Cooler weather has finally made its way to Southern Oregon. Which brings with it my favorite season, autumn. There is something about the quality of light in the Fall that makes everything seem to glow like candlelight. Atlanta artist Ryan Coleman is no doubt aware of the effects of autumnal light. His abstract paintings sing in tune with the loveliness of this transitional season.
Nature's Tempest, oil on canvas, 48×48
Taking his inspiration from the nature around him, Ryan uses expressive brushwork and subtle shifts in color to achieve his soft abstractions of the bountiful beauty found within the landscape.
Untitled, oil on canvas, 48×48
Glorious color bursts forth from the canvas, just as autumn leaves provide a last triumphant explosion of hues before grey winter sets in.
oil on canvasoil on canvas
These paintings make me feel like I’ve just taken a walk through the autumn woods. Hope to experience the real thing this weekend! To see more of Ryan Coleman’s work, please visit his website and Facebook page. If you’re in the Atlanta area, his work can be viewed at Pryor Fine Art.
Featured image is Celebration, oil on canvas, 40×30. All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.
One of the many things George & I love about the Pacific Northwest is the wildlife. In the 4 months we’ve been here, we’ve seen bear, elk, hoary marmots, sea lions, elephant seals, eagles, chipmunks and more deer than I can count. This area of the country still feels incredibly wild and untamed. So this week, I’m sharing all the wild artwork I’m, well, wild about lately.
The Beast by Shira Glezerman, oil on treated wood, 35.43×55.12Untitled Stag With Chandelier by Miranda Skoczek, enamel and oil on canvas, 43.31×47.24Sweaters by Jennifer Davis, acrylic, charcoal & graphite on panel, 12×16Sheep Chaperone by Vicki Sawyer, acrylic on canvas, 14×11
Have a great weekend, Artsies! Be sure to check out each of these artists’ websites for more beastly artwork!
Today’s artist is a painter whose collection of candied still lifes are so sweet, you’ll get a cavity just looking at them! New Mexico artist K. Henderson creates fabulously graphic paintings of the sweetest treats.
Gumballs and Crystal, oil, 6×6 Liquorice All Sorts, oil, 24×18
Part of the appeal of these candy coated canvases is not just the subject matter ( who doesn’t love candy?! ), but the way the artist has juxtaposed the brightly colored sweets against a rich black background or graphic-pop black and white stripes. Old fashioned candies appear fresh and modern.
Liquorice All Sorts, oil, 24×18
Any artist who can make licorice look delicious has my vote. I mean doesn’t that look scrumptious? And I normally hate licorice, but I think I might be persuaded by the pretty colors and textures.
Red Tootsie, oil, 8×10Peanuts and Gumballs, oil, 24×18
To see drool over more of K. Henderson’s work, please visit her website.
The featured image is A Kiss. All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.
It has been a while since I’ve featured an abstract painter. Maybe it’s because I see so much abstract painting that is good, but not exceptional. Completely nonobjective abstract work looks like it’s easy, but in actuality it is very, very difficult to do well. ( I know, I tried in college and the results were, well, not so good. Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to try again ). That being said, Susan Morosky’s work is definitely of the exceptional kind.
Big Grass Creek, acrylic on canvas, 46×68
Susan’s brushstrokes, while seemingly frenetic, are essential to her sense of composition. They lead the eye in, out, up, down and around. There is a sense of movement, yet the work feels peaceful, not chaotic.
Canyon River, acrylic on canvas, 36×36
Her work is an abstract inspiration of the properties of water, fields and their boundaries. It is from this beginning that the finished pieces find their organic rhythms.
Creekside Spring, acrylic on canvas, 36×36Night River, acrylic on canvas, 36×36
Layers of paint, some left piled onto the canvas, other layers extracted from it, create an undulating surface as vibrant and lively as a rushing river.
To see more of Susan Morosky’s work, please visit her website. If you’re in the New Orleans area, you can see her work in living color at the fabulous Gallery Orange.
Featured image is Belle Island Shore by Susan Morosky. All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.
