Most of the time, we never seem to think about what is happening beneath our feet. When we visited Yellowstone this summer, we couldn’t help but be confronted by the reality of what is going on beneath the earth’s surface. The countless hot springs, geysers and mudpots reminded us that our planet is on fire underneath us. New York artist Laura Moriarty‘s unique sculptural paintings are her own interpretations of what is happening beneath our terrain.
Natural Bridge, encaustic on panel, 11x14x6.5Volcanic Bomb, detail
Her layers of liquid color mimic the stratifications in the earth’s core, flowing in and around each other like lava.
Time Suck, detail, encaustic on panel, 10x10x5.75Steep Inclination, encaustic on panel, 16x16x8
You can watch Laura’s amazing process in the video The Way Paintings Gohere. See more of her work on her website, including beautiful monotypes created as a by-product of her sculptural paintings.
Today seems to be the day for posting childhood memory-inspired works of art! I am a firm believer in public art that serves to delight and inspire any viewer. Public art should appeal to the public, you shouldn’t need to be versed in art history or elements of design to appreciate and admire it. The Bubblegum installation of artists Merijn Hos and Renée Reijnders perfectly demonstrates the ability of public art to enchant and amuse.
Bubblegum, dayBubblegum, nightBubblegum, night with people enjoying the scene
The installation could be seen floating above Weerwater Lake in the Netherlands in 2010. Check out the websites of Merijn Hos and Renee Reijnders to see more images and what they’ve been up to lately.
While living on a lake in Northern Idaho this summer, I swear I have never seen skies soooo blue. Every day around lunch time, I take a break from blogging work and walk outside to text my hubby ( danger of living in the boonies, spotty cell reception ) and almost every day as I look up above the canopy of trees and into the sky, it is the most impossible shade of blue. A blue so deep and saturated and perfect that it would be impossible to capture, at least for this amateur photographer. New York artist Eric Cahan seems to have a similar obsession with sky, but where my own limitations keep my from even trying, his skill and talent beautifully capture the simple magnificence of the expanse above us.
Bridgehampton, NY Sunset 7:48pm
His work focuses on the pure joy of color that the sky and landscape affords, breaking the vast space and complexity of the natural world into simple gradients of color.
In his sculptures and photographs alike, we are left to revel in the pure liquidity of color and environs. We forget the chaos on the earth below and are transported to the space above.
Gardiners Bay NY Sunrise 6:28am
To see more of Eric Cahan’s work, please visit his website. Eric represents just one of the many talented artists and photographers I’ve found via Pinterest. It’s not just shoes and recipes! Check out the Artsy Forager Pinterest board, Artsy in Living Color, for more found photographic talent.
I’ve told you before about my visions of becoming a crazy bird watcher. While Mr. Forager loves to lookout for ospreys, hawks and other large birds of prey, my own preference is for birds of smaller varieties. Spotting a hummingbird is especially thrilling! Their diminutive size and speed make their sudden appearance fascinating. Colombian artist Diana Beltran Herrera recreates their flights of fancy in her paper sculptures.
While we were recently camping in Glacier National Park, we awoke one morning to what sounded like tiny jets buzzing above the roof of our tent. The hummingbirds were enjoying a frolic among the lupine surrounding our campsite.
Herrera’s birds seem to come alive as they search for nectar among paper sculpted flowers. You can practically hear the buzz of their wings as they keep themselves suspended mid-air.
So what do you think? Has my slight ornithological obsession completely taken hold? I think the only cure is to just seek out more fowl, both of the living and artistic variety. 😉 To see more of Diana Beltran Herrera’s work, please visit her website.
One of our favorite things about living at the lake this summer has been our evening walks. Once the heat begins to wane, all the birds begin to sing. We often end our walk by making our way down to the dock where we sit and watch birds both great and small as they hunt for dinner. I’ve even told George I’m going to take up serious bird watching. I’m going to be a funny old lady with her huge hat and binoculars watching all the birds that fly by.. So today’s round up is brought to you by some pretty little birds of the artsy kind that I’m admiring this week!
Please pardon the Homer Simpson impression! What is it about those little round, doughy rings? Frosted or glazed, we love them all. Here are a few artists who’ve captured the spirit of our passion for these sweet treats.
Fade to Blonde by Emily ElevethBoxed Donuts by Peter AntonKrispy Kreme Dozen by Joel PenkmanDonut Tower by Larry Preston
I’m drooling now, how about you? Think I’ll try to talk the hubby into a visit to the Donut House this weekend. I don’t think it will take much arm-twisting. 😉 Happy weekend, Artsies!
All images are via the artists’ websites, linked above.
I have always been a lover of things past. Some of my favorite places have been cities or towns that truly celebrate their history, even revel in it. To walk into a building that has been repurposed and restored is such a delight. But it seems that more often than not, older buildings and homes instead of being loved and revered are neglected and then torn apart to make way for the shiny and new. The sculptural work of Aaron Moran uses pieces of found architectural wood to create works that are as complex and chaotic as our history.
Progress Sprawl, found wood, acrylic, graphite, house paint, varnish, 23x19x21
Each piece becomes a small monument to our collective history. Just scraps might be affixed to repair a dying structure, so these scraps from buildings long gone are bound together physically in each work and spiritually in their shared destiny.
Low Base, found wood, metal, acrylic, house paint, graphite, 19x12x14
Instead of languishing at the bottom of a landfill, these relics become sculptural harbingers of what we hope may be our fate– to leave behind a little of ourselves, to know that our existence is remembered and celebrated.
Geom Ridge, found wood, acrylic, house paint, pencil, 11x8x9
To see more of Aaron Moran’s work, please visit his website. My husband and I used two pews from the church where my grandparents were married for our outdoor wedding last year. It meant so to have that continuity and share in the past as we began our future. Is there a building from your past you wish you had a part of?
Featured image is Tier 2, found wood, acrylic, house paint, graphite and varnish, 10x13x14. All images are via the artist’s website.
I’ve made no secret here of how enamored I am by trees. There is just something so inherently beautiful within the elements of a tree, it isn’t any wonder than artists whose work utilizes wood possess such natural grace and elegance. Here are a few of my favorites!
Nestler series by Grant Ward, maple burl, spun aluminum & padauk, 19×8Cleave series by Joe Segal, 9×18Cities and Signs by Evan Blackwell, wood, 26x22x2A Lightness in Being, Exercises in Zen #2 by Christian Burchard, madrone burl, 12x12x26
Whenever we go hiking, my eyes are always drawn to the textures and details surrounding me. I love running my hand over rough & scaly tree bark and soft, green moss. Portland artist Brenda Mallory’s sculptures mimic the abstracted details found in nature, the very ones that enchant and fascinate me each time I step outside.
Explosion in Gold, wax cloth and welded steel, 18x18x10Explosion in Gold ( detail )
Mallory’s work follows nature’s patterns of repetition and rhythm, organic forms grouped together to a soft, undulating whole.
She juxtaposes the natural molds and materials with more industrial elements like bolts and welded steel so that the sculptures become a statement man’s impact on old growth systems and environments.
In case you can’t tell by the blog’s background, I have a favorite color. I love most of the blue family, but am always immediately drawn to the color turquoise. Or, as my niece Kendall calls it “toy-quoise”. So it should come as no surprise that my favorite artwork includes a heavy dose of my beloved hue. Here are some turquoise favorites I’m digging this week:
Gypsy Blue by Erin AshleyThe Search For Green by Jeanne OpgenhaffenEnhanced Sunspots After Galileo I by Rachel BrumerWish You Were Here by Josh ReamesUnobstructed Effort by Sharon Booma
