artsy forager

Category: Artsy Happenings

Events on Artsy Forager

  • Artist Takeover, Day 1: Deborah Scott

    Artist Takeover, Day 1: Deborah Scott

    I warned you, Artsies!  The Artists are Taking Over Artsy Forager this week!  While Mr. Forager & I are finding inspiration in Glacier & Yellowstone, a few of the artists featured on the blog are turning the tables on moi, asking all sorts of interesting questions about blogging, the art world and little ol’ me.

    First up is Seattle artist Deborah Scott, who knocked me out with her work when she emailed me last year asking if I might like to feature her on the blog.  I was blown away by Deborah’s work and I’m not the only one.  Recently Eric Fischl ( yes THAT Eric Fischl ) recently chose two of Deborah’s paintings for his America: Now & Here national project!  Hope you enjoy this conversation between the artist and the Artsy Forager.

    Without Their Permission ( File 1: Baby Bear ), oil and mixed media on canvas, 24×40
    Deborah Scott | What is the most exciting part about being an arts enabler and making connections for art, artists, and art appreciators?
    Artsy Forager |  So many things excite me about what I’m doing at Artsy Forager!  But THE most important and exciting for me is when I hear that it was through Artsy Forager that an artist has connected with a new gallery, a new collector, a new opportunity to promote and/or sell their work.  As noble as the art world may seem, artists have to eat and if anything I do helps an artist make a sale or get connected to a gallery, art consultant, designer or collector to generate future sales, well, that makes everything I do worthwhile.
    Without a Sound, oil and mixed media on canvas, 24×40
    DS |  What work(s) of art do you wish you owned?
    AF | Oh wow.  I don’t even know where to begin!  Obviously, if I had the funds, I would love to own works by my favorite masters.. Picasso, O’Keeffe, Rothko, Pollock, just to name a few.  Not to be a suck-up, but I would love to own one of your pieces one day!  😉  I am finding new favorites every day, but there are certain artists whose work I keep coming back to and that both George and I really adore– which I think is very important, we would have to both love any artwork purchase.
    Christina Foard— I’m very fortunate to own a smaller, earlier work of Christina’s, but I would love to be able to buy one of her larger pieces one day.  She has some new work showing at the Haskell Gallery inside Jacksonville International Airport ( along with July Facebook Featured artist, Thomas Hager! ) and I am completely coveting “Flow“.
    Maribel Angel— I loved Maribel’s work from the first moment I saw it and completely regret not investing in a painting while I was getting a gallery discount. 😉  “Shangri-La” is a piece of Maribel’s that I adore.
    Rachel Denny— Rachel’s “Domestic Trophies” are so fabulous and after we saw them at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle, George loved them just as much as I already did.  I would give any of them a good home!
    Susan Hall— Susan’s work is incredibly soft and ethereal.  There’s a quiet intricacy to it that I don’t think I would ever tire of.  “April” reminds me of the serenity of the wildlife here in the Northwest.  I love it.
    Joe Segal— Joe’s work has always appealed to me.  It bridges the gap between the raw natural quality of the wood and his contemporary vision so beautifully.  His “Cleave” series really fits our aesthetic perfectly, it echoes my hubby’s “mountain man” personality with my own more urban style.
    I could go on and on!  Suffice it to say that I would love to own the work of any artist I’ve featured so far on Artsy Forager!
    Plummet, oil and mixed media on canvas, 24×40
    DS: What is your art world pet peeve?
    AF:  I hate it when artwork isn’t credited along with other sources.  I’ve seen some gorgeous work on blogs and in magazines and often every element in the room except the artwork is credited down to the paint on the walls, often not for lack of trying on the designer’s part.  One of my favorite artists recently had his work featured as part of a home design in House Beautiful and although the designer lobbied heavily for him, his name was still not listed among the source credits.  It just devalues the work of the artist as not as important as, say, the sofa or a table lamp.  It’s so irritating!
    Into Flat Space, oil and mixed media on canvas, 24×40

    To see more work from Deborah Scott, please check out her website.  Tomorrow’s Takeover Artist:  M.A. Tateishi!

    All images are via the artist or her website. 

  • The Artists are Taking Over!

    I’ve got a little treat coming for all you Artsies!  Coming the week of July 30th, the artists are taking over the blog!  A few of the artists who have been featured on Artsy Forager are turning the tables on me and asking the questions their inquiring minds want to know.  Monday- Thursday, each day will feature a different artist asking a series of questions of yours truly.

