Category: Daily Artsy

Artists featured in a solo spot on Artsy Forager

  • Dream States: Marie Rosen

    Dream States: Marie Rosen

    Mr. Forager and I love to share dreams.  I’m not just talking about the speculative, what if, kind of dreams, but the productions put on by our subconscious while we’re sleeping.  If either of us has an interesting or unusual dream, we always share it.  The work of Belgian artist Marie Rosen has the same surreal, things are not quite what they seem feeling, so often found in our dreams.

    Marie Rosen | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Marie Rosen | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Marie Rosen | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Marie Rosen | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Marie Rosen | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

     

    Flat planes and barren landscapes defy reality and keep us from knowing for certain how the elements of each piece fit together– landings leading to nowhere, tiny feet gather beneath a giant covered table.  It’s that same incongruity that so often leads us feeling out of sorts following a particularly vivid dream.  Things seem almost real, yet we know they are only imaginings.

    To see more of Marie Rosen‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Art Hound.

  • Bought & Paid For: Jaye Schlesinger

    Bought & Paid For: Jaye Schlesinger

    We live in a world of labels.  Where the things we consume are linked to who we are– our personality, our political views, our wealth.  Yet we make assumptions based on the consumption habits of other people all the time, whether consciously or unconsciously done.  We gather around us these symbols of status and wealth, often more important to our perception of ourselves than anyone else.  Michigan artist Jaye Schlesinger captures in paint the tokens of consumption that are often prized as much as the products themselves.

    Jaye Schlessinger | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #stilllife #contemporaryart Jaye Schlessinger | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #stilllife #contemporaryart Jaye Schlessinger | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #stilllife #contemporaryart Jaye Schlessinger | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #stilllife #contemporaryart Jaye Schlessinger | artsy forager #art #artists #painting #stilllife #contemporaryart

     

    In the past, I’ve been as guilty of this as anyone, hoarding bags from my favorite luxury stores, even carrying my lunch to work in one occasionally.  There is nothing wrong with nice things, of course, and if we can afford luxuries, why not treat ourselves?  But the danger comes when we begin to judge others on the basis of what they can’t afford.  For me, traveling with Mr. F has been incredibly freeing for my own magpie tendencies.  We can only carry so much with us and, as we move from place to place, we find that more often than not, the people we meet are much more interested in who we are than in the car we drive or the clothes we wear.  It is teaching me a lesson in perception that I’m not sure I would have learned otherwise.

    Wow, heavy stuff for a Friday, eh? Jaye Schlesinger has more beautiful paintings of ordinary things ( my fave! ) on her website.  Be sure to check it out!

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via the Elliot Fouts Gallery.

  • Delicate Dramas: Isabelle Menin

    Delicate Dramas: Isabelle Menin

    Have you ever thought about the stories unfolding around you?  I don’t mean what the neighbors are up to, but the countless big and tiny worlds humming along around us, hardly aware of our presence?  As Mr. Forager & I were backpacking in the Trinity Alps last weekend, it struck me how very small we humans are in this vast world, and yet how self-important, while the majority of life on earth couldn’t care less who we are and what we do.  The work of Belgian artist Isabelle Menin seems to illustrate those teeming microcosms so blissfully unaware of our presence.

    Isabelle Menin | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #flowers #contemporaryart Isabelle Menin | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #flowers #contemporaryart Isabelle Menin | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #flowers #contemporaryart Isabelle Menin | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #flowers #contemporaryart Isabelle Menin | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #flowers #contemporaryart

    Menin creates these flowery domains by photographing flowers and then using digital software to layer, manipulate, and bring forth explosions of color and light.  The resulting images are incredibly mysterious and sensual, almost operatic in their style– filled with melodrama and small, elegant nuances.  There is a feeling of emergence and immersion, that walking out of darkness into light and vice versa.  I might seriously consider giving up this world for hers.

    To see more of Isabelle Menin‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Captured Elixir: Jamie Harris

    Captured Elixir: Jamie Harris

    Have you ever watched a sunset, watching the sun melt into the landscape and wished there was a way to capture other than on your iPhone?  New York artist Jamie Harris seems to ensnare the elemental liquidity of nature in infused glass.

