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Insert the Artsy: Black and White Art, 3 Rooms 3 Styles

Choosing artwork for your home can be an intimidating process. Sometimes we fall in love with a piece of work but wonder how in the world we would ever incorporate it with our current style?! You know that old adage, buy what you love and somehow it will work? I’m here to prove it’s true. Let’s say you fall for this bold black and white art pair by this month’s Featured Artist, Alexandra Bellissimo.

the antagonist | the guardian

They’re strong. They’re daring. They’re a little weird but totally fabulous. Now where can you put them? The best thing about graphic black and white art like these is that they can add a sense of the unexpected to anywhere they hang.

1 | fierce romance This fantastical pair are like creatures from a dark fairy tale. Hung off to the side above the antique sofa in a romantic bohemian living room, The Antagonist and The Guardian would add just the right amount of sass to counteract the sweet.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

2 | sleek soak In the bath is often the very last place we consider for artwork, but these guys are just screaming to add a little of the unexpected to your personal spa. They’re graphic so maybe placement in a contemporary bath seems like a no-brainer, but their organic sci-fi feel compliments the space in a fresh way.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

3 | rustic edge Maybe you love rustic decor but don’t want to completely live the cowboy life? The his and her pairing is perfect for a bedroom and this black and white art would provide a fantastic juxtaposition against a wood feature wall. Want to edge it up even more? Add an extra wide white mat and simple contemporary frames in a bold color like yellow or bright green. Boom. You’ve turned up the sophistication to 11.

art by alexandra bellissimo | interior image found here

Have a room you need some artsy help with? Or art you love but not sure how to style in your room? I can help with that! Check out my Forager Services page for details. Love this pair by Alexandra Bellissimo? Check out her site AND stay tuned for some news here and on the Mantle Art site for affordable, limited editions prints coming soon!

All image sources linked above.

April 30, 2014
Stratified Spaces: Pam Saturday

When you think about it, our entire world, every organism, every object is composed of a system of layers. Artwork included, especially the work of process driven artist Pam Saturday. Employing layer upon layer of paint and other media, the artist creates a universe in which we see only a fraction of reality.

Bold stripes and other forms may dominate, but for the close observer, there are small glimpses and surprises waiting to be discovered. Colors peek and peer from beneath their blankets of paint and we have no idea how much there is to be unearthed.

To see more of Pam Saturday‘s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

April 30, 2014
Artsy on Film: Beauty is Embarrassing

Mr. Forager’s tastes are a bit unpredictable. I never know which artist’s work he’s going to connect with and I’m often surprised by the ones he choses as favorites. But when we were looking for something to watch after an afternoon of imbibing at a local home-brew festival, I knew we couldn’t go wrong with Wayne White. Neil Berkeley’s Beauty is Embarrassing takes a look at the highs and lows in the career of this Southern boy turned media and art world darling.

There are a lot of ways in which Mr. F & I identify with White and his journey. Growing up in rural Tennessee, White knew the struggle of loving home yet finding it suffocating. Knowing that to stay might mean to give up on who you truly are, to forfeit a dream. Leaving Tennessee was a turning point for White, just as leaving Florida was for both Mr. F and myself. Sometimes, it is only upon leaving the familiar to realize our dreams and our authentic selves.

We’ve both at times found ourselves not quite buying into the expectations that were set before us. That in order to belong, we had to conform to the commonality around us. Traveling has opened our eyes to different ways of thinking, different ways of living and being. We’ve learned that there is no right or wrong way, there is only the way that is right for you.

For White, art-making does not mean being a serious artiste. His self-proclaimed goal is to “bring humor into fine art. Not art world funny but real world funny.” Mr. F has a wicked sense of humor and we are both huge believers in the insight and ease humor brings to complicated subjects and feelings. Just because White’s work makes us laugh, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something important to say.

