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  • Hello? This is Art calling.

    Hello? This is Art calling.

    Do you remember the days when we didn’t carry our phones around with us, but had to actually seek out that communication tool known as a phone booth?  That small, 37″x37″ box where you could look up a number, dial and have a conversation all for just a 25 cents?  OK, a dime if you’re really old experienced.

    Seattle photographer Todd Jannausch saw in an old phone booth, not a relic of the past, but the blank walls of a would-be gallery.

    Gallery ( 206 ), Occidental Park, Seattle, WA 

    Gallery ( 206 ) in Seattle’s Occidental Park, contains artwork by over 206 Seattle area artists, 18 artists are represented on the “walls” of the booth by original works on plexiglass.  This littlest gallery is part public art installation, part exposure vehicle for artists not represented in area galleries.  ( 206  is the area code for the Greater Seattle area ).  It provides not just an artwork display but an entire experience for anyone willing to step inside for a more private conversation.

    Inside Gallery ( 206 )

    Inside, lighting is provided by a solar-powered installation overhead and yes, there is still a telephone inside. If you pick up the receiver, you won’t be able to make a call, but you will be rewarded by the music of Dave Abramson.

    When is the last time you actually used a phonebook?

    Taking a peek inside the Gallery ( 206 ) “phonebook” and you’ll find more 206-area artists, showing examples of their work and contact information.  Not since the days of Superman has entering & exiting a phone booth been so much fun.

    Addendum to the original post!  Thank you to artist Troy Gua for sending me a photo of his ceiling installation in Gallery ( 206 ).  The overcast weather that day ( in Seattle, imagine that! ) didn’t allow me to get a decent shot myself.  So here it be!  Truly cool.  Check out Troy’s website and Facebook page for more of his work.

    Troy Gua installation

    To find out more information, visit the Gallery ( 206 ) website.  If you’re in the Seattle area, stop by Occidental Park and see it for yourself!

  • Friday Faves: Eat. Drink. Be Artsy.

    Friday Faves: Eat. Drink. Be Artsy.

    The hubby and I love food.  Eating food.  Buying food.  Cooking food.  Talking about eating, buying and cooking food.  We plan trips around where we will eat.  For us, food is more than just a way to provide energy to our bodies. ( Although, we take that pretty seriously ).  Food doesn’t just nourish our bodies, it is a feast for the eyes and the soul.  The best times are those spent lingering over wine after a delicious meal with friends.

    For centuries, artists have seen the beauty and sensuality in food.  Gastronomical still lifes have long been the fare first of students, then of masters like Cezanne.  For this Friday’s round-up, I’m featuring some selections from an artsy menu.  Here are some of my favorite artistic comestibles!

    Falling Seeds #8 by Gustavo Castillo
    Opaque Cookies by Kim Frohsin
    Tower by Justin Richel
    Hot Sauce Spill by Carlos Lopez
    Hot Sauce Spill by Carlos Lopez
    Strawberry PB&J by Duane Keiser

    After you wipe the drool off your keyboard, be sure to check out the websites of all these grocery-lovin’ artists.  Hmm.. I think maybe it’s time for lunch.

    1.  Gustavo Castillo

    2. Kim Frohsin

    3. Justin Richel

    4. Carlos Lopez

    5. Duane Keiser

    Any other foodie Artsies out there?  Have a favorite eatery or foodie artist?  Do tell!

  • The Illuminated Landscape: Marla Baggetta

    The Illuminated Landscape: Marla Baggetta

    I am extremely blessed to be living in one of the most dramatically beautiful areas of the country.  Around every mountain pass is another scene, ripe for immortalizing in paint.  As I’ve sketched here in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve realized how difficult it would be to truly capture the sheer, magnificent beauty that is all around us.  To portray not just what the eye sees, but what the heart and spirit see.

    Fables and Fantasies by Marla Baggetta, oil on canvas, 48×48

    It is this, seeing the landscape through heart-colored glasses, that draws me again and again to Marla Baggetta’s work.  She may be an Oregon artist, but I was a fan of Marla’s work long before making my home in the Northwest.  When I worked as a Project Manager/Art Consultant in Florida, posters of Marla’s work were always project favorites due to their prismatic serenity.

