artsy forager

Category: Daily Artsy

Artists featured in a solo spot on Artsy Forager

  • 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.

  • Shared Wonder: Beth Hoeckel

    Shared Wonder: Beth Hoeckel

    Mr. Forager’s sister has been visiting with us since Saturday and it has been so fun watching this bro & sis duo together!  But it’s got me missing my own brothers like crazy.  Our siblings are our first conspirators in adventure, first sharers of secrets, first partners in memories.  The Point of View series by Beth Hoeckel captures that time of imaginative connection we have with our earliest companions.

    Glacial by Beth Hoeckel
    Glacial

    There are places and objects that have deep meaning for us due to the memories they hold.  Even more than that, the things that we experienced together can immediately take us back to that moment in time.  To this day, anytime we hear a certain type of whistle– my brothers and I do a double take, thinking that it’s our dad, calling us home for dinner.

    Count Sheep by Beth Hoeckel
    Count Sheep
    Magic Carpet by Beth Hoeckel
    Magic Carpet

    As we grow older our appearance changes, yet when we look into the faces of our siblings, we still see the mischievous countenance that signaled the beginning of an adventure, a game of hide and seek or a deeply competitive game of Monopoly.  We don’t see the gray hair ( or lack thereof! ), the extra pounds, the wrinkles.

    Mountain Rangers by Beth Hoeckel
    Mountain Rangers
    Ranges by Beth Hoeckel
    Ranges

    I was really hoping we’d be in Seattle long enough to get one or both of my brothers out to visit.  They have to see this.  And we need to make some new memories together!

    Want to see more of Beth Hoeckel‘s work?  Be sure to check out her website ( click on her name for the link ).  And, bonus, she has prints of some of these pieces available at great prices in her Big Cartel shop!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Beauty Confined: Carlos San Millan

    Beauty Confined: Carlos San Millan

    As someone who works from home, I spend a lot of time within the walls of each of our temporary homes.  And when you’re staring at the same walls each day, one of two things happens:  a) you begin to notice the hidden beauty around you or b) you find your inspiration outside those walls.  Lucky for us, Spanish artist Carlos San Millan finds and paints the beauty he discovers within confined spaces.

    Untitled by Carlos San Millan
    Untitled, oil on board, 90×70 cm

    I still remember and often think about every nook and cranny of my lovely little home I left behind in Florida!  When we first landed in the Northwest, we lived in a gorgeous two-story Craftsman home and though the little town left much to be desired, we loved every second of our time in that house.  I was continually inspired by the rooftop views and the vintage craftsmanship.  Our little house in Joshua Tree surprised me by instigating some of the most creative and inspired moments I’ve had in years.

    Untitled by Carlos San Millan
    Untitled, oil on board, 80×80 cm
    Untitled by Carlos San Millan
    Untitled, oil on board, 36×43 cm

    What I love most about these paintings of Carlos San Millan is the loveliness he is capturing in lived in spaces.  Random stuff on the floor, paintings stacked against wall, an arm flung casually off a chair– these aren’t perfectly styled rooms.  They look much like ours do every day, it’s the way we live and though we may not see the inhabitants, their presence is felt.

    Untitled by Carlos San Millan
    Untitled, oil on board, 81×53 cm

    Over the last few days, I’ve been finding myself daydreaming about our new little place outside of Olympia, where we’ll be headed in nine days!  I can’t wait to share photos with you.  It’s a dreamy little spot and I’m already anticipating how inspiring it will be.  I’ll give you a hint: Waterfall. IN THE BACKYARD.

    Want to be inspired by more of Carlos San Millan‘s work?  Be sure to visit his website ( click on his name for the link ).

    All images are via the artist’s website.

     

  • Life Fragments: Emily Ferretti

    Life Fragments: Emily Ferretti

    I’m not sure what it is about Aussie artists, but I am almost inevitably drawn to their work.  Case in point: Emily Ferretti.  Ferretti’s sparsely populated compositions and chalky palette provide an aesthetic salve to an overwhelmed and frenetic mind.

