The work of California artist Lisa Beerntsen seems at once cosmic and microscopic.. organic forms float as if suspended in viscous fluid. Check out more of Beerntsen’s work my Artist Watch feature today over on Escape Into Life!
Wonderment by Lisa Beerntsen
Following our little road trip to Southern California, I’m happy to be back foraging for you! We’re newly installed in Joshua Tree, California until at least mid-January. Our little artsy rental is only a few blocks from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. We can actually see it in the distance from our back porch! This place has a special kind of energy– there is a connectedness you feel here.. to the earth, to the sky, to your fellow humans. The work of Northern California artist Sonya Philip brings to mind the way in which we link ourselves with our surroundings and each other.
Philip chooses to weave into every day objects, things we might otherwise cast aside or not even look twice at. In doing so, she reminds us of our own disposability and habit of consumption. A design woven into a fallen leaf ( above ) might symbolize the leaf’s eventual decay, while threads woven through discarded and gessoed postcards ( below ) or a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream carton speak to the beauty that can be found in what otherwise might be considered trash.
The delicacy of her weaving juxtaposes against the crassness of commercial packaging and metallic rusticity of a bicycle wheel to reveal a symbiosis of the organic and the industrial.
To see more of Sonya Philip’s work, please visit her website.
Artist found via Art & Sustainability on Facebook. All images are via the artist’s website.
As you may have noticed, I’ve been a bit absent from Artsy Forager for the past two weeks as Mr. Forager and I made our way from Coeur d’Alene, ID to our new temporary home in Joshua Tree, CA. We spent nearly two weeks on the road, seeing sights and visiting with friends. I’m trying to get my bloggin’ groove back today and will be back in full Forager mode on Tuesday! Until then, I thought you might enjoy a few postcards our trip!
Bryce Canyon, Utah
South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
Sunny Jim Cave, LaJolla, CA
Art on the back fence of our little house in Joshua Tree, CA
See ya tomorrow!
While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on February 8, 2012. Enjoy!
Life, in any form, is unpredictable. Sometimes we like the result of a chance taken, sometimes we don’t. Yet each step of faith is a step in the right direction. New York artist Laura Gurton takes a gamble each time she begins a new work, never knowing how her materials will react with one another. But it is that tempting of fate which results in these spontaneously speculative paintings.
From the Unknown Species Series #48, oil and alkyd on linen, 11×14
The artist takes advantage of the unpredictable reactions of layers of oil paint and alkyd resin to create work that uses the elemental properties of both to mimic cellular forms– our most basic building block of life.
From the Unknown Species series #49, oil and alkyd on linen, 18×18
The shapes morph and float as cells or micro-organisms under a microscope, taking on ghostly abstract forms that can seem often friendly or fiendish.
From the Biomorphic Dream series #13, oil and alkyd on canvas, 30×40
I find fascinating Gurton’s use of such basic chemistry to produce beautifully composed, intricate abstract work that reminds us of the beginning of life. Just as each of us are all made of the similar cellular building blocks, yet we are each unique, so are each of these works beautifully singular. It’s almost as if each one could be a glimpse into the molecular network of an individual.
From the Unknown Species series #15, oil and alkyd on canvas, 18×24
To see more of Laura Gurton’s work, please visit her website.
PS– Welcome to all of our new Artsy Forager subscribers! I’m so glad you enjoy the blog. Make yourself at home and be sure to take a peek around, there are lots of goodies to explore! If you haven’t already, use the tabs on the right to connect with Artsy Forager via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Featured image is From the Unknown Species series #50, oil and alkyd on linen, 18×18. All images are via the artist’s website.
While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on February 9, 2012. Enjoy!
When I paint, I tend to turn the lights off at certain points of progress, in order to view my work in the dark. The darkness reveals the light. The work of New Hampshire artist Sarah Ann Loreth explores this same notion in a conceptual way, through imagery that is at once eerie and haunting, yet strangely peaceful.
The Standpoint of Daily Life
Loreth seems to be feeling her way through the reality of humanity– her work is emotional, bringing to the forefront our own fears and anxieties, but somehow quieting them. In each work there seems to be a small voice whispering, It’s okay, this life and your troubles are only temporary..
