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  • Paraphernalia Resurrected: Randy Mora

    Paraphernalia Resurrected: Randy Mora

    “There is nothing new under the sun”, ( Ecclesiastes 1: 9 ).  Each generation thinks they are better than the last,  but if that were so, why do we as a human race continue to repeat our old patterns and mistakes?   Colombian artist Randy Mora, takes vintage ephemera and creates digital collages that explore ideas that may seem to be modern yet still hearken to the styles of eras past.  His work reminds us that time has not erased our patterns and prejudices.

    Torre Blanca, digital collage, 51.35x66cm

    Mora’s illustrations seem to show us that none of the issues we face today is really all that new.  Man is man and has been of a similar nature since his beginning.

    La Pitonisa, digital collage, 50x65cm

    There has always existed a quest for wealth, for supremacy, for power and subjugation.  It seems to be in man’s very nature to isolate ourselves with others who are like us, judging and condemning those who are not.

    Pan de Vida, digital collage, 46×60 cm

    We live in a world divided between “us” and “them”, being taught from an early age to look out for ourselves first, creating within us cynical, fearful souls who become so self-centered we are unable to empathize and understand anyone whose views may be different from our own.

    Magritte’s Trap, digital collage, 43x50cm
    My Favorite Independent Bookstore: Gay’s the Word, London, commission for The Guardian ( UK )

    The inability to empathize and see the world from someone else’s point of view too often breeds in us feelings of first fear, then of superiority.  Why are we afraid?  Why do we think ourselves better than another?  Each of us is born in the same way, completely innocent and knowing nothing of the world.   To see more of Randy Mora’s work, please visit his website.

    Artist found via Escape Into Life.

    Featured image is Este Año Sí…, commission for Dinero, Business & Economy Magazine.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Guest Foraging, Go Navis blog: Artsy in Ashland

    Check out my guest post over on the Go Navis blog!  I’ll give you a little tour of one of my favorite Artsy spots– Ashland, Oregon.

    The Crown Jewel, Ashland, Oregon
  • Beautiful Accidents: Caroline Wright

    Beautiful Accidents: Caroline Wright

    Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans..”is a favorite John Lennon quote of mine.  Often, it’s those unexpected moments that bring the most joy.  Austin artist Caroline Wright’s work is full of incidental beauty.

    Icarus, acrylic on rice paper, 72×39

    Abstract painters like Wright know that these happy accidents contribute to the rhythm and spontaneity so many of us love about abstract work.

    Fragments for Sappho

    Her work has wonderful little punctuations of color that keep the eye moving across the surface. But it’s the unintentional drips and marks that really make each piece soar and create tiny little compositions waiting to be discovered.

    Tropicalia, acrylic on rice paper, 72×39

    Even in her quieter compositions, such as the watercolor & mixed media below, the accidents are more subtle.  The way the colors are delicately placed and soak into each other create soft, exquisite transitions.

    Longing Floats, watercolor, ink, acrylic and graphite on paper, 24×18
    Dog House, acrylic, watercolor, ink & pencil on handmade watercolor paper, 30×22

    To see more of Caroline Wright’s work, please visit her website.

    Featured image is Rain Poncho, acrylic, watercolor and pencil on handmade watercolor paper, 30×22.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Artsy on Escape Into Life: Laura Gurton

    I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the beauty of the natural world lately.  As the weather warms, the hubby and I are getting out and doing more hiking ( we may actually be hiking when you read this! ).  I love the natural, microcosmic beauty of Laura Gurton’s work being featured over on Escape Into Life today.

    From the Unknown Species series #56, oil & alkyd on panel, 24×36

    If you get out exploring, take a close look at the small worlds happening around you!

    Laura Gurton on Escape Into Life

  • Naked Abandon: Lee Price

    Naked Abandon: Lee Price

    Sometimes, I find an artist’s work so powerful, that I can’t write about it immediately.  When I found New York artist Lee Price’s work, I wanted to share it as soon as possible, but just couldn’t write about it yet.  So I featured her on my Artist Watch over on Escape Into Life, where I can simply post images, a bio and a link.

    Lee Price | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

    Having been naturally thin and active almost my entire life, up until recently, I’ve never really had weight issues.  There were times I actually wished to be a little more curvy, more womanly.  But as I approach the big 4-0 next week (!), I find myself struggling more than ever with my body image.  Having listened to every woman I know complain about her body at one time or another, I know that I am not alone.

    Lee Price | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

    Lee Price’s work speaks to food obsessions and compulsions so common, especially among women.  Her pastel, candy-colored palette belies the darkness at the heart of each painting.  Her women are isolated, surrounded not by friends, family or lovers, but by piles of food, rarely untouched.

    Lee Price | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

    Constantly bombarded with conflicting media, we, as women, are often left feeling inadequate and confused.  We retreat into ourselves, indulging when we are alone so that the only judgement we’ll feel is our own.  Will we ever stop condemning ourselves so harshly?

