It’s the holiday season and that means lots of table time. With family, with friends or even alone, rejuvenating from time with family and friends.. haha! Today’s round-up features a few artists who show us that the capturing of those seemingly mundane moments can lead to the creation of magical images.
An Apple a Day by Liana Bennett, oil, 6x6
Lio de Faldas by Ann Chamberlin, oil on canvas, 24x24
My Father at Katz's by Max Ferguson, oil on canvas, 20x16 ( via Gallery Henoch )
Chelsea Square by Burton Silverman, oil on linen, 56x40 ( via Gallery Henoch )
Camisoles and combat boots.. cayenne and chocolate.. some things just don’t seem like they would go together. Take, for example, the work of Mary Chomenko Hinckley. This is an artist who enjoys finding the harmony in the disparate.
Golden Winged Warbler in Ellipse Field, digital pigment print on silver rag, 28x21, 40x30 or 52x40
Like pairing the detailed natural images of ordinary birds against mod-style backgrounds whose colors may echo or complement those of the bird, but the contemporary patterns give these ol’ birds a new spin.
Belted Kingfisher, Unique Variant 3/5 Digital Pigment Print and Colored Pencil on German Paper, 28x21
In her work, the artist is exposing the relationship between objects that seem completely unrelated. By juxtaposing these seemingly incongruent objects, she finds harmony in the new relationship. Plus, I think they give these guys the cheeky little personalities they deserve. Birds are fun, what can I say?
Red Bellied Woodpecker in Ellipse Field, digital pigment print on silver rag, 28x21, 40x30 or 52x40
Gannet in Ellipse Field, digital pigment print on silver rag, 28x21, 40x30 or 52x40
To see more of Mary Chomenko Hinckley’s fine feathered friends and her other work, please visit her website.
Featured image is Pileated Woodpecker in Ellipse Field, digital pigment print on silver rag, 28×21, 40×30 or 52×40. All images are via the artist’s website.
The world today is so noisy. Between traffic and the techonologies we just can’t live without, we are constantly inundated with white noise. But there are still certain feelings of complete and utter peace that come upon us in the simplest of moments. It is these moments, in which we are free from the world, that artist Eric Zener captures in his paintings.
Cocoon, oil on canvas, 54x66
That feeling of floating ( literally ) and muffled splashes heard underwater.. like being suspended in time. Or doing the Deadman’s Float. One of my favorite ways to relax in the water, even while other folks are splashing around me. It feels like being in a bubble.
How to Disappear Completely, oil on canvas, 48x38
How about that suspended in time sensation during a high leap into the water? There is only you and the sky.. and the person holding your hand, if you’re lucky.
LOVE, oil on canvas, 14x11
Zener’s collection of work also captures the most precious of respites– slumber. Oh sleep! How sweet it is to rest and dream and awake renewed.
Somewhere Else, oil on canvas, 48x38
Carriage, oil on canvas, 66x54
Hmmm.. think it might be time for a little nap. Not sure why I’m so sleepy all of a sudden! 😉 While I catch some z’s, why don’t you take a look at Eric Zener’s website? Lots of beautiful work to be found.
Featured image is Not Here, oil on canvas, 56×46. All images are via the artist’s website.
This Fall, the leaves in Oregon have been full of riotous color, bursting forth in celebration of the last days of sunshine and warmth. But to find happy energy in the long, grey days of winter, one only need look as far as Dutch painter Guus Kemp’s work.
Just Beautiful, oil on canvas, 36x48
Thick bursts of glossy paint almost leap of the canvas, like fireworks in the sky. This is an artist using the properties of paint– its colors, texture and sheen to bring joy to the viewer. The works elicit emotion, excitement and energy.
Red Man, oil on canvas, 48x60
A Dutch-born artist, now a resident of Houston, Kemp began working with oils in 2008, opening up a whole new means of expression. According to the artist, “My paintings are a reflection of who I am . . . an extrovert who takes life by the horns!”
Female Tornado, oil on canvas, 48x60
Indeed, these large scale, intensely hued works are no shrinking violets. These are pieces that demand your attention. And once they get it, you can’t help but be happy and energized.
Riot of Parrots, oil on canvas, 48x60
To be enlivened by more of Guus’s work, please take a peek at his website. Thank you to Gallery Orange for introducing me to this artist, if you’re in New Orleans, be sure to check them out!
Featured image is Carpe Diem, oil on canvas, 48×48. All images are via the artist’s website.
To take a simple, singular subject and explore all its possibilities can be a challenge for any artist. But it is an exercise in observation, composition and creativity that results in heightened awareness and the elevation of a simple idea into sophisticated conceptualism. Santa Fe artist Erin Cone takes a simple female figure in a red dress and using a keen eye for design and composition, transforms it over and over into visually striking and emotionally compelling work.
Discourse 1, acrylic, 21x21
Her use of negative space and positioning of the figure so that the face is obstructed allows the viewer to wonder who this woman is, what is her story? She seems to be searching or waiting.. but for what or whom?
Etiquette, acrylic, 48x60
The artist’s use of hard edged squares in her compositions creates an almost jarring, interesting tension between the linear quality of the squares vs. the soft, supple shapes of the female form and dress.
