artsy forager

Author: Lesley

  • Abstracted Ambiguity: John Dempcy

    Abstracted Ambiguity: John Dempcy

    Georges Braque said,  “There is only one valuable thing in art. The thing you can’t explain”.  The best of abstract art is, in my opinion, work that is so ambiguous that trying to explain it is kind of pointless.  There are so many “things” it could be, could represent, that trying to nail it down just seems futile.  The work of Seattle artist John Dempcy strikes me as just that sort of work.

    Mingling Fates, acrylic on panel, 36×36

    His caleidoscopic-like imagery brings to mind microscopic organisms..

    Inner Fictions, acrylic on panel, 40×30

    .. or sea life..

    Sea Nettles, acrylic on panel, 40×30

    .. or the wonders of the universe..

    Quantum Leap, acrylic on panel, 30×30

    .. or whatever you would like to see.

    Renewal, acrylic on panel, 36×36

    If you’re intrigued by John Demcy’s work, as I am, please visit his website.  I first saw his work at Augen Gallery in Portland, but you’ll find a list of galleries all over the US in which his work is featured.  There’s bound to be one in your path!

    Featured image is Deepwater, acrylic on panel, 48×36.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Milk And Honey Landscapes: Raquel Edwards

    Milk And Honey Landscapes: Raquel Edwards

    One of the things that really drew my hubby and I to the Pacific Northwest is the dynamic, breathtaking landscape.  For a photographer to be able to truly capture not only the natural beauty here, but the atmospheric mystery found in this place is no small thing.  Today’s artist, photographer Raquel Edwards‘ landscape imagery not only catches the physical elements of a place, but the magical feeling one might get being there.

    Pacific Pine
    Channel Markers
    Waterfall
    Sea Stack

    Want to see more of Raquel Edwards’ work?  Please visit her website— make sure you check out her encaustic photography, too and her still lifes– tons of gorgeousness!  She’ll be showing in November at the Annie Meyer Artwork Gallery in Portland.

    Featured image is Alders On Kachemak Bay.  All images are via the artist’s website.  

  • Bare Naked Portraits: Lu Cong

    Bare Naked Portraits: Lu Cong

    Remember when I said that I have a wish list of portrait artists?  Well, modern portrait artist Lu Cong has been at the top of the heap for quite a while.  He infuses his portraits with a soft glow that is at once ethereal and alien.

    Tabitha #9, oil on panel, 36×40

    His soft palette creates a peaceful atmosphere, juxtaposed with the slightly off-putting direct gaze of the subject.  The result is a stunning image of not just the portrait sitter, but of a momentary glimpse into their emotional world.

    A Song At Dusk, oil on panel, 30×30

    Eyes wide and lips slightly parted, there is an intense vulnerability captured in these images.  Not merely paintings of physical features, but souls laid bare.

    Corbin #2, oil on panel, 32×28
    My Name is Tabitha, oil on panel, 36×48

    To see more of Lu Cong’s haunting portrait paintings, please visit his website and Facebook page.  ( Don’t forget to follow Artsy Forager, too, while you’re at it! )

    Featured image is A Moment With Liza, oil on panel, 24×18.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • America The Surreal: Deborah Martin

    America The Surreal: Deborah Martin

    America is often a strange place and seems to just keep getting stranger.  Los Angeles artist Deborah Martin captures the sad desolation found across our country  in her poignant paintings.

    Aces and Spades, oil on canvas, 36×36
    Slab City Chairs, oil on canvas, 36×36

    Her use of a limited, pastel neutral palette softens the sometimes oddly grim reality of many lives in America.

    Keep Out, oil on canvas, 36×36

    Yet somehow, these aren’t dark, depressing images of life in one of the richest countries in the world.  They don’t feel critical or satirical, but rather reverent and dreamy.

    Fifty-two, oil on canvas, 36×36

    To see more of Deborah’s work, please visit her website.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, she is currently showing at The Red Arrow Gallery in Joshua Tree, CA.  I have a feeling these paintings are even more intriguing in person!

    Featured image is Yellow Camper, oil on canvas, 36×36.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Friday Faves: Falling For Fall

    Friday Faves: Falling For Fall

    Said it before, I’ll say it again.  Fall is my favorite season.  The cool, crisp air, the golden light, the colors, the comfort food, I love it all!  For the very first time, this Florida girl is experiencing a real Fall.  With boot weather and incredible changing leaves, I’m so excited, I can barely stand it.  While in this autumnal frame of mind, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite Fall-inspired art…

    Trees and Light by Debbie Martin, 40×40
    Tree View #7 by Kristi Taylor, acrylic on canvas 18×24
    Penelope Dullaghan
    Nine Full Moon Maples by Mary Chomenko Hinckley, pigment print on archival german paper, 21×21

    Please visit these artists’ websites to see more of their work– some Fall-ish, some not.  I’m hoping George & I might see some real Fall color this weekend here in Southern Oregon.  What about you?  Any autumnal activities on tap?

