artsy forager

Category: Abstract Art

  • Transitory Nature: Kyle Stewart

    Transitory Nature: Kyle Stewart

    Transitions are always inspiring to me– the changing of seasons, the shift into a new life, the evolution and transformation.  The transitional seasons of our lives always seem to bring about a renewed energy and purpose.  In perusing the work of Toronto artist Kyle Stewart this morning, got me to thinking about how each experience builds upon the next as we move through this life.

    Hooded Girl #2 by Kyle Stewart Form #1 by Kyle Stewart Autumn's Return by Kyle Stewart Form #2 by Kyle Stewart The Conversation #2 by Kyle Stewart

    In Stewart’s work, you see him working out, playing and stretching through each canvas.  Scrolling through his paintings, you get a visual sense of each transition as he moves from tighter, more constrained abstracts into looser, quieter work, trying out narrative details along the way.  How amazingly does the life cycle of art mimic our own?  We too, move in and out of seasons, changing and transitioning, sometimes ever so slightly, sometimes in big, big ways.

    If you’d like to see more of Kyle Stewart‘s work ( and I highly recommend you do!  Every piece is stunning! ), please visit his website and follow along on his artistic journey through his Tumblr, Facebook & Instagram feeds.

    Images via the artist’s website.

  • October Featured Artist: Jennifer JL Jones

    October Featured Artist: Jennifer JL Jones

    Happy October!  No more of that foolin’ around, Indian summer stuff.  We are now well into Fall and I couldn’t be more thrilled.  I’m equally excited to share with you the work of our October Featured Artist, Jennifer JL Jones!  One of the things I love most about Fall is the cozy atmosphere that permeates each day and night and exploring Jennifer’s work, with its warm, ethereal light is the perfect way to kick off the season!

    She Hath Wings by Jennifer JL Jones Mala by Jennifer JL Jones Okika by Jennifer JL Jones

    Le Petit Jardin 11 by Jennifer JL Jones

    Le Petit Jardin 2 by Jennifer JL Jones

     Here in the Northwest, we can go for days, even weeks without seeing the sun, but the light still manages to pierce the veil, even through falling leaves and raindrops.  It is this same aura of light breaking through and of fluttering movement that draws me again and again to Jennifer’s work.  In her most recent series, Sojourn, the work increasingly free and joy filled.. the atmosphere is ablaze.

    If you’d like to see more of Jennifer JL Jones’ work, please visit her website and Facebook page.  A trip over to the Artsy Forager Facebook page will also give you a glimpse into an album of some of my own favorites of the artist’s work.  Florida Artsies can see Jennifer’s work, along with three other talented artists in Synergy, opening October 18th at Stellers Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach.  Don’t miss it!  Not in Florida?  Check out her website for a list of representing galleries around the country.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Abstract World: Isabel Bigelow

    Abstract World: Isabel Bigelow

    Sometimes, it isn’t a matter of what you see, but how you see it.  Perception can be a funny thing.  Often, Mr. F & I will watch the same movie but get something totally different from it. Or we’ll look at a scene and I’ll zero in on one thing, while his eye notices another.  The simplicity of these paintings by Isabel Bigelow remind me that what each eye focuses on is as unique as the person they belong to.

    Partial Arch by Isabel Bigelow Isabel Bigelow collage

    Bigelow zeros in on simple shapes, isolating them against monochromatic backgrounds, leaving us to wonder– am I seeing what I think I’m seeing? Or am I seeing something else entirely?  The shapes become even more ambiguous when we turn the paintings on their sides or upside down.

    Yellow Mushroom by Isabel Bigelow

    Bigelow_Wings Turquoise

    Fluke by Isabel Bigelow

    But maybe that’s a good thing, this act of seeing differently.  We can focus too closely on our own perceptions, forgetting that there are other angles of viewing.  Not wrong, just different.

    If you’d like to see more of Isabel Bigelow‘s work, please check out her work on the Sears Peyton Gallery website.

    All images via the Sears Peyton Gallery website.

  • Organic Liquidity: Julie Evans

    Organic Liquidity: Julie Evans

    Do you ever find yourself fascinated by the way certain substances act and react?  I’m always intrigued by how different types of liquid interact.. the way oil floats on water, how you can make those pretty drinks by layering the heavier liquid at the bottom of the glass.  New York artist Julie Evans takes advantage of liquid reactions in her abstract creations of water-based media on mylar.

