Transitions are always inspiring to me– the changing of seasons, the shift into a new life, the evolution and transformation. The transitional seasons of our lives always seem to bring about a renewed energy and purpose. In perusing the work of Toronto artist Kyle Stewart this morning, got me to thinking about how each experience builds upon the next as we move through this life.
In Stewart’s work, you see him working out, playing and stretching through each canvas. Scrolling through his paintings, you get a visual sense of each transition as he moves from tighter, more constrained abstracts into looser, quieter work, trying out narrative details along the way. How amazingly does the life cycle of art mimic our own? We too, move in and out of seasons, changing and transitioning, sometimes ever so slightly, sometimes in big, big ways.
If you’d like to see more of Kyle Stewart‘s work ( and I highly recommend you do! Every piece is stunning! ), please visit his website and follow along on his artistic journey through his Tumblr, Facebook & Instagram feeds.
Moving every few months is not without its hassles, but one of the advantages to our gypsy life has been the privilege of experiencing a variety of places and ways of living. From being Seattle urbanites, to Idaho lake bums, and California desert dwellers, each place has filled a longing within us and taught us lessons about ourselves, what we can and can’t live with and a great deal about what we can live without. Since ours is a fairly unique adventure few people experience, I thought you might enjoy a peek into our latest temporary home by giving you a little home tour of our Shelton bungalow!
One thing we’ve learned is that we don’t need a ton of inside space. This is our second studio apartment and it functions better than some of the houses we’ve rented. Storage and me space in studios can get a little tight.. good thing the vast majority of our worldly goods are packed away in a Seattle storage unit! Just a wee bit more space and we could call it good for keeps.
Our landlord is an interior designer and she outfitted this little bungalow to the max– textural finishes, reclaimed materials and lovely designer details make it a beautiful place to spend each day. That little table and chairs behind the sofa is my office, our dining table and the game room, all in one. The tall armoire houses the tv, a nice selection of dvds & books, as well as extra pillows and blankets. If you look closely, you’ll glimpse a peek at Mr. F’s latest batch of beer swathed in an old comforter, all nice and cozy.
The second thing we’ve learned is that we DO need a good bit of outdoor space. Access to an outdoor living space can make even the smallest or least desirable place feel like paradise. While living in Seattle, I knew I really wanted our next stop to be a more restful spot. Spending just three months living on a busy street corner made me crave peace and quiet. When looking for our rental in the Olympia area, we made appointments to see three rentals, all of which were outside of town and either near or on a body of water. This bungalow was the first place we saw and we took it immediately. It was budget friendly, a good central location for Mr. F’s home health position and well, this is our backyard–
Each day as I’m working at that little table, I can look up from the laptop to see the reflection of branches in the water and the soft cascade of the waterfall. We can sit under the Japanese Plum tree with a book and a glass of wine and just be.
This place has been the perfect antidote to the whirlwind of activity and decision making that overtook our summer in Seattle. We finally have time to rest and reflect, even while working hard and making plans. Sometimes, that extra space you’re craving is inside your own mind.
If you ever plan a trip to the Olympic Peninsula, you can rent this little Bungalow for yourself! ( Although not until at least mid-November, it’s ours until then! ). Check out the VRBO listing, if you’re interested, it comes highly recommended from this Artsy!
I feel like I’ve been writing a lot this week about our traveling lifestyle. Maybe it’s been on my subconscious lately. We’ve been talking about our future home a lot recently, what that might look like, where it might be. These collages by San Francisco artist Amy Wilson Flaville reminded me that none of us are guaranteed a dry and comfy bed each night.
Upon first glance, I fell for Flaville’s use of color and pattern in these shopping cart collages. As I looked a little more at her work this morning, I saw more. I saw those colorful patterns as happy memories, the kind we store up in our hearts and carry with us everywhere we go.