    Prelude to Spring by Marla Baggetta, oil on canvas, 36×36

    Her work takes the viewer on a journey, drawing them into a world that is at once familiar and extraordinary.  The landscape of daydreams, illuminated with brilliant light and color.  It is what the world looks like through eyes full of hope and love.

    The Sounds of Color by Marla Baggetta, oil on canvas, 48×48

    Marla’s work gives color and light to our emotions, bathing a foggy landscape in a warm, yellow glow.  Reminding us of the joy of a blue sky after a long winter.

    Serenity Found in Blue by Marla Baggetta, oil on canvas, 36×36

    I hope to always see the world around me as this artist does.  Full of beauty, loveliness and wonder.  Even in the midst of a rainy Northwest winter.

    To see more of Marla Baggetta’s work, please go to her website.  If you’re lucky enough to be in the Northwest, you can see her work up close & personal at Riversea Gallery in Astoria, OR.

  • Emancipation of Me, by Mimi ( Williams )

    Emancipation of Me, by Mimi ( Williams )

    A bad night’s sleep does not sit well with me.  Ask George.  And last night, I did not sleep well.  Tossing and turning, waking up every hour to toss and turn some more.  A restless night = crabby blogger this morning.  But do you know what will turn my frown upside down?  Wonderfully fun and happy artwork.  While crabbing around this morning, after bearing too many Facebook statuses, links, etc re: um, odorous exports from bodily orifices, accidentally smearing blackberry jam on every article of clothing I’m wearing and falling up the stairs, one image kept coming to mind.  This one, by Olympia, WA artist Mimi Williams…

    What A Dandy Day by Mimi Williams

    Was it my mind being cyncial & sarcastic?  Maybe.  Or was my subconcious trying to remind me that no matter how the day is going, that my life is, indeed, dandy?  Or maybe it was the universe reminding me of Mimi Williams’ work and nudging me forward to feature her on the blog.  I’m thinking it was a combo of those last two.

    Kitchen Confidential by Mimi Williams

    Whatever the case, it gives me great pleasure to present Mimi’s wonderful linoleum prints to you.  Seriously, these make me smile, so it is doing much for my mood just to peruse her website.  Unlike a painting, which can evolve over time, a linoleum print must know what it will be from the beginning.  The artist must decide the composition, the positive and negative spaces and such beforehand, because once you start carving into the linoleum, there’s no going back.

    Flying Free by Mimi Williams

    So it is no wonder that I am marvelling at how free and fluid these pieces seem to be.  They flow with narrative detail, unlike most linoleum block prints I’ve seen, that are more, well, block-y.

    Cup of Joe to Go by Mimi Williams

    There is something about the nature of her visual storytelling that seems both nostalgic and modern.  Kind of in the way that Mid-Century design fits in so smoothly with contemporary design.  Perhaps it is the way the design and colors remind me of groovy 1950s barkcloth.

    Anything is Possible With the Right Partner by Mimi Williams

    The compositions suggest the capturing of a moment in time, almost photo journalistic in style.  Almost like they could be screen-shots from an old movie or those wonderful old photographs found in your grandmother’s closet.  Back before laptops and internet and smart phones, a slower, simpler time.  A time when riding in the back of a truck was okay.  Feeling the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, an open road before you.

    Wishing I’d Brought a Hat by Mimi Williams

    If you’d like to see more of Mimi Williams’ work ( and I heartily suggest you do! ), check out her website.  Now that I’m smiling, maybe I’ll indulge in some more happiness inducing activities.

  • Art For Guys

    Art For Guys

    Today I was stuck on what or who to feature on the blog.  Nothing was jumping out at me.  Desperate,  I asked my husband.  His first ( joke ) repsonse was “Thomas Kinkade”.  Hardee har har.  His next suggestion was “Guy Art”.  I was like art featuring guys?  Art by guys?  No, art guys like.  Oh!  I asked if the blog was becoming too girly.. he said no, but I have my doubts.  There’s been a plethora of pink around here lately.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But my taste in art isn’t always so feminine.  I like a bit of edge and irony, too.  So in honor of my hubby, whose own appreciation for art is growing every day, here are some examples of art that any guy would be happy to hang in his swingin’ bachelor pad.

