Well, Artsies, Mr. F & I have said goodbye to Idaho and hello to California! And we all wished a fond farewell to February and wish a bright and cheery welcome to March and this month’s new Featured Artist, Erin McIntosh!
I first posted about Erin’s work almost exactly two years ago and have been closely following her artistic journey. Her works on paper continue to retain the floaty, gossamer quality that first drew me to them. But her work has evolved in the most lovely way into these newest pieces, with their organic patterns and forms leading us to dream of the prettiest science class illustrations ever. There is a bit more structure to these pieces, but the artist’s hand keeps them feeling fresh and spirited.
You’ll see more of Erin McIntosh‘s work on the blog this month, but if you can’t wait a second longer to explore ( and who can blame you?! ), head over to her website and have a good long look around. Plus, have a peak at the Artsy Forager Facebook page, where Erin’s work is gracing our cover and I’ve created an album of just a few of my McIntosh faves! If you happen to be in the great state of Georgia, Erin’s work will be hanging at the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Macon as part of the Emerging Artists show through June!
It’s been a stressful few weeks, ya’ll. Whenever we get toward the end of Mr. Forager’s contract and we start looking at new places to go, the stress just piles on. The whole process is definitely not for the faint of heart! But everything has fallen into place and while things are still crazy while we get packed up and plan our road trip to Eureka, we’ve gone from stressed out to excited. I discovered the work of photographer Zack Seckler in the midst of a particularly stressful day and the quiet humor calmed my soul. Perfect way to end the week!
I love the ironic juxtaposition and obliviousness of Seckler’s subjects. They reminded me that the joy and fun in life is still all around, even in the midst of trial. You just have to be able to see it! Happy weekend, Artsies!
In between working on my Feminine Wiles series, I found some time to create a couple of paintings for two girls. One for a girl anyone has yet to meet and the other for a girl I know and love so well. She is full of sunshine and fire and sass.
My niece Samantha is on the brink of leaving childhood behind and beginning her journey as a young woman. For her 13th birthday, I decided to create a painting for her that felt like that journey. The little painting I created was my contribution to Project #2 for the We Are the Contributors project, whose theme was beginnings. Read more about my thoughts on the piece here.
samantha | beginnings
The Beginnings piece was the first thing I’d painted in nearly nine months. After getting into my Feminine Wiles series, that style of painting feels much more natural for me, so when I look back on this one, it’s not my most recent favorite. But it was a first effort and a step in the right direction, which I hope is what Samantha will always remember about any beginning– it’s scary and strange, but you don’t know what will happen until you try.
idaho sunrise | palette
The second piece I completed recently was a little artsy gift for a few of our Idaho friends expecting their first baby soon. We could have bought something off the registry, but with our limited travel space, I’m embracing any excuse to paint on a larger canvas and then give it away! Our friends are outdoorsy like us, but not super modern, so I didn’t want to go too crazy-abstract for their soon to be daughter. The image on the right is from the bedding they selected for the baby’s room, so I wanted to create something that would compliment the color scheme without trying to recreate that motif.
The finished painting is 12×24 and I think it will add a nice pop of color to her room and something peaceful for mommy & pop to gaze at during late night feedings. Thanks for taking this little artsy detour with me! Will have a new Feminine Wiles painting to share soon!
I can’t freehand a straight line to save my life. But when I was studying Interior Design for a few years, I loved drafting. Sliding my mechanical pencil along the T-square, everything became so precise and orderly, there was a controlled creativity to it that I found intriguing. When I first saw the work of Augustine Kofie, I was instantly intrigued by a similar use of line, but it was the way those lines were placed and the little surprises that stole my imagination.
In his beginnings as a street artist, Kofie began exploring letter and line not just for their aesthetic value, but the way they were constructed and how they could be broken down and rebuilt into something new. Each piece is a manipulation of angle, line and form, leaving the eye to wander endlessly over each canvas, shapes shifting and changes as our perspective moves. And then there are the little pops of retro imagery that pop up when they are least expected– adding a bit of life and humor to these overtly geometric compositions.
Our time here in Moscow is very rapidly coming to a close. It feels like we just arrived, but before the sun rises on Sunday morning, Mr. Forager & I will be setting off for our next destination– Eureka, CA! But before we bid adieu, I wanted to give you a little taste of this small town that exceeded our expectations.
Perhaps when you think of artsy spots, the middle of Idaho doesn’t exactly spring to mind. It didn’t for me either! But Moscow is a lovely little college town with a high concentration of creative types. Which results in a community filled with charm, intellect and taste around every corner.
Just a few artsy spots we loved in Moscow–
1 |kenworthy theatre I love a small town with an original movie theater. And while the Kenworthy isn’t quite as grand as some, it boasts an active and creative calendar. From first run, big budget box office movies, to small, independent films & documentaries, to live theater, the Kenworthy has a little artsy something for everyone.
2 |maialina Fresh made pasta, extensive Italian wine list and the most to-die-for meatballs and sauce I’ve ever had. All in a rustic contemporary atmosphere. Fave.
