artsy forager

Category: Paintings

  • Drawing the Journey: Mel Prest

    Drawing the Journey: Mel Prest

    At the end of our traveling, I think it might be interesting for Mr. Forager & I to map out all of our journeys, connecting the places we’ve lived and visited.  As we enter into our 3rd year of traveling together, I have a feeling our map might eventually look like one of these mixed media pieces.  San Francisco artist Mel Prest uses an eccentric system to plot out grids of dots corresponding to Japanese metro routes, connecting the dots to reveal a complex system of connections.

    VSCJP Berlin S-Bahn by Mel Prest VSCJP NY Metro I by Mel Prest VSCJPLZ_Amsterdam Metro + Rock and Roll by Mel Prest VSCJP NY Metro 2 by Mel Prest VSCJP Berlin U-Bahn by Mel Prest

    Grid points are based on spelling out map relationships as Japanese characters.  The artist connects the grid points, including mistaken lines ( in gold ) so that the mistake, instead of detracting from the beauty, adds to it.

    I am especially intrigued by this aspect of Prest’s work.  Although the path we take or the place where we find ourselves wasn’t necessarily what we wanted or intended, it can still add meaning and beauty to our life’s journey.

    To see more of Mel Prest‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • The Softness Under the Surface: Sara Maragotto

    The Softness Under the Surface: Sara Maragotto

    When an artist chooses to concentrate their attention on one certain subject, I’m always amazed by the diversity of ways in which they explore that form. Especially when an artist is  seeking to look beyond representation to abstraction.  In this series of Minerale paintings by  Italian artist Sara Maragotto, the artist delves into the world of rocks, examining their opposing qualities of solidity and vulnerability.

    Maragotto_minerale_8 Maragotto_minerale Maragotto_minerale_17 Maragotto_minerale_4 Maragotto_minerale_6

     

    We think of mountains and rocks as solid, immovable objects.  But they have their vulnerabilities, just like everything else on this earth.  Rocks can break and erode, sometimes quickly, but more often slowly over long periods of time.

    In this series of mixed media paintings, I see Sara Maragotto, examining these characteristics in an abstract way.  She retains the hard, sharp lines and surfaces, yet diffuses them with soft brushstrokes and washes of color.  We can see what may be a weaker area beneath the surface, ready for exploitation by water or wind.  I have no idea if this is what the artist had in mind when creating these works, but it is what my own eye has found.  What do you see?

    To see more work by Sara Maragotto, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • In Sunshine and Shadow: Jill Sykes

    In Sunshine and Shadow: Jill Sykes

    As you may have noticed if you read my recap of the past few weeks, we’ve experienced a myriad of climates and landscapes recently.  While the sunny skies of Southern California were a welcome sight, there is still something so enchanting about the starkness of winter branches against a cloudy sky.  It seems ironic then, that these paintings by Los Angeles artist Jill Sykes should remind me so much of wonderfully overcast days.

    East by Jill Sykes Arden by Jill Sykes Ai Fiore by Jill Sykes Skylark by Jill Sykes Saffron by Jill Sykes

    When the sun is high in the sky, of course, it creates the most lovely shadows.  Yet sometimes it feels as if the individual forms of the landscape get lost in the blue.  On a day filled with clouds, though, everything stands in deep contrast with the whites and greys.  The individual branches of each tree are so much more pronounced, we can see the world without the distraction of color.  As lovely as any old black and white film.

    The way Sykes silhouettes her branches creates an intriguing tension between the subject and background.  Leaving us to wonder in some cases which is which.

    If you’d like to see more of Jill Sykes‘ work, please visit her website.

  • Surrendered Textures: Patricia Larsen

    Surrendered Textures: Patricia Larsen

    I have to stop myself from running my fingers over paintings in galleries and museums.  I’m such a sucker for the texture of paint and the way it informs and enhances a piece of work. Sometimes, the texture is merely a by-product of the artist’s process, but for artists like Patricia Larsen, the texture is the star.

    Water Gardens by Patricia Larsen Painting No. 38 by Patricia Larsen Painting No. 11 by Patricia Larsen Painting No. 21 by Patricia Larsen Breathing Under Water by Patricia Larsen

    I know that often, for me, when I’m painting, I get caught up in the deliciousness of the juxtapositions of texture and color.  There is a certain zen like state that happens when an artist surrenders to what is happening on a canvas.  A kind of stream-of-consciousness type of painting tempered with a thoughtful composition results in a wonderful tension.

    To see more work by Patricia Larsen, please visit her website.  If you happen to be in the Tulsa area, you can see her work in person in the current exhibition at Exhibit by Aberson.

    Artist found via Exhibit by Aberson.  Images via the artist’s website and Exhibit.

  • Weird Figurations: Jansson Stegner

    Weird Figurations: Jansson Stegner

    An artist who draws upon art history for his inspiration then gives it his own unique, modern spin speaks my language and immediately draws my interest.  The work of New York artist Jansson Stegner reflects his attraction to the “weird figurations” and exaggerated forms of artists like El Greco, Schiele, and Ingres, yet infuses them with distinctly contemporary style.

    Volleyballers VI ( Tulane ) by Jansson Stegner Great Plains by Jansson Stegner The Nature by Jansson Stegner Artist in His Studio by Jansson Stegner The Peacekeeper by Jansson Stegner

    Unlike historical portraiture, these aren’t portraits of actual people.  The artist creates a conglomeration of figures in order to arrive at the figure to fit his vision.  Elongated limbs, distorted torsos and amplified eyes give Stansson’s figures a caricature like quality, yet the portraits somehow have more gravitas for it.

