artsy forager

It feels like things are sort of finally getting back to normal.. almost.  After being gone for what seemed like an eternity, I’m back on Escape Into Life today sharing the work of Nicolas Kuligowski in my Artist Watch.  Head on over to EIL to see more!

Untitled by Nicolas Kuligowski

Nicolas Kuligowski on Escape Into Life

Image via the artist’s website.

This Featured Artist post is coming a bit late due to the craziness of adjusting to our new digs.  Being born a flat-lander ( Sunshine State, represent! ), I continue to be amazed by the change in perspective that comes from living among the mountains.  Whether you’re in a valley looking up or gazing down from the top of a hill, your way of seeing changes.  The work of this month’s Featured Artist, photographer Pamela Viola moves our eye in much the same way into new perspectives.  Her way of seeing gives us a new manner of looking.

Brelly I

Viola focuses her lens, not only straight ahead, but up above, down below, over, under and every which way in between.  What we’re left with as the viewer is a capture of an angle we might have otherwise never noticed.

Gallery Place with Red Dots

Gray Light

Supreme Court Behind Bars

And it isn’t only those unique angles that draw us in.  But also the way in which the light and shadow plays differently from those unexpected perspectives.

Pyramids

To see more of Pamela Viola’s work, please visit her website and be sure to check out her work on the Artsy Forager Facebook page!

All images via the artist’s blog.

Greetings from Seattle!  I’m finally here, way tired, a bit frazzled and overwhelmed with settling in, but officially back among the blogging.  The last few weeks in the Forager universe have been a crazy mix of traveling, seeing new places, saying goodbye to old friends and hello to the new.  We clocked in well over 1300 miles, 5 nights in hotels, 6 nights with friends & family, drove through 3 states and tried over 10 Seattle apartments on for size in two days.  We’re still making our home here ( our bed, a sofa & a dresser is all we have so far in the way of furniture ), but we’re already finding some favorite neighborhood spots and our love affair with Seattle is still going strong.

While I scour Craigslist for furniture deals today, I thought you might enjoy seeing a few snapshots from our journey!

[ old town, san diego ]

[ bay bridge, san francisco ]

[ from the vaillancourt fountain, san francisco ]

[ fog simulation, san francisco ]

[ golden gate bridge, san francisco ]

[ lunch with a view of mt shasta while on the road ]

[ mountain greeting upon our arrival in seattle ]

Sorry for the lack of Seattle photos this go ’round.  We ( I )’ve been so distracted with finding a home and settling in that the camera hasn’t come out much.  Not to worry.  They are coming.  Just try and stop me!  Back tomorrow with brand new artsy discoveries!

Want to see more from our SoCal to Seattle trip?  Follow Artsy on Instagram, I’ll be posting pics from our road trip over the next few days.

 All images by Artsy Forager.

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting.  So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists.  Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!

For most of us, Crayola crayons were our very first artistic tools.  Whether it was those thick, fat ones perfect for uncoordinated, chubby little hands to grip or the de-luxe 64 pack with the built-in sharpener, those colorful little sticks were our first glimpse into the world of artistic expression.  Seattle based artist Diem Chau takes those original tools, carving them into tiny figures reminding us of how they shaped our own young imaginations.

Storytelling Crayons, installation view, carved crayons and wood base

That distinctive scent, the waxy texture, peeling the paper down so that more of the brilliant color could sweep across the paper.

Yellow Girl, carved crayon and wood base, 3×3.5×3

Girl and Dog, carved crayon and wood base, 3×3.5×2

My most distinct memory of Crayolas happened on a summer road trip with my grandparents.  A long trip in the car, of course, meant bringing along plenty to keep us busy.  For me, that meant books, crayons and paper.  My crayons ended up strewn all over the back deck of my grandparents’ green Impala and were promptly forgotten about when we stopped for a bit.  We came back to a colorful mess!  I don’t think my Mimi & Papa were ever able to completely clean the wax out of the upholstery.  Oopsie!

Boy and Girl, carved crayon and wood base, 3×3.5×3

What memories do Chau’s crayons bring back for you?  Please visit her website to see more of her work.  She’ll be showing at the Elvistravaganza during Bumbershoot in Seattle or if you’re on the other coast, you can see her carving crayons LIVE at Saks 5th Ave on Sept. 6th from 6pm-10pm.

