eyes, buried beneath the sea or simply found deep in our imaginations.  Portland artist Yellena James fashions her own worlds filled with shapes and organisms both familiar and alien.

Allusion, pen & ink on paper, 8x10

Growing up in the south, the land of kudzu, I’ve always been fascinated by vines and roots.  The source of nourishment and strength, they also entangle and envelope all around them.  The worlds James creates share these same contradictory characteristics.  Bright colors and seemingly whimsical shapes float about yet become entangled by tentacle-like forms.

Flutter, pen & ink on paper, 7.5x7.5

Bold patterns and forms catch our eyes, drawing us into a delicate, intricate world.  A darkly mystical universe, a playground for elves and fairies.

Twine, pen & ink on paper, 7.5x7.5

Wouldn’t you like to go inside these worlds to explore?  If I could, I would miniaturize myself to float and flit among these microcosmic terrains!

Spring, pen & ink on paper, 7.5x7.5

Origin, pen & ink on paper, 7.5x7.5

To see more of Yellena James’ work, please visit her website.  Her Etsy shop is full of gorgeous, affordable prints and be sure to check out these amazing bracelets she’s collaborated on with Morphik!  I’m personally coveting the Dulcet piece, which looks fantastic with the Taupe cuff!  ( Just in case anyone is taking notes.. I do have a birthday coming up! ;-))

Featured image is Mothership, pen & ink on paper, 21×16.  All images are via the artist’s website.

Artsy About Town

Artsy About Town: Cocktails, Truffle Fries, and Dan Spalding

As the hubby and I travel, we try to experience as much of each area’s culture as we can.  Last Friday evening, we decided to meet a friend for a night filled with our favorite things– delicious food & drink, stimulating conversation and fabulous art!  I can’t imagine what could be better.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this ( below ) was our view for cocktails!

View of Lake Coeur d'Alene from Beverly's

We discovered the happy hour at Beverly’s and this was our second week in a row partaking of the fancy food & drink at affordable prices.  I have a feeling it may be a weekly habit for the rest of our time here.. hubby George is addicted to their truffle fries, while I am just addicted to fries of any sort!  As yummy as the fries were, they just weren’t nearly as pretty as our Hummus Plate.  I am a firm believer that we eat first with our eyes, so I love a colorful, artsy presentation of food!

Hummus Plate gloriousness at Beverly's

Caramel Apple Martini

Cocktails and conversation flowed, as we shared the truffle oil-doused (!) complimentary popcorn with our friend and fellow traveler, Kirsten.  This lifestyle we’ve chosen is fairly unique, so travelers always seem to bond together, sharing stories and experiences.  There is a great sense of camaraderie in knowing that there are others living such a crazy, wonderful life!

Kirsten, George and yours truly

It was a beautiful night in Northern Idaho, so we strolled downtown to The Art Spirit Gallery to attend the opening of their current show, Portraits by artist Dan Spalding.  The Spokane, WA painter’s exhibition centered around his beautifully textured and expressive portraits.  His use of light is really incredible, giving his work a raw, emotional power.

Dan Spalding show, Portraits, at The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene, ID

Isn’t the painting on the top row, second from the right amazing?  It draws my eye every time I look at this photo.  I’m usually not an opening night art viewer, preferring to peruse when galleries aren’t as crowded and I can hear myself think or as Jerry Saltz said this week “Please stop talking so I can hear myself see!” 🙂

More of Dan Spalding's work

But I do love the energy of exhibition openings and ArtWalks.  Seeing crowds of people enjoying and talking about art gives me goosebumps!  And I am always thrilled for the gallery & artist when I see lots of red dots! ( As I did last night– can you spot the one visible in the pic above? ).  What I really love about attending openings with my husband and friends is the conversations about the work we are drawn to and why.  For an non-artsy person, George actually has a fantastic eye!  He really loved the sculptural work of Simon Kogan ( below ).

Henry Moore by Simon Kogan, bronze

While I loved these stylized bird paintings from North Idaho artist Catherine Lemaitre Earle.  Aren’t they lovely?

Artwork by Catherine Lemaitre Earle

All in all, a delightful evening, artsy in every wonderful way!

A happy Artsy at the end of the evening

How about you?  Any artsy fun to be had this weekend?