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Category: Collage

Escape to Wonderland: Kelly O’Connor

I don’t know about you, but I could really use an escape right now. To Wonderland, to the Chocolate Factory, to anywhere I don’t have to answer emails, make dinner or otherwise in any way be a grown up! I want to go to a place where no one speaks an unkind word and everyone is insanely happy. Where trouble melts like lemon drops. Truly, what I want is to get lost in the crazy wonderland of Texas artist Kelly O’Connor.

OK, perhaps I take it back. Like the fictional Stepford, O’Connor’s collages of vintage vacation destinations juxtaposed with candy colored geometrics and crazy-eyed mid-century ladies is a bit loopy. But then it’s meant to be. From the artist “My intention is to create an immortal or dreamlike space, such as one that could only exist in a person’s subconscious.” These worlds are like those dreams from which you wake, feeling exhilarated, but relieved that it wasn’t real.

To see more of Kelly O’Connor’s work, please visit her website. If you happen to be near Houston, be sure to check out Kelly’s solo show Blinded by the Light at David Shelton Gallery, up until June 7th! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put on my sparkle ray glasses and get back to work.

Top two images via the artist’s website. Other images via David Shelton Gallery website.

May 19, 2014
Messy Utopias: Scott Sueme

Some people dream of a perfect utopian existence. But utopias always seem more Stepford-ish to me, communities where every house looks perfectly the same, every person has the same ideals, there is never any conflict. But where there is no conflict, there is no contrast and it’s in the differences that true life comes through and true beauty shines. The work of Vancouver artist Scott Sueme exposes those contrasts found outside of the perfect.

Sueme uses landscape like compositions mixed with graffiti ideology to reference human interaction within nature. Whether it be from overdevelopment filled with strip malls or a small cabin in the woods, landscape is different and loses its sense of balance and perfection once the hand of man has been laid upon it. It’s hard to imagine a world without street lights and signs and parking lots. Would we even recognize it?

To see more work by Scott Sueme, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

May 15, 2014
Insert the Artsy: Black and White Art, 3 Rooms 3 Styles

Choosing artwork for your home can be an intimidating process. Sometimes we fall in love with a piece of work but wonder how in the world we would ever incorporate it with our current style?! You know that old adage, buy what you love and somehow it will work? I’m here to prove it’s true. Let’s say you fall for this bold black and white art pair by this month’s Featured Artist, Alexandra Bellissimo.

the antagonist | the guardian

They’re strong. They’re daring. They’re a little weird but totally fabulous. Now where can you put them? The best thing about graphic black and white art like these is that they can add a sense of the unexpected to anywhere they hang.

1 | fierce romance This fantastical pair are like creatures from a dark fairy tale. Hung off to the side above the antique sofa in a romantic bohemian living room, The Antagonist and The Guardian would add just the right amount of sass to counteract the sweet.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

2 | sleek soak In the bath is often the very last place we consider for artwork, but these guys are just screaming to add a little of the unexpected to your personal spa. They’re graphic so maybe placement in a contemporary bath seems like a no-brainer, but their organic sci-fi feel compliments the space in a fresh way.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

3 | rustic edge Maybe you love rustic decor but don’t want to completely live the cowboy life? The his and her pairing is perfect for a bedroom and this black and white art would provide a fantastic juxtaposition against a wood feature wall. Want to edge it up even more? Add an extra wide white mat and simple contemporary frames in a bold color like yellow or bright green. Boom. You’ve turned up the sophistication to 11.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

Have a room you need some artsy help with? Or art you love but not sure how to style in your room? I can help with that! Check out my Forager Services page for details. Love this pair by Alexandra Bellissimo? Check out her site AND stay tuned for some news here and on the Mantle Art site for affordable, limited editions prints coming soon!

All image sources linked above.

April 30, 2014
Modern Camp: Eugenia Loli

I’m kind of a bit bi-polar sometimes when it comes to artwork.. I either fall for work that is super textured, busy, crazy with color and line and visuals, or I do a complete 180 and find myself falling in love with simple compositions and clean lines. Lucky for me, collage artist Eugenia Loli does both incredibly well. But today, my simplistic side is taking over!

You may recognized Eugenia’s work from an Escape Into Life feature I did on her a while back. Her latest work has been showing up in the Artsy Forager Facebook feed and I have been consistently blown away, so thought it was high time she got a real feature!

In her digital collages, Loli uses vintage and modern imagery to create fanciful, surreal scenes that give the viewer just a glimpse at what the underlying narrative might be. Like still shots from a B-movie, there is a delicious campiness to them, made even more striking by her use of bold, vintage-y color.

To see more of Eugenia Loli‘s work, head over to her Tumblr. She has a number of products available in her Society6 shop, including striking and super affordable prints. I’m personally coveting a tote bag, although I don’t think I’ll ever be able to decide which image I like best.

All images via the artist’s website.

April 21, 2014
April Featured Artist: Alexandra Bellissimo

April showers bring.. a new Featured Artist! Yay! I’ve been having a serious photography moment lately so I’m excited to feature one of my favorite photographic finds of the last year, LA artist Alexandra Bellissimo all throughout the month of April.