    Swishbone #3 by Julie Eveans Swishbone #6 by Julie Evans Twolip by Julie Evans Carnivore by Julie Evans Swishbone #2 by Evans

    These Rorshach-like works seem to take on different forms depending on your perspective.. appearing at once botanical, sea creature-ish, even like organs in our own bodies.  What I’m most intrigued by is the various consistencies that the media seem to take on throughout each composition, lovely transparently thin layers melt into deep pools of pigment.

    You can see more of Julie Evans‘ work on her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Sears Peyton Gallery.

  • Vintage Visions: Jay Zerbe

    Vintage Visions: Jay Zerbe

    Mr. Forager tends to roll his eyes and snicker when I settle in to watch an old Doris Day or Cary Grant flick.  Yes, I’ll admit, sometimes the story lines are implausible and the acting a bit affected, but something about entering those make-believe worlds touches the part of me that longs for beauty and elegance and grace.  The paintings of artist Jay Zerbe seem cloaked in the palette of those longed for days.

    Shadows and Signs by Jay Zerbe
    Shadows and Signs, acrylic and crayon on canvas, 36×48

    There is something in his chalky palettes that remind me of the energy of the mid-twentieth century.  The colors seem to be telling the story of young love, white gloves and big Cadillac tail fins.

    Celery Soup by Jay Zerbe
    Celery Soup, acrylic and crayon on canvas, 36×36
    Ascension by Jay Zerbe
    Ascension, acrylic and crayon on canvas, 36×36

    But there is something underlying the nostalgic palettes.  A subtle darkness and shadow, reminding us not everything bright and shiny is without its demons.

    57 Bonneville by Jay Zerbe
    57 Bonneville, acrylic and crayon on canvas, 24×24
    Paper Lantern by Jaz Zerbe
    Paper Lantern, acrylic and crayon on canvas, 30×48

    If you would like to check out more of Jay Zerbe‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Take to the Waters: Anne Neely

    Take to the Waters: Anne Neely

    Water is one of those resources we tend to take for granted until we find ourselves without it.  During the six months we spent in the California desert, Mr. F and I discovered just how essential its presence was to our psyches and overall happiness.  Not only does it nourish us physically, but something about this liquid nurtures our souls.  Boston artist Anne Neely explores the importance of waters seen and unseen in her Mopang series.

    Turlach-Turlough by Anne Neely
    Turlach-Turlough, oil on linen, 72×60
    Pond Park by Anne Neely
    Pond Park, oil on linen, 36×44

    The series is named after the Mopang Aquifer in Maine which was saved after an attempt to establish an ash dump near it.  The artist plunges depths, showing off water’s sparkles and light in her use of color, shape and line.

    Riverside by Anne Neely
    Riverside, oil on linen, 32×24

    We are lucky enough to have a beautiful little man-made stream and waterfall running through the backyard of our current rental.  Just a few minutes gazing into the clear waters and listening to the splashing instantly calms me.  The mere presence of water reminds us of our most basic needs and we relax in its cool calming being.

    Off Island by Anne Neely
    Off Island, oil on linen, 32×24
    Waterlines by Anne Neely
    Waterlines, oil on linen, 14×11

    If you would like to see more of Anne Neely‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Exploratory Escapes: Jaime Derringer

    Exploratory Escapes: Jaime Derringer

    One of my favorite things about social media is being able to watch an artist blossom and discover their voice.  Maybe you recognize the name of today’s artist, perhaps better known as the founder and editor of the amazing design blog, DesignMilk, artist-blogger-poet(!), Jaime Derringer.

    Composition #5 by Jaime Derringer
    Composition #5, acrylic and pencil on heavy canvas paper, 12×16
    Why Can't I Be You? by Jaime Derringer
    Why Can’t I Be You?, mixed media on wood panel, 8×8

    I wasn’t aware of the scope of Jaime’s artistic talent until she began posting her A Shape A Day project on Instagram.  Immediately, I was like, “Hold the phone!  She’s an artist, too??”  The short answer? Yes.

    Untitled by Jaime Derringer
    Untitled, ink, marker and watercolor on watercolor paper, 9×12
    Smoke Monster by Jaime Derringer
    Smoke Monster, ink, marker and acrylic on heavy canvas paper, 16×12

    For Jaime, her work is an exploration and escape.  Perusing her work, you can see the progression, the playing with style, medium and composition that marks each creative expedition.

