artsy forager

Author: Lesley

  • Defining Venters. The Palette.

    Defining Venters. The Palette.

    Each season, in each place, has its own palette and I find that each informs my work, wherever I happen to be.  We’ve spent our spring and summer on the Puget Sound where I’ve been soaking up the way the water glistens, the seagulls call, the foghorns sound.

    While here, in addition to the #100littleartworks project, I’ve been painting my VENTERS coastal series. Initially inspired by the wildness of the Oregon Coast and my memories of the beaches and marshes of North Florida, I wanted these paintings to have the palette and reflective transparency of sea glass and sunsets.

    Seaglass and sunsets collage

    top image found here; bottom image by me

    As I do for each series, I put together a Pinterest board for my palette inspiration, printing and referencing these images as I worked in the studio.

    Rope collage

    painting knocking on heaven’s door, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 40x30x1.5

    right image found here 

    Eggs collage

    painting how she moves, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 15x19x.75

    bottom image found here

    Angel collage

    painting make me an angel, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 30x40x1.5

    left image found here

    As I look back on the completed series, I see the way the work and the palette shifted the longer we were here on the Sound.  I’m looking forward to finding my way through the Fall and the changes it may bring in my palette and my way of seeing.

    PS– I’m shipping the last of the VENTERS paintings out to Art & Light Gallery very soon!  Then onto the next!

  • Speak.

    Speak.

    I was introduced to Speakarts through my fellow Art & Light artist, Eva Magill-Oliver, as she is one of four artists partnering with Speakarts to combine great sound with great art to create a beautiful way to listen to music.

    Eva Magill-Oliver on a WAF speaker by Speakarts
    eva’s work on a WAF Speakarts speaker
    via

    These wireless speakers are based on a Danish design, with the front fabric cover attached with magnets so that the cover art can be changed out as you wish!  Beautifully brilliant.

    I’m excited to announce that I am one of four finalists for the fifth and final Speakarts artist partner!

    Speakarts finalists

    the four finalists!  1 | inge flinte, 2 | me!!  3 | jasmine leigh, 4 | andre miller

    The final artist partner will be chosen via popular vote on Instagram beginning now through Sunday, July 24th.  I would love if you would click over to @speakarts on Instagram here and vote for #2!  I would be so excited to see my work as a vehicle for bringing beauty and music into people’s homes!  Thanks, friends!

  • Time.

    Time.

    Summer is the season for slowing down.  For taking time.  While I’ve been working in the studio a lot over these last few months, this summer has also been about renewal.  As often as we can, whether it is a long walk down to the beach or a secluded hike or a weekend of camping, we are cultivating a habit of intentional quiet time.

    IMG_20160710_190003~2

    As we approached the shore of Richmond Beach a few days ago, we happened upon an amazing installation of more than 30 cairns stacked along and in the water’s edge.  We marveled at the time and patience it must have taken to create each of those sculptures, knowing that they are temporal.  Creating art feels much the same– I work long and hard at painting, only to one day ship it off, where it will hopefully, go on to live a life completely apart from me.  My time with my work is fleeting.  But the hours spent creating it are the best kind of quiet meditation.

    Image by me.

  • Sunsetting.

    Sunsetting.

    I’ve never been an early riser.  So catching the sun rise over the Atlantic when I lived in Florida didn’t happen often.  But being on the West Coast, sunsets have become my happy place.  At least three evenings a week, the Mr. and I walk the mile and a half from our apartment then down (and back up, ugh!) 188 steps to Richmond Beach on Puget Sound.  Many Friday evenings we take a bottle of wine and end the week watching the colors slowly shift over the Sound.  It is an incredibly peaceful and lovely way to begin the weekend.

    Sunset over Richmond Beach

    Last night’s display was so incredible that Instagrammers all over the Seattle area were posting their sunset views.  We were all taking in and experiencing the same collective beauty but each from our own unique perspective.  What a gift of a communal yet individual experience!