    Lee Price | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

     

    Lee Price | artsy forager #art #artists #paintings #contemporaryart

    For me, its still a struggle to make the right choices.  Gone are the days of being able to eat whatever I like and still be a size 5.  But also gone are the days of eating like a bird and obsessing over the way my body looks in a bikini.  I may be a bit more curvy, but I’m choosing to be happier than ever.  For me, it’s been a choice worth making.

    To more of Lee Price’s work, please visit her website.

    Featured image is Ice Cream, oil on linen, 62×31.  All images are via the artist’s website.
  • Sometimes the Waiting is the Hardest Part: Brett Amory

    Sometimes the Waiting is the Hardest Part: Brett Amory

    Does it ever seem like you are always waiting for something?  An answer to a question, a check in the mail, the pizza to be delivered.  At times, it can feel like life is just a series of waitings.  Oakland artist Brett Amory has created an entire series of work based on the monotony and futility of our waiting.

    Waiting #66, oil on wood panel, 48×48

    There are times when we get so caught up in anticipating what we are waiting for that we miss out on what is happening right in front of us.

    Waiting #54, oil on wood panel, 48×24

    It’s easy to get caught up in what might be around the next corner or where that next bus might take us.

    Waiter #10, oil on mylar, 14×17

    What might happen if we all lived a little more in the moment?  Instead of tapping our feet in impatience, let’s look around at where we are while we are waiting and those we are waiting with.  We may find that we love where we are.

    Waiting #71, oil on wood panel, 48×48
    Waiting #64, oil on wood panel, 71×48

    To see more of Brett Amory’s work, please visit his website.  What are you waiting for? 😉

    Featured image is Waiting #77, oil on wood panel, 96×48.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Happy Easter!

    Happy Easter!

    Hope you enjoy a day filled with sunshine and the love of family and friends!  And maybe some bunnies. 🙂

    Rococo Rabbits by Maribel Angel

    Visit Maribel Angel’s website for more somebunnies to love.

  • Friday Faves: Are You a Sweet Genius?

    Friday Faves: Are You a Sweet Genius?

    Tell me ya’ll have at least seen the commercials for Food Network’s Sweet Genius show.  If you haven’t, you are missing out on some unintentional hilarity!  Hubby and I can’t help but imitate host Ron Ben-Israel each time he utters the show’s tagline, “Are YOU a sweet genius?” in a heavily accented voice.  With shows like Sweet Genius, Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss, there seems to be a quest for confection these days.  How about a few sweet artistic treats to kick off your weekend?  Enjoy!

    Big Banana Split by Mary Ellen Johnson, oil on panel, 38×32
    Black Pool Rock by Joel Penkman, egg tempera on gesso board, 17.7×23.5
    Pink Confetti Cake by Peter Anton, mixed media, 40x51x40
    Coffee and Cake by Duane Keiser

    Mary Ellen Johnson | Joel Penkman | Peter AntonDuane Keiser 

    Hope you enjoy some sweet goodies of your own this weekend!

    Featured image is Boxed Donuts by Peter Anton, mixed media, 36x37x5.5.  All images are via the artists’ websites as linked above.

  • Artsy Fodder: If I Were a Margaret Glew Painting

    I stumbled across this necklace from Anthropologie on Pinterest today.  If I were a Margaret Glew painting, I would wear this all the time.

    Pieced Prism Necklace, Anthropologie

    necklace available here 

    Always On My Mind by Margaret Glew, oil on canvas, 96×72
  • Expressive Energy Harnessed: Margaret Glew

    Expressive Energy Harnessed: Margaret Glew

    I have such a huge amount of respect and awe for artists who work in the abstract, especially gestural, expressive works like those of Toronto artist, Margaret Glew.

    Animal Dreams, oil on canvas, 72×60

    There is such an amazing amount of controlled chaos in each of Glew’s abstracts, they are fairly bursting with harnessed energy.  The scribbly lines and forms give her work a childlike essence, yet if you’ve ever tried to accomplish excellence in abstract painting, you know ( as I learned in college! ) just how difficult it can be.

    Untitled, oil on canvas, 48×48

    After all, Picasso himself once said “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

    Pitter Patter, oil on canvas, 60×60

    What may seem to a novice eye like mere scribbles and marks are placed yes, perhaps intuitively but deliberately.  For Glew, each shape and line is a kind of shorthand.  She’s created her own visual language, telling her stories in texture, color and gestural expression.

    Untitled, oil on canvas, 48×54
    Untitled, oil on canvas, 48×48

    And it is a story I could read over and over again!  To see more of Margaret Glew’s work, please visit her website.  Many thanks to Artsy Forager favorite artist Christina Foard for the introduction to Margaret’s work!

    Featured image is Pitter Patter ( detail ).  All images are via the artist’s website.