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  • Artsy Eats: Jenny Brown

    Artsy Eats: Jenny Brown

    When I gaze at the work of February’s Featured Artist Jenny 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.

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    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.

    Art image via Jenny Brown’s website.  Recipe & food image via My Recipes.

  • Jenny Nelson

    Jenny Nelson

    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.

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    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?

    To see more of the work of Jenny Nelson, please visit her website.

    Artist found via Hidell Brooks Gallery.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Sun Drenched Days: JD Olerud

    Sun Drenched Days: JD Olerud

    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.

    JD Olerud | artsy forager #art #painting #watercolor JD Olerud | artsy forager #art #painting #watercolor JD Olerud | artsy forager #art #painting #watercolor JD Olerud | artsy forager #art #painting #watercolor JD Olerud | artsy forager #art #painting #watercolor

    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. 😉

    To see more of JD Olerud‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Little Paper Planes.

  • The Everyday is Beautiful: Marie Chantale Turgeon

    The Everyday is Beautiful: Marie Chantale Turgeon

    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.

    Marie-Chantale Turgeon | artsy forager #art #photography Marie-Chantale Turgeon | artsy forager #art #photography Marie-Chantale Turgeon | artsy forager #art #photography Marie-Chantale Turgeon | artsy forager #art #photography Marie-Chantale Turgeon | artsy forager #art #photography

    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.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Two

    Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Two

    Here goes, ya’ll, I’m ready to share the second painting in my new series, Feminine Wiles ( see the first one here ).  This new series of paintings are abstract color studies based on the fashion of iconic female film roles.  While Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie & Clyde may not have been the most glamorous of wardrobes, it definitely conveys a sense of the time and of the character.

    FW_Dunaway as Bonnie

    found here

    Dunaway’s earthy neutral wardrobe palette fit well with her role as a woman taking on a life usually the domain of men.  Yet Bonnie’s fashions still maintain a sense of femininity and aren’t entirely cold– a bit of warmth showing through the callous exterior.

    FW_Faye Dunaway as Bonnie

     Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker, acrylic on panel, 6×6 

    What do you think, Artsies?  This series is making me so uber aware of the way color is used in film wardrobe design.  And it is an excellent excuse to stream some classic films!

    Source for Dunaway image linked above.  Artwork by Lesley Frenz.

  • What You See: Anne Sherwood Pundyk

    What You See: Anne Sherwood Pundyk

    One of the things I love best about abstract painting is its ambiguity.  Without the direction of an artist statement of some sort, the viewer can have no idea the artist’s source of catalyst, inspiration or proclamation.  These paintings by artist Anne Sherwood Pundyk originate from a string of images and moments in the artist’s mind.

    Anne Sherwood Pundyk | artsy forager #art #abstract #paintings Anne Sherwood Pundyk #art #abstract #paintings Anne Sherwood Pundyk #art #abstract #paintings Anne Sherwood Pundyk #art #abstract #paintings Anne Sherwood Pundyk #art #abstract #paintings

    There is an incredible amount of depth and energy to each piece, almost as if the artist can’t get that string of images out of her mind and onto the canvas fast enough.  But then each has a moment of rest, like a still frame shot of the motion picture moving from mind to canvas.  While each piece stems from specific imagery in the artist’s imagination, the ambiguity of the abstraction means its interpretation is left entirely to the viewer.  What you see is what you see.

    To see more of Anne Sherwood Pundyk‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Artsy Lately: Shawn Huckins, American _Tier

    Artsy Lately: Shawn Huckins, American _Tier

    Being out here in the Northwest versus growing up in Florida, I’ve gotten more of a sense of  what it would have been like to see this wild and glorious country for the first time.  It is difficult in this day to comprehend the hardship and sluggishness of that world.  How it could take weeks, even months to convey the simplest of communications.  In his latest series of paintings, American _Tier, Denver artist Shawn Huckins explores the juxtaposition of the artwork of the 19th century in America versus our 21st century technology-driven vocabulary.

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    Judging from the names they gave some of the places out here, such as Cape Disappointment and Dismal Nitch, I can imagine Lewis & Clark would have been texting WTF all over the place during their expedition.  Huckins’ series surely brings to mind the evolution of language between then and now, especially in our written communications.  I find it interesting to think about how people are the same as they were then, in their feelings and emotions, what has changed is in mode and frequency in which those emotions are expressed.

    To see more of Shawn Huckins‘ work, please visit his website.  Prints of selected pieces of the American _Tier series are available through Shawn’s website, as well!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • A Sense of Place: Stacey Rees

    A Sense of Place: Stacey Rees

    Every place has its own personality, just like any person.  Some places are a bit dark and brooding, while others are so sunny and bright they are almost annoying.. Victoria artist Stacey Rees captures the sensual and spiritual atmosphere of her surroundings in her paintings and illustrations.

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    I always find it interesting to compare the feel and palette of the different places we visit.  Between some, there are only minor differences, but in other spots, it feels like being in an entirely different world.  And in those places, often times our personalities may absorb some of that difference, too.  As in Rees’ work, in which there is a wonderful sense of not just earthly but spiritual atmosphere, we can take on not just the physicality of a place but some places get into our souls– for better or worse.

    Mr. Forager & I have visited a few soul-filling places.  Do you have any place you’ve visited that had a profound effect on you?

    To see more of Stacey Rees‘ work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Design Foraging: Hopewell Workshop

    Design Foraging: Hopewell Workshop

    I’m a big fan of modern quilts.  I love that artists and artisans are continuing a longstanding tradition yet giving it a modern spin.  The ladies of Hopewell Workshop, Eliza Kenan and Claire Oswalt came together to continue the tradition of their respective families of creating artisan wares such as these quilts with a modish edge.

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    Just as our ancestors created quilts based on their traditions and folklore, so are the Hopewell makers creating new traditions on a contemporary foundation.  Each piece a work of art.  I would love to curl up under one of these or just hang it on my wall and gaze at it!

    To see more of the wares of Hopewell Workshop, please visit their website.  Oh and make sure you check out my post on Claire’s work from earlier today if you missed it!

    All images are via the Hopewell Workshop website.

  • Bits of Lovely: Claire Oswalt

    Bits of Lovely: Claire Oswalt

    Collage as a medium has had such a resurgence in recent years, but it’s a tough undertaking to get right and create something unique and lovely.  In this series of collages on book pages, Brooklyn artist Claire Oswalt creates beautiful little compositions, proving the old cliche, less is truly more.

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    Using watercolor sketches on torn paper, Oswalt crafts these minimalist collages using careful restraint, the result being thoughtful arrangements of shape and color.  In collage, as in most everything, it is so easy to go overboard, to over think and over create.  It takes an artistic confidence and discipline to be able to say so much with so little.

    To see more of Claire Oswalt‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.