As an artist, White also allows himself and his work to evolve, yet retain his own genuine artistic voice. Whether he is illustrating a cartoon, designing sets or gigantic Lyndon Johnson heads, what comes out is authentically White– irreverent, playful, but filled with dark truths. It seems that for White, the finding happens along the way, different paths of creativity lead over, around and into one another. His artistic journey mimics the connectedness of the way our own pathways evolve and intersect. But he does it while playing the banjo. Match point to Mr. White.

If you’re looking for a few hours of inspiration and truth veiled in lots of Southern humor and explicit language ( the “F” word is White’s fave, he & Mr. F have that in common.. ), check out Beauty is Embarrassing. Wayne White wants you to persevere in whatever your creative path and after you watch, you’ll believe you can.

See more of Wayne White‘s artwork on his website and check out interviews, film stills, etc. on the Beauty is Embarrassing site. And guess who I’m now following on Instagram..

Top photo found here. All others via the film’s website.

April 29, 2014
Proper Arrangements: Anna Church

In these days of drive-thru’s and fast everything, there exists a ready convenience to life that is intoxicating. Most would say we don’t miss the days of corsets and class rule ( though there’s definitely an argument that both still exist, just in different forms ). But for all the rigidity and rules, there was perhaps a meticulousness to life then that we’ve lost touch with. Toronto artist Anna Church in her carefully assembled creations honors these symbols of our past.

Church comes flea markets and other sources to find just the right pieces to craft her symbolic assemblages. Whether her Insignia or At Your Service series, arrangements of objects and ephemera are pieced together with exacting precision and aesthetic romanticism. The resulting imagery, available as limited edition prints, are at once recognizable and enigmatic. For all of these objects were once treasures of other people, a part of the history of many, emblematic of one.

To see more of Anna Church‘s work, please visit her website and be sure to follow her on all the usual social media suspects! To catch a glimpse into her process, enjoy the video below, shot by videographer Vuk Dragojevic.

April 29, 2014
Trading Traditions: Joey Veltkamp

I’ve written before about my admiration for artists using modern quilt making as their medium. I love the way these artists are taking an old folk tradition and making it fresh. But there is something altogether different about what Seattle artist Joey Veltkamp is doing with his contemporary art quilts.

The quilts, part of an exhibition titled It’s Not a Protest. It’s a Celebration! showing at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery in Seattle through June 7th, are part play, part politic and all truth tinged with humor. Veltkamp is known for his comforting subject matter– imagery of beer and blankets ( two of Mr. F’s favorite things! ) and now taking it a step further by creating his own art quilts and flags.

There is nothing so comforting as being wrapped in a quilt handmade with love– it’s almost like being shrouded in love. Many of Veltkamp’s quilts carry messages of tolerance and acceptance, a gentle way of saying to the world that we are all the same, all long for the same thing– to be bundled up in love.

To see more of Joey Veltkamp‘s work, please visit his website. If you’re in Seattle, be sure to check out his show at ArtsWest!

All images via the artist’s website.

April 28, 2014
Time, Worn: Kathe Fraga

I may have mentioned before how enchanting I’m finding our new temporary home. Eureka’s Victorian architecture is very well preserved, many of the buildings have been lovingly restored or revamped. There is such beauty, grace and elegance to be found in every detail. The work of Bainbridge Island artist Kathe Fraga recalls the fanciful beauty of those departed days.

Modern frescoed canvases bring to mind Chinoisserie wallpaper, layers of reminders of sweet lives and loves of the past. Dark, smudged edges reinforce that feeling of antiquity, yet Fraga’s painterly style and composition give the work a modern edge. Like wearing your grandmother’s pearls with a biker jacket. Sweet but not saccharine.

To see more of Kathe Fraga‘s work, make sure you check out her website. You can see her work in person at a number of representing galleries, including one of my favorites, Gallery Orange in New Orleans. Oh and she is now offering gorgeous pillows featuring her imagery!

All images via the artist’s website.