We carry our homes within us, which enables us to fly. — John Cage
Whatever our situation, whether we find ourselves living in the lap of luxury or pushing all our earthly belongings in a shopping cart, it is what is inside that sustains us. The people who love us, who we have loved, we carry that with us and no four walls can contain it.
What better way to kick off the Fall than to give away a beautiful autumn-inspired original painting? Artist Deann Hebert generously offered up the chance for Artsy Forager readers to win this gorgeous 30×30 canvas and folks, WE HAVE A WINNER!
Each entry was assigned a number corresponding to when they commented on the contest post ( 1 for the first entry, 2 for the second, etc ) and according to the Random Number Generator, the winner is..
Claire Alderman, this is your number! You are the winner of Caramel Crisp by Deann Hebert! And just look at some of the lovely fall-ish images she pinned to her board!
Claire,I’ll be shooting you an email so we can get your new painting on its way to you!
Thanks to all the participating Artsies! You guys sure got me into the Fall spirit. Now excuse me while I go make some cider..
There were days when, to commemorate an engagement or a special occasion, one might have a tiny portrait painted for a loved one. Or perhaps even now you wear a locket around your neck, or carry a special stone in your pocket. There’s something enchanting about the preciousness of miniature treasures, isn’t there? Tappan, NY artist Jefferson Hayman forges his own liliputian remembrances in his small framed photographs.
The handcrafted silver gelatin and platinum prints are a delightful surprise when tucked inside antique boxes or frames of the artist’s making. Larger than life places like Manhattan and the moon seem forever caught in a moment inside each little box, there to charm us all over again each time they are revealed.
Although we’re living this vagabond-ish life, Mr. Forager & I are always thinking about places to put down roots. One of the wants on our list is an artsy community– one that supports and encourages music, theatre, and of course, the visual arts. The small town of Port Townsend ranks high for us because it ticks off each of those and then some. And with the opening of Simon Mace Gallery, PT is heading in the right direction for this Artsy.
A traditional white-wall gallery, Simon Mace offers up a variety of emerging and established artists from the Northwest and beyond. While the gallery sports that ubiquitous clean look, the feeling inside is warm and cozy. The beautifully worn wood floors and friendly staff help, but I think it stems most from the roster of artists the gallery has gathered.
There is definitely a personality and point of view behind the gallery artists– work full of spirit, story, and humor– and it makes for a homey, non-intimidating gallery experience. The show up during our visit, Carnival, featured the work of painter Alison O’Donoghue and sculptor Sara Swink ( both pictured below ), and painter Frank Renlie. O’Donoghue’s work draws you in, your eyes bouncing with excitement as you try to take in every little thing happening in each canvas. Swink’s cheeky sculptures and Renlie’s joyful paintings give enjoyable little pauses amongst the controlled chaos of O’Donoghue’s work.
Alas, the show has come down now, as the gallery preps for its next opening this Thursday, Wax On, Wax Off, showcasing the work of Port Townsend painter Jeane Meyers and Portland sculptor Lisa Kaser. Wax On, Wax Off promises to deliver yet another mix of artwork filled with charisma and charm. While the bulk of the gallery space is exhibition focused, a piece of each represented artist’s work is always up in the small back-room space and the staff will more than happily help you peruse more work in the racks.
We may be heading back up PT way next weekend and if we do, I’ll check in again at Simon Mace to see the new show. You can bet it will now be on my must-do list ( along with thai food at Banana Leaf! ) for each visit to our favorite seaport town. Hope it will be on your Port Townsend list now, too!
If you’d like to learn more about Simon Mace Gallery and its artists, please visit their website and follow them on Facebook.
Happy October! No more of that foolin’ around, Indian summer stuff. We are now well into Fall and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m equally excited to share with you the work of our October Featured Artist, Jennifer JL Jones! One of the things I love most about Fall is the cozy atmosphere that permeates each day and night and exploring Jennifer’s work, with its warm, ethereal light is the perfect way to kick off the season!