    These magical sunset views are informing my new work in the VENTERS series– not always literally, but in the way the light becomes soft and dreamy, how the sun melts into the horizon, the way the colors morph and move one into another.

    See the current VENTERS paintings on my website here.  The newer paintings are even softer and more dreamy, if you can believe it!  Can’t wait to show you.

    Image by me.

  • Inspiration Overload.

    Inspiration Overload.

    One of the big advantages to our current traveling lifestyle is how many amazing places we are able to see.   These adventures are a huge source of inspiration for me as an artist.  But seeing so many incredible sights can also lead to a bit of inspiration overload and lead my artsy brain in all sorts of different directions!

    With each new location, each new season, comes a whole new set of inspirations!  So how does one artist handle so many different sources of inspiration?

    How I deal with artistic inspiration overload | artsy forager #artistblog #art #artists #inspiration

    For me, I keep my eyes open and take special notice of what inspires me, not just once, but on a continual basis.  It’s easy to find one spark, but the trick is finding what will continue to spark over and over and over.  Look not for the firecracker, but the forest fire– the spark that leaps and creates more sparks, more fire.

    Lake Coeur dAlene | How I deal with artistic inspiration overload | artsy forager #artistblog #art #artists #inspiration Diamond Lake | How I deal with artistic inspiration overload | artsy forager #artistblog #art #artists #inspiration

    I make note but I don’t necessarily pursue those sparks right away.  My sketchbook is full of idea scribbles, some pretty well developed, others simply notes on colors and forms.  I also have a folder on my phone where I dump those quick sparks when I don’t have my sketchbook handy.  Then, there is my favorite inspiration keeper– Pinterest!  I have at least half a dozen boards where I hoard visual inspirations from subject matter to color palettes.  I keep them private so they are for my eyes only until I decide I am ready to share them with the world.

    How I deal with artistic inspiration overload | artsy forager #artistblog #art #artists #inspiration

    I commit myself to what I’m especially inspired by at the moment and concentrate on exploring that inspirational idea fully.  Each inspiration exploration becomes a series of work to be revisited again and again as I continue to find new ways to express that initial spark.

    How I deal with artistic inspiration overload | artsy forager #artistblog #art #artists #inspiration

    Once I feel like I’m done exploring a certain subject for a while, I’m ready to move on to another idea.  But how to decide?  Sometimes it takes some exploration in the studio to see what is moving me creatively or it could be as simple as how excited about an idea I am!  The most exciting prospect wins!

    At the moment, I’m exploring beachy and coastal inspiration in my VENTERS series– it is proving to be perfect for the coming summer on Puget Sound!

    All images by me.

  • True. Artistic Identity.

    True. Artistic Identity.

    Soft, moody.  Bold & brushy.  Which am I?

    Once, in a job interview, I was asked what my favorite fashion brand was.  I told the interviewer, I would love to be a Free People girl.  But I think I’m more Anthropologie.  And I think it’s the same with painting.  I’ve gone through this questioning before, a few years ago, and thought I’d come to a happy conclusion.

    But voices come in from all directions and we give them heed, perhaps we should but more than likely we shouldn’t.

    Am I making work that makes my heart sing, that challenges me or am I making work that focuses on the way other people respond to it?

    Give Me Your Forever by Lesley Frenz | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart

    give me your forever, 2016, acrylic on cradled wood panel, 12×12

    available at art & light gallery

    I’m a quiet person.  I’m not loud or brash or even sparkly.  I’m introspective.  Some might say mysterious, since I usually keep my cards close to the vest.  Why would I try to make work that doesn’t reflect who I truly am?

    As I was beginning the VENTERS series, I experimented a bit with slightly bolder movement and texture and while successful, the more quiet and soft paintings that have come lately feel more “me”.  I just finished up four more small coastal inspired pieces and am starting on larger canvases this week.  They are turning out beautifully and sharing them will feel like sharing my heart.  As art should be.  I can’t wait for you to see, stay tuned!

    Image by me.