    Martyr by Alwin Jackson

    Alwin Jackson is a painter.  He doesn’t put up a front of pretentious, artsy bullsh**.  Maybe that comes from having been in the corporate advertising world for twenty years.  His images are clean and bold and I think most guys would appreciate their no-nonsense attitude.  This girl certainly does.

    Untitled ( History Painting ) 2011 by Tony Rodrigues

    Tony Rodrigues’ work takes an introspective look back at icons from childhood and pop culture.  What grown man doesn’t have memories of playing “cowboys and indians” when he was young?  His sentimental take on figures and themes take us back to the “good ol’ days”, but leave us wondering, how good were they, really?

    Beats in Paint by Robert Leedy

    It is a truth universally acknowledged that most guys wish they were musicians.    ( My hubby will attest to this fact, though I think he’s a better guitar player than he gives himself credit for ).  How many rockstars started out by picking up an instrument as a way to meet girls?  I bet Robert Leedy’s Beats in Paint make you want to wail on a drumset like you’re Keith Moon.

    Building Faces- Crown Fountain Juxaposition, Chicago, IL by Doug Eng

    Boys love to build stuff.  It’s why Erector Sets and Legos have been around for so long.  Many men have contributed to the architecture of great cities like New York and Chicago.  Doug Eng captures a glimpse of humanity among the concrete and steel, reminding us that these buildings are built for, built by and filled with, people.

    Freedom by Steve Williams

    Teddy Roosevelt was a man’s man president.  A boxer, a soldier, a hunter and outdoorsman, embodying his ideology to “Speak softly and carry a big stick”.  Artist Steve Williams pays his due to this former president in his Currency series.

    Stoic by Brian McGuffey

    For those guys who want to show off their bagged game, but not actually, you know, kill a beautiful wild creature just for the bragging rights, Brian McGuffey’s Stoic is just the thing.  I don’t know, this deer looks seriously ticked off for having been decapitated. I wouldn’t cross him if I were you.  Just nod gently and let him be.

    Remember that thing about guys wanting to be rockstars?  Is there a rockstar cooler than the gravelly-voiced Tom Waits?  Seriously.  John Duckworth renders his steely glaze perfectly.  And yes, there’s some pink in there.  Duckworth and Waits aren’t afraid to rock the pink.

    Tom Waits by John Duckworth ( #2 of triptych )
  • Friday Faves: City Slickers

    Friday Faves: City Slickers

    We are headed to Seattle this weekend, one of my favorite cities in the world, the city where George and I fell in love.  And while I was falling in love with G ( I was probably a little in love with him when we were friends in FL, but that’s a story for another time ), I was also falling in love with Seattle.  I adore visiting cool cities– the urban landscape and architecture fascinates me.  So it carries over that I would adore the art of the cityscape.

    For this Friday Fave round-up, I’d like to share some of urbanist artists whose work I’m crushing on lately:

    Hill Houses 2 by Brin Levinson
    Passing 1 by Jason Webb
    Solitary I by John Duckworth
    Loew’s Hotel, 33rd Floor, Philadelphia by Sara Yeoman
    Miyami by Darra Crosby
    Great Tortoise Hostel, Seattle by Robin Weiss
    Boulevard Windows by Sharon Dowell

    Looking forward to bringing you more from these artists soon!  In the meantime,  take a gander at their websites..

    1.  Brin Levinson

    2.  Jason Webb

    3.  John Duckworth

    4. Sarah Yeoman

    5. Darra Crosby

    6. Robin Weiss

    7. Sharon Dowell 

    Are you taking it to the city streets this weekend?  What’s your favorite city for artsy inspiration?

  • Melodious Abandon: Michelle Armas

    Melodious Abandon: Michelle Armas

    Pablo Picasso once asked ( rhetorically, of course ), “Why do two colors, one put next to the other, sing?” Good ol’ Pablo had no answer, nor do I.  But they do.  Color calls out to us, reaches out to something in our spirit and psyche, evoking emotion.  Not every artist gets color, how different hues complement and interact with each other.  Michelle Armas gets it.  She gets it and puts it on canvas for all the world to see and enjoy.

