I’ve always been drawn to the imperfect.. the broken shell on the beach, the scratched and worn kitchen table. There is something poetic in the brokenness. In her sculptural series Broken, London artist Sandra Shashou intentionally breaks beautiful pieces of fine china, the broken pieces becoming a part of a new whole.
It must be at once heartbreaking and cathartic to smash these lovely things to pieces! But perfection isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be ( pun intended, ha! ). Instead of collecting dust in a china cabinet or waiting for a buyer in an antique shop, these pieces are given not just a second chance, but are transformed into a completely new object. May we all be so lucky!
It hardly feels like summer. Here on the Northern Cali coast, the temps have barely ever gotten out of the sixties– I’m still wearing scarves and boots on occasion! In addition to the cooler weather, Mr. F and I both seem to be having trouble getting into a relaxed summer vibe these days. There always seems to be something on the agenda, something to be done, something to plan, somewhere to go. I feel like we’re missing out a bit on the carefree feeling that summer brings, but these paintings by Massachusetts artist Carol O’Malia bring me that much closer.
Any time we’re able to get to the beach, a river or waterfall, any body of water, really, and I see the ripples sparkling in the sun, my mind instantly relaxes and calms. O’Malia really captures the radiance of summer light, not just sunlight, but the way we feel more effervescent in summer. I’m still waiting for that weightless feeling, forgetting everything that’s happening in the world and just soak it all in. I hope it comes soon.
To see more of Carol O’Malia’s work, please visit her website.
There is such a magic and a mystery to the natural world surrounding us. The way trees grow, skies shift, often seem to be inherently artful and purposeful. The work of Canadian artist Troy Moth gives expression to those dreamful moments.
When Mr. Forager and I are out hiking, sometimes we stop talking and just listen to the forest– trees creaking, the rustle of birds in a bush, a breeze gently rattling branches. Occasionally we come across a particularly lovely tree, stroke its bark and imagine it breathing and taking in the enormity of its long and vast life. I wonder how these beings know how to find the food, how to find the light. We make it such a struggle, they make it seem so effortless.
Hey you fellow Foragers! There are some incredible shows going on right now. Here are just a few of my recommendations for must-see museum and gallery shows this week!
Last week, as I was finishing up a painting a little gift for my niece, I got to thinking about what we tend to listen to while creating. For me, my studio soundtrack depends on what I’m working on– for instance, when I work on one of my Feminine Wiles pieces, I tend to prefer classic female voices like Billie Holiday or Edith Piaf. But if I want to just let loose and experiment, I like to listen to maybe something a little energetic and soulful like Florence + The Machine or Motown.
So tell me, Artsies– what’s your studio soundtrack?
pump up the jams | Are you a high energy creator? Maybe you like to blast the beats or turn it up to 11? Rockin’ it old school with some classic rock, 80’s rap or modern girl power totally gets my energy pumping!
slow ride, take it easy | Maybe you like a more peaceful soundtrack for your studio? I know I’ve occasionally asked Mr. F to change the tunes when they’re just a bit too raucous for the mood of what I’m painting. Classical, slow blues, maybe even just something soft and acoustic help keep the mellow flowing.
voices carry | So maybe music isn’t your thing. Some artists fancy a spoken word soundtrack like audio books or talk radio. If I choose to nix the music, This American Life or artist interviews on YouTube inspire and keep my interest without being too distracting.
sounds of silence | Some artists prefer a more quiet creative space, preferring to work with no sound at all. Especially if you’re working on something highly intensive, sound can be a little distracting. So maybe your soundtrack is simple silence.
Which type of studio soundtrack do you prefer? Any specific musical artists, types of music or non-music you always have on your studio playlist? Let’s all share in the comments!
Thanks to Jessica Brilli for providing the beautiful artwork for this post! My first radio may or may not have been similar to one of these.. See more of Jessica’s work on her website!
If you were paying close attention to Don’t Miss Artsiness a few weeks ago, you may have spotted this artist’s work. The mind-bending work of Joe Wardwell mixes classical American landscape paintings with rock lyrics and the result is just as phenomenal as you think it would be.
Music lyrics become such a huge part of our psyche. These little soundbites pop into our head, often when we least expect it. We can sing along with tens of thousands of other people at a concert, every voice lifted up in harmony. We know the music we love as well as we know our own backyards. Wardwell makes a connection between the American love of the landscape to the permeation of pop culture, creating these mirror-like stenciled scenes that remind us that music, as well as art, is just another kind of exploration.
This past Sunday, following more weekend festivities than is normal for us, Mr. F and I took to the beach for the afternoon. There is always something about the salt air, the crash of the waves, and the sand between your toes that is healing for the psyche! Doesn’t the ocean have its own special, briny scent? And it always seems to give sparkle to everything it produces. The paintings of this month’s Featured Artist Carlos Lopez gives expression to the nourishing power of the sea and jewelry artist Emily Miranda‘s Oyster Cuff is the perfect sparkly companion!
Carlos is masterful at expressing the oyster’s gentle, undulating curves in paint, mimicking the rollicking waves, just as Emily Miranda sculpts those same contours from in her cuff bracelet. One work of art to see, one to wear.
To see more of Carlos Lopez‘s work, please visit his website. You can see more gorgeous jewelry by Emily Miranda on her website. Both a feast for the eyes!
Mr. Forager and I have begun a little tradition while here in Eureka. Each Tuesday and Thursday evening, we take a very long walk up a few steep hills to a local bakery where we reward ourselves with a sweet treat. We realize we’re probably undoing some of the good we’ve just done, but without the reward, the journey isn’t nearly as pleasant. What is it about sweets that make them seem such thrill? Japanese artist Osamu Watanabe plays with my sweet tooth with his delectable dessert inspired sculptures.
Watanabe’s mum was a confectionary school teacher, so it’s only natural he would find his muse among the memories of his childhood. His sculptures are created from modeling paste and wax, shaped into familiar confectionary forms. He gives us an array of visual treats to rival any bakery case and even better, these delights are calorie free!
Tell me you remember Spirographs? That ubiquitous toy that combined the worlds of math and art and captured the imagination of many an artsy kid. Danish born, Paris based artist Kim Kirk Nielsen adds his own spriroriffic drawings to appropriated imagery, adding graphic punch and curves in all the right places.
I love the way Nielsen is using these spherical forms to emphasize certain areas of each image, as well as playing with scale as in the last piece to create a surreal, dreamlike scene. The Fibonacci like spirals that echo the patterns of lace doilies ( an ongoing theme in Nielsen’s work ) provide an interesting graphic foil to the photographs he’s chosen to manipulate. That’s it, I’m going to track down a Spirograph and start drawing all over everything!
Happy Independence Day! I hope you don’t mind if I get a little deep on you today. The work of Robert Mars explores the idealization and fascination we as a nation have developed with pop culture, brands, and celebrity and it got me thinking this week.
I had originally written a long rant-y post about american consumerism, but decided this morning that it just didn’t fit the positive and light-hearted vibe I try to keep up around this joint. So I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. 😉 Hope you have an incredibly artsy Independence Day!
