Artsy Dwelling Interiors

Artsy Dwelling:  Decking Halls and Such

I LOVE this time of year.  It’s a few weeks out of our lives that we take the time to beautify our surroundings, making sure everything sparkles with a holiday glow.  We all become artists, creating vignettes of tinsel and holly,  making our homes magical for our loved ones, our children, ourselves.  A wonderful trend that I’m seeing is holiday decorating that is inspired by what we love to surround ourselves with every day. ( Oh, there’s still room for those homemade childhood ornaments! )

I thought it would be fun to pair some beautifully decorated Christmas trees with a work of art.  I’m no stranger to art-inspired tree decorating, take a look at these trees I decorated for the gallery where I was working a few years ago.  Just goes to show, any piece of art can inspire your holiday decor.  So let’s deck our Artsy halls!

the art:

Frozen Blueberries by Christina Baker, acrylic on canvas, 30×30

the tree:

via SimplifiedBee.blogspot.com via StylebyEmilyHenderson.com

the art:

Sentinel by Steven DaLuz, oil and mixed media on panel, 36×36

the tree:

via House and Home

the art:

Growth by Haley Farthing, pastel and ink on wood, 48×24

the tree:

via Pinterest via Purlbee.com

Hope you’re inspired to think about your art collection when decorating for the holidays.  If it’s too late for this year, there’s always 2012.. it will be here before we know it!

Featured image is via SimplifiedBee.  All art images are via the artists’ websites.

Artsy on Escape Into Life Mixed Media

Artsy on Escape Into Life:  Liz Tran

I’ve been so busy painting this morning ( Yes, you read that right!  I may or may not share the finished work with you.  Depends on how I feel about them.. ), that I almost forgot to let you know about today’s Escape Into Life feature.  Now, that would just not do at all, because I am a huge fan of today’s artist, Liz Tran.

One After Another, mixed media on panel, 30x24

Joy positively radiates from Liz’s work.  They twinkle and wink and flirt with you.  So at what can be a stressful time of year, fill a cup of egg nog and enjoy some happy time.

Liz Tran on Escape Into Life

And just in case you missed it, check out her recent Artsy Forager feature here.

Daily Artsy Sculpture

Hanging by a Thread: Amanda McCavour

Life is a series of transitions.  Change is a huge part of my own life these days.  Due to my husband’s job, we currently travel to a new home every three months, so I was immediately drawn to the transitory nature of Amanda McCavour’s work.

Stand-In for Home, thread, 96x120x120

Drawn to thread for it’s combination of vulnerability and strength, the artist describes her work as “a process of making as a way of tracing and preserving things that are gone, or slowly falling apart.”

Living Room, thread, 144x144x144 ( photographed by Agata Piskunowicz )

She creates these “thread drawings” by sewing thread into a fabric that will resolve in water, which allows her to build up the drawings, just as one would do with charcoal on paper.  Once the fabric has been dissolved, the drawn lines remain.

Living Room ( detail ) ( photographed by Agata Piskunowicz )

Stand-In for Home ( detail )

These thread drawings act as a figural trace of homes that used to be, memories stored there are revisited and recreated.  Homes are ours for a time, but as we all fade into and out of life, so do homes remain a part of many different lives.

To see more of Amanda McCavor’s work, please visit her website.

Thank you to the ladies at LoveFeastTable for introducing me to Amanda McCavour’s work!

Featured image is Living Room ( detail ), thread, 144x144x144.  All images are via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Paintings Still Life

Loneliness and Loveliness: Holly Farrell

I have a weakness for objects with a past.  Everyday pieces from days gone by hold the  untold stories of a person, a family , a home.  Toronto artist Holly Farrell’s paintings of vintage objects explore this sense of nostalgia for days gone by, while also having a strong, strikingly melancholy visual impact.

Bowl ( stripe ) by Holly Farrell

Bowl ( stripe ), acrylic and oil on masonite, 14×18

The self-taught artist isolates her subjects, often with a muted, neutral background, taking a bit out of their normal context, emphasizing their design and calling our attention to their forsaken state.

Couch, acrylic and oil on masonite, 28×18

These are works that are wryly reverent.  Remember that hideous sofa in Grandma’s living room?  It is now immortalized on canvas, forlornly longing for the days when grandchildren used to bounce and play on it’s floral-covered cushions.

Colorful Fire King mugs, which once warmed young hands and tummies with hot cocoa are now another kind of “mug shot”… snapshot compositions feel like they could be the sales photos for an eBay or Craigslist ad.  Going once, going twice.. sold.

Fire King Mugs by Holly Farrell

Fire King Mugs, acrylic and oil on board, 12 @ 7×8 each

Ken and Barbie dolls, once beloved playtime companions now seem vacant and distant.