    Ferretti_Table Top Studio Ferretti_Table Top Ferretti_Nod to Henri Rousseau Ferretti_Blue Leaves

    Her work has such a mellow softness to it, contrasting interestingly with the fragmented shapes and lines that are a recurring theme.  It is work which reminds me that when life is pulling me in a million different directions, I can brush my life’s canvas with tender vulnerability– a soft place to cushion life’s hard edges.

    Ferretti_Ruby Mag Ferretti_Skyline

    Please visit the artist’s blog to see more work by Emily Ferretti.  Also, there is a lovely interview and studio visit with the artist on The Design Files site.  You know I love a good studio visit!

    All images are via the artist’s blog.

  • 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.

  • Crystallized Imagination: Alexis Arnold

    Crystallized Imagination: Alexis Arnold

    As Mr. Forager & I go through our belongings, deciding what goes with us and what stays behind, one of the hardest things to part with have been books.  Even as my family was packing up our Florida storage, it was so difficult to say “don’t ship it” to my books.  But it feels like we have less and less time for reading these days.  In fact, when I came upon these crystallized book sculptures by San Francisco artist Alexis Arnold, they reminded me of what my own mind feels like sometimes, having grown frozen from under-utilization!

    Post Mortem by Alexis Arnold
    Post Mortem, book, Borax crystals, 7x9x5
    Cookbook by Alexis Arnold
    Cookbook, book, Borax crystals, 9x6x6.5

    Reading stimulates the brain in ways other activities just don’t provide.  If you’re like me, you actually feel differently when reading a book than you do when reading online or even a magazine.  I feel like my mind is more engaged, more completely consumed than I do with any other type of reading.

    San Francisco Magazine by Alexis Arnold
    San Francisco Magazine, magazine, Borax crystals, 11x6x5.5
    The Catcher in the Rye by Alexis Arnold
    The Catcher in the Rye, book, Borax crystals, 7x5x3

    But for some reason, I just haven’t been compelled to pick up a book lately.  I’ve been known to devour books within a few days time.  Lately, though, in the evenings, normally prime reading time, I find myself reaching for my iPad instead, using the time to catch up on blogs or social media.  Maybe it’s because I don’t have a super comfy reading spot in this apartment.  Or maybe it’s because we only have overhead lighting ( which I hate! ), so there isn’t a cozy, makes-me-want-to-curl-up-and-read atmosphere.

    Allure by Alexis Arnold
    Allure, magazine, Borax crystals, 11x12x3.5

    These are all just excuses.  I am now adding an item to my to-do list: READ.  Not blogs, not social media.  A real live, smells like musty paper book.  I will do it!  Soon.

    Want to see more of Alexi Arnold’s work?  Check out her website.  Anyone else suffering from book withdrawal?

  • Double Take: Timothy Pakron

    Double Take: Timothy Pakron

    Remember in the old days when you would accidentally double expose a photo and you’d be a little bummed when it didn’t turn out perfectly, but secretly pleased because the double exposure was super cool?  Me too I mean, I’m not nearly old enough to remember that, but perhaps you are. 😉  Anyhoo.. these photographs by Mississippi born  NYC artist Timothy Pakron have me longing for the days of happy photographical accidents.

    Wash Away by Timothy Pakron
    Wash Away, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40
    Lazy Blue Eyes by Timothy Pakron
    Lazy Blue Eyes, archival inket print, edition of 5, 40×40

    His blurred figures take on a bit of a ghostly quality and we can’t be quite sure whether or not we can trust our own eyes.

    Distance by Timothy Pakron
    Distance, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40
    Fade by Timothy Pakron
    Fade, archival inkjet print, 40×40

    These could almost take on a slightly sinister quality, but I prefer to see them as a bit day dreamy.  Like that hazy fog between sleep and wakefulness, there is a pleasant light-headedness to them that I completely dig.

    This Side of the Blue by Timothy Pakron
    This Side of the Blue, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40

    Want to see more of Timothy Pakron’s work?  Check out his website.

    All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Michael Mitchell Gallery.