PS– I often listen to music while writing artist features and usually try to choose a musical artist that inspires me in the same way that the art does. Susan Morosky’s feature was written to Tiger Lily by Natalie Merchant. Thought it would be fun for you to know my “soundtrack” for artists. Is it fun? Do you care? 😉
So there’s really nothing average about photo-realistic painting. Being a lover of abstract work, I usually find photo-realistic work to be, well, a little boring. Yes, it takes tremendous skill and talent ( I certainly can’t do it ), yet something about it typically leaves me cold. BUT not so when I saw the work of Leslie Parke! Not only does she possess a spectacular name ( if spelled incorrectly *grin* ), she also has a fantastic way of presenting realistic work in a unique and interesting way.
China In The River, oil on linen, 20×28
For instance, China In The River ( above ) takes everyday objects and places them in an unusual circumstance. China is floating in the river– how did it get there? Shipwreck? Flood? The light glistens on the surface of the water and on the floating cups and saucers as they are carried downstream.
Janet's Shelf, oil on linen, 40×60
A collection of glassware becomes a box of sparkling jewels. She finds the beauty in the thrown away and disgarded.
Not From Concentrate, oil on linen, 60×42
Please visit Leslie Parke’s website and Facebook page to see more of her work. Her work will be on display at Gremillion and Co. Fine Arts in Houston, TX, November 10- December 10, 2011. If you are in the area, check it out!
Jacksonville artist Christina Foard has been developing a series of paintings, “Dresses”, which explore the connection between what we wear, our personality, our past, present and future. Here, Christina talks candidly about this series and what she sees as the psychology behind our fashion choices.
AF: Hi Christina! Thank you so much for taking the time for this little interview. You know how much I love your work. I am completely enamored with your dress series and am so excited you have been creating some new pieces! How did this series begin and how has it evolved?
C: I’ve been working on dresses since 2008. It began with self-portraits where I am wearing gowns painted with mapped areas or terrain I’ve covered. Mapped gowns was a personification and extension of aerial landscapes that I had begun a year prior. (Ballerina Dance, The Written Legacy, Fluid Gown ( below ), The Courtesan, A Life-changing Conversation, A Single Mom’s Playground, Picnic of Adulthood are some of these.) Since it was more about the journey, decisions and influences, I eventually removed the figure altogether. I began to place myself in and amongst other women, each of us represented symbolically as a dress. In these, I paint the way someone feels to me. It’s more about vitality and energy than their physical presence…a little like painting a pattern of the music they emanate and comparing those rhythmic differences in a series. ( “Pajama Party” ( below ), “Three Sisters”, “Five Friends” ). For example, a 90 year old woman with a saucy, adventuresome personality might end up with the most flamboyant and lively dress, which looks more suitable for a 20 year old.
Recently, in “Polka Dot Party” ( below ) and a few others, my focus area shifted from observing others to a discussion of how I choose to present myself to the world around me each day. Again, choices, decisions and influences.
Liquid Gown, oil on canvas, 60×48
The Pajama Party, oil on canvas, 36×60
AF: Tell me about what you see as the psychology around fashion and the garments we choose to clothe ourselves in.
C: When we are shopping for clothes, we pass up most items available. We reject all the items which don’t fit our perception of ourselves or our perception of our bodies. These rejections are as telling as what we eventually choose to buy. We essentially have to contend with the roles we play in our relationships as well as physical issues that dictate attire: seasons, terrain and climate. Specifically for women whose options vary greatly, our choices can openly display themes of femininity: sexuality, power, accessibility, creativity, compassion, social status, affluence, self-respect. Because our attire speaks so loudly about who we are and who we aren’t, we also deal with influence and who we hope to engage with on a given day. How accessible do I want to make myself today? How much do I want to reveal? How much do I want to conceal? Do I want to lead or do I want to be one of the masses? Do I want to bring attention to myself? These aren’t conscious questions we ask ourselves necessarily; yet they sit below the surface.