Scuba Ken & Barbie, acrylic and oil on board

Scuba Ken & Barbie, acrylic and oil on board

Though there can be a definite sadness surrounding some of Holly Farrell’s work, it is tempered with charm and joy.  Just as our memories should be.  To see more of Holly’s work, please visit her website. On her website, not only will you find more deliciously intriguing work, but also a list of galleries in the US and Canada where you can see them live and in person.

** Thank you to The Jealous Curator for the introduction to Holly Farrell’s work via her post on SF Girl By Bay!

Featured image is Books, acrylic and oil on masonite.  All images are via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Figurative Paintings

Friday Faves:  Face-off

Christopher Marlowe wrote about “the face that launched a thousand ships“.  Faces, full of expression and personality are often the most difficult subject for an artist to render.  I know, I went through three semesters of figure drawing purposefully not showing the model’s face, because as adept as I was at the figure, I just couldn’t get the hang of drawing faces.  Perhaps that’s why I am so drawn to the work of artists whose faces are so beautifully rendered and expressive.  Today’s round-up includes a few of my current faves:

Buck by Aaron Smith, oil on panel, 28x24

Tart by Greg Hart, charcoal, gouache, gesso, collage and acrylic on paper, 22x30

Marley Shelton by Keinyo White, oil on canvas, 48x48

Matutinal by Nick Lepard, oil on canvas, 54x66

Get in some face time with these extraordinary artists by visiting their websites, linked below.

1.  Aaron Smith 

2.  Greg Hart 

3.  Keinyo White 

4.  Nick Lepard 

Featured image is Effie by Greg Hart, charcoal, gouache, gesso and acrylic on paper, 26×22.  All images are via the artists’ websites.

Daily Artsy Mixed Media

Would You Like Art With Your Coffee?

It’s no secret that here in the Pacific Northwest, we love our coffee.  Caffiing up is taken very seriously around these parts.  Our coffee house experiences are not limited to the ubiquitous Starbucks.  The most wonderful, interesting coffee joints are the independent  shops, where they might roast their own beans onsite ( these are the places my hubby prefers ), the baristas are extremely knowledgeable and are generally a whole heckuvalotta fun.  So I was very excited that Seattle artist Marsha Glaziere has created a series of works inspired by the coffee houses of Puget Sound.  She’s put 13 of the series into a 2012 calendar, here’s a peek at the cover art:

Cover of Eclectic Coffee Houses of Puget Sound, a calendar featuring artwork by Marsha Glaziere

The calendar is a prelude to her upcoming book, eclectic COFFEE spots in Puget Sound, a “table coffee book”. ( Get it? 🙂 ) An excerpt from the book’s introduction gives us a peek into the driving force behind this new series:

“It is very hard, if not impossible, to live in the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Puget Sound region, and not become seduced by, and ultimately become part of, the pervasive coffee culture that thrives in this part of the country—come rain or shine. 

In our increasingly-fast-paced world of electronics, hyperactivity, and constant change, gathering with friends, even coffeehouse strangers, perhaps fulfills our deep-seated desire for community. Whether we engage in conversation or focus on a book, our computer or on the artwork exhibited, being anchored in the company of others may be as satisfying as a cup of coffee itself.”  

Joe Bar in Capitol Hill ( January )

As a lover of both independent coffee houses and Starbucks ( what can I say, I’m a sucker for their diabetic-coma inducing drinks ), I was so excited to see that Marsha had chosen to document these places that will surely be remembered as an important part of life and culture in the 21st century.

Diva Espresso in West Seattle ( June )

Marsha’s artistic style fits so well with her subject, the sketchy, seemingly fleeting movement of her lines, her use of negative space and primarily light washes of color provide a spontaneity and lightheartedness that seems perfect for capturing these modern day salons.

Espresso Vivace in Capitol Hill, Seattle ( September )

The Woods Coffee in Boulevard Park, Bellingham ( December )

This calendar is ideal for the art and/or coffee lover on your gift list!  You can see all thirteen calendar images and place your order here.  While you’re there, be sure to wander around the rest of Marsha’s website to see more of this artist’s incredible work.  And buy a calendar!  You’ll be checking someone off your shopping list AND supporting an artist.  Win-win!

Featured image is Starbucks, The Original at Pike Place Market ( March ).  All images are via the artist or her website.

Artsy Dwelling Interiors

Artsy Dwelling: Walls O’ Art

So you have amassed a little art collection for yourself, huh?  Well done, you!  But maybe you’re stuck on how to display your finds..  Creating “art walls” in your space will allow you to stylishly show off your favorites.

via Pinterest via Raines Design via olofjakobina.blogspot.com

One of my favorite things about art walls also known as hanging art “salon style” is how flexible the arrangement is.  It’s a gathering of artwork you love, so there are no set rules.  As in the graphic arrangement above, you can group artwork with like elements.  Above, the simple, black graphics are the unifying factor.