    If you’d like to see more of Jansson Stegner’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Cathartic Nature: Erin Lynn Welsh

    Cathartic Nature: Erin Lynn Welsh

    Different minds require different types of rest and healing.  Some, like mine, and I suspect that of Brooklyn artist Erin Lynn Welsh, require some quiet time in the big beautiful outdoors to rejuvenate and recoup.

    Erin Lynn Welsh Erin Lynn Welsh Erin Lynn Welsh Erin Lynn Welsh Erin Lynn Welsh

    Being outside, away from the distractions of life, gives our minds time to ponder and wander.  Its a fantastic way to work through a particular problem or emotional energy that needs to get out.  In Erin Lynn Welsh’s work, there’s an emotionality to these paintings, as if the artist has molded together the catharsis of being in nature and the act of painting.  Sweeping and staccatoed brushstrokes seem to belie a mood of working through something inside while depicting each scene.

    If you’d like to see more of Erin Lynn Welsh‘s work, please visit her page at Uprise Art.  And if you recognize the titles of a few of her paintings, then you love Florence + The Machine as much as I do. 😉

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • The Bounce and The Dance: Catto Houghton

    The Bounce and The Dance: Catto Houghton

    Light has an amazing way of transforming shapes, creating shadows and distorting forms.  In her Fractal Facet paintings, Toronto artist Catto Houghton continues using her signature geometric chards to create abstract compositions filled with movement and light.

    Catto Houghton Catto Houghton Catto Houghton Catto Houghton Catto Houghton

    Prismatic shapes dance around her canvases, just as light bounces across a room.  She’s exploring the character of light– how it moves and gives shape to the objects it illuminates and by keeping the compositions abstract, we’re able to concentrate on the forms, colors, and shifts.  The work has a gem-like quality, with nods to Art Deco shapes and futuristic worlds.  What we see depends entirely on how we interpret the artist’s use of color, shape and light.  I don’t know about you, but I see some disco dancing goin’ on.

    If you’d like to see more work by Catto Houghton, please visit her website.

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

  • Freedom in Flight: Simon Birch

    Freedom in Flight: Simon Birch

    As you read this, Mr. F and I are enjoying a week of being footloose and fancy free, currently somewhere along the West Coast between Manzanita, OR and Eureka, CA.  Every time we pack up the car to head out on an adventure, the moment the wheels turn out of the driveway, the feeling of elation sets in.  We’re FREE!  No cares, worries temporarily forgotten, we are flying toward freedom.  In this series of paintings by UK born, Hong Kong based artist Simon Birch, the artist depicts figures in flight, soaring through the air, destination unknown.

    Simon Birch Simon Birch Simon Birch Simon Birch Simon Birch

    So figures jump decidedly, slicing through the atmosphere, while other seem to be falling, floating even.  There seems to be a metaphor in there for the way we approach freedom.  Some of us go all in, taking the bull by the horns so to speak, going for the gusto and lots of other cliches, just simply soaking up all we can from what freedom has to offer.  But others, just sort of fall into it, being gently guided as if on a breeze.  Which type of freedom do you practice?

    To see more of Simon Birch‘s work, please visit his website.

    Artist found via My Modern Met.  All images via My Modern Met.

  • Finding the Light: Elise Morris

    Finding the Light: Elise Morris

    It’s funny how the shorter days of winter effect our psyche.  Less daylight has us longing to curl up and hibernate until the spring.  When the sun is out and shining, we turn our faces toward it, soaking up every precious ounce that we can.  For artist Elise Morris, seeking and finding the light is a part of her process, resulting in paintings that are positively luminous.

    Flourishing Patience by Elise Morris Impermanent Levity by Elise Morris Sky's Trellis by Elise Morris Surface Flutter I by Elise Morris Abundance in Bloom by Elise Morris

    In Morris’s paintings, the light fairly flutters across the canvas, darting in and out of the shadows like a firefly.  Those flickers of light shine through to give her paintings the magic of light being filtered through a forest canopy– alluring and glowing, giving us reassurance that the light will find its way through the darkness.

    If you’d like to see more of the work of Elise Morris, please visit her website and Facebook page.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Confused Identities: Winifred Johnson Brewer

    Confused Identities: Winifred Johnson Brewer

    Its so easy sometimes to lose sight of exactly who we are.  Circumstances bend and shape us in ways we didn’t foresee and then one day, we glance in the mirror and don’t recognize the face looking back.  The work of Los Angeles based artist Winifred Johnson Brewer seems to address issues of confusion in the environment and within ourselves.

    Winifred Johnson Brewer Winifred Johnson Brewer Winifred Johnson Brewer Winifred Johnson Brewer Winifred Johnson Brewer

    On her website, the artist recounts a story of confusion happening among honeybees.  Although the bees are not attracted to artificial light like moths might be, the artist witnessed the insects circling a bare lightbulb in her studio, then dying in a pool on the floor.  The bees seem to be forgetting their very innate nature, then suffering the consequences for it.  How often have we done the same?  Lost sight of our own talents or goals in order to fit in or succeed?  If we continue to don our masks, our real selves are likely to go the way of the honeybee.

    To see more of Winifred Johnson Brewer‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.