    BUT I need the help of more artists for Friday!  If you’re an artist whose work has been featured on Artsy Forager, email me here with your favorite artist ( other than yourself 🙂 ) who has been featured on the blog and both your work and theirs may appear side by side in the Friday Finds.  I’ll choose 5 artists & their faves to feature!

  • Friday Finds: Young Photosnappers

    Friday Finds: Young Photosnappers

    There is something about the art of photography that has always made it appealing to the young.  These days maybe, it is the advanced technology often involved.  But most of all, I think photography provides a relatively accessible mode of self-expression, which as we all know, is such a huge part of discovering who we are and who we are meant to be.  I’m happy to wrap up F/Stop Artsy week with a round-up of some amazingly talented young photographers!

    Eleanor Leonne Bennett
    Kristen Cates
    Brian Oldham
    Cristina Otero
    Alex Stoddard

    Eleanor Leonne Bennett | Kristen Cates |  Brian Oldham | Cristina Otero | Alex Stoddard  

    I hope you’ll check out the websites of these young talents, linked above.  Let’s encourage the next artsy generation!

    All images are via the artists’ websites, sourced above.

  • Artsy Dwelling: A Photoshopped Home

    Artsy Dwelling: A Photoshopped Home

    For many folks, the only photographs on display at home are family portraits and vacation snaps.  This afternoon, I’d like to get your creative inspiration going with some beautiful examples of the way art photography can have an amazing impact on your home’s artsiness!

    Using photography can give an edge to an ultra-feminine space–

    Home of Philip Leeming & Leong Ong

    via

    Photograph of Beirut by Elger Esser

    via 

    You can make a big impact in a small space like a dining room with an oversized photograph–

    Interior design by Design Loft Interiors; photo mural by Alex Turco

    via

    Interior Maison Magazine, Oct/Nov 2010

    via

    Designer: Thom Felicia; Featured photograph: Roberto Dutesco

    To add graphic texture to a neutral space, monochromatic photography does the trick–

    Interior design by Julia Starr Sanford; Art photography by Thomas Hager

    via the artist

    **be sure to check the Artsy Forager Facebook album, Artsy Dwelling, for more of Tom’s residential installations!

    Interior design and styling by Lisa McGraw; art photography by Daniele Albright

    via

    How about personalizing your space by commissioning an art photographer to document your little ones?

    Interior photography Llama’s Valley Magazine

    via

    Interior photography by Bieke Claessens

    via

    Or even better, enlarge a favorite photo of them and fill an entire wall!

    Design by Brian Patrick Flynn

    via 

    How are you living with photography, Artsies?

    Image sources linked below each photo.

  • A Curious Haunting: Kisa Kavass

    A Curious Haunting: Kisa Kavass

    I love a good mystery.  Not the throat-slasher kind, but the good ol’ Nancy Drew, Wilkie Collins, Daphne Du Maurier variety.  In this world of over sharing, there is something so magical and magnetic to be found in the mysterious.  The work of Tennessee based artist Kisa Kavass brings to life her own cryptic yet enchanting imaginings.

    Kavass’ sepia-tinged images are full of misty light, curious shadows and haunting visages.  There is an other-worldly spell cast by them that though shrouded in enigma, we sense that in this world we are safe.

    Though things may be as they seem, the mysteries are innocuous.

    Like strange dreams from which we awaken not startled or scared, but wishing we could revisit with each slumber.

    To see more of Kisa Kavass’s work, please visit her website.

    Thank you to artist Christina Baker for introducing me to Kisa’s work!  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Nowhere Land: Jenna Gang

    Nowhere Land: Jenna Gang

    Photography, more than any other medium possesses such a power to transport us to anywhere in the world.  And because of it’s documentary nature, we often believe what a photograph is telling us.  When New York based photographer Jenna Gang contacted me, I was especially intrigued by her series of images from Israel.  It turns out this controversial country has very special meaning for Jenna.  I hope you’ll enjoy hearing her talk about the series in this email interview we conducted recently.

    Artsy Forager | Your series of photographs from Israel have such a different, more quiet focus than most imagery coming from that country.  What was your catalyst for the series?  Did it evolve over time or did you begin with your concept already in mind?

    Jenna Gang | The catalyst for this series was my grandfather. As a holocaust survivor, he expressed throughout my childhood how important it was for me to visit the holy land.  After he passed away, his 35mm camera was given to me by my grandmother.  By merging his camera with his aspirations for me, I thought it only fitting to honor his memory by shooting this series.