Alexandra’s work has an incredibly elegant, graphic simplicity. Nude figures photographed, just a touch of digital manipulation, then natural elements are collaged into the composition by hand. Human, animal and flora meet, becoming one to create a new, fantastical reality. The more I look at her work, the more I fall in love with it. A story is told with minimal language, and I long to hear more.

Alexandra Bellissimo‘s work will be featured on Artsy Forager all throughout the month of April, but if you can’t wait to see more, head over to the Artsy Forager Facebook page to see her cover photo, as well as an album of my favorite Bellissimo finds. Be sure to visit the artist’s website, too!

PS– A new project collaboration will launch soon featuring work by Alexandra Bellissimo’s work along with three other fabulous artists! Stay tuned for more details!

All images via the artist’s website.

April 1, 2014
Walking the Line: Sabine Finkenauer

While I have a great love of work with lush, chaotic patterns and texture, there is always something so lovely and intriguing in work that embraces visual economy. Barcelona based, German born artist Sabine Finkenauer breaks down the world into simple lines and shapes, creating a signature visual language that is a little whimsical, a little retro and altogether lovely.

There is a childlike playfulness to her work, but her use of space and palette bring a sense of sophistication. Light-hearted enough to seem like Sunday afternoon doodles, looking closer and at her body of work as a whole, you can see the thought and calculation as she works her way through her use of space, line and color in drawing, painting, collage and sculpture.

Want to see more of Sabine Finkenauer‘s work? Please visit her website. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see the world in such a simple way? I’m making that a goal this week– ignore the distractions and see what is simply before me.

All images via the artist’s website.

March 25, 2014
Small Glimpses: Rosemarie Auberson

Sometimes, all it takes is a slight shift to see things from a completely new perspective. I’ve always loved the slight glimpses seen through doorway cracks and angled views. These minimalist collages by Paris based artist Rosemarie Aubserson with their slightly skewed peeks give us the quickest little glimpses into new places.

The placement of some elements around the periphery of the compositions relate the feeling of catching a fleeting glance around a corner. Expanses of solid color heighten the drama of discovery, almost making it seem like a package being opened– making me want to rip away the paper to see more of what’s there!

If you’d like to see more of Rosemarie Auberson‘s work, please visit her website.

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

March 7, 2014
Artsy Eats: Jenny Brown

When I gaze at the work of February’s Featured Artist Jenny Brown, which I’ve been doing a lot this month, it makes me long for the sea. These creatures of the deep and the shallows that she creates out of vintage ephemera reminds me just how landlocked we are here in Idaho. But this Sunday, we set off for our next destination, Eureka, California!

Between the anticipation of the sea air and Jenny’s work, I’m craving something salty and briny and these Soy Citrus Scallops with Soba Noodles are sure to satisfy my longing.

Those little tentacle-y shapes show up in lots of Jenny’s work and remind me so much of noodles– which I never need an excuse to consume! This recipe takes advantage of fresh scallops and snow peas to create a perfect mix of flavors and textures. The ideal pairing. All that would make it better is a glass of wine and the smell of the salt air. Soon, Artsy. Soon!

To see more of Jenny’s work, head over to her website and devour every last delicious morsel! The piece above and others can be purchased from Enormous Tiny Art and seen in person at the ETA show at Nahcotta in Portsmouth, NH.

Art image via Jenny Brown’s website. Recipe & food image via My Recipes.

February 25, 2014
Bits of Lovely: Claire Oswalt

Collage as a medium has had such a resurgence in recent years, but it’s a tough undertaking to get right and create something unique and lovely. In this series of collages on book pages, Brooklyn artist Claire Oswalt creates beautiful little compositions, proving the old cliche, less is truly more.

Using watercolor sketches on torn paper, Oswalt crafts these minimalist collages using careful restraint, the result being thoughtful arrangements of shape and color. In collage, as in most everything, it is so easy to go overboard, to over think and over create. It takes an artistic confidence and discipline to be able to say so much with so little.

To see more of Claire Oswalt‘s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

February 18, 2014
Dreamlike States: Kristen Schiele

Occasionally, Mr. F will wake up and unknowingly be mad at me for something I did in one of his dreams. It’s only after being awake for a bit that he realizes that what he is remembering never actually took place. Just last night, I had a similar dream about him and had to stop myself from carrying those feeling on into our day. Funny how much what happens while we’re sleeping can affect us, isn’t it? These paintings by Kristen Schiele remind me of what my subconscious must be like– not orderly and sensible, but filled with hints and tokens of seemingly unrelated moments.

These pieces are dream-like in their mash-up of elements, jumping from here to there just as our subconscious does in slumber. I often awake wondering– where did that come from?? Sometimes it seems like we’re trying to work out our waking life in our dreams, or perhaps the past comes back more vividly when we aren’t consciously trying to resurrect it.

To see more of Kristen Schiele‘s work, please visit her website. Have a fabulous weekend, Artsies! I’m looking forward to lots of dream-time!

All images via the artist’s website.

February 7, 2014

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