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  • Into The Woods: Christian Burchard

    Into The Woods: Christian Burchard

    To go along with yesterday’s post featuring Haley Farthing, today’s post presents partner in Out of the Woods show currently up at Davis & Cline in Ashland, sculptor Christian Burchard.  The work of these two artists compliment each other so well and this show was so beautifully and thoughtfully arranged, to showcase the artists both together and individually, that I thought they both were deserving of their own time in the spotlight on Artsy Forager.

    The Gate Keeper, bleached madrone burl, 16x11x4

    Burchard works almost exclusively with the wood of Pacific madrone trees.  George and I had never seen these trees until hiking here in the Northwest this spring.  Their orangey-red bark peels away in paper thin curls to reveal satiny smooth ivory colored wood underneath.  We’d never seen anything like it.   Burchard uses the burls that grow within the roots of the trees for his sculptures ( by the way, he utilizes the rejects from wood that has already been harvested for the veneer market ).

    Stepping Stones, bleached madrone burl, 24x20x4

    Like Haley Farthing, Burchard also uses a simple, neutral color palette in order to draw the viewers attention to the patterns and textures in the surface.  He is letting the beauty of the madrone wood shine through, every knot, ring and crack is visible and the shapes carved to bring those characteristics to full advantage.

    Dervish, bleached madrone burl, 19x19x8
    Circle #1, bleached madrone burl, 8x8x3

    This sculptor has so much more to see than the few pieces I’ve showcased here– be sure to check out his website.  You’ll be amazed at the loveliness to be found there.

    Featured image is Rocks & Trees #2, madrone burl, flat & hollow forms, 15x17x7.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Inherent Abstractions of the Natural World: Haley Farthing

    Inherent Abstractions of the Natural World: Haley Farthing

    The moment I walked through the doors of Davis & Cline in Ashland, I fell hard for the work of Haley Farthing.  Immediately, they drew me in, I had to take a closer look.  What exactly was I seeing?  Her palette is so subtle, the shapes so fluid, these are works that are best examined at close range.

    Pulse, pastel and ink on wood, 48×24

    For Haley, “abstraction and ambiguity of a subject is much more powerful when it is a part of it’s inherent nature”.  She takes organic subjects, such as driftwood, plants, etc and magnifies the view, creating a perspective that highlights their intrinsic abstraction.

    Constant, pastel on wood, 24×12

    Her limited, neutral palette allows the texture and pattern of these natural materials to be showcased and celebrated.  Mere leaves appear to be angel’s wings or folds of rich satin flowing from the bodies of ancient Greeks.  She constructs her work in such a way that these organic forms take on classical compositions.  While allowing the grain of the wood surface to show through reminds us that these are earthly manifestations, their beauty inherent in their creation.

    Untitled, pastel and ink on wood, 9×12
    Growth, pastel and ink on wood, 48×24

    Please take the time to check out more of Haley Farthing’s work on her website.  Her Out of the Woods show can be seen at Davis & Cline until November 26th.  It is a beautiful, inspiring show– I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in Southern Oregon.

    Featured image is Nestle, pastel and ink on wood, 60×24.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • The Magical Maggie Taylor

    The Magical Maggie Taylor

    The art world is a strange, small place.  How else do you explain that I saw an artist’s work on the website of a Boston gallery, which I stumbled upon through searching for another artist, only to discover that the artist I found has connections to my former neck of the woods in Florida?  Call it fate, call it kismet, call it Al, if you like, but it means that I must feature the work of Gainesville artist Maggie Taylor on Artsy Forager.

    Ever After, pigmented digital print, 15×15

    Her technique of scanning and layering images in Photoshop ( read more on her technique here ), give these haunting works the visual texture and depth of paintings.

    Hornet's Nest, pigmented digital print, 15×15

    The works are dreamlike, in that way where nothing in dreams seems completely logical, yet feels very real.  The rich, luminous colors add to the intense emotionality and daguerreotype quality.  It’s like looking through a stereoscope into another world.

    Garden, pigmented digital print, 8×8
    No Right Answer, pigmented digital print, 15×15

    Maggie Taylor’s work is available for viewing on her website and Facebook page.  She has upcoming shows at the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis and the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.  Her work can also be seen at Lanoue Fine Art in Boston, as well as other galleries throughout the US and a few in Europe and Asia.

    Featured image is The Rehearsal, pigmented digital print, 15×15.  All images are via the Lanoue Fine Art website.

  • Artsy Spot: Florida Mining

    Artsy Spot: Florida Mining

    Ninety-nine percent of the time I completely love my life in the Pacific Northwest.  But occasionally, there is that nagging little 1% that longs to be back in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, just so that I can be in the thick of the exciting artistic resurgence happening there.  Though the arts in Jax were hit hard by the recession, artists and art supporters are determined to make Jacksonville a cultural destination.  Among them, artist Steve Williams is bringing home forward-thinking, atypical art with his new gallery, Florida Mining.