    Throughout my development as a photographer, I have always been drawn to images that were minimalistic and left interpretation to the viewer. Through photographs, the world sees Israel as a conflict. I wanted to show that Israel is so much more than that. I simplified my subject to lines and shapes to reflect the natural beauty of the country.


    AF | Who do you count among your photographic heroes?

    JG |  In hopes of not sounding too generic, most of my fellow FIT alumni are my heroes. This is because although our foundation was built in the same way our results vary so widely. Erin Kennedy, Christian Thorman and Nadirah Zakariya were each given the same tools that I was and yet we all emerged with distinct individual styles. I wait in anticipation to see what they create next.

    AF | What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t a photographer?

    JG |  If I weren’t a photographer, I’d be a food critic. Since I love to eat, this would be a worthy profession. I understand that I would have to eat some bad food along the way, but it would all be worth it for that one good dish.

    AF | What is your dream photography project?

    JG |  During my free time, I enjoy travelling the world via Google Earth, planning how I would capture each of the different landscapes. I am fascinated with Japan and would enjoy a trip to the countrysides of Tokyo, Samurai sword in tow.

    To see more of Jenna Gang’s work, please check out her website.


  • Magical Mystery Tour: Jody Miller

    Magical Mystery Tour: Jody Miller

    For me, one of the hallmarks of fine art photography is the ability to create and/or capture atmosphere.  Just one of the things that separates a good photograph from an amazing one.  Photographer Jody Miller‘s images give the viewer a sense of mystery in each place they capture.

    Miller’s photographs often catch us in an underrepresented area of a region.  A spot quintessentially indicative of a place, yet one not immediately associated with it.  In each, she creates an atmosphere of seeming abandonment and desolation, even if it is not so, our minds draw that conclusion.

    Britain
    California
    Pacific Northwest

    There is an element of mystery and suspense in the atmosphere of isolation.  It’s as if we’ve awoken to find ourselves completely alone in the world.

    To see more of Jody Miller’s photography, please visit her website.  Her work can be viewed in person at Lightbox Photographic Gallery in Astoria, Oregon, a truly fabulous little gallery dedicated completely to fine art photography.

    Artist found via Lightbox Photographic.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Art to Inspiration: Smita Jacob

    Art to Inspiration: Smita Jacob

    Happy Independence Day to all my US Artsies!  Hope you are enjoying the holiday in the company of friends and family.  Hubby and I are enjoying purple mountain’s majesty at Glacier National Park!  This month’s Art to Inspiration artwork is a photograph by the fabulous Smita Jacob, photographer and blogger extraordinaire over at Hogger & Co.  I was excited to see the selection of a photograph for this month’s inspiration, as my resulting inspired gallery will give you a little sneak peek at next week’s photography event, F/Stop Artsy!

    The inspiration–

    Healing Yoga With Aarti by Smita Jacob

    The gallery– 

    My Potholes project by Claudia Ficca and Davide Luciano
    Frozen Series by Zena Holloway
    Tied Together by Martin Stranka
    The Brave by Sarah Ann Loreth
    Solo Man by Scott Newett

    Enjoy your holiday, Artsies!  Be sure to click on each photo to see more work from these talented photogs!

    You can find more information on Art to Inspiration here and if you would like to participate in the next Art to Inspiration, just fill out this form! Follow me and all the other Art to Inspiration bloggers on Twitter by subscribing here.  Let the inspiring begin! 

  • F/Stop Artsy Photography Event!

    I realize that Artsy Forager can be a little painting heavy and fine art photography is an oft-under appreciated medium so next week, we’ll be celebrating the work of some fantabulous photogs!  Each day, we’ll feature a different art photographer, showcasing a range of styles.  Maybe you’ll be inspired to get a little artsy with your own camera!

  • Sneaky Peek at Moon Rabbits

    Thanks again to everyone who entered to win a copy of Geoff Mitchell’s book, Moon Rabbits.  Geoff thought you guys would enjoy a sneak peek at the story inspired by the contest winner’s favorite piece, Trinket.  Click on the link below to see a full-sized version of the book spread.  Enjoy!

    Trinket with story by Amy Hicks

    PS– If you’d like to order your very own copy of Moon Rabbits, contact Geoff via his website here.

    PPS– Once you click the link above, you may need to zoom in a bit, depending on how good your eyesight is. 😉