April 25, 2014
Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Eight

You know what made for a perfect Sunday afternoon for a young Artsy Forager? A few lazy, rainy hours and Pillow Talk on my parents’ bedroom TV. If I was ever tempted to trade my brunette locks for blonde, Doris Day could make me do it. As an awkward preteen growing up in the 80s, I was always drawn to Day’s down to earth flirtiness. So when I began the Feminine Wiles series, I knew without a doubt that Doris Day would make my list of inspirations.

found here

The first of three movie pairings of the quintessential romantic comedy duo of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Pillow Talk not only launched their iconic partnership, it also drew box office and critical acclaim. In the movie, Day plays Jan Morrow, an independent Manhattan interior decorator who finds herself sharing a party line with Hudson’s composer playboy Brad Allen.

Like many films of the era, Pillow Talk is painted in the pastel frosted palette of the late 1950s. Perhaps owing to Day’s trademark blonde locks, noted designer Jean Louis and the film’s costume designer Bill Thomas often dress Day’s Morrow in buttery yellows and creamy ivories.

found here here here and here

Even in the set design, she is often surrounded by lemony hues. Maybe a nod to the innocence of this unattainable “golden girl” or the hidden warmth buried beneath the icy ( at least to Hudson’s Allen ) exterior.

Doris Day as Jan Morrow in Pillow Talk, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

Day’s natural sunniness and the joie de vivre of this classic romantic comedy made a creamy yellow color study a natural choice for this piece. Although Pillow Talk doesn’t necessarily hold up well in terms of gender equity, its brightness outshines its dated conventions.

Want to see more in my Feminine Wiles series? Check the archives! I’m beginning to brainstorm how to display and where to show these pieces. Think I have some fun ideas! If you’re a boutique or gallery owner or know someone who might be interested in partnering, give me a shout!

Film image sources linked above, painting by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.

April 24, 2014
Earthly Balance: Hannah Chalew

This planet we live on is an incredible example of a delicate balancing. I’m always amazed to read stories about the ripple effect one tiny plant or micro organism may have on an entire eco-culture. Often it is man whose hand begins the tidal wave. In her work, New Orleans artist Hannah Chalew explores the tenuous relationship between nature and the built environment.

Much like the work of Jess Riva Cooper, Chalew examines the idea of the built environment being overtaken and pushed back to the earth. So often it is man and his development that does the encroaching, providing an interesting juxtaposition when plant life is given the opportunity to reclaim what was.

To see more of Hannah Chalew‘s work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

April 24, 2014
Design Foraging: Elke Sada Ceramics

Mr. F & I were chatting the other day about the long list of things we’d both like to try our hands at– high on my list? Pottery and/or ceramics. It’s always been one of my favorite mediums and I would love to see what I could do with it. This week I came across the work of German artist Elke Sada and was so inspired by her form and process!

Sada’s process is a bit of a work in reverse, as she paints on plasterboard, then pouring clay onto the painted play. The pliable clay is then cut and shaped into form. You can read more about her process here. The resulting forms have a wonderful whimsy about them with their shifting compositions and tilted shapes. I mean, when you’re creating pieces like this, how could it not be fun?

More of Elke Sada‘s ceramics can be seen on her website.

All images via the artist’s website.

April 23, 2014
Messy Humanities: Alex Kanevsky

There are artists whose work inspires one of two reactions in me– either I want to strive to be even a fraction as good as they are or I want to throw my brushes down and never pick them up again. Russian-born Philadelphia based artist Alex Kanevsky, with his painterly style and beautiful light is just such an artist.

Kanevsky’s work has this amazing sense of chaos and freedom, as if these were dashed off quickly as the artist moved on to the next canvas. Yet each piece is a carefully composed, heavily layered composition, his process often taking weeks or even months of immersion into and retreating from each painting. Are there stories being told? Perhaps. But more than mere narrative speculation is the feeling each piece projects– sadness, desolation, satisfaction.

If you’d like to see more of Alex Kanevsky‘s incredible work, please visit his website. Be sure to check out his fascinating Progress page in which he shares sequences of paintings in various stages of progress!

All images via the artist’s website.

April 23, 2014

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artistic pathfinding by lesley frenz

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