    Jellyfish by Jaime Derringer
    Jellyfish, ink on paper, 25×19

    With each journey, the artist is discovering her own uncharted territory and finding new paths.  Personally, I’m enjoying being along for the ride.

    Want to see more of Jaime Derringer‘s work?  Be sure to check out her website here.  Oh and bonus– originals and prints of her work are available at super affordable prices!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Hope in the Dark: Wendy McWilliams

    Hope in the Dark: Wendy McWilliams

    As much as we would love to be happily skipping through life at all times, there will always be moments that get us down.  We get stressed, overwhelmed, and sometimes just plain sad.  But in the darkness, there is always a light of hope.  These abstract paintings by Tennessee artist Wendy McWilliams illustrate in paint that feeling of glimpsing the light in our dark moments.

    McWilliams_feeling the pinch 36 x 36 $500

    I’m not sure this was the artist’s purpose when she set out to paint these canvases, but it is what these pieces are speaking to my own, slightly stressed mind today.. There is always something happening, something or someone clamoring for our attention.  Sometimes the noise is welcome, other times, not so much.  But in the light and color of McWilliams’ work, today I’m reminded that the stress doesn’t last forever.

    McWilliams5

    McWilliams1

    We always manage somehow to come through the chaos, to tackle the seemingly insurmountable tasks before us or to just plain grin and bear it until it’s all over.  Whether it is through our own strength, help from another or above, we get through it.  The color returns and so does the light.

     McWilliams2

    Want to see more work from this artist?  Check out Wendy McWilliams’ website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • White Out: Caitlin Lonegan

    White Out: Caitlin Lonegan

    There can be abundance found with restraint.  When a bush is pruned correctly, it blooms more profusely, doesn’t it?  In her series of White Page paintings, Los Angeles artist Caitlin Lonegan doesn’t shy from letting the white of her canvas show through.  In fact, she embraces it.

    Untitled ( White page, Brown ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White page, brown ), oil on canvas, 72×78
    Untitled ( White page, writing III ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White page, Writing III ), oil on canvas, 48×60

    Instead of the white canvas being just a surface to be covered, it becomes part & parcel in the composition– a place of rest for the eye, an expanse of space in which the marks made by the artist’s brush are not just strokes but the subject.

    Untitled ( White Page, Teal ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Teal ), oil on canvas, 72×78

    The confidence an artist must have to allow her marks to be laid so bare is humbling and astonishing to me.  Every little stray swipe of the brush, every little drop of paint is there for the eye to see.  And it is in these little gestures that I find the most depth and delight.

    Untitled ( White Page, Writing ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Writing ), oil on canvas, 48×60
    Untitled ( White Page, Blue Line ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Blue Line ), oil on canvas, 48×60

    Want to see more work by Caitlin Lonegan?  Please visit her website by clicking through on her name.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Little Paper Planes.

  • A Careful Balance: Ky Anderson

    A Careful Balance: Ky Anderson

    I’ve been working on a freelance art curation project for a healthcare installation– which for this one means looking at a lot of stock photography.. yesterday it was flowers & marshes, today, fitness photos.  So you know what makes me super happy right now?  Some fantastically awesome abstract paintings!  These abstract works by Brooklyn artist Ky Anderson are all about balance and relationship and they are speaking to my stressed out little mind!

    One Has Three Shadows by Ky Anderson
    One Has Three Shadows, acrylic on paper, 50×38

    Anderson uses simple lines and forms, intertwining them in his compositions so that everything feels just cautiously balanced.  Like a game of Jenga, it seems as if the pieces of the whole are carefully placed so that each is supporting the other.

    Settled In by Ky Anderson
    Settled In, acrylic on panel, 16×18
    Untitled by Ky Anderson
    Untitled, acrylic on paper, 22×22
    Pressure by Ky Anderson
    Pressure, acrylic on panel, 16×18

    The artist continues her balancing act in his chosen palette,  softening dark black lines with creamy pastels and translucent blues.  Each piece a study of careful balance.

    Centered Single by Ky Anderson
    Centered Single, acrylic on paper, 22×30

    I highly recommend you check out more of Ky Anderson’s work on her website.  Each piece more lovely than the next!

    All images are via the artist’s website.