Behavior and language is affected by dress. From my personal experience I’ve noticed that I’m more expressive and creative when I wear a long scarf; more formal, precise, and attentive wearing a suit jacket; more nurturing and tactile in a long flowing dress. I notice my energy, tone, and carriage alters depending on the femininity of my fabrics, the structural formality of a garment, the heel height of my shoes, the accessories I’ve chosen. My language and sentence structures change, my accessibility to others is affected. The emotional, physical, and psychological components are intertwined. This, I find fascinating.
Orange Scarf, oil on canvas, 29×42
AF: I’ve noticed a few of your latest works in this series are named after women. Are these “portraits” of specific women?
C:Yes, they are. It is part of a social “inspiration” project that I began in 2009 and will be complete in the next several months. It is comprised of 6 individual paintings around 40″ and one larger 10′ painting. It is entitled Accidental Mentors Project and I’ll be sure to let you know all about it when fully complete.
Cindy: Structural Integrity
AF: I can’t wait to see the completed series! Do you have a favorite article of clothing? What makes it special and what does it say about you, as a woman, as an artist or as a mother?
C:I found this question challenging, if you can believe it. I decided on one long skirt I’ve had for about 6 years. It has a conservative pattern on a somewhat sheer fabric, yet a Latin-inspired construction. Every time I wear it, it makes me feel like dancing and I couldn’t feel more feminine or more perfectly my age in it. Because of how it makes me feel, I’ve also had some great memories attached to it. That adds a sentimental component.
Decisions, mixed media on canvas, 36×60
AF: Finally, just for fun.. What are you wearing? 😉
C:Pink racer-back NIKE T-shirt, navy blue Adidas cropped workout pants and my favorite socks – my running shoes yet to be put on. Plus, a little locket with my kids’ tiny toddler faces inside. The combination seems perfect at this quiet, early morning moment before the sun has arrived.
A huge thank you to Christina for sharing her work and insights. To see more of this talented artist’s work, please visit her website.
Featured image is Christina in her downtown Jacksonville studio. All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.
What do you get when you take one part line sketch + one part abstract expressionism + a flair for fashion? The stunning work of Denver artist/photographer/designer, Leigh Viner. Leigh elevates what could be a simple fashion sketch to fine art by her extraordinary eye for composition, figurative expression and well-placed explosions of color and texture.
Push
Look closely at the women Leigh is painting. These models aren’t faceless mannequins, each one has a story to tell. Their faces are full of subtle emotion– vulnerability, longing, confidence.
PerceiveGatsby
The strength of her work is in it’s simplicity. She is an artist that understands “less is more”. In her hands, a simple line drawing becomes a striking portrait with just a few limited dashes of color.
Draw The LineAbstractions Aside
To see more of Leigh’s work, visit her website. Her work is available for purchase in her Etsy store, jkldesign, which features original art, as well as prints of her artwork and photography. Leigh also writes a delightful blog, CREATE. You’ll be inspired.
Kicking off artsyF A S H I O NWeek here at Artsy Forager! Fashion and art have long been intertwined. For centuries, artists have, perhaps at times unwittingly, been the recorders of the history of fashion and style. It is in thanks to artwork that we can track what was worn by whom hundreds of years ago. Paintings weren’t just art, but were the fashion magazines and blogs of their day. For instance, thanks to Vermeer, we see a glimpse of the difference in the daily costume of the classes in a Mistress and Maid.
Mistress and Maid by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1666-1667
Today’s artists seem to have a bit more freedom to interpret instead of record. Fashion is such an integral part of our modern culture, it is no surprise that it still holds a fascination for contemporary artists. For some artists, the fashions themselves are worthy focal points. Denver artist Roxanne Rossi elevates a simple dress’s silhouette into an artistic statement, a sculptural fashion plate, clean but heavy in texture, it seems like it could come to life at any moment.