    CPHACE by Laird, inaugural exhibition at Florida Mining

    Williams is no stranger to playing gallerist.  He’s been at the heart of several successful galleries in Jacksonville over the years.  As an artist, he thrives on being involved with other artists and their creative processes.  And, being the generous soul that he is, wants to help them succeed and in the process, is bringing his unique vision for the arts to his hometown.

    Florida Mining

    Florida Mining’s mission?  To present emerging to mid career artists who are thought provoking and fresh with a mix of medium and perspective.  And they were off to a slammin’ start with their first show featuring a new series of work by Northeast Florida photographer Laird, a series infared photographs which begin with organic surroundings and are composited and mirrored so that the resulting image becomes almost hauntingly alien, yet familiar.

    CPHACE series by Laird

    Florida Mining’s sleek, contemporary space, designed by the brilliant team at Designmind, Larry Wilson and Rebecca Davisson ( both artists in their own right ) is the perfect showcase for making avant-garde work accessible to North Florida.

    Florida Mining

    Up next for Florida Mining is a new show, Tonya Lee: All Smiles, a new series from the Jacksonville-native, current Philadelphian featuring paintings and wallpaper ( yes, you read that right! ), embracing Lee’s fascination with alternative materials.

    Tonya Lee: All Smiles

    Tonya Lee: All Smiles opens at Florida Mining this coming Friday, 11/11/11.  If you are anywhere nearby, you will not want to miss it!  Big things are in store for this new venture.  Go and experience it for yourself.

    If you’re not in Florida, be sure to check out Florida Mining on their website, Facebook and Twitter.  Always interesting and cheeky fun to be had.

  • Friday Faves: Home Sweet Home

    Friday Faves: Home Sweet Home

    Being a bit of a vagabond makes me appreciate more than ever the idea of a home to call one’s own.  Not owning a house of my own at the moment, I am drawn to artists’ work of dwellings.  Take a peek at these homey pieces!

    Pitch Perfect by Richard Sedivy, oil, acrylic and mixed media on wood, 28.5×23.5
    White Horizon by Sandra Pratt, 24×18
    Broken House, digital pigment print, 36×30 cm
    Anchored by Amy Casey, painting on paper
    Yellow Hut #3 by Siddath Parasnis, oil on panel, 18×12

    To see more of these artists’ work, please visit their websites below.  Happy weekend, Artsies!

    1.  Richard Sedivy

    2.  Sandra Pratt

    3.  Ofra Lapid 

    4.  Amy Casey  

    5.  Siddharth Parasnis 

    Featured image is Bardo Call ( It was Perfect ) by Richard Sedivy.  All images are via artist’s website or representing galleries.

  • As The Fabric Folds: Carin Ingalsbe

    As The Fabric Folds: Carin Ingalsbe

    Art and textiles have enjoyed a long and happy partnership.  Every art student has known the joy of capturing supple folds of fabric in charcoal.  As we explored during artsyF A S H I O NWeek, many artists have been captivated by the beauty of intricately crafted garments.  In her work, Massachusetts photographer Carin Ingalsbe  celebrates the remarkable colors, textures and patterns of clothing and costume.

    New York City Ballet, Ballet Imperial Yellow

    Carin’s latest series focuses concentration on fashion normally admired from afar– ballet costumes.

    Boston Ballet, Boston Bluebird

    Inherently, these opulent pieces are designed to be beautiful while in movement.  But in her closely cropped still lifes, Carin captures their quiet beauty and we are treated to a look at the intricacies of each individual garment.

    New York City Ballet, Sugarplum Fairy
    New York City Ballet, Ballet Imperial

    If you are anything like me, you’re now dreaming of floating across the stage in one of these numbers.  To see more of Carin Ingalsbe’s stunning photographs, please visit her website.  Make sure you read the history of each garment– fascinating stuff!

    You can also check out Carin’s work in person at Lanoue Fine Art in Boston.

    Featured image is The Royal Swedish Ballet, Metallic Skirt c. 1790-1830.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Ravage and Repair: Nava Lubelski

    Ravage and Repair: Nava Lubelski

    There is something so poetic about the restoration of an object that has been destroyed.  A beauty in the scars, a rejuvenation in the renewal.  It is this juxtaposition that Asheville, NC artist Nava Lubelski seeks to explore in her work.  Seeking to “explore the contradictions between the impulse to destroy and the compulsion to mend,”  she first destroys in order to resurrect.

