Category: Paintings

  • A Luminous Grace: Jennifer JL Jones

    A Luminous Grace: Jennifer JL Jones

    An artist I met recently regaled me with tales of how she painted with “glow in the dark” paint.  While I can certainly understand the desire for work that glows, I prefer to see the luminosity achieved instead by the deft use of color, layering, and a way of revealing light in a more natural, less neon-sign kind of way.  Case in point, the work of Atlanta artist Jennifer JL Jones glows gracefully, as if lit from within.

    Bluebird, mixed media on wood panel, 48×48

    Taking her cues from nature, Jones builds layer upon layer of material, creating a canvas as ever changing as the scenes they reflect.  As the seasons change, different aspects of the landscape advance and recede.  So too, in Jones’ work, as we gaze upon it the elements in each work seem to float and fluctuate in a delicate dance.

    Radiant Flux I, oil on wood panel, 40×40
    Prelude to Spring, mixed media on wood panel, 40×40

    These paintings have an ethereal mystery to them, like a wooded lake shrouded in mist or standing behind the veil of a waterfall.  What we see isn’t quite clear, but we know there is beauty.

    Ojai, mixed media, 60×60

    To see more of Jennifer JL Jones’ work, please visit her website.  If you’re in the Atlanta area, don’t miss her show Wet Ink with fellow artists Courtney J. Garrett and Kathryn Jacobi at Alan Avery Art Company.  I’m looking forward to seeing what new work Jennifer has at Stellers Gallery when I go home to Florida in a few days!

    All images are via the artist’s website or the website of her Santa Fe representing gallery, Hunter Kirkland Contemporary.

  • November Facebook Featured Artist: Susan Melrath

    November Facebook Featured Artist: Susan Melrath

    There are some artists whose work I’ve been following and admiring long before my blogging days.  I first spotted this month’s Facebook Featured Artist, Susan Melrath’s work in print form during my art consulting days in Florida.  I was always drawn to the beauty in her limited palette and the way her distilled compositions were powerful in their simplicity.

    Party Table, acrylic on board, 22×19
    Charger, acrylic on board, 12×12

    In her Figurative series, Susan takes those quick little moments that often pass by unnoticed, capturing the sweetness of this particular day, that particular party.

    Landscape, acrylic on panel, 30×25 framed

    Although her shapes are simple, Susan uses color and pattern to create depth and visual texture, especially evident in her Garden series ( although she’s now playing with pattern in her Figurative series as well! ).  Her use of floating, layered patterns give her florals a colored gossamer effect, leaving them distinct yet beautifully distorted.

    Memory of Magnolia, acyrlic on paper, 20×26 framed

    To see more of Susan Melrath’s work, please visit her website and be sure to check out her gorgeous cover image and album on the Artsy Forager Facebook page.

    All images are via the artist or her website.

  • Intuitive Scenes: Julie Schumer

    Intuitive Scenes: Julie Schumer

    To paint the feeling of a person or place, rather than a representation of your subject can be quite the task.  An artist must be able to interpret their impression into nothing but line, texture, color and form.  Through her abstract work, Los Angeles artist Julie Schumer gives us fleeting glimpses into the world around her.

    Crowdscape, mixed media on canvas, 84×64

    Through her use of color, expression, and texture, each canvas is given a sense of place.  You can feel the swish of people rushing by, feel the shade between the canyon walls, sense the warmth of the sun beating down.

    Landscape Composition 21, mixed media on panel, 42×36
    Canyon Suite 3, acrylic and cold wax on panel, 30×40

    Just as music can abstractly transport us to another time and place, so can art like Julie’s.  It speaks to us visually, perhaps not in a language we speak, yet one that can understand.

    Canyon Suite 1, acrylic and cold wax on panel, 40×30

    To see more of Julie Schumer’s work, please visit her website.  Her work can currently be seen at several galleries across the country– see her website for more info on one near you!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • The Poetic Palette: Brianna Angelakis

    The Poetic Palette: Brianna Angelakis

    Reading an enthralling tale comes pretty close to the joy I get from viewing incredible artwork.  Some of my absolute favorite books have been the work of “classic” female authors such as Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen.  I still pick up my well-worn paperback of Persuasion from time to time.  North Florida artist Brianna Angelakis marries her own passion for literary characters with feminist  surrealism in work that is as wonderfully layered and moody as any Bronte novel.

    God’s Orchestra, graphite and oil on canvas board, 36×24

    Angelakis explores the idea of isolated femininity by placing her female subjects alone in wild landscapes and in her most recent series, Wonders of the Invisible World, we see young women falling from an unknown place to an unknown destination.

    Neurathenia, graphite and oil on wood, 24×24
    Modern Hero, graphite and oil on wood

    Her use of a cool, limited palette add to the eery mood of Angelakis’ work.  We are caught in the midst of the story she is telling and left wondering.. and wanting to hear more.