All images are via the artist’s website.

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting.  So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists.  Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!

There are some artists whose work just sticks with me.  I first saw Seattle artist Victoria Johnson’s work during my art consulting days through art publisher Grand Image.  I loved using Grand Image for unique, stylish, colorful work and Victoria’s paintings definitely hit all those criteria.  So when I spotted a painting of hers leaning against the wall at Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle– boom!  The love for her work came flooding back to me.

Nereides- Sea Nymphs, pigmented resin on panel, 20×20 ( via Lisa Harris Gallery )

Free-flowing, organic forms drift in and out of her canvases’ planes, creating enticing visual rhythm and movement.

Coast to Coast, pigmented resin on canvas over panel, 48×40 ( via Lisa Harris Gallery )

The placement of shapes lend the idea of landscapes to these abstracts, yet their enigmatic colors and forms keep the work abstract and modern.

Lady of the Lake, pigmented resin on panel, 80×20

A warm palette juxtaposed with muted, more neutral-hued highlights create even more depth and spatial play.

The Echo, pigmented resin on panel, 36×24

Simply Said, pigmented resin on panel, 40×50

To see more of Victoria Johnson’s work, please visit her website.  Thanks to the Lisa Harris Gallery for reminding me of Victoria’s work!

Featured image is Lady of the Lake, pigmented resin on panel, 80×20.  All images are via the artist’s representing Seattle gallery, Lisa Harris Gallery.

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting.  So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists.  Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!

I grew up in a family of motorheads.  My grandfather owned a neighborhood service station from 1961 to 1979, the kind where you didn’t pump your own gas and a fluid check and windshield wash was complimentary.  I was only seven when he retired but can still remember the sights and smells of the station.  Seattle photographer Todd Jannausch’s series Garage Evidence captures the decline and decay of these iconic landmarks.

Garage, 2009

Through Jannausch’s photos,  I can practically smell the familiar faint odor of oil mixed with orange cleaner ( my grandfather kept his place immaculate! ) and hear the ring of the station bell as a car drives over it, signaling Granddaddy to service.

Tune-Up, 2009

Little Boxes, 2009

I can remember playing on the lifts in the garage, drinking Coca-Cola in glass bottles and following my grandfather around like a puppy.

Old Pumps, 2009

Just like my grandfather’s station, these old relics have been replaced by more bigger, more efficient yet less friendly models.  Thank you, Todd, for capturing their last breaths and for taking me back to the time I spent in such a place. Be sure to check out Todd’s website for more from the Garage Evidence series, as well as his other work.

PS– Scroll down for a peek at my granddaddy, Lester ( aka L.V. ) Hamilton on the day of his retirement, April 14, 1979, the day before my 7th birthday.

Lester Hamilton, April 14, 1979

All Todd Jannausch images are via his website.

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting.  So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists.  Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!

Is the adjective buck actually used in the common vernacular?  Or do only So You Think You Can Dance geeks like myself know what it means, thanks to Lil’ C?  He uses it as slang for something that is crazy good and cool.  Which is exactly how I would describe the sculptures of Portland artist, Rachel Denny.

Red Buck, polyurethane foam, wool and wood

On my morning walk with George today, we came upon a deer munching on flowers in a neighbor’s yard ( one of the things we love about the Northwest ).  So when I came across Rachel’s work this morning, I connected with it instantly.  Her work explores that surprise of the unexpected wildness of nature in urban settings and every day life.

Young Buck, merino wool, polyurethane foam, thread and wood

Young Buck and Red Buck, both above, are part of her Domestic Trophies series, which while appearing at first to be whimsical and playful, actually seem to be making a commentary on how we try to justify our own violence or antipathy against nature.  The head of an animal that was once a living, breathing creature, killed for sport and mounted as a trophy gets “domesticated” and rendered impotent by blanketing it in a warm and colorful wrap of fuzzy wool.  It is now rendered to be merely a decorative object instead of a wild beast.

The Lion and The Lamb, polyurethane foam, wood and wool

Or perhaps the artist is comforting these poor creatures.  Covering their eyes and shielding them from a future of staring down at the same scene day after day.  Or maybe she’s just having a little fun by creating something beautiful out of something so symbolically grotesque.

