Skip to content

About
- Find the Forager
My Work
Contact

Blog

Hello Great.ly! Announcing The Trove, a Great.ly Boutique Gallery by Artsy Forager

Sometimes an opportunity comes along and you just stop everything else you’re doing to pursue it. Which is exactly what I did when the new Great.ly site launched last week. Haven’t heard of it? Well, let me tell you all about it! Great.ly is an online commerce platform “connecting the dots between makers & tastemakers”. For artists, artisans and other makers, it’s the opportunity to stock an online “studio” with work from which “tastemakers” ( bloggers like me & other influential folks ) fill their Great.ly boutiques and market the work to their audiences.

One of the great joys of writing Artsy Forager is the ability it has given me to help influence the careers of artists whose work I love in whatever way I can. And for me, I see Great.ly as another way to do just that! The Artsy Forager boutique gallery, The Trove, is already stocked with work by artists and artisans whose creations exemplify the excellence I seek to showcase here on the blog and speaks to me ( and to you, I hope! ) on a personal artistic level. I would love to have any one, or all of these pieces for myself! Right now, The Trove is broken up into three main categories, Own the Artsy— where you can find incredible artwork by some of my favorite artists like Emily Jeffords, Kiana Mosley, & Jaime Derringer.

There’s also the Wear the Artsy section, because why just hang the art on your wall when you could hang it around your neck or on your shoulder? And of course, I want to Live the Artsy. Wouldn’t it be amazing if every thing in our homes, down to the most utilitarian objects was crafted not just for purpose but for beauty? The dream can be a reality. I’m seriously lusting over so many of these pieces. If only Mr. F & I had a home to call our own right now! This interview with Great.ly founder Sarah Bryden Brown explains it all so much better than I ever could! I hope this post doesn’t seem too sales-pitchy, as I never want this site to turn into one giant sales pitch. But I LOVE promoting artists and with the creative minds behind this site, including The Jealous Curator herself, I see this as an incredible platform for connection and promotion of artists and their work. And I want to truly embrace it as such. I truly think this is a fantastic opportunity for artists, artisans, and bloggers to join forces and do GREAT things ( pun intended! ).

If you’re an artist or artisan interested in becoming a Great.ly Maker, you can apply here. And if you set up a Great.ly studio, please let me know so I can perhaps add your work to The Trove! And if you just love artsy things, well bookmark The Trove and get to shopping! 😉

All images via The Artsy Forager Great.ly page.

*This post contains affiliate links. As a Great.ly Tastemaker and curator of The Trove, I receive a small commission on each piece sold from The Trove boutique gallery.

June 4, 2014
Ceremonial Garb: Amy Boone McCreesh

When it comes to ceremonies and celebrating, it seems like here in the US, our traditions are pretty mundane. Where are all the costumes and displays? For many other cultures, milestones are met with ritual and fanfare. Baltimore artist Amy Boone McCreesh explores that relationship between exhibition and ephemera in her sculptural work.

Crafted from cut paper, ribbons, sequins, found objects, you name it– these sculptures are teeming with texture, color, and movement. Reminding us of maypoles, leis, and exploded pinatas, they are contemporary interpretations of ancient traditions.

To see more of the work of Amy Boone McCreesh, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

June 4, 2014
The Artsy Nature: Yellowstone & Amy Donaldson

Judging from the blog’s title & if you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ve probably guessed that Mr. F and I are the outdoorsy types. We both thrive on time spent among the quiet beauty of the outdoors, whether surrounded by snow-capped mountains or digging our toes into the black sand of Northwest beaches. I’m finding artistic inspiration in nature for my own series of work, so why not find it in the work of other artists, too? Often when I see an artist’s work, my mind connects it to the memory of a place I’ve been or a detail observed or sometimes, an outdoor scene will call the artist’s work to mind. It’s the whole chicken vs. egg thing, but this time, with art and nature.

So with this post, I’m launching a new series, The Artsy Nature, in which I pair a photograph from our traverses in the great outdoors with a piece of artwork.

photo | spring at The Black Sand Basin, Yellowstone National Park by Artsy Forager

art | Purpose by Amy Donalson

One of my absolute favorite features in the wondrous beauty that is Yellowstone were the geysers and hot springs. Algae and micro bacteria create gorgeously saturated coloration in the most heavenly palette.

Nature is the most spectacular of canvases, isn’t it? Look for more The Artsy Nature posts coming your way!

Photo by Artsy Forager, art image credit linked above.

June 3, 2014
Carefree Ways: Isca Greenfield Sanders

As much as I love the other three seasons, there is something different about summer. As in winter, everything slows down but at this time of year, you have the added bonus of warm sun and long days! In her paintings and etchings, New York artist Isca Greenfield-Sanders captures the fleeting freedom of summer days and the carefree ways that come with them.

Even when you’re far from school age or having kids of school age, summer still somehow provides the mental break we all need. It’s like a free pass to just enjoy life! That slowing down gives our minds more time to absorb what’s happening around us and pay closer attention to the people in our world. Aren’t the best conversations to be had while floating on an inner tube? In summer, we see the world through squinted eyes, so that everything is brighter and more perfect, a hazy, lazy feeling that Greenfield-Sanders captures through her work in the loveliest way.

To see more of Isca Greenfield-Sanders‘ work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website. Artist found via Miss Moss.

June 3, 2014
June Featured Artist: Deb Haugen

There are certain artists whose work just instantly resonates with me. Perhaps it’s their style or subject matter, but in the case of this month’s Featured Artist, Deb Haugen, it’s both. When I first saw her work waaay back in 2011, I immediately responded to the free flowing naturalness to her work.

