We all have our product loyalties. Mr. F is fiercely loyal to King Arthur Flour, for instance. Sometimes, as in Mr. F’s case, it’s about how the product performs, in others, it’s because we are enchanted by not just the product, but the packaging. New York based illustrator Spiros Halaris has created a charming series of illustrations celebrating the Aesop brand of beauty care products.
Halaris’ illustrations show crumbled, well used and presumably well loved tubes of Aesop balms and lotions against a drawn illustration of berry branches. In looking at these pieces, I’m reminded of the connection between nature, beauty products, and paint. All can be used to beautify in different ways and there is a natural bridge between found beauty in nature, enhanced beauty with cosmetics, and created beauty in paint.
Days are getting shorter, nights are cooler, and kids everywhere are headed back to school. Summer’s end is near, and as much as I’m looking forward to the arrival of my favorite season, I do hate to see some summer things go! The bright, happy colors of flowers with their faces turned to the sun never fail to make me smile. These graphically painted floral still lifes by Charleston artist Kate Mullin just might get me through the coming cold and rainy months.
Sally, oil on canvas, 22×28Pink & Pink, oil on canvas, 16×20
Mullins’ use of flattened planes seems to be a deliberate nod to vintage paint-by-numbers ( which I love and have a few of my own in storage! ), but she amps up the modern feel by mixing in bright, saturated color and graphic blacks.
Zinnia Arrangement, oil on canvas, 24×24Teal Zinnias, oil on canvas, 28×22
Mullins’ bouquets are full of light and life. They fairly drip with color and vivacity! The perfect antidote for the coming dreariness. 😉
Maybe it was all the costume dramas I watched with my mom as a kid. Or maybe it was all those fairy tales my grandmother read to me. This abstract-lovin’ Artsy is also a sucker for all things with a romantic past. These porcelain plate paintings by Flemish artist Jan De Vliegher take decorative museum pieces and amp them up to larger than life works of art.
( no title available ), oil on canvas
De Vliegher takes photos of plates in museum displays– you know the ones in the room off to the side that people take one peek in and then turn around in search of the Picassos– then uses the photos as reference for his larger than life paintings. He takes these precious little objects, hiding behind their glass cases and pumps them up in size and energy.
Sevres, Dancing Girl, oil on canvas, 43×43( No title available ), oil on canvasFlower and Saz, oil on canvas, 79×79
These are no photorealistic depictions of prized antiques. De Vliegher doesn’t concentrate on detail, but rather turns his attention and brush to capturing the essence of the atmosphere of each of these pieces in their little glass houses. They almost come to life with the way in which he freely and loosely sketches their likenesses. Cold porcelain resurrected.
Cleopatra, oil on canvas, 79×79
Hear the artist speak about his process and see installation images in this video in which Vincent Zambrano interviews Jan De Vliegher.
Want to see more work by Jan De Vliegher? Check out his artist’s page at Mike Weiss Gallery.
As someone who works from home, I spend a lot of time within the walls of each of our temporary homes. And when you’re staring at the same walls each day, one of two things happens: a) you begin to notice the hidden beauty around you or b) you find your inspiration outside those walls. Lucky for us, Spanish artist Carlos San Millan finds and paints the beauty he discovers within confined spaces.
Untitled, oil on board, 90×70 cm
I still remember and often think about every nook and cranny of my lovely little home I left behind in Florida! When we first landed in the Northwest, we lived in a gorgeous two-story Craftsman home and though the little town left much to be desired, we loved every second of our time in that house. I was continually inspired by the rooftop views and the vintage craftsmanship. Our little house in Joshua Tree surprised me by instigating some of the most creative and inspired moments I’ve had in years.
Untitled, oil on board, 80×80 cmUntitled, oil on board, 36×43 cm
What I love most about these paintings of Carlos San Millan is the loveliness he is capturing in lived in spaces. Random stuff on the floor, paintings stacked against wall, an arm flung casually off a chair– these aren’t perfectly styled rooms. They look much like ours do every day, it’s the way we live and though we may not see the inhabitants, their presence is felt.
Untitled, oil on board, 81×53 cm
Over the last few days, I’ve been finding myself daydreaming about our new little place outside of Olympia, where we’ll be headed in nine days! I can’t wait to share photos with you. It’s a dreamy little spot and I’m already anticipating how inspiring it will be. I’ll give you a hint: Waterfall. IN THE BACKYARD.
Want to be inspired by more of Carlos San Millan‘s work? Be sure to visit his website ( click on his name for the link ).
I’m not sure what it is about Aussie artists, but I am almost inevitably drawn to their work. Case in point: Emily Ferretti. Ferretti’s sparsely populated compositions and chalky palette provide an aesthetic salve to an overwhelmed and frenetic mind.
Her work has such a mellow softness to it, contrasting interestingly with the fragmented shapes and lines that are a recurring theme. It is work which reminds me that when life is pulling me in a million different directions, I can brush my life’s canvas with tender vulnerability– a soft place to cushion life’s hard edges.
Please visit the artist’s blog to see more work by Emily Ferretti. Also, there is a lovely interview and studio visit with the artist on The Design Files site. You know I love a good studio visit!
As Mr. Forager & I go through our belongings, deciding what goes with us and what stays behind, one of the hardest things to part with have been books. Even as my family was packing up our Florida storage, it was so difficult to say “don’t ship it” to my books. But it feels like we have less and less time for reading these days. In fact, when I came upon these crystallized book sculptures by San Francisco artist Alexis Arnold, they reminded me of what my own mind feels like sometimes, having grown frozen from under-utilization!
