The world today is so loud and pushy. We are visually bombarded at all times with color, typography, imagery, you name it. It begins to weigh us down unknowingly. Atlanta artist Erin McIntosh’s recent work has a quiet, delicate quality, the perfect antidote for a noisy world.
Watercolor 30, watercolor on paper, 9×9 image on 11×14 paper
In her work, Erin is seeking to explore the silence to be discovered among the cacophony. Her intuitive process and use of water-based media give her works on paper a soft, gossamer-like quality.
Watercolor 32, watercolor on paper, 9×9 image on 11×14 paper
Diaphanous shapes and translucent forms float freely, randomly just as our thoughts as we lie in the grass and daydream. We’re wafted away through the chaos and into the quiet stillness.
Watercolor 31, watercolor on paper, 9×9 image on 11×14 paperUntitled, watercolor on paper ( via Gregg Irby Fine Art )
Ah.. I feel so peaceful now! To see more of Erin McIntosh’s work and enjoy a bit of her own brand of artsy stillness, please visit her website. I also highly recommend a visit to the website of her representing gallery, Gregg Irby Fine Art. If you happen to be in Atlanta, drop by and see these lovelies in person!
And, as a wonderful little treat, here’s a video of the artist herself, telling you a bit about her work–
I have a long, ongoing love affair. With books. I blame my grandparents, who were avid readers and every night spent with them was ended curled up in my grandmother’s lap listening to her read. Growing up, books were a favorite escape, summers were often spent with my nose buried in story after story. I came very close to pursuing a degree in literature rather than art history ( I was obviously never destined to be rich! ). But one of the best things about studying art history was all the stories. The best of both worlds. Here are some artists who seem as obsessed with books as I am!
It's Story Time IV by Christopher StottCome With Me by Na Zhao ( via ArtLink )Blonde But Not Forgotten by Harland MillerUnicorn by Gala BentBooks by Holly Farrell
Be sure to check out these artist’s websites below. So I just finished a Frida Kahlo biography. Any artsy reads you would recommend?
While digging through my Pinterest inspiration boards, planning my features for next week, I noticed a color trend in a few of my pins. It’s funny how our minds gravitate toward certain palettes some days, isn’t it? Apparently, my eyes are loving the combination of orange and indigo these days! I thought you might enjoy a few examples from my boards..
Christina Otero ( via My Modern Metropolis )Michael RiceNeil Wax ( via Skidmore Contemporary )Frances SewardHenry DomkeChristopher St. Leger
Any color combos you’re enamored with these days? Guess this native Florida girl can’t escape the Orange & Blue!
Featured image by Stephanie Paige. Sources can be found by clicking on each image.
When I was taking studio classes in college, I had a thing for geometric shapes. Collage project involving painted pieces of paper? Mine were scenes made out of painted paper squares. Once I mastered drawing the figure realistically, I had a complete blast simplifying my figures into geometric shapes and planes. It seems that Los Angeles artist Kymm Swank has the same fondness for bright color and simple shapes, putting them together in a way that is downright intoxicating.
Structure2, oil on canvas, 36×36
I am in love with the way Swank is using common linear shapes to create complex compositions full of light and movement.
City Structure VI, oil on canvas, 72×60
There are any number of scenes these works may represent.. a cityscape at sunset, sunspots reflecting off a waterfall, looking down on busy city traffic, boats crowded together in a busy port, waves crashing upon a shore..
Juke VIII, oil & resin on canvas, 18×18
How about we change things up a little? Instead of me telling you what I see, I’d love to hear what you see!
City Structure VII, oil on canvas, 72×60
Be sure to head over to Kymm Swank’s website to check out the rest of her portfolio. Share your thoughts on what you see in her work in the comments below. No Rorschach-like psycho analyzing of your vision, I promise! 😉
Featured image is Structure 14, oil on canvas, 72×36. All images are via the artist’s website.
There are certain artists who create worlds so beautiful, I find myself wishing I could live inside one of their paintings, even if just for a little while. Today’s Escape Into Life artist, Brad Kunkle is such an artist. He creates stunning images of visual fairy tales.
Bird of Paradise, oil, gold and silver leaf on linen, 40×30
Be sure to check out my feature on Brad’s work on Escape Into Life ( linked above ) and to read more of my thoughts on his work, check out his Artsy Forager feature here.