Teal Doe, polyurethane foam, wood, wool, paint and thread

Whatever Rachel Denny is doing, I am on the bandwagon.  These pieces are fanciful and fun and if there is a deeper message behind them, so much the better.

Go to Rachel Denny’s website for more of her sculptural work– the ceramics are great, make sure you check them out!

All images via http://www.racheldenny.com.

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle ( Marcia Brady voice ).. we arrived on Saturday and are completely in love with the city but overwhelmed by apartment hunting.  So this week, I’m re-running posts featuring some favorite Seattle artists.  Sorry for the repeats, hope to be back to normal artsy blogging next week!

Yes, I just quoted Bob Ross.  But the whimsical trees of Seattle artist Liz Tran are miles beyond Ross’s prosaic “happy trees”.  Tran’s trees practically shout with joy.

Encircle, mixed media on panel, 36×36

With her use of bright colors and whimsical patterns, these trunks and limbs capture the fun spirit of yarn-bombing in paint!

Winter Drop, mixed media on panel, 48×48

August Bloom, mixed media on panel, 36×24

These transporting works take me back to the feeling of being a kid, lying on my back in the grass and looking up into a canopy of trees with sunlight bursting through.  There is no other feeling more peaceful and happy.

Summer Stripes, mixed media on panel, 36×36

In a lesser hand, these candied conifers could turn a bit too sweet, but Liz gives them just the right modernity to keep up the fresh and contemporary feel.  To see more of Liz Tran’s creations, please visit her website.

Featured image is Traveling Two, mixed media on panel, 36×24.  All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.

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!

Seattle Space Needle & Sailboat stamp set

find it here

Seattle Pillow Cover

find it here

Beacon Hill Mugs

find them here

I Heart Washington Necklace

find it here

Seattle, May the Road Rise With You letterpress print by Amy Rice

find it here

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.

All image sources linked above.

While Mr. Forager & I wind our way up the Pacific Coast Highway to Seattle, I’ve asked a few of my fellow art bloggers to step in and share some of their own artsy finds.

Mr. F and I are exploring San Francisco today ( so excited! ) but once we’ve made our way to Seattle, you can bet that I’ll be using the website of today’s Guest Forager to find lots of amazing Seattle artists for you!  Please welcome Sarah Brooks of Artsyo!

This is Sarah coming to you from Artsyo, a local-art-finder for Seattleites. As your Guest Forager today, I’m excited to introduce you to Seattle artist Susanna Bluhm!

Susanna’s lush abstracted landscapes caught my eye at an art auction last fall, and I’ve been taken with them ever since. She works from photographs of places she’s been, sometimes combining two dissimilar landscapes into one – Croatian islands with traffic islands, for example.

They Call It Way Too Rowdy, We Call It Finally Free, oil and acrylic on canvas, 95×72

Even though the paintings are based on photographs, you can’t always tell what you’re looking at. Abstract marks play off of recognizable shapes to create the story. “I love what you can’t articulate,” says Susanna.

Tell Me, You Whom My Soul Loves, Where You Pasture Your Flock, Where You Make It Lie Down at Noon, oil and acrylic on canvas, 71×119

Susanna’s most recent series of paintings is inspired by the Bible’s controversial book Song of Songs, reimagined in the form of a love song to her wife and son.

Who Is This That Looks Forth Like the Dawn, oil and acrylic on canvas, 63×102

Susanna says that Song of Songs can be read as a relationship narrative: it begins with a frenzied crush and giddy romance, later giving way to more difficult periods of anxiety and loss.

Your Name is Perfume Poured Out, oil and acrylic on canvas, 40×40

Not everyone considers Song of Songs to be a story of two people in love: “Some Biblical scholars believe it is about God’s relationship to the Holy Land,” says Susanna. “In that case, God and the Holy Land should probably get a room.”

Your Cheeks Are Like Halves of a Pomegranate, Hidden Behind Your Veil, oil and acrylic on canvas, 83×77

I hope you enjoyed Susanna’s work, Artsy readers!

Yours truly,

Sarah & the Artsyo team

See more paintings from Susanna Bluhm on Artsyo.

All images via Artsyo.