artsy forager

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  • Seeing Much, Much More

    Seeing Much, Much More

    SHAWN MEHARG: SEEING LITTLE MORE is the latest exhibition of work at the Williams-Cornelius Gallery located inside Daryl Bunn Studios in Riverside.  If, like me, all you’ve ever seen are Shawn’s more representational works, you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was to discover this new series of abstracts.

    I am a huge sucker for lots of texture, so this show had me at hello.   These abstracts are LOUSY with texture ( and I mean that in the best possible sense! ), color and depth.   Layer upon layer of paint, charcoal, etc., give way to artwork in which the viewer can get lost.  There are a few pieces that are lighter in tone, but for the most part the color is heavily saturated, but somehow still remaining translucent, giving the feeling of looking through wet stained glass.

    Lots of edgy endings in color and straight lines add to the stained-glass effect.  There also seems to be a reflectory vibe happening, especially in the darker pieces– they could be reflections of city lights in pools of water on asphalt streets.

    The visual depth is especially evident in the pieces in which the canvas seems to be opening up into a world beyond– as in “City Mouth” below.

    I don’t want to give too much away.  If you’re in Jacksonville, go see this show for yourself and find out what “more” you can see.

    Williams-Cornelius Gallery is located inside Daryl Bunn Studios, 643 Edison Ave in Jacksonville.

    The gallery is open Monday- Friday, 9am-5pm.

  • Art by.. Google?

    Google has become a dominant source for the information we seek.  “Google it” is our answer for everything.  It provides us with a way to gain knowledge and now has introduced a means for visiting some of the world’s most renowned museums and viewing their collections.

    Art Project, powered by Google ( http://www.googleartproject.com/ ) is a Google-run website in which Google has collaborated with some of the world’s best known museums and collections in order to bring us all up close and personal with these masterworks.

    Using Google’s Street View technology, you can actually explore the halls & rooms of the museums themselves, which allows the viewer a helpful sense of scale & context when viewing the artwork.   You can “walk” the corridors of Versailles without ever leaving your living room!

    To see the collections up close & personally, Art Project also provides high resolution imagery of select pieces from the collections.   You can zoom in with such incredible detail, even cracks in the paint will be visible!! ( Excuse me while the Art History geek in me goes a little crazy ).  In addition to the visual fun to be had, also included for each piece of artwork is comprehensive information regarding the artist, subject matter, time period, provenance, etc.  You can even create your own collection of favorite works– become your own curator!

    So while I gather my notes from the two galleries I visited today and prepare to share those goodies, I’ll leave you with this fun little piece of the internet.   Enjoy!

  • First ( Art ) Love

    First ( Art ) Love

    We all remember our first love, the intensity, the drama, it stays with us forever.   How a certain song or place will always remind you of those precious feelings.  But what about your first ART love?   That one painting or sculpture or photograph that drew you in and made you long for more?

    My hubby George & I took advantage of the Free Family Day at the Cummer Museum of Art in Jacksonville on Saturday and walking through its beautiful rooms & gardens reminded me  that the Cummer is where my real appreciation for art first blossomed.

     

    Image of the Cummer Gardens via Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

    The stately, elegant rooms and gardens seemed alive with history and mystery.  To me, there is something so lovely and enchanting about old stone, brick and iron in a garden.   The Cummer Garden paths lead me down a lane of memories that aren’t my own.. memories of others who have walked these gardens before, of Ninah Cummer lovingly attending her flowers, of characters in novels who walked similar garden paths, of lovers declaring themselves forever.

    Inside the Cummer, the beauty of the architecture draws me in but it is the artwork that keeps me coming back again and again.   As a young girl, my first memory of visiting the Cummer is the enchantment I discovered there, focused upon one particular piece of artwork, “Before Her Appearance” by Frederick Carl Frieseke.

    Image via Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

    I’m sure it is no surprise that this Impressionistic painting would be the early favorite of a young girl who loved the romance of dancing and all things girly.   I wanted to BE her, to be the talented beauty preparing to take center stage.  When I look back at this piece as an adult, I still love the feminine glory of it all.  The pink toe-shoes, ruffled dressing gown, floral vanity skirt and draperies.. In an age where showing this kind of feminitity seems sometimes verboten,  it is lovely to think back to a time when it was truly celebrated.  ( Not that I would want to go back to other aspects of being a woman in that age! )

    Each time I revisit the Cummer, I am drawn back in time to my younger days, of sitting and gazing upon this lovely piece, waiting for her to stand up from her stool and begin pirouetting around the room.   As with any first love, there are others who have come behind, touched me in different ways, but that first passion will stay with me always.

    Do you remember your first ( ART ) love?  Please share in the comments, I adore a good ( ART ) love story!

  • What’s an Artsy Forager?

    Welcome to Artsy Forager!   Now that you’re here, I’m sure you are wondering what exactly is this place?   Well..

    Artsy Forager is a daily blog created by me, Lesley Frenz, as a means of showcasing the amazing artists & artwork that I find exceptional.  On Artsy Forager, you’ll see–

    • Featured posts on artwork & artists, including my “Pick of the Crop” artists– a group of artists whose work I especially love & find extraordinary
    • Artist Diggs–studio tours, a look inside the places where the magic happens
    • Exhibition Reviews– my thoughts on art openings & shows I attend
    • Gallery Reviews– how each gallery is unique and what they have to offer
    • Art First, Then Sofa– advice for incorporating fine art into your home’s interior
    • DoGooders– artists making a difference
    • Discussions of current art trends
    • Interesting art happenings from all over the world
    • and much, much more!!

    Please come back on Monday, March 21st for the first “real” post!   Until then.. look around your city and engage  in something artsy!

  • Coming soon to a cultured computer near you..

    Soft launch of the blog happening soon.. stay tuned!