New Orleans is one of those places that is unlike any other. It is unique in it’s history, traditions and way of life. Artists of all kinds, writers, musicians, painters, are attracted to its vibrancy and joie de vivre. In this most European of American cities, the arts are not just a weekend hobby of the 1%. Creativity is an ingrained part of daily life. Each day is touched by artists in some way. And today, as the town celebrates the most New Orleansish day of Mardi Gras, I thought we’d explore NOLA through the eyes of its artists.
As I was thinking about what makes New Orleans such an extraordinary place, six characteristics kept coming to mind..
SUSTENANCE
No doubt New Orleans is famous for its cuisine.. a bit French, a bit Southern.. totally deliciously unique. Jambalaya, po’ boys, beignets, shrimp creole.. I would be perfectly happy to eat my way through the city! Artist Carlos Lopez celebrates the simplicity and purity of New Orleans cuisine in his still lifes of oysters found in the city’s gulf waters.
Southern Trio With Lemon, oil on canvas, 36×24 ( via Gallery Orange )
SWINGIN’
New Orleans Jazz is the soundtrack for the Delta. The horns, the banjo, the bass.. you can’t help but tap your feet. NOLA artists George Schmidt and Frank Kelley, jr., capture the energy that flows from the melodious sounds of Dixieland jazz. Though currently living in Florida, artist Yvonne Lozano’s Delta roots still show through.
NOLA by Yvonne Lozano, mixed media on canvas, 24×36Buddy Bolden's Nervous Breakdown from A History of New Orleans Jazz series by George Schmidt, oil on canvasA Jazz Extravaganza by Frank Kelley, jr., limited edition lithography, 18×15
STRUCTURE
The city’s architecture reflects the diversity of its history and inhabitants.. from grand antebellum mansions to the European-influenced ironwork of the French Quarter to humble shotgun houses, each illustrates a facet of the city’s rich culture and history. And, of course, each has been a source of inspiration for artists such as Grant Schexnider, whose Shotgun Series celebrates the spiritual wealth found in these humble abodes.
Skinny Shotgun 1 by Grant Schexnider, oil on canvas, 18×36
STYLE
New Orleanians have a style all their own. Unfailingly friendly and hospitable, but direct and unafraid to tell it like it is. But always with charm and high style. The stylishly cheeky work of NOLA artist Sarah Ashley Longshore fits the city like beads on Mardi Gras.
Audrey in Orange by Sarah Ashley Longshore, acrylic on canvas with high gloss resing, 30×30 ( via Gallery Orange )
SPIRIT
Joyful. Exuberant. Even in the face of darkness and destruction, every day in New Orleans is a celebration of life. Ally Burguieres’ work shines brightly with the fire of the people of New Orleans.
Moonrise on Bourbon by Ally Burguieres, oil and acrylic on wood, 36×18
STRENGTH
The final and most enduring characteristic of New Orleans is the strength of its community and culture. Poverty, disease, disaster, destruction. The city has seen it all, yet through each trial, comes out on the other end that much stronger. Cory Willingham’s work explores the inner strength found when a community is called upon to rebuild.
Almost Home ( diptych ) by Cory Willingham, acrylic and wallpaper on canvas, 24×30 each
New Orleans isn’t just party central at Mardi Gras. It is a community filled with artists who are serious about preserving the city’s history and not just persevering, but thriving into the city’s future. It is a city that loves its artists and they return that devotion a hundredfold. We’ll continue the NOLA love tomorrow, when Artsy Forager features a NOLA gallery bringing a fresh and contemporary, yet uniquely New Orleans style to the French Quarter!
All images are via the artist’s websites linked above, unless otherwise indicated. Images by Carlos Lopez and Sarah Ashley Longshore are via Gallery Orange.
I’ve always been interested in the interplay between color and pattern, how each effects the other and the visual impact both can have, even in small doses. Australian artist Kirra Jamison’s works are a beautiful, modern mastery of both.
Love Me Two Times IV, gouache, ink, pen and vinyl on paper 76×56 cm
Her warm and pure palette allow her compositions to pop against neutral backgrounds. Saturated, cut-out like shapes call to mind the collages of Henri Matisse, though Jamison’s compositions tend to be a bit more complex and detailed. But anyone whose work reminds me of Matisse is an automatic fave!
