artsy forager

Category: Paintings

  • Fashion Fragmented: Amanda Clyne

    Fashion Fragmented: Amanda Clyne

    If you were around for artsyFASHIONWeek, you may already have an inkling of my interest in the relationship between fashion and art.  Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about the influence of the fashion industry, what the clothes we wear say about our personalities and just the general psychology behind the fueling of the fashion industry and the choices that we make.  Toronto artist Amanda Clyne examines the influence of fashion upon our psyche in her paintings, in which she  “examines the image as a mirror of our desires”.

    Double Take by Amanda Clyne

    Amanda finds inspiration for her work in the pages of art history books and fashion magazines, seeing similarities between fashion photography of today and historical portraits of the elite.  They both carry with them the same fascination with beauty, wealth and transformation.. “images intended to fuel a spectacle of desire with feigned promises of intimacy and truth”. ( Amanda Clyne via her website )

    Looking Back by Amanda Clyne

    The artist fragments her subject, creating an elusive illusion, much like a hall of mirrors.  Our eyes deceive us, all isn’t as it would seem.  An important point to remember when gazing longingly at those $300 shoes that will make us beautiful and desirable.  ( Um, not that I’ve ever done that.. )

    Losing Face by Amanda Clyne

    The way she uses fragments of images to create the whole could be an interpretation of the illusionary aspects of fashion advertising and photography.  The images we see are the composition of designers, photographers, photo editors, art directors, etc. They represent an idealized portrayal of only one aspect of our being.

    Clyne_Looking Glass

    To see more of Amanda Clyne’s work, please visit her website and Facebook page.  If any of you Canadians out there are in Toronto, be sure to check out her latest show opening December 8th at p|m Gallery.

    Featured image is Mirror, Mirror ( diptych ), oil on canvas, 72×36.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • You’ve Come A Long Way to Bring Home the Bacon, Baby: Kelly Reemtsen

    You’ve Come A Long Way to Bring Home the Bacon, Baby: Kelly Reemtsen

    Growing up, I wanted to be Audrey Hepburn.  Or Doris Day.  Or any of the beautiful, plucky, well-dressed heroines of the 50’s and 60’s.  I longed for the “good ol’ days”.  When women dressed up in hats and gloves to go shopping and flitted around the house in chiffon petticoats.  But then I woke up and realized that I was looking at the past through movie-colored glasses.  That those women, while dressed to the nines on-screen, still had to scrub toilets and change diapers and were still fighting to be recognized as equals.  But have we really come that far?  Artist Kelly Reemsten captures the frustration and seeming futility of all that it means to be female in a post-feminist world.

    Cleaning Is Addictive, oil on panel, 36×36

    Reemsten’s women are dressed in highly feminine candy colored vintage frocks, but often wielding iconically masculine tools such as a chainsaw or axe.  These tools can be seen perhaps as menacing or even empowering.  Or rather, looking at the imagery as a whole, the dresses and tools may be symbols of our efforts as women to “have it all”.

    Inconspicuous, oil on panel, 36×36

    Women still feel pressured, perhaps now more than ever to be all things to all people.  They are expected to not only cook, clean, care for children, etc., but now are also expected to have a successful career.  And look fabulously fashionable while doing it.  What once was strictly male domain is now our stomping ground, as well.

    Unrequited, oil on panel, 36×36

    Are the women pictured trying to maintain their femininity in a male dominated workforce?  Or are they working to show us that gender differences are inherently there and should not be ignored?  We were created equal, yet different.

    The Hopeless Romantic, oil on panel, 36×36
    Throw Back, oil on panel, 36×36

    What say you, Artsies?  While you’re pondering, take a gander on over at Kelly Reemsten’s website to see more of her work.

    Featured image is Slip, oil on panel, 72×48.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Vintage Vignettes: Anna Magruder

    Vintage Vignettes: Anna Magruder

    There’s something you should know about me, Artsies.  I grew up completely immersed in the styles of past eras.  My dad loves “classic Chevy’s“, that’s 1955, ’56 & ’57 Chevrolets, for those not in the know, and a lot of our family time revolved around my parents’ involvement in a local classic car club.  The adults I grew up around reveled in the cars, clothes and music of the past.  So I kind of automatically have love for anything with a retro-ish vibe.  Enter Anna Magruder’s artwork.

    Amphibious, oil on canvas, 16×16

    This Portland artist looks back at the people and images of the past, re-imagining their lives and stories.  These re-imaginings have a dreamlike quality to them, like old photos you’ve found in the family photo box, yet know one knows who they are or the stories behind them.