    Sophia by Michelle Armas
    Sophia

    Michelle began professional life, not as an artist, but in graphic design and corporate branding in New York.  Talk about baptism by fire!  To help cope with the stress of working in NYC, Michelle began painting.  After about a year, she decided to trade the corporate world for the art world and began painting full-time.

    Rosalia by Michelle Armas
    Rosalia

    Her canvases explode with color, joyous, juicy and fluid.  It’s as if she’s captured the hues of the warmth of a sunny day, of being a kid again, running and jumping with full abandon.

    Arelis by Michelle Armas
    Arelis

    Lovely, sketchy scribbles and seemingly-spontaneous pops of color remind us what it was like before we were “taught” to draw and color– that magical time when we, as young children, were only concerned with the feel of the crayon on paper, fascinated by the variety in our Crayola 64.  We weren’t trying to create anything.. we were just completely submerged in the process of creating.

    Spooky by Michelle Armas
    Spooky

    Filled with the colors of poppies and popsicles, sundaes and springtime, her work does sing.  Sappy, happy love songs, you know, the ones that we all know the words to.  Because we recognize this artist’s vocabulary– these are stories of pure color, that speak to the very basic of creative instincts that began deep within all of us.  They sing us a sparkling lullaby as we bask in their sunshine, dreaming of coloring in the clouds.

    To see more of Michelle Armas’ work, check out her website and be sure to stop by her blog.  Her writing style is as cheeky and colorful as her paintings.

  • Pink Powerhouse: Lily Stockman

    Pink Powerhouse: Lily Stockman

    As a color, pink has often been looked down on as “too girly”.  Tomboys scoff at wearing anything close to that shade.  “Serious” businesswomen wear suits of black, navy or grey, not pink.  Real men don’t wear pink.  As a painter, Lily Stockman embraces the power of pink.  Pink is the color symbolizing the fight against breast cancer.  Pink is power, baby.

    Pink Mughal

    Pink also figures prominently in Jaipur aka The Pink City ( the capital of Rajasthan, India ), where Stockman found herself living and painting for the past year.  Rather than painting iconic Indian architecture, she instead focused her brush on industrial and agricultural structures such as silos and grain elevators.

    Bubble Steel

    Stockman grew up on her family’s farm in rural New Jersey, so perhaps it is no surprise that she chose to focus on the agriculture of India.  But the subject matter isn’t the only thing that makes these paintings so interesting.  The simplification of the forms, coupled with the unexpected use of such a happy color work in contradiction to our notions of what modern India is like– busy, bustling, dirty, impoverished.

    Full Humidity

    Inspired by the bougainvillea blooming all over Rajahastan, vibrant pinks and fuschias of saris and turbans and the walls of The Pink City itself, Stockman takes these mundane, ordinary structures and empowers them with blasts of color.

    Punjabi Remix

    Her bubble-like lines, swirly forms and fresh, unaffected forms remind me of the early work of Georgia O’Keeffe, another artist who tapped into the power of pink and made it her own.  Quite a legacy of feminine power she left us, but it looks like Lily Stockman is well on her way to leaving one of her own.

    Check out Lily’s website for more of her “Agro Pop” series from India, as well as other work.  She also writes a wonderful, witty blog full of artistic, culinary and literary goodness at BigBANG Studio.

  • Under(the)cover(s) Artist: Clare Elsaesser

    Under(the)cover(s) Artist: Clare Elsaesser

    There are certain artists whose work is so striking that once you’ve seen it, it will be immediately recognizable when you happen upon it again.  Clare Elsaesser is just such an artist.  I first saw her work a few years ago while reading the blog of interior designer Erika Powell, principal at Urban Grace Interiors.  Not only does Erika have great taste in furnishings and shoes ( her boot collection is amazing! ), she also has a great eye for artwork, which she incorporates beautifully into her designs.

    Bedroom project in progress, Urban Grace Interiors

    I then happened upon Clare’s work on the Papernstitch handmade exhibition site, started following her blog and the rest, as they say, is history.  I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to feature her on Artsy Forager, but as I’m usually fashionably late anyhow, here we go!