    1.  Debbie Martin

    2.  Kristi Taylor

    3.  Penelope Dullaghan

    4.  Mary Chomenko Hinckley

  • Insert [ the Artsy ]

    I am in LOVE with this image!!  Live this, Artsies!

    via Pinterest

  • All The World’s A Miniature Stage: Grace Weston

    All The World’s A Miniature Stage: Grace Weston

    I find it intriguing when artists let us into their imaginations, giving us a glimpse of the world as they see it, scenes of life as they interpret it.  Portland photographer Grace Weston creates small, staged vignettes that take on big, universal themes and canonical artwork.

    Winter Wish, Winter Dream

    The images are simple in their composition, poetic in their imagery and completely relatable.  Their dreamlike quality is, depending upon the image, entrancing, wryly humorous or slightly disturbing in an intentionally sweet yet creepy way.

    Lovebirds
    Baby Makes Three

    I especially love her take on iconic artwork such one of The Unicorn in Captivity tapestry from the Metropolitan Museum in New York and The Son of Man by Rene Magritte.  What can I say, the art history major in me totally geeks out on these kinds of references and reinterpretations.

    Petting Zoo
    The Overseer

    Grace Weston is represented by G. Gibson Gallery in Portland, Oregon, so if you’re in that area, stop in to see her work in person or visit her website.

    Featured image is Laundry Day.  All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.

  • New Feature! Artsy Dwelling

    New Feature! Artsy Dwelling

    I am constantly inspired by how people live with art in their own homes.  I love the way folks are thinking outside the box in terms of the art they collect, where and how they display it.  I’m hoping these short little visual features, Artsy Dwelling, will help inspire you!

    We spend so much time in the kitchen these days– let’s face it, this room is the hub of any home.  It is where people inevitably gather during any party!  So why not display some of your favorite art in the spot where you spend so much time?  The only guideline?  Keep valuable original art away from cooking & prep areas to prevent damage.  Otherwise, feel free to think outside the icebox!

    How about you, Artsies?  Do you have art in your kitchen?  Or have images of how you live with art in your home that you’d like to share?  We would love to see!  Feel free to email digital images to artsyforager@att.net and we might just feature your home on the blog!

    Image sources can be found by clicking on the image.

  • Her Own Private Utopia: Melissa Loop

    Her Own Private Utopia: Melissa Loop

    Do you ever wish you could just escape?  From your cares, stresses, work, technology, you name it.  Take a moment to run away with me into Minnesota artist Melissa Loop‘s landscapes of fantastical refuge.  They are part wonderland, part social commentary, but fully contemporary and brilliant.

    Walmart, acrylic and enamel on panel, 36×24

    Slide down a huge pink curvy slide as tall as a skyscraper leading down to a river coming out of a mountain shaped like a bear’s head?  Don’t mind if I do!

    City Park 3, acrylic and enamel on panel, 48×36

    Her use of flat shapes, vivid colors and perspectives make these a bit reminiscent of vintage travel posters, but then the added contemporary pops of patterns such as swoopy stripes and repeating textile-like shapes add more dimensions of interest.  These truly are works that I could escape into– just to try to figure out all that is going on!  They are like a crazy dream gone wild.  And I love them.

    U.A.E. Arc Intervention, acrylic and enamel on panel, 24×36
    St. Thomas All Inclusive, acrylic and enamel on panel, 36×24

    To see more of Melissa Loop’s world, please visit her website.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to close my eyes and dream of curvy pink slides.

  • Make Way For Pamela’s Parade: Pamela Durga Robinson

    Make Way For Pamela’s Parade: Pamela Durga Robinson

    Everyone loves a parade, don’t they?  Well, I certainly do.  And Seattle artist Pamela Durga Robinson’s Parade series brilliantly captures the spirits of the parts that make the whole.

    Drill Team Captain, oil on canvas, 36×36

    She choses to isolate the individual players– band members, clowns, audience– so that we can focus in on them and their experience.

    Seasoned Critics, oil on canvas, 12×12

    Her figures are so human.. these are your parents, children, friends, the people you see at the supermarket on Sunday.  She uses negative space to give importance to figures that otherwise might just be faces lost in the crowd.  And her brightly colored backgrounds recall the upbeat cheeriness of a parade and provide an interesting juxtaposition against the sometimes sullen faces.

    Flutes All In A Row, oil on canvas, 12×12
    Drill Team Wannabes, oil on canvas, 12×12

    To see more of Pamela’s parade of characters, be sure to check out her website.  You can also see her work in person ( and enjoy some yummy goodies ) at Fresh Flours on Phinney Ave in Seattle.

    Featured image is Anticipation, oil on canvas, 36×12.  All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.