Daily Artsy Landscapes Paintings

Cathartic Nature: Erin Lynn Welsh

Posted on November 21, 2013

Different minds require different types of rest and healing.  Some, like mine, and I suspect that of Brooklyn artist Erin Lynn Welsh, require some quiet time in the big beautiful outdoors to rejuvenate and recoup.

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Being outside, away from the distractions of life, gives our minds time to ponder and wander.  Its a fantastic way to work through a particular problem or emotional energy that needs to get out.  In Erin Lynn Welsh’s work, there’s an emotionality to these paintings, as if the artist has molded together the catharsis of being in nature and the act of painting.  Sweeping and staccatoed brushstrokes seem to belie a mood of working through something inside while depicting each scene.

If you’d like to see more of Erin Lynn Welsh‘s work, please visit her page at Uprise Art.  And if you recognize the titles of a few of her paintings, then you love Florence + The Machine as much as I do. 😉

All images via the artist’s website.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy Paintings

The Bounce and The Dance: Catto Houghton

Posted on November 20, 2013

Light has an amazing way of transforming shapes, creating shadows and distorting forms.  In her Fractal Facet paintings, Toronto artist Catto Houghton continues using her signature geometric chards to create abstract compositions filled with movement and light.

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Prismatic shapes dance around her canvases, just as light bounces across a room.  She’s exploring the character of light– how it moves and gives shape to the objects it illuminates and by keeping the compositions abstract, we’re able to concentrate on the forms, colors, and shifts.  The work has a gem-like quality, with nods to Art Deco shapes and futuristic worlds.  What we see depends entirely on how we interpret the artist’s use of color, shape and light.  I don’t know about you, but I see some disco dancing goin’ on.

If you’d like to see more work by Catto Houghton, please visit her website.

All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via isavirtue.

Daily Artsy Sculpture

Found Colossals: Ron van der Ende

Posted on November 19, 2013

We are in the land of the giants today.  Today’s plan includes seeing a bit more of the Redwoods and driving through a tree!  I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw a photo of the Chandelier Tree many moons ago.  These enormous trees, the huge haystack rocks in Oregon and just the wildness of the Pacific remind us of how very small we are in this large universe.  In his bas relief sculptures, Dutch artist Ron van der Ende uses found wood to sculpt and “paint” his own colossal objects.

Airstream RV by Ron Van Der Ende Yoshiwara by Ron van der Ende Cross Section I by Ron van der Ende Yaw by Ron van der Ende Watershed ( Yosemite ) by Ron van der Ende

Bas-relief sculpture is all about angles and perception.  When viewed from one angle, the sculpture may not make sense, but when taken in from the front, it seems to float in true 3-dimensional form.  As van der Ende is creating his pieces, he uses pieces of painted found wood to create the colors you see– these aren’t sculptures constructed, then painted.  The artist is painting with the found wood.  Using the existing finishes of the wood in such a way creates a wonderful sense of texture, which only serves to amplify the depth created by the bas-relief technique.

I hope those last two images give you a sense of the enormity of scale van der Ende employs, making these sculptures as imposing as they are impressive, just like our friends the Redwoods.

If you’d like to see more work by Ron van der Ende, please visit his website.

All images via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Figurative Paintings

Freedom in Flight: Simon Birch

Posted on November 18, 2013

As you read this, Mr. F and I are enjoying a week of being footloose and fancy free, currently somewhere along the West Coast between Manzanita, OR and Eureka, CA.  Every time we pack up the car to head out on an adventure, the moment the wheels turn out of the driveway, the feeling of elation sets in.  We’re FREE!  No cares, worries temporarily forgotten, we are flying toward freedom.  In this series of paintings by UK born, Hong Kong based artist Simon Birch, the artist depicts figures in flight, soaring through the air, destination unknown.

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So figures jump decidedly, slicing through the atmosphere, while other seem to be falling, floating even.  There seems to be a metaphor in there for the way we approach freedom.  Some of us go all in, taking the bull by the horns so to speak, going for the gusto and lots of other cliches, just simply soaking up all we can from what freedom has to offer.  But others, just sort of fall into it, being gently guided as if on a breeze.  Which type of freedom do you practice?

To see more of Simon Birch‘s work, please visit his website.

Artist found via My Modern Met.  All images via My Modern Met.

Daily Artsy Figurative Photography

Stillness Therein: Virginia Mak

Posted on November 15, 2013

Moments of quiet reflection seem too frequent and far between these days.  Today, I’m packing up the last of our belongings as we prepare to leave Western Washington tomorrow morning.  Stillness in the physical and especially mental sense has been eluding me for weeks.  So when I spotted photographer Virginia Mak’s work, the sense of peace she captures completely spoke to my own harried mind.

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In these painterly photographs, we see figures moving toward or looking forward to something or somewhere.  There is a sense of peace and hopefulness that what we are looking for may be just around that bend or approach our doorstep any moment.  Figures are keeping watch, looking ahead, ready to move.  So am I.

If you’d like to see more of Virginia Mak‘s work, please visit her website.  Artist found via isavirtue.

Top two images via Bau Xi Gallery website.  All others via the artist’s website.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy Paintings

Finding the Light: Elise Morris

Posted on November 14, 2013

It’s funny how the shorter days of winter effect our psyche.  Less daylight has us longing to curl up and hibernate until the spring.  When the sun is out and shining, we turn our faces toward it, soaking up every precious ounce that we can.  For artist Elise Morris, seeking and finding the light is a part of her process, resulting in paintings that are positively luminous.