    Book Of Poems, oil on canvas, 16×16

    Her muted color palette further reinforces the vintage feel of her work, so that they read almost like the faded Kodachrome images of the past.

    Cheer, oil on canvas, 12×12
    Big Wheel, oil on canvas, 16×12

    To see more of Anna Magruder’s work, please visit her website.

    Featured image is Observer ( Mediator ), oil on canvas, 16×16.

  • Art Powered By Passion, Coffee and Big Talent: Christina Baker

    Art Powered By Passion, Coffee and Big Talent: Christina Baker

    I have a confession to make, Artsies.  I have been remiss.  Since the beginning of Artsy Forager, I’ve had Christina Baker listed as a Pick of the Crop artist, and save for a few mentions in Friday Faves and The Artsy Home, I have yet to feature her!  Shame, shame, shame!!  So to make it up to the lovely and always supportive, Christina, today you’re getting a two-fer!!  One now and watch for a special The Artsy Home feature later.

    Baker_The House My Heart Built

    This self-taught artist’s work is ever-evolving and intuitive.  One of my favorite games to play with Christina’s abstract work is “What Do You See?”.  In every piece, there is something that is familiar, yet fresh.  In one instance, I may think I see a representation of one thing, but then I go back, take a second look and see something completely different.

    Baker_Lost and Found

    Her use of color and light creates soft, yet powerful imagery, the kind of work that translates easily between contemporary and more traditional aesthetics.

    Baker_Frozen Blueberries

    Baker_Moondrops

    I hope you loved Christina’s work as much as I obviously do.  To see more, please visit her website!  In Nashville, her work can be seen at York & Friends and at the Southern Living Showcase Home until November 6th ( more on that later!! ).  For Atlanta folks, check her out at Gregg Irby Fine Art.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Miniature Manifestations: Laurel Bustamante

    Miniature Manifestations: Laurel Bustamante

    Birds have a long history of symbolism in art.  Their meanings through the years have been as varied as their colors.   Oregon artist Laurel Bustamante has taken the symbolism a step further, creating imaginary birds that represent what it may feel like to be a bird.

    The Pearlfisher #2, gouache and acrylic on clayboard, 5×7

    But these are not expressionistic paintings in that typically wild, emotive kind of way.  Instead, they are thoughtful studies of mystery and coquettishness of small birds.

    Nigthbird in Pompeii, acrylic and gouache on panel, 8×10

    These diminutive paintings have an old world, ancient quality to them, but feel modern in their isolated composition.

    Bluebird, acrylic and gouache on panel, 8×10
    Nocturne in Brazil, acrylic and gouache on panel, 8×10

    You can find more of Laurel Bustamante’s work on her ArtSlant profile ( I was unable to locate a website for her ), or on the websites of a number of galleries in which her work is featured:  Augen Gallery, Davis & Cline, Lora Schlesinger and REM Gallery just to name a few.  Flit like a little bird and visit them all!

    Featured image is Nightwatch #1, gouache and acrylic on clayboard, 5×7, via REM Gallery.

  • Abstracted Ambiguity: John Dempcy

    Abstracted Ambiguity: John Dempcy

    Georges Braque said,  “There is only one valuable thing in art. The thing you can’t explain”.  The best of abstract art is, in my opinion, work that is so ambiguous that trying to explain it is kind of pointless.  There are so many “things” it could be, could represent, that trying to nail it down just seems futile.  The work of Seattle artist John Dempcy strikes me as just that sort of work.

    Mingling Fates, acrylic on panel, 36×36

    His caleidoscopic-like imagery brings to mind microscopic organisms..

    Inner Fictions, acrylic on panel, 40×30

    .. or sea life..

    Sea Nettles, acrylic on panel, 40×30

    .. or the wonders of the universe..

    Quantum Leap, acrylic on panel, 30×30

    .. or whatever you would like to see.

    Renewal, acrylic on panel, 36×36

    If you’re intrigued by John Demcy’s work, as I am, please visit his website.  I first saw his work at Augen Gallery in Portland, but you’ll find a list of galleries all over the US in which his work is featured.  There’s bound to be one in your path!

    Featured image is Deepwater, acrylic on panel, 48×36.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Bare Naked Portraits: Lu Cong

    Bare Naked Portraits: Lu Cong

    Remember when I said that I have a wish list of portrait artists?  Well, modern portrait artist Lu Cong has been at the top of the heap for quite a while.  He infuses his portraits with a soft glow that is at once ethereal and alien.