Willow Weep, gouache and vinyl on paper, 160×114 cm
Some of her pieces, such as Willow Weep ( above ) are a delightfully dizzying kaleidoscope of color and detail. I am drawn in by the playful patterns of color, then enchanted by the surprises that await.
Belong to me (after Deluany,) acrylic, gouache, pen on canvas 220×183 cm
Patterned backgrounds in works like Belong To Me ( above ) appear, upon first glance to be a symmetrical repeat, but each element is revealed to be unique. It is amazing how our eyes fool us into thinking that all are the same.. there is something poetic in that, isn’t there?
Love Me Two Times V, gouache, ink, pen and vinyl on paper 76×56 cmCherry Blossom, acrylic, gouache, pen and vinyl on canvas 152.5×132 cm
To see more of Kirra Jamison’s work, please visit her website. Thank you to Tamara Lynn Photography for introducing Artsy Forager to this artist!
Featured image is Cut Out V, vinyl on paper, 57×38 cm. All images are via the artist’s website.
Life just gets so complicated, doesn’t it? We are constantly bombarded with imagery and information, it’s a wonder our brains can keep up! What I love most about the work of New York artist, Peri Schwartz is her way of seeming to keep things simple in such a complicated world.
Studio XXVIII, 2010, 38×52
Using simple swathes of bold color, she distills objects and spaces into their purest planes and forms. We are no longer caught up in minute, mind-numbing detail, but instead, can enjoy her worlds for the lively, colorful spaces they are.
Studio XXXI, 2011, 38×50
She uses perspective to great advantage, as it is directs us and gives our too often over-saturated brains a bit of a rest.. sort of just gently pulling us along so that we know just what we are seeing before we even realize we are seeing it. 😉
Bottles and Jars XVI, 2011, 36×22
The peek-a-boo quality of the lines and grids give a hint that there is much more going on beneath the surface than our eyes may notice upon first glance.
Studio XXIX, 2010, 38×52
Doesn’t that always seem to be the case, though? We make simplistic conclusions about complicated processes. Each of these works are a complex juxtaposition of color, light and space, fooling our eye into seeing form and shape in a primitively intricate way.
Studio XXXII, 2011, 40×44
To see more of Peri Schwartz’s work, please visit her website.
I guess by technical definition, I’m a housewife. Besides writing and curating this blog ( which is completely a labor of love at this point ), I don’t work outside the home. Housewife would be a lot easier to explain than “art blogger” when people ask what I do. For the first time in my life, I’m taking care of a household consisting of more than just myself. In her Domestic Series, Massachusetts artist Leslie Graff explores perceptions about domestic life and relationships in our post-modern world.
Picking Up, acrylic on canvas, 30×40
Her cropped compositions and classic environmental and clothing choices create a universality to the imagery. These could be snapshots of life from virtually any decade in the last six decades.
Stirring Things Up, acrylic on canvas, 30×40
As much as our roles seem to have evolved over the years, have things really changed that much? My own husband definitely never pushes for our home to be immaculate or for dinner to be delicious and perfect every night, but as a woman, I find myself striving for that perfection and disappointed when I don’t deliver. Why is that?
6:12pm, acrylic on canvas, 30×40
Why, even when our husbands are happy to help with cooking, cleaning and kid care, do we still expect ourselves to be able to “do it all”? Is it Martha Stewart syndrome? Are we comparing ourselves to standards impossible to keep?
I'll Wash, You Dry, acrylic on canvas, 30×40It's Homemade, acrylic on canvas, 30×40
How about those among us who are artists as well as spouses, parents and perhaps have another day job, as well? How do you do it?! 🙂
Featured image is So Satisfying, acrylic on canvas, 30×40. All images are via the artist’s website.
I used to hate Valentine’s Day. Back when I was single, my friends and I often enjoyed Anti-Valentine celebrations. But now that I’m an old married lady ( it’s been an entire year of marital bliss! ), I revel in it. So today in honor of the upcoming V-Day, dear Artsies, I’m sharing my obnoxious lovey-doveyness with you! Here are some of my mushy-love-stuff faves..
Cleaning Is Addictive by Kelly ReemtsenSweetheart by Robert TownsendVentricle by Eva Milinkovic, Tsunami GlassworksLove by Jill Joy
May your weekend be filled with love! If you’re not on the receiving end, try giving some away!