  • August Featured Artist: Candace Fasano

    August Featured Artist: Candace Fasano

    I just love it when an artist seems to take a bit of a break for a while and then BOOM!, comes back strong!  Such seems to have been the case with Florida artist Candace Fasano, this month’s Featured Artist.

    Double Exposure by Candace Fasano
    Double Exposure, oil on wood, 24×24

    Long time Artsy Forager readers might remember Candace’s work from way back in July ’11 ( where have the past two years gone?? ).  Over the past few years, I would occasionally glimpse a post on her blog or Facebook page, but then just within the last few month, suddenly it seemed like this artist was back and she meant business!  When I clicked on a blog post back in January, I was thrilled to see a bunch of new, exciting work looking back at me.

    Alternating Phase by Candace Fasano
    Alternating Phase, oil on wood, 12×12
    EG3 by Candace Fasano
    EG3, mixed media on wood, 12×12

    Fasano is still playing with her imagination ( and ours ), delving even past narratives into the worlds of scientific mapping and microbiological patterns.  There is still the typography and wispy lines that are part of her artist’s signature, but these new paintings seem to be an artist who has discovered new caves to explore and is diving deeper beneath the surface.

    Double Etch Trenches by Candace Fasano
    Double Etch Trenches, oil on wood, 11×14

    I’m so excited to feature the work of Candace Fasano all August long here on Artsy Forager!  Be sure to check out her website, blog, and Facebook page.  You can see one of Candace’s paintings gracing the Artsy Forager Facebook page, too, as well as a whole album of my favorite Fasano works!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Inside Job: Chelsea James

    Inside Job: Chelsea James

    One of the most fun things about traveling the way we do is being able to try on different types of places.  It’s always interesting to me how each place has its own personality, reflected in the town’s homes and buildings.  The look of Seattle and Joshua Tree couldn’t be more different!  Interior obsessive that I am, I couldn’t help but share these lovely paintings by artist Chelsea James.

    Studio b by Chelsea James
    Studio b, oil on canvas, 36×36
    Utility Sink by Chelsea James
    Utility Sink, oil on panel, 36×36

    I first spotted James’ work on the New American Paintings blog a while back and was immediately drawn to her style of painting.  Her use of angles and perspective really draws you into the space of each painting, reminding me greatly of another favorite interior artist, Peri Schwartz.

    Sink by Chelsea James
    Sink, oil on panel, 12×12

    And of course, I always love any artist who sees the beauty in the ordinary.  Thanks to Chelsea James, I will never again take for granted the loveliness to be found in a sink!

    Sylvia by Chelsea James
    Sylvia, oil on panel, 12×12
    Piso 7 by Chelsea James
    Piso 7, oil on panel, 12×12

    If you’d like to see more of Chelsea James’ work, please click on over to her website.  Don’t you want to do a Risky Business style slide across that floor in Piso 7?  Just me?

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Twisted & Tangled: Deborah Dancy

    Twisted & Tangled: Deborah Dancy

    Sometimes, as I’m looking through my artists queue and planning which artists to feature, I have to go back and search the Artsy archives because I come across an artist whose work is so fantastic, so just up my alley, that I’m shocked I let this artist’s work sit in queue for so long.  I can’t believe I waited so long to share these gorgeous abstract paintings by artist Deborah Dancy.

    As the World Turns by Deborah Dancy
    As the World Turns, oil on canvas, 60×48
    Dancing in the Dark by Deborah Dancy
    Dancing in the Dark, oil on canvas, 60×60

    Dancy spins a web of layered painterly texture, light, shadow and intricately concocted yet wonderfully spontaneous cages of line.  My eye gets caught up in each tangled maze of paint, getting utterly lost and never wanting to come back.

    The Object of My Affection by Deborah Dancy
    The Object of My Affection, oil on canvas, 46×46
    Stormy Weather by Deborah Dancy
    Stormy Weather, oil on canvas, 30×30

    And have I mentioned the palette?  Warm rusty desert tones contrast with pale cotton candy pastels, keeping things fresh and light.

    Gates of Paradise by Deborah Dancy
    Gates of Paradise, oil on canvas, 60×48

    Want to see more of Deborah Dancy’s work?  Of course you do.  Check out her website.

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