OK, I know it’s something of a cliche to be a woman who loves the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. But I don’t care. I have unabashedly loved her work for what seems like forever. And I’m proud to say that my ten year-old niece, Samantha is a fan, as well and with no initial prodding from her aunt. ( Though I do admit to unabashedly encouraging her whenever I can! )
I was drawn to her work on first sight, but it wasn’t until I began taking studio courses in drawing and painting that my love truly blossomed. Maybe it was that her palette seemed to be similar to the colors I was repeating in my own work.
Or maybe it was how shocking some of her abstract work, thought to recall certain parts of a woman’s body, were in her day. Perhaps that sense of rebellion against the “boys club” appealed to the feminist in me.
It could have been how she was celebrating quiet and peace of the natural world, while technology was being ushered in at a rapid pace.
Maybe it is the softness of her brushwork– seriously, can you even see any brushstrokes? Or how delicate her lines were drawn.
Perhaps it is a combination of all these things. Whatever it is, I find her work magical.
Today is my birthday, ya’ll. I will be happily spending the day with the one who birthed me, touring the Downtown Jacksonville studio of Christina Foard and researching downtown galleries for an article I’m writing for EU Magazine ( my first published print article! ). In the spirit of Steve Martin’s SNL “Christmas Wish” sketch, I’m indulging in my own Birthday Wish list.
These are works of art that, “If I could have but one birthday wish this birthday”… to own any one of these would be my birthday wish. These are the pieces I covet, the pieces that I know I would love forever and ever and give them a kind and loving home.
The title alone makes me smile. I love how the palette is both warm and cool AND neutral all at the same time. And I have a thing for circles. I’ve seen this in person and it is stunning.
I fell in love with this the first time I saw it on Christina’s Facebook page. It reminds me of the devotion and complete commitment it takes to make a life with someone, to be a united front through thick and thin, to be sure of each other no matter what may lie ahead. Maybe I’m just a starry-eyed newlywed.
I could go on and on adding more and more to this list– believe me, there are MANY more! But I was raised to not be greedy, so I’m limiting myself to these five. Even if I don’t have the real thing, they will always be here for me to gaze upon lovingly. Happy birthday to me!
As many of you know, my hubby George and I have been planning to move to the Pacific Northwest, pretty much since we started dating a little over a year ago. But first we had to #1, get engaged, #2, sell his house in Tulsa, #3 plan a wedding, #4 get married and #5 sell my house in Jacksonville. We have finally accomplished that last objective ( well, almost, our closing is May 18th ) and are planning the next stage of our life together.
I have an ongoing list of artists I’d like to feature on Artsy Forager, but sometimes fate steps in and pushes a certain artist ahead of the rest. I happened to be checking out a design blog I follow and spotted a painting the blogger had purchased from Seattle artist, Julia Hensley. I surfed on over to her website and was impressed by what I found. I discovered via Facebook, that today is Julia’s birthday!
So, in honor of Julia’s birthday, our upcoming move to the Northwest and just because her stuff is just genuinely awesome, I’m sharing her work with you.
Chinatown, oil on masonite, 13 1/2″ x 11″
65th and Roosevelt, gouache collage on bristol board, 9″ x 12″
Hot Day Bremerton, gouache on bristol board, 7 1/2″ x 4 3/4″
( this might be my favorite )
Flat Iron, acrylic on bristol board, 8″ x 12″
Sunday Downtown, acrylic on paper, 19″ x 24″
Hope you enjoyed meeting Julia, be sure to wish her a happy birthday!
Can you believe it’s already Friday again? Where did the week go?!
There is no real theme for this week’s Friday Faves.. other than these are a few of my favorite things right now. All art related, all colorful, all inspiring to me for different reasons.
This may possibly be my favorite quote ever. And something I struggle with daily. ( Yes, “loose” should be “lose” and the artist acknowledged it, but somehow that imperfection makes it even better ).
I want to spend the day outside, playing with watercolors, not caring whether or not the sketches are any good. ( I stink at watercolors! )
I love everything about this image. The jewelled rainbow color palette, the abstract expressionist paint splashes, the idea of the paint falling like rain, the black & white vintage girl… love, love, love.
I fell hard for this little guy the first time I saw him. So dapper, so sophisticated!
Wishing you a weekend full of warmth, spring color and artsyness! Be inspired.
Yesterday I learned of the passing of one of the great leaders of the art community in Jacksonville, Hamish MacEwan. Hamish was born in Scotland, eventually coming to the US and earning a Masters of Art degree from Harvard University. His career brought him to Jacksonville and though he gained notoriety as the head of the arts department at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville and producer of cultural programs for Jacksonville’s local PBS Station. It is in his paintings and personal relationships that Hamish’s real legacy is found.
I can still vividly remember my first encounter with Hamish. I had only been working at Fogle Fine Art for a short time, when Hamish came into the gallery on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. I had, of course, already been familiar with his work from living in Jacksonville and working for SuperStock, who handled the licensing of much of his artwork.
He came into the gallery looking like a character from a Rosamunde Pilcher novel, dressed in cordoruoys, tweed jacket ( complete with elbow patches! ) and hat. His voice had that beautiful Scottish lilt and he was the epitome of a Scottish gentleman. I always remember his hankerchiefs, because they reminded me of my own grandfather, also an old-school hankerchief user.