    Jamie Harris | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #glass #contemporaryart Harris1 Jamie Harris | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #glass #contemporaryart Jamie Harris | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #glass #contemporaryart Jamie Harris | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #glass #contemporaryart Jamie Harris | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #glass #contemporaryart

    These encapsulations of color seem to magically suspend the elements forever in animation– a sun that never quite sets, water that freezes mid-flow.  Bright, saturated color hangs in translucent waves that seem like they could crash into each other any second.  Completely enchanting.

    To see more of the work of Jamie Harris, check out his website.  He also creates gorgeous tabletop pieces and custom lighting!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Riotous Journeys: CK Aderem

    Riotous Journeys: CK Aderem

    I do love work filled with calming translucency and dreamy washes.  But sometimes, I’m in the mood for something a bit more wild.  The work of South African born Boston-based artist CK Aderem is filled with controlled explosions of texture and color that is totally getting my juices flowin’.

    CK Aderem | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart CK Aderem | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart CK Aderem | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart CK Aderem | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart CK Aderem | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #abstractart #contemporaryart

     

    These small scale paintings are like tiny landscape abstractions, bursting forth with color and teeming with movement.  Layers peek from behind each other like a mythical creature shyly glancing from around a corner, enchanting and drawing me in to try to get to another glimpse.  I want to slide down those thick lines of paint, to see where falling down those rabbit holes might lead.  What an adventure it would be to fall into the candy colored world he is creating!

    To see more work by CK Aderem, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Saatchi Online.

  • Summer Lovin’: Elizabeth Lennie

    Summer Lovin’: Elizabeth Lennie

    Summer is officially here!  ‘Tis the season we take to the water!  Perhaps as an escape from the heat, but even more so, we are drawn to watery places this time of year because of the calming effect of water upon our souls and spirits.  In summer, we give ourselves permission to pause and it’s tough to be stressed and harried when gazing out over the ocean’s horizon.  Toronto artist Elizabeth Lennie captures the way summer draws us to the water and out of our depths.

    Elizabeth Lennie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #summer #contemporaryart Elizabeth Lennie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #summer #contemporaryart Elizabeth Lennie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #summer #contemporaryart Elizabeth Lennie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #summer #contemporaryart Elizabeth Lennie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #summer #contemporaryart

     

    While Lennie’s portfolio is filled with more typical watery palettes of blues and greens, it was to these warmer pieces that I found myself most drawn.  Something about these peachy tones reminded me so much of the slowing down we do in the summer time.  Perhaps they recall the glow of sunset over a day spent in nothing but play, with no plans to stop any time soon.  A day when we let ourselves linger, whether on the beach or simply over dinner on the patio at home, we relish relaxation in summer, a lesson we could all carry over into every other season.

    To see more of Elizabeth Lennie‘s work, please visit her website.  Mr. Forager & I have lots of waterside backpacking and camping planned for this summer.  How are you relaxing this summer?

    All images are via the artist’s website.

     

  • On the Road: Matt Sawyer

    On the Road: Matt Sawyer

    Thanks to this gypsy-like lifestyle we’ve chosen, Mr. Forager and I find ourselves on frequent road trips.  Whether journeying to our next destination or exploring our current spot, we’ve put a lot of miles on our little Hyundai!  Each stretch of highway has its own personality and Seattle artist Matt Sawyer beautifully captures the atmosphere of the view from four wheels.

    Matt Sawyer | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #travel Matt Sawyer | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #travel Matt Sawyer | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #travel

    prints available through the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art

    Matt Sawyer | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #travel Matt Sawyer | artsy forager #art #artists #photography #travel

    prints available in the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art

    An analog fine art photographer, Sawyer’s work has this beautiful signature palette– desaturated yet strong color and light that is reminiscent of those mornings when you rise before the sun to hit the road and evenings when you decide to just try to make it a little bit farther before stopping for the night.  There is a quietness about this series, as if you’ve turned the radio off, stopped talking and just listened to the road as it passes.  It has stories to tell, we just have to listen.