Since then, Deb’s work has evolved beautifully, in some cases incorporating graphic drawing as in her ink pieces featured above. These intuitive drawings have a delicious tension between the concrete illustrative quality of intricate patterns and the bright, watery world surrounding them.

I’m not the only one who is drawn to these organic beauties– Neiman Marcus and Crate & Barrel have both carried Deb’s prints ( currently available through Neiman Marcus, new large print to come for C&B! ). But you can also purchase Deb’s work directly through her own website shop! Gorgeous work at super affordable prices, you can’t go wrong!

To see more of Deb Haugen‘s work, please visit her website and be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to keep up with what she’s up to! You’ll be seeing more of Deb’s work around the blog & Artsy Forager social media all June long!

All images via the artist’s website.

June 2, 2014
Easy Like Sunday Morning: Anna Topuriya

I am so ready for a bit of R&R this weekend, aren’t you? This traveling lifestyle that Mr. F and I enjoy has its perks but the desire to see as much of each area as possible while we are here mean that weekends are rarely spent doing much relaxing. These paintings on paper by Anna Topuriya have a lovely sense of ease and leisure to them.

The pale palette creates a peaceful atmosphere and the pops of cerulean blue are tiny little seas of calm. The tropical motifs definitely help foster that sense of a visual vacation, as well as the artist’s compositional style similar to Japanese painting, celebrating the beauty in simplicity.

To see more of Anna Topuriya‘s work, please visit her website. Now excuse me, I think I need to find myself a hammock and a pina colada.

All images via the artist’s website.

May 30, 2014
Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten

It’s been a while since I shared a new Feminine Wiles piece with you! I’ve been so distracted by the gorgeous weather, hikes with Mr. F, and my new series on paper, that I let the FW pieces slip a bit. But then Sunday came and along with it a warm and sunny afternoon, so I spent some time painting out on our little deck. When I was ruminating on starting this series, iconic feminine film icons were popping into my noggin’ and Rita Hayworth‘s Gilda was among the first to come to mind.

found here

In the 1946 black & white film noir, Rita Hayworth plays title character Gilda, the passionate and beautiful songstress wife of an illegal casino owner. The film plays out a dark love triangle between Gilda, casino owner husband Mundson, and Gilda’s former love, and indebted confidante to Mundson, Johnny Farrell.

The 40s film is teeming with tension– crime, secrets, anger, revenge. It’s not wonder costume designer Jean Louis outfitted the femme fatale character is slinky black, reminiscent of Sargent’s Madame X.

Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell in Gilda, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

My darkest FW piece yet, it also has a slightly looser feel– something that I thought fit the characterization of Gilda so well– full of turmoil and contradiction.

To see more from the Feminine Wiles series, check out the series portfolio page. Up next? I’m thinking a little Monroe. 😉

Film image source linked above, painting by Lesley Frenz.

May 29, 2014
Cable Guy: Andy Mattern

If there was ever a series of photographs I could relate to, Cable Management is it. In this series, Albuquerque artist Andy Mattern documents “the process of reconstructing domestic space”, specifically the often frustrating task of figuring out which cable goes where.

As Mr. F and I move so frequently and live in furnished rentals when we do, we’re often faced with the challenge of learning a whole new layout ( which often involves crashing into walls in the middle of the night for the first week or so ), as well as new appliances and remotes. For the artist, the process of relocating and managing the electronic connections and accoutrements has become a sort of “Zen activity”. For this series, instead of documenting the actual living spaces, the artist composed mock walls and arrangements. The outlets and cables snake up and along the walls, almost taking on an anamorphic quality, the power of connection coursing through their wires.

To see more of Andy Mattern‘s work, please visit his website.

All images via the artist’s website. Artist found via Uprise Art.

May 29, 2014
Artsy Dwelling: Small is the New Big

10 Rooms Where Small Art Makes a Big Impact

By now, we’ve all seen the gagillions of pins of perfectly arranged art walls, so we know full well that when grouped with other work, small art pieces can sing. But when grouped with all those other works, lilliputian work can sometimes be as overlooked as a backup singer. Hang them on a wall all by their lonesome, though? You’re giving them the mic and letting them shine!

Here are a few of my favorite rooms showcasing small art works–

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

Need more convincing that small art can have major effect? Head over to Mantle Art & check out the beautiful, super affordable Artsy Forager Collection of limited edition prints. They’re small but they’re fabulous!

All image sources linked above.

May 28, 2014
Gestural Forces: Zachary Keeting

For many an abstract painter, there is a tense push and pull between artist and material. What makes their heart race is the predictable inquietude of the way the paint will respond and react. The work of artist Zachary Keeting is filled, layer upon layer, with painted gestures carefully considered yet surrendered to the forces of material.

Keeting’s planes of paint are built up like high rises jammed into a cityscape, one on top of the other, but retaining such distinction that the resulting paintings have almost a collage-like feel. Paint is pushed, poured, pulled, manipulated this way and that so that a beautiful chaos ensues.

To see more of Zachary Keeting‘s work, please visit his website and make sure to check out his documentary art project, Gorky’s Granddaughter.

All images are via the artist’s website.

May 28, 2014

←Previous Page

1 … 35 36 37 38 39 … 149

artsy forager

artistic pathfinding by lesley frenz

Blog
About
FAQs
Authors

Events
Shop
Patterns
Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress

Loading Comments...

Write a Comment...

Email (Required)

Name (Required)

Website