    Sweet Chewy, thread on stained canvas, 12×12

    Her initial damages to the surface, through ripping, cutting, spilling of paint/stain are then painstakingly “repaired” by hand-stitching embroidery over and around the holes.

    The Sum of Parts, thread on stained canvas, 12×12

    Just as when people’s souls, minds, bodies are wounded, the healing process is slow and not always complete, so are the stitched “repairs” in Nava’s work.  The initial destruction has been stopped, but the material can never fully be restored.  What she leaves us with instead, is a new surface, still showing signs of mutilation yet renewed.

    003, thread on stained canvas, 24×24
    Like Those Monsters, thread on stained canvas, 12×12

    To see more of Nava Lubelski’s work, please visit her website.  She is currently showing in NYC, Asheville, Shelbourne, VT and Sydney, Australia.

    Featured image is A Story About Frogs, thread on stained muslin, 26×20.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Artsy Spot: Davis & Cline

    Artsy Spot: Davis & Cline

    As the hubby and I travel, we love to explore and see what the surrounding area has to offer.  While living in Grants Pass, Oregon, we’ve come to love the nearby artsy town of Ashland.  While other galleries in Ashland cater more to local work, Davis & Cline Gallery, in the Railroad District, carries a variety of exceptional work by both emerging and established artists recognized both regionally and nationally.

    Davis & Cline, exterior

    As we walked in the front doors of the gallery, I immediately fell in love with the current show, Out of the Woods, featuring work by Christian Burchard and Haley Farthing.  Burchard’s madrone wood sculptures are stunning in their simplicity and texture, full of organic elegance.  A perfect complement to the rich, milky warmth of Burchard’s sculptures are Farthing’s subtle pastel and ink wood panel paintings.  Look for more on these two artists soon!

    Out of the Woods, Christian Burchard & Haley Farthing

    Throughout the gallery, the space is well lit and the placement of the work a well-designed mixture of two-dimensional work and sculpture.

    Davis & Cline, interior

    Davis & Cline has a world class collection of glass work and it is showcased beautifully, both in naturally lit and a specifically designed “dark room”.  It is a space worthy of exhibiting the prismatic beauty of world renown artists like Dale Chihuly ( check out some of Chihuly’s 2-d work hanging above! )

    Davis & Cline, glass gallery

    The gallerist was friendly yet, unobtrusive– exactly the feeling I like to get in a gallery.  Once we started talking, he was eager to tell me more about the artists and the gallery but never with a “salesman”-like attitude.  This is a gallery where both a serious collector and student would feel welcome and appreciated.

    Check out the Davis & Cline website to see more of the artists they represent.  If you’re ever in Ashland, be sure to make a personal visit!

    All images are via the Davis & Cline website.

  • Friday Faves: Spooktacular

    Friday Faves: Spooktacular

    You will never catch me watching a gory horror movie, so I’m not usually drawn to truly gruesome imagery.  But I do love a good spooky mystery, so just in time for Halloween, today’s round-up features some of my favorite frightful art!

    Edison's Parable by Jamie Baldridge
    Chair With Hand by Kim Kamens, thread, nails and wood, 48×72
    Dolly Madison Zebra Stripe Death by Dirk Westphal, limited edition print, 11×14, 16×20 or 24×30
    Phones by Melanie Pullen

    To see more of these artists awesomely creepy work, please visit their websites listed below.  Happy Halloween!

    1.  Jamie Baldridge

    2.  Kim Kamens

    3.  Dirk Westphal ( the print shown is available via ArtWeLove, but make sure to check out Dirk’s website, too! )

    4.  Melanie Pullen 

    Featured image is “Flock” by Kim Kamens, thread, nails & wood, 72×48.  All images are courtesy of the artist’s websites, unless otherwise noted.

  • From Earth to Wheel: Diana Kersey

    From Earth to Wheel: Diana Kersey

    Pottery is one of my favorite sculptural mediums.  Now, I’ve never personally done anything beyond elementary school-level pottery, but I have a deep appreciation for beautiful earthen forms.  Sculptor Diana Kersey’s vessels are a wonderful modern homage to folk-art pottery from around the world.

    Untitled by Diana Kersey

    Her basic forms are classical in shape, but her use of organic surface forms, such as the fish on the piece above, add a modern, whimsical quality to her work.

    Untitled by Diana Kersey

    And her use of repetition recalls ancient Greek pottery, but the texture and high-relief reminds us that this work is completely contemporary.  Her rich, warm glazes create really stunning silhouettes.

    Untitled by Diana Kersey
    Pierced Fish Pot by Diana Kersey

    Please check out Diana’s website for more images of her work.  If you’re in San Antonio, you can see her work on the Millrace & Mullberry Bridges!

    Featured image is Bird Jar ( detail ).  All images are courtesy of the artist’s website.