The Ground is Too Cold to Bury Our Dead, self-portrait with milk in a bath with cow skull
We’ve all had those moments when life just seems unbearable. When we question why we are here and why it is just so plain hard sometimes. Loreth isn’t afraid to recreate those moments in her self-portraits, letting us know, we are not alone in our suffering.
The Irreparable Nature of Humans, self-portrait
Just as light cannot be seen without the darkness, so also does joy need sorrow in order for it to be truly felt. Hope is always with us, we are forever watching for its return.
The Dreamer’s Dream of Morning, self-portrait
The Watcher, self-portrait
To see more of Sarah Ann Loreth’s beautiful photography, please visit her website. This artist was found via Escape Into Life.
Featured image is Where My Heart Still Is, self-portrait. All images are via the artist’s website.
While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on November 1, 2011. Enjoy!
PS- since writing this post, Clair Hartmann has opened a wonderful little gallery in Wilmington, NC, Sun Gallery & Gifts. Please make a visit if you’re in the area!
OK, yes I know “pet art” has been done to death. It seems like every artist and their brother is doing it. But I submit to you, dear Artsies, that Wilmington, NC artist Clair Hartmann does doggy art in a wonderfully whimsical and heartfelt, yet not at all cheesy way.
Shore Leave, oil on fabric on canvas, 40×30
Whether she is doing straight-on portraits against graphic fabric backgrounds, like the one above or masterpiece inspired depictions as in the ones below, Clair always captures her subjects inherent personality and unique expressions.
Pearl Earring, oil on canvas panel, 9×12
Frida Dog, oil on canvas, 16×20
There is a wonderfully graphic and modern quality to Clair’s animal work, which to me, elevate them beyond kitsch. Her paintings of her own Jack Russell Terrier, Chumley, are among my favorites. She perfectly captures moments of rare moments quiet rest and inner reflection ( who hasn’t wondered what their dog was thinking?! ), filled with tenderness and love for her subject.
The Dream, oil on canvas, 36×24
Clair has a new exhibition now open in Wilmington at the WHQR Gallery Space– Faithful: A Series of Dog Paintings will be on display through January 13, 2012. You can also visit her website to see more of her work and visit her Etsy shop to purchase!
Featured image is Wonky Bumbershoots by Clair Hartmann. All images via the artist’s website and Etsy shop.
It takes a highly skilled artist to simply draw. Using nothing but a graphite pencil and paper, Oregon bred artist Nicomi Nix Turner creates stunningly detailed compositions utilizing just those humble tools and of course, a healthy does of imagination. See her work in my Artist Watch over on Escape Into Life today! ( link below )
Hunger’s Demand by Nicomi Nix Turner
While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on February 1, 2012. Enjoy!
Here I am ready to make yet another embarrassing confession to you: I’m nosy. I’m not a Facebook stalker or anything like that, but when the hubby and I are out for a walk around whatever neighborhood in which we happen to find ourselves living that month ( haha ), I can’t help but spy inside people’s homes. I mean, I don’t park myself in the bushes like a Peeping Lesley, but I love catching glimpses of other people’s interiors. So of course, peeking inside the homes of creative folks is irresistible to me!
So, for a little mid-week fun, I thought we’d catch a glimpse of the homes of some very creative ladies.. all artists in their own way.
Artist Kelly Reemsten’s L.A. Loft ( via Apartment Therapy )
I love the way artists’ living spaces so often reflect the palette and style of their work– never more true than in Kelly Reemsten’s Mid-Century inspired L.A. loft. The artist known for her pop-style paintings of ladies dressed in vintage garb dresses her home in much the same way. A neutral background compliments pops of color and classically mod furnishings.
Artist Kelly Reemsten’s L.A. Loft ( via Apartment Therapy )
The home of Janie Bryant, the brilliant costume designer behind the to-die-for fashions on Mad Men, is as glamourous as you would expect, with subtle hints at the retro styles she embraces on the job.
