First off, thank you so much for all of your words of encouragement on my “comeback” post yesterday! I don’t know what the future will bring, but I truly appreciate the kind and encouraging words from each of you. You guys are the wind beneath my wings.. sorry, cheesy Bette Middler moment.. we now continue with our regularly scheduled artsiness!
Our faces have forty-three muscles, making it possible for our faces to express an amazing wide range of emotion. Sometimes, we know another person so well that we can tell what they’re thinking just be the expression of their countenance. Capturing such emotion as expressed in human faces is one of the strong suits of the work of Dutch artist Patricia Derks.
Diver, oil, 100×100 cm
Derks does extensive research before each painting, yet her work has an amazingly fresh and unstudied air about it. But what amazes me most is the way in which we get such a clear sense of emotion and attitude from each face in such deft and limited strokes.
Summer Girl, oil, 120×120 cmYellow Cap Girl, oil, 100×100 cm
In the set of the jaw, the cut of the eyes, we are given a glimpse into the figure’s personality. We all like to think we can hide our emotions, but it only takes careful observance to read each expression.
Blue Lips, oil, 120×120 cm
Want to see more of Patricia Derks’ work? Check out her website.
Hello again, my friends! If you noticed an increased Artsy presence on social media last week, you may have guessed what I’m about to tell you– the whole job thing didn’t work out as I’d hoped it would. I wish I could say I was surprised, but.. no. Have you ever been in a situation where, you know in your gut that something isn’t quite the right fit for you, despite how good it looks on paper? But then you ignore your gut and forge ahead anyway only to be sucker punched every day for not listening to that quietly persistent inner voice?
I was finding myself quite miserable, not just because of the extremely long hours and bus commute ( there were afternoons when I was on the bus well over an hour trying to get home following a ten hour day ), but because my personality just didn’t gel with where I was. I don’t want to get into details.. maybe one day over a few glasses of wine. 😉 Since leaving, I’ve been in a bit of a fog. It’s been like I’ve lost the confidence to trust myself and my decisions. Mr. F has been loving me through it, but I’ve hardly been much fun these days. So today is the day I WAKE UP! Get back to the business of being Artsy! As I’m going through this mental and emotional awakening, I thought these beautiful pillow paintings of UK artist Alex Hanna were perfectly apropos.
Sweet Dreams, oil on canvas, 75×60 cmSweet Dreams 4, oil on canvas, 30×40 cm
One thing that has been contributing to my fog has been the loss of my sense of purpose. For over two years, in addition to be Mrs. Forager and keeping our vagabond household together and all that means, writing this blog has been my purpose. It has been my baby and putting it on hold messed with my psyche so much more than I ever thought possible. It isn’t just a place where I share amazing artwork, it’s where I work things out through my experience of the work I share. For me, that’s a huge part of living an artsy life– using whatever creative outlet we have to better our lives and the world at large.
Pink Pillow 1, oil on canvas, 15.7×17.7Sweet Dreams 4, oil on canvas, 30×40 cm
I’m not sure what the future holds for this Artsy.. perhaps a full time job I adore working for someone else, or perhaps it’s time to parlay the past two years and all my other experience into creating my own dream job, or maybe a combination of both. Who knows.. but I’m up, I’ve come out of my slumber and am ready to take on whatever the future has to offer. Bring it!
Sweet Dreams 9, oil on canvas, 29.5×23.6
To see more of the work of Alex Hanna, please visit his website. You can also find his work, including originals and prints, for sale at Saatchi Online.
Holy cow, where did May go?! I know we still have several hours before June begins, but we’ll be out hiking tomorrow, so thought I’d give you a little artsy Saturday treat. For Mr. Forager & I, May was a whirlwind of traveling to Seattle, frantically searching for an apartment, moving in, buying furniture, job searching for moi and just generally getting settled into our new life here. What’s been keeping me sane this past month? Spying new work from artists I love around the interwebs. This month’s Featured ArtistDeann Hebert has been on a roll lately, spicing things up with bolder color and looser compositions. And I’m lovin’ it all!