     

  • Announcement. Artist Newsletter!!

    Announcement. Artist Newsletter!!

    I have been hearing for years that having a newsletter is mucho important for any online presence.  And yet, for some reason I resisted.  UNTIL NOW!

    Newsletter graphic

    I’ve been getting requests on social media for folks to be notified when new work is available, when larger pieces are available, etc., so instead of making you guys do the work of checking the website or keeping up with social media posts, you can now be notified first thing when new work is ready for your eyes!  Newsletter subscribers will get first access to new paintings and more!

    You can sign up for my artist newsletter, From The Easel, over on the blog sidebar–

    Newsletter sign graphic

    Or sign up here!

    I promise not to bombard your inbox with emails.  The newsletter will be periodic– monthly or bi-monthly at the most– I need time to paint!

    Thanks bunches, guys!

  • Practice. The 100 Day Project.

    Practice. The 100 Day Project.

    I’ve never been good at keeping a sketchbook, or even painting daily unless I can block off a few studio hours to really paint.  So the idea of creating something every day for 100 days was intimidating, but the idea of pushing myself in that way really excited me.

    With a bit of trepidation, on Tuesday, April 19th, I began #the100dayproject, committing to creating every day for 100 days and sharing the results on Instagram.

    Working within certain parameters would, I knew, make this process easier to document and control, so I decided to create 100 small artworks on 6×6 vellum ( I’m addicted to these little guys for quick sketches ).  I started with acrylics for the first few pieces, whipping out quick little paintings while I worked on bigger canvases in the studio.

    1 of 100_acrylic on vellum_6x6

    But I soon switched to watercolor, as it just so happened that the beginning of the project coincided with our prep to move from OR to WA, so the watercolors were much easier to whip out while my acrylics were packed away.

    13 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 7 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 22 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 24 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6

    And I do believe a love affair with watercolor has begun!  A large part of what artists who have participated in #the100dayproject have experienced has been a creative breakthrough or the discovery of a new technique or new palette or approach.  I don’t plan to give up acrylics, but I do think I’ll be exploring watercolor on a larger scale very soon!

    You can follow my #the100dayproject progress by following me on Instagram or searching the hashtag #100littleartworks.  There is also now a #100littleartworks page on my artist site that I’ll be updating periodically.

    I’m enjoying this new journey!  Have you ever participated in a daily creative challenge?  What did it do for you?

    Images by me.

  • Finding Venters. Inspiration.

    Finding Venters. Inspiration.

    It seems like one coast or another has always been a part of my life.  Growing up in Florida, I spent a lot of Saturdays collecting seashells with my mom on white sand beaches.  Then five years ago, Mr. F and I crossed the country and I was introduced to the Pacific Ocean and the beaches of the Northwest.

    I carry both with me and both coasts have inspired this new series, Venters.  The title of the series, Venters, is the word for what the wind or tide drives in from the ocean upon a wave.

    Photo May 17, 8 57 52 PM Photo Apr 01, 6 19 17 PM

    I love the way the light bounces off the waves, how the sand glistens in the afterglow of each kiss of the waves upon the shore.

    Trinidad sky Richmond beach shore

    And at the breaking and closing of the day, the coastal waters light up like the sea glass jewels they wash upon the sand.  At those times, it seems that the ocean quiets and the earth revolves a bit more slowly.  It is that feeling that I hope the Venters paintings capture.

    All images by me.

     

  • New. Venters.

    New. Venters.

    As I was finishing up the work for my LATITUDE show, my mind was already overflowing with ideas for my next body of work.  But I was having a hard time narrowing my scope.  Then my hubby and I took a weekend trip to the Oregon Coast.  And my new series, VENTERS, was born.

    Venters collage

    A dozen new paintings in my VENTERS series are now available at Art & Light Gallery in Greenville, SC! You can also see all of the work on my website.  More on the inspiration behind this new series, coming soon!  I can’t wait to see how our new spot near Puget Sound influences what is to come.