Hamish was a prolific artist, painting every day even into his 90’s. In 2009, Fogle joined forces with MOCA Jax to do a retrospective of his work the year Hamish turned 90 years old, “90 in “09” showcased the artistic journey of this remarkable artist. I was fortunate to give Hamish a ride home after the opening at the gallery. He was blown away by all the attention and so appreciative and humbled by this celebration of his life of work.
After I dropped Hamish off that night, I watched him amble along the sidewalk to his apartment, leaning on his cane. I pictured him the next day, same as always, painting in his studio. I like to think that he is still painting.
Goodbye, Hamish. Thank you for the creative legacy you have left us all.
Sorry for the late post today– we’ve had some big things happening, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied. More on that later! For this week’s Masters Monday, we’re going a little more modern– enter Pablo Picasso and cubism. Cubism is an early 20th century art movement that was begun by Picasso and Georges Braques in which objects were depicted from a multitude of viewpoints in a seemingly random fashion.
Breakfast by Juan Gris
For me, cubism was a quite a breakthrough while taking figure drawing classes in college. Once figure drawing started clicking for me, ( it was horribly frustrating at first, but my professor at UNF, Paul Ladnier, told me that one day it would just “click” and it would be smooth sailing– I didn’t believe him until it actually happened that way! ) it was then that Paul suggested I try a little cubism. That’s when things REALLY started to get more fun and interesting! I loved exaggerating the planes and forms.
Girl With a Mandolin ( Fanny Tellier ) by Pablo Picasso
I realize Cubism isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it was the introduction into a different way of seeing, a new perspective on how we look at the things we see.
Happy Friday everyone! If you’re in North Florida, no, that light coming through your windows is not an April Fool’s Day joke– the sun is finally shining! If you haven’t made it to the beach yet, here are a few of my favorite beachy pieces to get your through until then.. each one brings a little somethin’ different, dontcha think?
WINTER TRANSITIONS; SPRING STORMS is R. Roberts Gallery’s celebration of the transition from the grey, dreary days of winter into the fresh bloom of spring. The show features the work of three very different artists, mixed media artist Madeline Peck-Wagner, sculptor James Oleson and encaustic painter Kathleen Wobie.
As you enter the gallery, you may almost miss James Oleson’s tiny bust sculpture. This diminutive piece, made of repurposed metal, will definitely make you stop and take the time to really check it out. I couldn’t believe I walked right by it when I first came in! Beyond the bust is one of Oleson’s horse sculptures. With its stilt-like legs and flowing tail, this equine could be right out of a Tim Burton movie. Oleson also has some much larger scale sculptures that are interesting in their own right.
Speaking of equines, Madeline Peck-Wagner’s mixed media works were defnitely, for me, the star of this show. She takes subject matter that could be trite and cringe-worthy ( think cheesy Southwestern art ), but treats it in a unique, contemporary and elegant way.
These are delicate line drawings possessing an intense presence and power, much like the impressive animals depicted. The cross-hatching & precision of the lines are reminiscent of architectural drafting, giving the figures depicted a strutctural, landscaped quality. Conversely, blots and washes of brightly colored paints call to the spiritual significance such animals, both living and decayed possess.
Just as the delicate, bare branches of winter transition into the full, heady blooms of spring, so we move from Madeline Peck-Wagner’s graceful lines into Kathleen Wobie’s encaustics, thick with wax, paint & color. Kathleen’s pieces, in the context of this show, seem to depict spring at its height– full of pastel tones and sunshiney warmth.
For me personally, I found the larger, abstract piece below to be Wobie’s most successful of this show. This piece, rather than being the literal translation of winter to spring that the piece above is, instead represents more the feeling of spring– of rebirth, renewal and the joy of being alive.
As we in North Florida transition into spring ( though some days lately, it feels as if summer is already upon us! ), take the time to drop by R. Roberts to see how these artists make the switch and enjoy this last show in the gallery’s current space. R. Roberts is doing some transitioning of their own, can’t wait to see the bountiful blooming that is sure to be in store!
R. Roberts Gallery is located at 3606 St. Johns Ave in historic Avondale, in Jacksonville.
Winter Transitions; Spring Storms will be on display through April 23rd, the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm.
One week into being an official blogger and I’ve already found that though I may plan to write about a specific artist on a specific day, sometimes the universe seems to be telling me to write something different. All signs today pointed first to photography, then to Jacksonville photographer, Doug Eng.
I first saw Doug’s nature photography and definitely knew he had something. While working for a gallery & art consulting firm, I saw A LOT of mediocre photography. But Doug’s images were different– not only were they many notches above most others in terms of the quality of the image itself, but the compositions were unique and unusual. His way of seeing, especially in capturing architectural structures, is extraordinary.
Unlike many photographers today, Doug doesn’t rely on heavily manipulating his images– he mostly composes his images in the camera, taking hundreds of different shots to get to that one “magic” piece.
Capturing moments in time is Doug’s specialty– whether the moment is filled with humor, sentiment or a changing cityscape.
Each image tells a story, some more obvious than others, but all equally interesting and relevant.
Doug’s work can be seen in person at Southlight Gallery in Downtown Jacksonville or online here at Artsy Forager or on Doug’s own website. When not out shooting fabulous imagery, he can usually be found working at Studio 121, a co-operative studio of artists in Downtown Jacksonville.