    Blind Contentment, graphite and oil on canvas board, 24×36

    To see more of Brianna Angelakis’ work, please visit her website.  The painting above, Neurathenia, can be seen as a part of the Folio Weekly Artist Invitational at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, FL until December 6th.  Her work can also been seen beginning in December in Minneapolis, MN and in the United Kingdom.  More details on her website!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Flashbacks & Snapshots : Diego Gravinese

    Flashbacks & Snapshots : Diego Gravinese

    There are some artists whose work I respond to on a visceral level, visually.  I see it.  I love it.  I don’t have to know what it’s about or the super secret story behind the meaning of each piece.  The paintings of Argentinian artist Diego Gravinese grabbed me when I spotted one on Pinterest last week.

    The Love of Renault and Burritoes Obsequious ( diptych ), acrylic and enamel on canvas, 79×51

    The artist’s earlier work ( such as The Love of Renault.. & In the Future.. ) are conglomerations of painted memories.. scenes from childhood and current memories mix with nostalgic elements to give us visual tales of how each experience builds on the ones that came before it.

    Milk Girl, oil on canvas, 40×27.5
    The Method, oil on canvas, 71×47.2
    Mimesis, oil on canvas, 71×47.2

    His more current work, ( Milk Girl, The Method & Mimesis, above ), leave behind the nostalgia, focusing instead on fleeting everyday moments.  Painted in a photorealistic style, the palette of each painting seems carefully selected and limited, so that not only do we get a sense of situation and place, but the resulting image is arrestingly graphic.

    In the Future, We Will Colonize the Exterior Planets, acrylic on canvas, 75×39.5 ( overall )

    To see more of Diego Gravinese’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • The Feminine Mystique: Pam Hawkes

    The Feminine Mystique: Pam Hawkes

    We are all guilty of over-sharing these days.  Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Four Square, etc., the world has become privy to our innermost thoughts, what we ate for lunch, how many miles we ran that day.  We scoff at reality shows detailing the daily lives of the Kardashanians, Snookis, and Honey B00-Boos of the world.  We wonder, whatever happened to the allure of mystery?  UK artist Pam Hawkes reaches back into the iconography of illuminated manuscripts and Renaissance portraiture to cleanse our palate of the modernly overexposed.

    Unbound, oil on copper leaf on board, 61×104 cm
    Tracing Mythologies II, oil on copperleaf on board, 62×122 cm

    The stillness and serenity of Hawkes’ figures are at such odds with how we live today.  The often classical poses reminiscent of religious iconography of the Virgin Mary and other figures may at first seem foreign to our contemporary eyes.  Yet there is a softness and vulnerability in these women, as if the ancient had come alive and found itself somehow wandering about our modern world.

    You Made Me II, oil, beeswax, and dutch metal on board, 30×41
    Fading, oil on copper leaf on board, 122×122 cm

    There is a sense of bound freedom to Hawkes’ figures, as if they are only just discovering the door to their cage is open.  We wonder why they sit so still, resisting the temptation to be free.  Perhaps they, like us, have grown fond of their cages.

    Birdsong, oil on copperleaf on board, 76×122 cm

    To see more of Pam Hawkes’ work, please visit her website— a great many gorgeous works to see there!

    Artist found via artist Deborah Scott and POETSArtists Magazine.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • The Glamorati: Anna Kincaide Horne

    The Glamorati: Anna Kincaide Horne

    For me, gorgeously styled movies and fashion photos are a guilty pleasure and voyeuristic escape.  For a brief moment, I can imagine myself a part of a super fabulous, amazingly glamorous life.  The work of Tallahassee artist Anna Kincaide Horne offers a similar experience in her elegantly painted figures.

    Blue Tights Girl, oil on canvas, 48×3
    Blue Gloves, oil on canvas, 30×40

    In my gallery days, I relished the chance to dress up for an opening or special event.  Something about wearing heels and a little cocktail dress makes even a work event just a bit more exciting.  These days, I ( like many of us! ) live my days in jeans and flip flops.  Events for elegant dress are few and far between.

    Happy Hour, oil on canvas
    Everyone Wants to be Cary Grant, oil on canvas, 30×30

    Yet, life still feels glamorous to me.  Mr. Forager and are pretty fortunate, we live a life filled with travel and discovery.  Even if we’re living it casual-style.

    Artist found via Stellers Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Taking Elemental Chances: Laura Gurton

    Taking Elemental Chances: Laura Gurton

    While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts.  This post originally published on February 8, 2012.  Enjoy!

    Life, in any form, is unpredictable.  Sometimes we like the result of a chance taken, sometimes we don’t.  Yet each step of faith is a step in the right direction.  New York artist Laura Gurton takes a gamble each time she begins a new work, never knowing how her materials will react with one another.  But it is that tempting of fate which results in these spontaneously speculative paintings.