    Tabitha #9, oil on panel, 36×40

    His soft palette creates a peaceful atmosphere, juxtaposed with the slightly off-putting direct gaze of the subject.  The result is a stunning image of not just the portrait sitter, but of a momentary glimpse into their emotional world.

    A Song At Dusk, oil on panel, 30×30

    Eyes wide and lips slightly parted, there is an intense vulnerability captured in these images.  Not merely paintings of physical features, but souls laid bare.

    Corbin #2, oil on panel, 32×28
    My Name is Tabitha, oil on panel, 36×48

    To see more of Lu Cong’s haunting portrait paintings, please visit his website and Facebook page.  ( Don’t forget to follow Artsy Forager, too, while you’re at it! )

    Featured image is A Moment With Liza, oil on panel, 24×18.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • America The Surreal: Deborah Martin

    America The Surreal: Deborah Martin

    America is often a strange place and seems to just keep getting stranger.  Los Angeles artist Deborah Martin captures the sad desolation found across our country  in her poignant paintings.

    Aces and Spades, oil on canvas, 36×36
    Slab City Chairs, oil on canvas, 36×36

    Her use of a limited, pastel neutral palette softens the sometimes oddly grim reality of many lives in America.

    Keep Out, oil on canvas, 36×36

    Yet somehow, these aren’t dark, depressing images of life in one of the richest countries in the world.  They don’t feel critical or satirical, but rather reverent and dreamy.

    Fifty-two, oil on canvas, 36×36

    To see more of Deborah’s work, please visit her website.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, she is currently showing at The Red Arrow Gallery in Joshua Tree, CA.  I have a feeling these paintings are even more intriguing in person!

    Featured image is Yellow Camper, oil on canvas, 36×36.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Make Way For Pamela’s Parade: Pamela Durga Robinson

    Make Way For Pamela’s Parade: Pamela Durga Robinson

    Everyone loves a parade, don’t they?  Well, I certainly do.  And Seattle artist Pamela Durga Robinson’s Parade series brilliantly captures the spirits of the parts that make the whole.

    Drill Team Captain, oil on canvas, 36×36

    She choses to isolate the individual players– band members, clowns, audience– so that we can focus in on them and their experience.

    Seasoned Critics, oil on canvas, 12×12

    Her figures are so human.. these are your parents, children, friends, the people you see at the supermarket on Sunday.  She uses negative space to give importance to figures that otherwise might just be faces lost in the crowd.  And her brightly colored backgrounds recall the upbeat cheeriness of a parade and provide an interesting juxtaposition against the sometimes sullen faces.

    Flutes All In A Row, oil on canvas, 12×12
    Drill Team Wannabes, oil on canvas, 12×12

    To see more of Pamela’s parade of characters, be sure to check out her website.  You can also see her work in person ( and enjoy some yummy goodies ) at Fresh Flours on Phinney Ave in Seattle.

    Featured image is Anticipation, oil on canvas, 36×12.  All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.

  • Deconstructing Beauty: Christina Chalmers

    Deconstructing Beauty: Christina Chalmers

    As you probably noticed during the recent artsyF A S H I O N Week, I have a keen interest in the gray areas where art and fashion collide.  What we wear and it’s design is such an integrated part of our culture and psyche that it is no surprise that clothes influence art and vice versa.

    A Magical Life, steel mesh, plaster, oil and mixed media, 56x30x30

    Often in art, clothing is used as a symbol, as a vehicle for deeper thought.  This is especially true in the work of New Mexico artist Christina Chalmers.  Her sculptures and mixed media pieces are, in her own words, contemplations on the “cloaking and revealing of the inner self”.

    Acquaintance of Kelp Forests, kelp, driftwood, vintage silk and lace, 56x41x41

    Through her use of organic and weathered found materials, we see an interconnectedness with who we truly are and the self we are projecting out to the world via our appearance.

    The Fleeting Things of Time No. 4, mixed media, copper and oil on panel, 60×48
    Sea Dress II, kelp, shells and steel mesh, 34x25x9

    In her sculptures especially, I see this connection between the deconstructed, feminine garments and the found and organic materials that is incredibly intriguing.  The texture and patina of the materials are such a striking juxtaposition between the ladylike flowing shape– powerful in their vulnerability.  Just like us as women.

    What do you think of these?  Do you see what I’m seeing or have a different perspective to share?

    To see more of Christina Chalmers’ work, visit her page on the Selby Fleetwood Gallery website.  If you’re in Santa Fe, you can see her work in person at the gallery.  It will definitely be on my list when I finally get to Santa Fe!

    Featured image is I am the Root, the Wind and the Bird ( detail ) by Christina Chalmers, mixed media on panel.