Flourishing Patience by Elise Morris Impermanent Levity by Elise Morris Sky's Trellis by Elise Morris Surface Flutter I by Elise Morris Abundance in Bloom by Elise Morris

In Morris’s paintings, the light fairly flutters across the canvas, darting in and out of the shadows like a firefly.  Those flickers of light shine through to give her paintings the magic of light being filtered through a forest canopy– alluring and glowing, giving us reassurance that the light will find its way through the darkness.

If you’d like to see more of the work of Elise Morris, please visit her website and Facebook page.

All images via the artist’s website.

Artsy On the Road

Artsy on the Road: Trippin’ Down the Coast!

Posted on November 13, 2013

If you’ve been reading along this week, you may recall my struggle to just let it go regarding  Mr. F’s next contract placement.  He finally interviewed for the position in a less than desirable area ( for us, anyway, we’ve heard some people love it ) and we were both prepared to give it a go.  But for Mr. F, his patient care and working ethically are always top priorities and it seemed like this particular position would stretch both outside the boundaries of what he is comfortable with.  So, we passed.

We believe in taking advantage of any opportunity to exercise our sense of freedom & adventure, so Saturday morning, we leave for a week-long road trip down the West Coast!  We started planning out our trip last night and are excited to spend some time exploring the treasures along the Pacific.

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Now, this is where you come in!  Any suggestions for must see/ must do places/activities along the West Coast from let’s say Astoria, OR down to San Diego, CA?  We’ll be camping along the coast and are most interested in exploring the small towns, artsy spots and natural beauty along the way ( i.e. probably avoiding big cities ).  Have any suggestions for an Artsy & her Mr. Forager?  Let me know in the comments below!

Image by Artsy Forager.

 

 

 

Daily Artsy Drawing Figurative Mixed Media Paintings

Confused Identities: Winifred Johnson Brewer

Posted on November 13, 2013

Its so easy sometimes to lose sight of exactly who we are.  Circumstances bend and shape us in ways we didn’t foresee and then one day, we glance in the mirror and don’t recognize the face looking back.  The work of Los Angeles based artist Winifred Johnson Brewer seems to address issues of confusion in the environment and within ourselves.

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On her website, the artist recounts a story of confusion happening among honeybees.  Although the bees are not attracted to artificial light like moths might be, the artist witnessed the insects circling a bare lightbulb in her studio, then dying in a pool on the floor.  The bees seem to be forgetting their very innate nature, then suffering the consequences for it.  How often have we done the same?  Lost sight of our own talents or goals in order to fit in or succeed?  If we continue to don our masks, our real selves are likely to go the way of the honeybee.

To see more of Winifred Johnson Brewer‘s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy Landscapes Paintings

Translucent Mountains: Ellie Malin

Posted on November 12, 2013

The snow is beginning to fall in the upper elevations on the Olympic Mountains here in Washington.  Something about the steep crags covered in snow melts my heart and captures by soul every time I see it.  I love that Mr. F always points it out to me, when the snow begins to appear, to make sure I don’t miss it.  In her woodblock prints, Melbourne artist Ellie Malin reduces the mountainous landscape to their most simple pointed forms.

Radiant Mountain IV by Ellie Malin Sundown Landscape I & II by Ellie Malin Reflective Landscape by Ellie Malin Moving Mountain, Steep Slope I & II and Translucent Landscape by Ellie Malin Sundown Landscape by Ellie Malin

The way she uses opaque and translucent shapes to echo the varying planes of the mountains captures the mysterious layers perfectly.  These prints make me want to hike through each canyon and over each peak!  There is always something about breaking forms down to their very simplest shapes and planes that I find so satisfying.

To see more of Ellie Malin‘s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

This Artsy Life

This Artsy Life: Weekend 45 [ Lessons in Letting Go ]

Posted on November 11, 2013

A big part of the adventure of living this gypsy lifestyle that we’ve chosen is in the unknown. We are never sure where we might be from one contract to the next and in these days of healthcare upheaval ( Mr. F works in physical therapy ), the unknown is mixed with a heavy dose of uncertainty.  A lot of where we end up is completely up to chance– when Mr. F can start, what jobs are available at that time.  It really is just a complete roll of the dice.

For a control freak like me, it involves giving up a massive amount of security.  Over the past two+ years, I’ve learned to deal with the loss of control pretty well.  There is usually a bit of a freak-out involved at the beginning, in the race to find and secure a temporary rental, packing, unpacking, etc.  Right now, I’m in freak out mode, ya’ll.  Mr. F is interviewing today for a contract in a less-than-ideal area.  But the contracts have been scarce this go ’round and although we could wait for something better to come along, we have financial goals over the next few years and want to keep on top of them.  So I’m struggling today to let go.  To let go of my fear of not being able to find a decent place to live, of spending the holidays far from family and friends, of the temptation to persuade Mr. F to turn the contract down if offered.

This Artsy Life: Weekend 45 This Artsy Life: Weekend 45 This Artsy Life: Weekend 45 This Artsy Life: Weekend 45

But that practice of letting go isn’t just a product of this lifestyle.  It’s what marriage or any relationship is about, too.  Releasing our own expectations for the greater good, what is best for both.  It can be painful at first, but hopefully each act of letting go leads us somewhere we might never have gone on our own.

All images by Artsy Forager.  See more from This Artsy Life by following Artsy on Instagram.