Post Mortem, book, Borax crystals, 7x9x5Cookbook, book, Borax crystals, 9x6x6.5
Reading stimulates the brain in ways other activities just don’t provide. If you’re like me, you actually feel differently when reading a book than you do when reading online or even a magazine. I feel like my mind is more engaged, more completely consumed than I do with any other type of reading.
San Francisco Magazine, magazine, Borax crystals, 11x6x5.5The Catcher in the Rye, book, Borax crystals, 7x5x3
But for some reason, I just haven’t been compelled to pick up a book lately. I’ve been known to devour books within a few days time. Lately, though, in the evenings, normally prime reading time, I find myself reaching for my iPad instead, using the time to catch up on blogs or social media. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a super comfy reading spot in this apartment. Or maybe it’s because we only have overhead lighting ( which I hate! ), so there isn’t a cozy, makes-me-want-to-curl-up-and-read atmosphere.
Allure, magazine, Borax crystals, 11x12x3.5
These are all just excuses. I am now adding an item to my to-do list: READ. Not blogs, not social media. A real live, smells like musty paper book. I will do it! Soon.
Want to see more of Alexi Arnold’s work? Check out her website. Anyone else suffering from book withdrawal?
Hello again, my friends! If you noticed an increased Artsy presence on social media last week, you may have guessed what I’m about to tell you– the whole job thing didn’t work out as I’d hoped it would. I wish I could say I was surprised, but.. no. Have you ever been in a situation where, you know in your gut that something isn’t quite the right fit for you, despite how good it looks on paper? But then you ignore your gut and forge ahead anyway only to be sucker punched every day for not listening to that quietly persistent inner voice?
I was finding myself quite miserable, not just because of the extremely long hours and bus commute ( there were afternoons when I was on the bus well over an hour trying to get home following a ten hour day ), but because my personality just didn’t gel with where I was. I don’t want to get into details.. maybe one day over a few glasses of wine. 😉 Since leaving, I’ve been in a bit of a fog. It’s been like I’ve lost the confidence to trust myself and my decisions. Mr. F has been loving me through it, but I’ve hardly been much fun these days. So today is the day I WAKE UP! Get back to the business of being Artsy! As I’m going through this mental and emotional awakening, I thought these beautiful pillow paintings of UK artist Alex Hanna were perfectly apropos.
Sweet Dreams, oil on canvas, 75×60 cmSweet Dreams 4, oil on canvas, 30×40 cm
One thing that has been contributing to my fog has been the loss of my sense of purpose. For over two years, in addition to be Mrs. Forager and keeping our vagabond household together and all that means, writing this blog has been my purpose. It has been my baby and putting it on hold messed with my psyche so much more than I ever thought possible. It isn’t just a place where I share amazing artwork, it’s where I work things out through my experience of the work I share. For me, that’s a huge part of living an artsy life– using whatever creative outlet we have to better our lives and the world at large.
Pink Pillow 1, oil on canvas, 15.7×17.7Sweet Dreams 4, oil on canvas, 30×40 cm
I’m not sure what the future holds for this Artsy.. perhaps a full time job I adore working for someone else, or perhaps it’s time to parlay the past two years and all my other experience into creating my own dream job, or maybe a combination of both. Who knows.. but I’m up, I’ve come out of my slumber and am ready to take on whatever the future has to offer. Bring it!
Sweet Dreams 9, oil on canvas, 29.5×23.6
To see more of the work of Alex Hanna, please visit his website. You can also find his work, including originals and prints, for sale at Saatchi Online.
When I first saw the work of photographer Anna Pogossova on The Artful Desperado blog, I was completely enchanted by her use of color. So I couldn’t resist featuring her in my Artist Watch on Escape Into Life! Check out more of her work over on EIL here.
Many of us have a love/hate relationship with Instagram. Maybe we love that voyeuristic glimpse into other people’s lives. Perhaps we hate that their lives might seem more glamorous than our own. What I personally love is the way it allows us to communicate the beauty in simple moments. The work of Cincinnati artist Emil Robinson carries with it the same celebration of the magic to be found in every day.
Catherine in Orange, oil on panel, 18×24
As I type this, I’m sitting at my desk and am struck by the loveliness of the orange candle sitting quietly on the deep white windowsill. Robinson’s work reminds us of that we don’t always have to seek out what is interesting and delightful. It is all around us, just waiting to be noticed.
Ikea Lamp, oil on panel, 30×36Storage, oil on panel, 12×15Pink Book, oil on panel, 24×24
It might seem strange to want to document such routine aspects of our lives, but it is these common moments that truly make up our lives– that fill the space between the extraordinary.
Man With Storage 2, oil on panel, 24×24
What ordinary moments did you see the beauty in today? To see more of Emil Robinson’s work, please visit his website.
Forget those boring old still lifes from your grandma’s era. Artists like Thrush Holmes are taking that classic subject and reinterpreting it through modern eyes. The result is anything but boring.
Untitled 2011, oil on canvas, 84×84Untitled 2012, oil on panel, 16×20
Neon-hued petals in flattened, simplified shapes let you know these aren’t just any old floral paintings. With color blocking reminiscent of Matisse, these blossoms fairly jump off the canvas.
Untitled 2011, oil on canvas, 60×84Untitled, oil on panel, 16×20
Graffit-like lines incorporated give these paintings a freewheelin’ freedom their classical predecessors never dreamed of.
Untitled, oil panel, 52×62
To see more of Thrush Holmes’ work, please visit his website.