Get Your Color On I, mixed media on canvas, 36×36
You might remember Deann’s work from the City Mouse | Country Mouse show in the found gallery recently.. D was the Country Mouse. Being a country gal, Deann paints the rusticity and warmth she is surrounded by each day. Yet these aren’t your grandma’s chicken paintings. This artist is giving country the modern treatment. She’s totally Faith Hill-ing it.
Seagrove, mixed media on canvas, 30×30Rustic Restored, mixed media on canvas, 36×48
The latest work coming out of Deann’s studio is just a bit bolder, a bit more free. She’s getting comfortable and coming into her own as an artist and it is truly a joy to watch!
Get Your Color On 2, mixed media on canvas, 36×36
Want to see more of Deann Hebert’s work? Check out her website and Facebook page! And don’t forget to stop by the Artsy Forager page while you’re on Facebook to see some of my personal faves from Ms D.
After spending the past two years going from small town to small town, I’m still kind of in awe of Seattle buildings. From what I happen to think is one of the prettiest skylines in the country ( if not THE prettiest! ) to the fantastic examples of modern architecture and traditional storefronts. The paintings of Massachusetts artist Hannah Richman explores the facade of the urban landscape, man’s touch upon the terra.
Fulkserson Street II, oil on canvas, 30×24
Especially here in this city surrounded by such amazing natural beauty ( Hello, Cascade Mountains! Hello, Olympic Mountains! Holy cow, you are huge, Mt. Rainier! ), it’s interesting to note how some buildings seem to perfectly fit into the landscape. For instance, as I type this, I’m looking out the window at a Mid-Century apartment building that perfectly hugs and nestles into the landscape, it’s lines mimicking the hills beyond.
Untitled, oil on canvasFelton Street VI, oil on canvas, 55.5×42.75Fulkerson Street I, oil on canvas, 18×14
Then there are other examples, where we see the hand of man has rushed in and decimated everything in its path for the sake of commerce. Wonderful old neighborhood storefronts are abandoned for the lure of the shiny new strip mall. It happens in most cities in all states and more and more, many countries.
Earle Street, oil on canvas, 36×24
Richman’s work illuminates these man made structures as she catches them in mother nature’s light. And for a moment, they seem to have been there always.
To see more of Hannah Richman’s work, please visit her website.
I love the surprise of a random find. Whether it’s wonderfully creative and delicious food out of a tiny, tucked away dive or as simple as a pink flower growing amongst the rocks. New York artist Landon Metz creates work that is simple and arbitrarily lovely.
Varying Degrees of Absurdity ( V ), dye and canvas, 50×62.5Varying Degrees of Absurdity ( II ), dye and canvas, 50×62.5
The artist composes loose, casual compositions, in a subtle mostly pastel palette, punctuated by forms in dark hues of midnight blue and mossy greens. The shapes recall pieces of torn and scattered paper, their edges appearing to be weathered and worn.
Varying Degrees of Absurdity ( III ), dye and canvas, 50×62.5Varying Degrees of Absurdity ( I ), dye and canvas, 50×62.5
While our eye might at first perceive the compositions as accidental, we soon grow to see that each shape has been carefully and thoughtfully placed. The result is work that gives the viewer a feeling of both freedom and balance.
Varying Degrees of Absurdity ( IV ), dye and canvas, 50×62.5
Want to see more lovely randoms from Landon Metz? Please visit the artist’s website here.
When we were in San Francisco, the famous San Fran fog had taken the day off in exchange for record setting heat. But that didn’t stop us from experiencing it thanks to artist Fujiko Nakaya’s Fog Bridge. There was something mysterious and magical about walking through the fog, then emerging into the bright sunlight. In his work, self-taught artist Spencer Herr embraces the power of the emerging figure.