Mad Men Costume Designer Janie Bryant’s L.A home ( via photographer Bonnie Tsang’s blog )
Mad Men Costume Designer Janie Bryant’s L.A. home ( via photographer Bonnie Tsang’s blog )
Is it any surprise that fashion maven Kate Spade’s home has a classic, preppy feel? But I love that her choice of artwork reveals a personality behind the perfection.
Home of fashion designer Kate Spade ( photographed by Eric Morin )
The Brooklyn apartment of artist Lily Stockman is an eclectic, comforting space peppered with global influences reflecting her travels, which include a recent artist’s residency in India. Just as in her work, Stockman’s home is filled with simple patterns and soft yet vibrant color.
Artist Lily Stockman’s Brooklyn abode ( via Big Bang Studio blog )
Artist Lily Stockman’s Brooklyn abode ( via Big Bang Studio blog )
Featured image is Kelly Reemsten’s LA Loft. Sources: Kelly Reemsten, Janie Bryant, Kate Spade, Lily Stockman.
While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on May 2, 2011, when the blog was barely two months old. Enjoy!
In honor of Cinco De Mayo this week, I thought we’d focus today on the amazing Frida Kahlo. When I was in painting classes in college, I remember there being this older Bolivian lady who was auditing the classes and she was obsessed with Frida Kahlo. She was sweet but somewhat obnoxious. For a long time, the fact that she was so obsessed with Kahlo managed to turn me off on her artwork. Weird how our minds work sometimes.
But then, somewhere along the line, I let go of this irrational bias and took another look at Kahlo and her work. And I was quickly won over. Health problems plagued Kahlo from a young age, suffering first from polio and then being severly injured in a horrific car accident which left her in a full body cast and bedridden for three months. Though she eventually recovered from her injuries, extreme pain would torment her for the rest of her life.
Two Fridas
Before the accident, Kahlo was studying to become a physician, but she dealt with the boredom of being confined to bed by taking up painting with her father’s watercolors. And so, Frida Kahlo, the artist was born.
Kahlo’s work often included symbols of Mexican mythology, as well as those of Christian and Jewish faiths. Though she is perhaps best known for her self-portraits, often depicting events in her own life, such as the accident, subsequent miscarriages, etc.
She married renown Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera in 1929 and their life together was a tumultous one.
Her work has been described as surrealist, but I think it is the unvarnished depiction of her real life pain and struggle that makes her work so interesting and relatable. We may not have all been through the kind of physical pain Kahlo experienced, but perhaps it is that we can all certainly relate to her emotional pain and the need to express it on canvas.
Be sure to check out the official Frida Kahlo website. A beautifully designed site full of interesting information about the artist.
If you are a painter, you no doubt know the joy of gazing upon piles of paint freshly squeezed from their tubes. Perhaps you’ve admired the loveliness to be found on your palette after a day of painting, when the colors have mixed together in a riotous symphony. The work of this month’s Facebook Featured Artist, Seattle’s Margie Livingston straddles the worlds of painting and sculpture, in which the paint becomes sculpture.
Painting Folded Into a Square, acrylic, 20x20x4
Using paint both as medium and subject, Livingston’s work transforms what is normally a two-dimensional vehicle into one that exists in three-dimensions. No longer content to merely represent an image of an object, the paint actually takes on an object’s shape.
Plank, acrylic, 97 5/8 x 1 5/8 x 3 1/2
Coiled Layered Strip, acrylic, 9x9x3
Negative Cube, acrylic, 8x14x14
Margie’s Painted Objects has taken center stage at Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle ( supported in part by a 4Culture Individual Artist Project Grant and a CityArtist Project grant from the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture ) and will be on exhibit through November 10th. Go see it!! I’ll be far away in California, so I can’t go, which means you MUST!
To see more of Margie Livingston’s incredible painted sculptures, please visit her website and be sure to check out her gorgeous cover image and album on the Artsy Forager Facebook page.
Featured image is 90 Color Test, acrylic and grommets, 90 squares at 8×8 each, 78×96 overall. All images are via the artist’s website and the website of Greg Kucera Gallery.