    To see work by Matt Sawyer, please visit his website.  Be sure to check out the collection of Matt’s prints available in the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art!

    All images via the artist or his blog.

    *This post contains affiliate links.  As curator of the Artsy Forager for Mantle Art Collection, I receive a small commission on each piece sold from the collection.

  • Flora Unleashed: Laurence Amelie

    Flora Unleashed: Laurence Amelie

    It seems I’ve been more obsessed with flowers this spring than ever.  Perhaps because here in Northern California, everything has been blooming like crazy!  I’m constantly discovering new floral delights, both of the cultivated and wild varieties.  Our favorites are the wildflowers that can only be discovered by hiking into the woods, where they grow freely and without abandon.  These paintings by French artist Laurence Amelie capture the untamed beauty of flora unleashed.

    Laurence Amelie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Laurence Amelie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Laurence Amelie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Laurence Amelie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart Laurence Amelie | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

     

    When we’re hiking, I often wonder how a certain flower came to be in the place we find it.  Was it’s seed dropped by an overhead bird?  Or carried on the wind to arrive at its destination?  Whatever the method, the result is a beautifully haphazard garden where flowers grow content and untethered.  On her website, the artist refers to this as “poetic disorder”.  Such a lovely turn of phrase for the way in which wild things grow.

    To see more of Laurence Amelie‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images via the artist’s website or Facebook page.

  • Artsy Happening: Celebrating the First Ever White House Maker Faire with Great.ly!

    Artsy Happening: Celebrating the First Ever White House Maker Faire with Great.ly!

    Three posts in one day?!  What’s going on?  I’ll tell you what– I am joining with the folks at Great.ly to celebrate the first ever White House Maker Faire!  America has always been a creative nation, but in recent years, as technology has become accessible, we’ve seen the rise of a Maker’s Movement, creating opportunity where there were once just dreams.  Today, the White House celebrates our #nationofmakers and so do I!

    To honor just a few of the amazing makers out there, I thought I’d share a handful of the creative entrepreneurs you can find in The Trove, my boutique gallery at Great.ly

    Emily Jeffords

    Emily Jeffords available through The Trove at Great.ly #art #artists #affordableart

     

    Jennifer Steen Booher

    Jennifer Booher print available throughout The Trove on Great.ly #art #artists #photography #affordableart

    Meredith Aitken

    Meredith Aitken art available through The Grove at Great.ly #art #artists #affordableart

    Romina Bacci

    Romina Bacci prints available through The Trove at Great.ly #art #artists #photography #affordableart

    Deb Haugen

    Deb Haugen prints available through The Trove at Great.ly #art #artists #affordableart

    Find more from these amazing artists in The Trove!  I’m so honored to play even a small part in helping to build up these creative careers!  Happy Maker’s Day!

    All images are via the artist’s Great.ly shops.

    This post contains affiliate links.  As a Great.ly Tastemaker and curator of The Trove, I receive a small commission on each piece sold from The Trove boutique gallery.

  • Hidden Treasures: Elyse Graham

    Hidden Treasures: Elyse Graham

    I remember being fascinated by a pair of geodes that were one of my grandmother’s travel souvenirs.  The ugly, nondescript rocky surface hiding inside it a magical, sparkly surprise.  Los Angeles artist Elyse Graham shares my childhood fascination, creating her own sculptural geodes from layers of latex and urethane.

    Elyse Graham | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #contemporaryart Elyse Graham | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #contemporaryart Elyse Graham | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #contemporaryart Elyse Graham | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #contemporaryart Elyse Graham | artsy forager #art #artists #sculpture #contemporaryart

    When we first arrived here in Eureka, we experienced our very first California earthquake.  It reminded me, as do the geysers and mud pots of Yellowstone, that this planet we live on is a living, moving, breathing entity.  So it seems only fitting that Graham creates her geodes around the void left by her own exhaled breath.  She adds each layer, one on top of the other,  the resulting effect unknown until the geode is finally split.

    How often do we, too, work blindly only to discover something amazing when all is revealed?

    To see more of Elyse Graham‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via isavirtue.