Here in the Northwest, we can go for days, even weeks without seeing the sun, but the light still manages to pierce the veil, even through falling leaves and raindrops. It is this same aura of light breaking through and of fluttering movement that draws me again and again to Jennifer’s work. In her most recent series, Sojourn, the work increasingly free and joy filled.. the atmosphere is ablaze.
If you’d like to see more of Jennifer JL Jones’ work, please visit her website and Facebook page. A trip over to the Artsy Forager Facebook page will also give you a glimpse into an album of some of my own favorites of the artist’s work. Florida Artsies can see Jennifer’s work, along with three other talented artists in Synergy, opening October 18th at Stellers Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach. Don’t miss it! Not in Florida? Check out her website for a list of representing galleries around the country.
There is a strange bright light coming through my window.. I think it might be the sun! Hello old friend. Where were you this weekend, huh? The rain came down hard and often all weekend long. We braved the weather to make the picturesque drive up along the Hood Canal to one of our favorite spots, the beautiful artsy Victorian seaport town on Port Townsend. It had been over 2 years since we’d been there last, so we wondered, would we still love it like crazy? The short answer? Yes yes yes! Even in near nonstop rain and gusting winds. The conditions meant that we didn’t get to enjoy the PT scenery as much as we would like, hence the lack of outdoor snapshots for you, but it made for a relaxing day darting in out of the rain and then slow, casual browsing and lounging.
It was one of those blissful weekends in which we didn’t spend much time on the laptop or iPad, more time spent talking than typing. And can I just say that if the rain leads to weekends like this, then keep on fallin’! 😉
Hope your weekend was just as wonderful, dear Artsies! If you’d like to see more from This Artsy Life, follow me on Instagram. Let me know your Instagram handle in the comments so I can follow you, too!
I’ve written before about the impervious nature of technology in our lives. You’re probably tired of reading about it, especially as I’m contributing to it by writing a blog.. umm.. dang. But it’s such an intriguing subject to me and such a careful balancing act we play with it, that I can’t help but see the references in artists’ work from time to time. In these paintings by Portland, Maine artist Meghan Howland, I see the artist conveying many of the conflicting emotions we encounter in this technology we interact with daily.
Pale figures, starkly lit glow eerily as they are surrounded by beauty– birds, flowers– some soft, some seeming savage. Do you see the connection? Maybe I’m reaching. What springs to mind for me is the way we use social media to show the best of ourselves, to unintentionally inspire envy in others when all we show is the most fabulous version of our lives. When we don’t mention our struggles, the piles of laundry, the failures, alongside the beautiful moments, we create an unreal, imaginary life. We gain followers who voyeuristically join our journey, yet heap praise on what isn’t our real selves, but a persona of our own making.
I admit, I find myself censoring and editing what I share. Mainly because, at my core, I’m a deeply private person, a bit uncomfortable with so much sharing. But also because so much of the time, life is just what it is. Day by day, it is beautiful in and of itself, but not necessarily Instagram photo worthy. But why not? Are we so scared of tarnishing our “brand” that we don’t allow ourselves to be authentic anymore? I hope not. What do you think, Artsies? Do you censor what you put out there for the world to see? Or are you all in, dirty dishes and all?
If you’d like to see more of Meghan Howland‘s work, please visit her website. If you’re in New York ( lucky! I love New York in the Fall! ), her work can be seen in person at TNC Gallery.
Mr. F and I can definitely relate to snails, turtles, basically any of those I-carry-my-home-on-my-back types. Although technically, we carry home in our Hyundai Santa Fe.. still, we feel a kinship. 😉 But what if you really could carry your home on your back? These utilitarian sculptures by Julia Gabriel are hand-dyed canvas backpacks inspired by architecture and well, they are the most inspired backpacks I’ve ever seen!
I mean, how fun would it be to carry your books & laptop to your favorite coffee shop in one of these? This series is available through Buy Some Damn Art until November 5th. Check out the show online at BSDA and see more of Julia Gabriel‘s work on her website.
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