Or, use frames in all the same color to unify your favorites.  All white or black frames ( or gold, silver, wood, whatever! ) will create an instantly well-designed, intentional feel to your collection.

via From The Right Bank

via Pinterest via herwhitesunrise.blogspot.com

For a more traditional or sleek look, you can go stream-lined and symmetrical.  Hang works from the same series in a grid format for a clean, contemporary arrangement.

via Timothy Whealon Interiors

Or, just go loosey-goosey and have fun!  Start with the largest piece, either in actual size or visual weight and work out from there.  Lay your artwork on the floor and play with the configuration until it feels right.

via Pinterest via blog.apieceapart.com

Fill the wall as much..

via Pinterest

.. or as little as you like!

via Pinterest via Blissfulblog.com via House Beautiful

The actual hanging process may seem daunting, but this foolproof method will help you along.  If you need a little assistance coming up with a design, check out these templates for a some inspiration!

Happy hanging!

Featured image via The Glitter Guide.

Daily Artsy Paintings

Caution: This Art May Induce Happiness: Ally Burguieres

There seems to be a pervasive thought in the art world that in order for work to be “serious”, it must be dark, introspective, moody.  And while I do enjoy some deep cynicism and social commentary as much as the next art lover, there is some work that I love simply for its joyfulness and frivolity.  Enter New Orleans artist Ally Burguieres.

Elephant With Blue Banklet, oil and acrylic on canvas, 24x18

Ally’s work is filled with the characteristic joie de vivre of the famous city she calls home.  Full of festive color, riotous movement and fanciful motifs, these are paintings that dance and sing.

Bamboo Pond, acrylic on canvas, 60x48

Each work is brimming with energy, like little canvas hummingbirds.  Your eye flits from one delight to another.  What can I say, they make me smile.  And while I love work that makes me think deep thoughts, sometimes, I just want to grin with joy.  Any designers or art consultants reading, her work would be fantastic in healthcare settings ( pediatrics, especially! ), restaurants or homes with a whimsical flair.  *hint hint*

Fishbowl, oil and acrylic on canvas, 24x18

Cats in a Boat, acrylic on canvas 24x18

Did Ally’s work make you smile, too?  If it did, mosey on over to her website and have a grand ol’ time.  If you’re in NOLA, be sure to stop by her gallery  at 736 Royal Street.  She’ll also be showing at C’est La Vie, a new French bistro on Magazine Street all through December.  AND you’ll be able to see her work in a National Geographic IMAX feature, “Hidden Worlds” coming to an IMAX theater near you in 2012!

Oh and Ally is also having a print sale for the holidays!  Her paper prints are BUY TWO GET ONE FREE for the holiday season.  You could knock out three gifts, lickety-split!

All images are via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Mixed Media

Curious Amalgamations of the Unrelated: Geoff Mitchell

It seems to be human nature to look for meaning in everything.  We agonize over the meaning of baby names before choosing monikers for our offspring, we overanalyze  other people’s words to find out what they really meant, we take silly quizzes that tell us what our favorite color says about who we are.  And of course, we look for meaning and subtext in artwork.  Guilty, as charged, officer.  What is the artist trying to say?  What message is being conveyed?  In the case of Geoff Mitchell, it is a case of what the artist is striving not to communicate.

Mayonaisse by Geoff Mitchell

Mayonaisse, mixed media on panel, 20×20

The artist, whose show, Entries of a Diary Thief, opens at Florida Mining in Jacksonville, FL next Friday, creates work driven by the sense of “pareidolia, a psychological misperception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being perceived as something distinct and significant”. ( quote via Florida Mining )

Trinket by Geoff Mitchell

Trinket, mixed media on six panels, 24×36 overall

In other words, our tendency to create meaning where there is none.  The artist describes his use of representational imagery as being done  “in a free associative and purely intuitive manner. I mix and layer images together in a way that is reminiscent of an abstract painter layering color.” ( via Florida Mining ) So any “meaning” inferred by the viewer is not intended by the artist himself, but instead by the viewers personal association with the imagery therein.

Zipper by Geoff Mitchell

Zipper, mixed media on panel, 20×20

So, with that being said, I leave you to draw your own conclusions about Mitchell’s work.  His sense of color, composition and design are undeniable, which is what makes the unrelated imagery so compelling and visually arresting.

Derby by Geoff Mitchell

Derby, mixed media on panel, 12×18

Drop by Geoff Mitchell

Drop, mixed media on panel, 20×20

Please visit Geoff Mitchell’s website to see more of his work online.  If you’re in North Florida, don’t miss his show opening December 9, 2011 at Florida Mining.

Featured image is Topaz, mixed media on panel, 60×20.  All images are via the artist’s website.