3 | moscow co-op Now you might be thinking.. what’s so artsy about a grocery store? But the Moscow Food Co-op isn’t just any ol’ supermarket. It’s filled with fresh organic goodness to eat, drink and slather all over yourself. I’m a firm believer that a good, local organic market is a staple in a great artsy town.
4 | pritchard art gallery Moscow is home to the University of Idaho and Pritchard is the university gallery. A nicely laid out, generous space, the most recent show 38 Minus features handmade paper relief sculpture depictions of all of Idaho’s native aquatic species. Suprisingly lovely and engaging work, beautifully presented.
5 | one world cafeA great coffeehouse is a must-have in any artsy spot. Mr. F and I tend to prefer the ones with an eclectic feel, where the coffee is top-notch and the overheard conversations are always interesting. One World became our go-to coffee spot most Monday mornings. A fave among UofI students, we always felt a little guilty checking Facebook while everyone around us was having lofty intellectual discussions and writing term papers..
6 | the storm cellar I love, love, love a good consignment store. And Moscow’s Storm Cellar is one of the best and nicest I’ve come across. Artfully presented clothes and accessories and reasonable prices. If only we hadn’t been trying to decrease the amount of stuff we’re traveling with.. I could have done some serious damage.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg that Moscow has to offer. If you ever happen to find yourself in the area, I promise, it’s worth a stop, even if just for an afternoon.
Many artists are collectors of some sort. Whether collectors of the fleeting and untouchable such as memories or moments, or of more tangible things in which they see a beauty that others may not. Artist Susanna Sundman creates the most charming and lovely compositions out of her collections.
While she does lovely work in watercolors, it was these little assemblages that I seemed to keep coming back to and finding so enchanting. There is a careful deliberation about them, yet them seem entirely playful and fun. Each one is a wonderful little mix of texture, color, and story.
To see more of these assemblages by Susanna Sundman, follow her on Instagram. You can also find more of her work on her Flickr.
When I gaze at the work of February’s Featured ArtistJenny Brown, which I’ve been doing a lot this month, it makes me long for the sea. These creatures of the deep and the shallows that she creates out of vintage ephemera reminds me just how landlocked we are here in Idaho. But this Sunday, we set off for our next destination, Eureka, California!
Between the anticipation of the sea air and Jenny’s work, I’m craving something salty and briny and these Soy Citrus Scallops with Soba Noodles are sure to satisfy my longing.
Those little tentacle-y shapes show up in lots of Jenny’s work and remind me so much of noodles– which I never need an excuse to consume! This recipe takes advantage of fresh scallops and snow peas to create a perfect mix of flavors and textures. The ideal pairing. All that would make it better is a glass of wine and the smell of the salt air. Soon, Artsy. Soon!
To see more of Jenny’s work, head over to her website and devour every last delicious morsel! The piece above and others can be purchased from Enormous Tiny Art and seen in person at the ETA show at Nahcotta in Portsmouth, NH.
As artists and as people, we are so influenced by our surroundings. Northwest friends will tell you that SAD is real and can hit hard during a Northwest winter! As Mr. Forager & I travel, we find it so interesting the way each different place effects us. In her work, Woodstock artist Jenny Nelson expresses her own reaction to her surroundings.
Instead of abstractions where the landscape might still be detected, Nelson’s paintings feel more like a reaction to the energy and activity in a certain place, at a certain moment. Each one is filled with layer upon layer of paint and brushstroke, as if the push to record the scene came at the artist fast and furious. I do wonder, if we were to try to record the “feel” of each situation in which we find ourselves, rather than the actuality of the moment, how different might our memories be?
Oh the sun drenched days of summer! It’s February and while I love winter and don’t mind the misty rain and clouds of the Northwest, I do love those lazy summer days. These watercolors by Oakland artist JD Olerud, transport me back to those days when the sun wasn’t such a stranger.
There is something about watercolor as a medium that captures the magic of dappled sunlight so perfectly. Olerud using his white spaces to create that wonderful sense of the warmth and light of a summer day. I almost feel like squinting or wearing sunglasses when looking at these! Oh to lie down in the grass and feel the radiant light once more! Of course, Mr. F and I will be spending the next three months on the soggy Northern California coast, so I expect it will be some time unit l get to experience that bliss. 😉
It’s so easy to take the gift of each day for granted. We move through the paces of everyday living, often forgetting to revel in its beauty. In her polaroid series, artist Marie Chantale Turgeon captures those moments of the everyday that can take our breath away, if only we take the time to notice.
There are so many things in life to distract us from our current view and often, we fall into the trap of thinking that the everyday isn’t so special. Yet, that is what each of our lives is made up of. Those ordinary moments, standing at the kitchen sink or sitting down for a meal, those are where we define who we are. If we can’t see the beauty in the ordinary, how will we ever recognize the exceptional?
To see more of Marie Chantale Turgeon‘s work, please visit her website. Have a happy weekend, Artsies! Enjoy some everyday moments.