Afternoon Delight by Roxanne Rossi, acrylic, 36×60
Sometimes the fashion media becomes a literal component to a piece of fashion-influenced art, such as in the collage work of Melbourne, Florida artist Derek Gores. His imagery has the composition of a Vogue magazine spread and the collaged photos, magazine, labels, etc give each piece a painterly depth.
All Summer Long by Derek Gores, mixed media collage
Painter Kelly Reemtsen uses the constraints of mid-century era mindsets about fashion and juxtaposes them with garden tools and hardware, producing visual statements about the expectations placed on women, by themselves and the world at large.
Throwback by Kelly Reemtsen, oil on panel, 36×36
Celebrating the female form, both physically and spiritually, Leigh Pennebaker’s wire sculptures reveal designs that are sensuous and soft, despite their industrial materials.
Madeline by Leigh Pennebaker, wire sculpture
Like many fashion-forward artists, Megan Cosby began with an interest in fashion design, but decided she was more interested in the people themselves and what their style said about their personality, who they are, where they’ve been and where they are going.
Better by Megan Cosby, mixed media on canvas, 14×12
And then there’s the smart and cheeky work of Sarah Ashley Longshore, at once playing homage and poking fun to our culture’s obsession with fashion. I’ve featured her Audrey Hepburn paintings several times on the blog, but she also has this fabulous series focused on fashion and pop culture.
Trophy Wife Junk Drawer by Sarah Ashley Longshore, acrylic and high gloss reisn on canvas, 48×72
More fashiony-artsy goodness to come this week! Stay tuned.
Featured image is Major Poontang by Sarah Ashley Longshore.
Sometimes a princess has to do what a princess has to do. Like kiss a frog, get a horrible night’s sleep with a pea stuffed under the mattress or maybe just open her eyes and wake up. Seattle artist Deborah Scott has created an intriguing new series, Waiting For Prince Charming, which explores how traditional fairy tale themes would be translated in our modern world.
Snow White, oil and mixed media on canvas
For instance, how would Snow White’s modis operandi of relying on her beauty and reputation as “the fairest in the land” work to secure her prince in today’s world? Mass media advertising, of course. Scott depicts her, perhaps this most vapid of the fairy tale princesses, as a purely passive participant in her own fairy tale. Her happy ending isn’t a result of anything she does or who she is, but merely because of her famous looks. Sound familiar?
The Girl Would Believe Anything, oil and mixed media on canvas
And then there’s the chick from The Princess & The Frog. How many women have been deceived into thinking that warty, nasty toad would one day magically turn into a prince? He may seem debonair and sophisticated, but he is a frog all the same. And once we realize how duped we were.. we are horrified at our own stupidity.
A Social Climber's Romance, oil and mixed media on canvas
In A Social Climber’s Romance, we see a well rested young woman and a pea peeking out from under the mattresses– she obviously hasn’t passed the real princess test, but is oblivious to the meaning of her sweet slumber. In this series, Deborah continues to hone her classical, figure-focused narrative style, which works tremendously well to carry out the themes in each work.
Waiting For Prince Charming opens at All City Coffee in Seattle September 10th and will be on exhibit there until November 5th. If you’re in the Seattle area, please check it out! Better still, there will be an artist’s reception on October 21st, Deborah is a delight in person and meeting her will give you such deeper appreciation for her work.
In the meantime, stop by Deborah’s website to see more of her work and check out her introduction on Artsy Forager here.
Featured image is Princess And The Pea. All images are courtesy of Deborah Scott.
Special thanks to Deborah for giving me a studio tour and a sneak peek at this new work when George & I were in Seattle last week! Look for features on some of her talented studio mates on the blog soon!
Please enjoy this oldie by goodie while I spend the next two weeks camping, packing, visiting with the mom-in-law and moving from WA to OR. See you in September!
There is nothing I love better than a day spent walking in the woods or paddling down a slow moving river. Nature’s beauty has a way of inspiring me to want to paint, write, cook, just create. In celebration of Earth Day, this Friday’s Forager Faves round up includes a few artists who obviously feel the same way. These are works insprired by the wonder of the earth in which we live. Enjoy and get outside!