    Wrapped

    Clare works in acrylics, painting on either wood panels or heavy watercolor paper for her “sewn” work.  Many of the pieces in her Etsy shop are originals or prints with a single-line, hand-stitched “frame” around the perimeter.  The stitching adds an intriguing textural element to the work and ties in with the fabrics so often featured.

    Undress

     These little paintings are at once charming and innocently provocative.  The simplicity of line and form, coupled with the capturing of a private moment are reminiscent of the drypoints and aquatints of Mary Cassatt.

    Stripes

    The white sheets and pillows glow against the dark neutral backgrounds, like the moon glowing in the night sky.  Or the translucent light in the blue sky of day.

    Comforted

    Whether night or day, Clare’s work makes me long to lounge in a tangle of sheets and pillows, reading a good book or daydreaming myself into a glorious nap.  Grab a pillow and spend some time peeking around Clare Elsaesser’s Etsy shop, Tastes Orangey or stop by her blog to say hi and see her latest art, fashion and music recommendations.

  • Art Inspired Design: Modern Reflections

    Art Inspired Design: Modern Reflections

    I love art.  I love design.  Why not put the two together on the blog?  There was a time in my life when I thought my career path lay ( Thank you, Suzanne Decuir for the grammatical help ) in Interior Design.  I took courses, devoured design and shelter magazines.   As often happens in life,  circumstances got in the way and the path detoured.  But that’s a story for another time.  Let’s focus on the fun stuff today!

    One of my absolute favorite things while designing ( OK, it was THE absolute favorite thing ), was creating moodboards.  To begin with an inspiration and build a room or facility around it was thrilling to my color, texture and pattern lovin’ soul.  And for me, it always began with the artwork.  While doing project management/art consulting, I worked with a lot of designers and many ( but by no means all! ) viewed the artwork for a design as an after-thought.  Like adding sprinkles to a cake.  Still a cake without the sprinkles, but oh, if we add them, won’t that be pretty!  But if we don’t have sprinkles, it’s OK.  It’s still a nice cake.  Instead, I think of the artwork as the frosting– not just smoothed across the top, but spread between the layers and all over.  It is what holds the cake together and gives it the extra texture and sweetness that keeps us going back for more.

    ( Wow, anyone else craving cake now? )

    So you’ve purchased this beautiful painting by Christina Foard.  You love it, it speaks to your heart and reflects your style and everything you love about life.  But maybe you live at the beach and are unsure how to design a room around it.  Aren’t all beach houses supposed to be full of palm trees & seashells?

    Seaside Reflections by Christina Foard, oil on canvas, 60×48

    This piece to speak more to the feeling of being on the beach just after a storm, while the skies are still a bit gray but the sun is beginning to peek through, warming up the sand to both the eye and the touch.  So let’s take our cue from that and begin with soft, grayish tones, layering on the warmth of the sun in our accent chair, rug and window coverings.  An important component in Christina’s work is texture, so we’ll make sure there are plenty of interesting surfaces to draw our eyes in, just as Christina’s painterly build up does in her work.

    Modern Reflections, a beachside home for a contemporary art lover

    Have you ever designed a room around a piece of artwork?  Or bought a piece of artwork not knowing where exactly to hang it in your home but you couldn’t live without it?  Have a beloved piece of art sitting in a closet somewhere because you don’t think it “goes” or can’t figure out how to incorporate it with your current furnishings?  Um, yeah, me too. 🙂

    Sources:  Painting:  Seaside Reflections by Christina Foard; Paint color ( board background color ): Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball; Sofa: Charlotte Collection by Mitchell Gold Bob Williams; Chair & Ottoman:  Rhys Chair & Ottoman by Anthropologie; Rug:  Festival by Anthropologie; Coffee table:  Monarch Coffee Table by Anthropologie; Lamp:  Malaya Large Coral & Zinc Lamp by Arteriors Home; Round side table: Riveria Side Table by Ralph Lauren Home; Mirror:  Venus Mirror by Anthropologie; Square side table: Duotone Side Door Table by The Painted Cow Furniture Co. on Etsy; Window covering:  Coqo Floral Curtain by Anthropologie;  Bowls:  Tatara Zukuri Bowls by Ashes & Milk