Roman Trip
Herr’s figures, starkly enshrouded within their backgrounds seem to be just breaking through the surface. Or perhaps the opposite is happening. Are they being enveloped by their surroundings?
Tally Mark, acrylic on birch panel, 48×36Slow Draw, acrylic on birch panel, 36×48Beloved, acrylic on birch panel, 48×36
Keeping the compositions simple allows the viewer to compose his own story. Like stills from a movie whose story we do not know, we are left to ponder who these figures might be and from what place they are emerging.
Trip, acrylic on birch panel
To see more of Spencer Herr’s work, please visit his website.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Do you think the same is true of a piece of artwork? We place so much value in the end result, the “finished” painting, sculpture, or photograph, that sometimes we spend little time thinking about the pilgrimage the artist undertakes to get there. Abstract painter Charlotte Foust finds delight in each mark making expedition upon which she embarks, each painting becoming a travel journal of her creative adventure.
UntitledSummer’s Day
Our vagabondish life has afforded us some pretty incredible adventures. We’ve lived in the mountains, the desert, and in the city. Every voyage to the next destination has brought us new discoveries and places to remember. Foust uses the strokes she makes with paint, graphite and collage to mark a part of the journey of her creative process. In finding her way through the work, she is discovering the painting that longs to be found.
UntitledUntitled
As she explores, she invites us along for the ride. We can the breadcrumbs of her expedition in each brushstroke and are happily taken to our final destination.
To see more of Charlotte Foust’s work, please visit her website.
Many of us have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. Maybe we love that voyeuristic glimpse into other people’s lives. Perhaps we hate that their lives might seem more glamorous than our own. What I personally love is the way it allows us to communicate the beauty in simple moments. The work of Cincinnati artist Emil Robinson carries with it the same celebration of the magic to be found in every day.
Catherine in Orange, oil on panel, 18×24
As I type this, I’m sitting at my desk and am struck by the loveliness of the orange candle sitting quietly on the deep white windowsill. Robinson’s work reminds us of that we don’t always have to seek out what is interesting and delightful. It is all around us, just waiting to be noticed.
Ikea Lamp, oil on panel, 30×36Storage, oil on panel, 12×15Pink Book, oil on panel, 24×24
It might seem strange to want to document such routine aspects of our lives, but it is these common moments that truly make up our lives– that fill the space between the extraordinary.
Man With Storage 2, oil on panel, 24×24
What ordinary moments did you see the beauty in today? To see more of Emil Robinson’s work, please visit his website.
I’ve been told I’m a good listener. So people tend to tell me things. Secret stuff that maybe no one else knows. We all have that friend, the one everyone confides in and is completely confident their secrets will be taken to the grave. In her Other People’s Secrets series, Portland artist Dorothy Goode has found a way to get those piled up secrets out, without ever truly spilling a single one.
No. 3, Egg tempera and sumi ink on panel, 32×48No. 16, egg tempura and sumi ink on panel, 32 x48
The artist began each panel by dipping her fingers into sumi ink, then sprawling secrets over the surface of each panel, first her own and then the confidences of others came leaking out. The letters and forms are mostly illegible, making sure that each secret is still safely hidden.
No. 1, egg tempura and sumi ink on panel, 32×48
Once the secrets are spilled, the artist then covers them with colorful, scrawling abstract gestures in paint. In that final step, I see an analogy to the way we live with our own well kept mysteries– we hide them in plain sight, often burying them just beneath the brightly colored surface.
No. 8, egg tempura and sumi ink on panel, 32×48No. 13, egg tempura and sumi ink on panel, 32×48
To see more of Dorothy Goode’s work, please visit her website.
It feels like things are sort of finally getting back to normal.. almost. After being gone for what seemed like an eternity, I’m back on Escape Into Life today sharing the work of Nicolas Kuligowski in my Artist Watch. Head on over to EIL to see more!