Assemblage, acrylic, 60x60
Adieu, acrylic, 56x44
Erin’s work seems to be a study in quiet contemplation. The stillness of form, tranquility of space and design, the reposed manner, all lead the viewer into a sense of calm, but the use of the red dress leads us to believe that perhaps there is a storm brewing just below the surface..
Repartee 1, acrylic, 21x21
To see more of Erin Cone’s work, please visit her website. Be sure to check it out and see her other series, just as wonderful as the red dresses! I found Erin through the amazing Lanoue Fine Art in Boston.
Featured image is Debutante, acrylic, 72×48. All images are via the artist’s website.
There will be lots of gathering of friends and family around our dining tables this Thursday. Grandma’s china comes out of storage, the crystal sparkles and the silver shines. For some dining rooms, this is the most action they see all year! We eat in the kitchen, over the sink or on the couch in front of the tv. But this gathering place is not a room to neglect! It’s a place, to quote Simon dePury, “Be bold, be amazing!” ( Are you watching Work of Art?! )
The dining room, even if not a formal, separate space is the spot to make a big statement. So in this edition of Artsy Dwelling, I’ve gathered up some images of inspiring spots, a feast for the eyes!
Want to have fun dinner parties? Make sure the art in the room reflects your cheeky style!
Via Sketch42blog.com
Via Apartment Therapy
Via Belclairehouse.blogspot.com via Coastal Living
Or maybe you want to throw ultra-cool and hiply intellectual soirees? Add some graphic punch with your artwork.
Via 2.bp.blogspot.com
Via Apartment Therapy
Or maybe you like to keep things fresh and elegant? Let oversized artwork shine, so if guests need a break from conversation, give them oversized artwork to get lost in.
Via Traditional Home
Via Timothy Whelan
Want to be really bold? Paint the walls a deep, rich color and let simple, graphic artwork be the star of the show!
Via Elements of Style blog via Elle Decor
Via Rue Magazine
Via Lonny Magazine blog
Wouldn’t even a frozen pizza seem like a gourmet meal in an artsy environment? Pass the parmesean!
This year, autumn has been a completely new experience for me. Having never experienced a full autumn outside of my home in northeast Florida ( short trips north don’t really count ), one of the things I was most looking forward to this year was enjoying a cool and brightly colored Fall. And Southern Oregon did not disappoint!
For me, there is just something about this autumnal time of year that makes the natural world more evident and magical. Things slow down, trees and animals prepare for the long winter ahead. Blazing sun is replaced with fog and clouds, making the amber colored leaves that much more striking. California artist Susan Goldsmith captures the essence of the natural beauty of autumn in her mixed media work. I want to buy one so that I can gaze at it in the middle of summer, dreaming of the return of cool days and warm colors.
Brandy Creek Falls I, oil, oil pastel and resin on panel, 20.5x20.5 ( via Davis & Cline )
In her work, Susan uses digital photographic prints as the base layer of her paintings, applying them to the surface then enhancing them with paints and/or pastels, so that the resulting effect is not one of merely an embellished photograph, but rather the impressionistic reinterpretation of the original composition.
Redbud, oil, oil pastel and resin on panel, 40x20 ( diptych, 20x20 each, via Davis & Cline )
What the viewer is left with is a lovely sense of atmospheric abstraction, light and mood, that bursting forth of vibrant color against grey skies which is so characteristic of autumn.
Hachiya Persimmons II, mixed media and resin on panel, 17x17 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
No. 153, mixed media and resin on panel, 24x24 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
I first caught glimpse of Susan’s work at Davis & Cline in Ashland, OR, but have sense discovered her connection to another favorite gallery resource, Lanoue Fine Art in Boston. Of course, you can also see her work on her own website.
Featured image is Brandy Creek I, silver leaf with pigment print, oil, oil pastel and resin on panel, 61.5×21.5 ( overall size ).Images are via Susan Goldsmith’s representing galleries, as noted.
Vintage photos and ephemera, bright colors against faded backgrounds, pop culture iconography.. these are a few of my favorite things and they can all be found in the work of Melody Postma.
Absolute Beginners, mixed media on panel, 36×36 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
This Clearwater, FL native and graduate of SCAD shares my own fascination with old photographs, utilizing their documentary/slice-of-life style and pop culture graphics of years gone by to create work that calls to us from the past. We see our parents and grandparents in these faces, recalling memories of favorite games, candy, the way of life as we like to remember it.
Languishing in the Calm, mixed media on panel, 36×36 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
Looking at these images and icons leads me to wonder.. Will audiences in the future be impacted as emotionally when they look back on today’s culture? Will we see artists exploring the good ol’ days of the 00’s, the digital revolution, reality shows and social media? Will the cultural phenomena of today hold as much charm as other decades?
Might Cause Double Vision, mixed media on panel, 42×42 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
Or is it just that we always look back with nostalgia at times that held precious memories or periods that we’ve idealized? Maybe it’s the 21st century cynic in me, but I’m just not sure we’ll look back on the current era quite as fondly. Or maybe it’s that most of us didn’t live through the eras we’re most nostalgic about. And perhaps that what Melody Postma is getting at.
A Memory Hard to Ignore, mixed media on panel, 36×36 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
There’s Treasure Children Always, mixed media on panel, 36×36 ( via Lanoue Fine Art )