    From the Unknown Species Series #48, oil and alkyd on linen, 11×14

    The artist takes advantage of the unpredictable reactions of layers of oil paint and alkyd resin to create work that uses the elemental properties of both to mimic cellular forms– our most basic building block of life.

    From the Unknown Species series #49, oil and alkyd on linen, 18×18

    The shapes morph and float as cells or micro-organisms under a microscope, taking on ghostly abstract forms that can seem often friendly or fiendish.

    From the Biomorphic Dream series #13, oil and alkyd on canvas, 30×40

    I find fascinating Gurton’s use of such basic chemistry to produce beautifully composed, intricate abstract work that reminds us of the beginning of life.  Just as each of us are all made of the similar cellular building blocks, yet we are each unique, so are each of these works beautifully singular.  It’s almost as if each one could be a glimpse into the molecular network of an individual.

    From the Unknown Species series #15, oil and alkyd on canvas, 18×24

    To see more of Laura Gurton’s work, please visit her website.

    PS– Welcome to all of our new Artsy Forager subscribers!  I’m so glad you enjoy the blog.  Make yourself at home and be sure to take a peek around, there are lots of goodies to explore!  If you haven’t already, use the tabs on the right to connect with Artsy Forager via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

    Featured image is From the Unknown Species series #50, oil and alkyd on linen, 18×18.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Puppy Love: Clair Hartmann

    Puppy Love: Clair Hartmann

    While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts.  This post originally published on November 1, 2011.  Enjoy!

    PS- since writing this post, Clair Hartmann has opened a wonderful little gallery in Wilmington, NC, Sun Gallery & Gifts.  Please make a visit if you’re in the area!

    OK, yes I know “pet art” has been done to death.  It seems like every artist and their brother is doing it.  But I submit to you, dear Artsies, that Wilmington, NC artist Clair Hartmann does doggy art in a wonderfully whimsical and heartfelt, yet not at all cheesy way.

    Shore Leave, oil on fabric on canvas, 40×30

    Whether she is doing straight-on portraits against graphic fabric backgrounds, like the one above or masterpiece inspired depictions as in the ones below, Clair always captures her subjects inherent personality and unique expressions.

    Pearl Earring, oil on canvas panel, 9×12
    Frida Dog, oil on canvas, 16×20

    There is a wonderfully graphic and modern quality to Clair’s animal work, which to me, elevate them beyond kitsch. Her paintings of her own Jack Russell Terrier, Chumley, are among my favorites.  She perfectly captures moments of rare moments quiet rest and inner reflection ( who hasn’t wondered what their dog was thinking?! ), filled with tenderness and love for her subject.

    The Dream, oil on canvas, 36×24

    Clair has a new exhibition now open in Wilmington at the WHQR Gallery Space– Faithful: A Series of Dog Paintings will be on display through January 13, 2012.  You can also visit her website to see more of her work and visit her Etsy shop to purchase!

    Featured image is Wonky Bumbershoots by Clair Hartmann.  All images via the artist’s website and Etsy shop.

  • Masterworks Monday: Frida Kahlo

    Masterworks Monday: Frida Kahlo

    While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts.  This post originally published on May 2, 2011, when the blog was barely two months old.  Enjoy!

    In honor of Cinco De Mayo this week, I thought we’d focus today on the amazing Frida Kahlo.  When I was in painting classes in college, I remember there being this older Bolivian lady who was auditing the classes and she was obsessed with Frida Kahlo.  She was sweet but somewhat obnoxious.  For a long time, the fact that she was so obsessed with Kahlo managed to turn me off on her artwork.  Weird how our minds work sometimes.

    But then, somewhere along the line, I let go of this irrational bias and took another look at Kahlo and her work.  And I was quickly won over.  Health problems plagued Kahlo from a young age, suffering first from polio and then being severly injured in a horrific car accident which left her in a full body cast and bedridden for three months.  Though she eventually recovered from her injuries, extreme pain would torment her for the rest of her life.

    Two Fridas

    Before the accident, Kahlo was studying to become a physician, but she dealt with the boredom of being confined to bed by taking up painting with her father’s watercolors.  And so, Frida Kahlo, the artist was born.

    Kahlo’s work often included symbols of Mexican mythology, as well as those of Christian and Jewish faiths.  Though she is perhaps best known for her self-portraits, often depicting events in her own life, such as the accident, subsequent miscarriages, etc.

    She married renown Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera in 1929 and their life together was a tumultous one.

    Her work has been described as surrealist, but I think it is the unvarnished depiction of her real life pain and struggle that makes her work so interesting and relatable. We may not have all been through the kind of physical pain Kahlo experienced, but perhaps it is that we can all certainly relate to her emotional pain and the need to express it on canvas.

    Be sure to check out the official Frida Kahlo website.  A beautifully designed site full of interesting information about the artist.