Artsy Dwelling Interiors

Artsy Dwelling: Watercolored Walls

Posted on August 29, 2013

A Different Take on the Art Wall

Gallery walls have been all the rage for a couple of years now.  They are a fantastic way to showcase your art collection and so easy to change up!  But sometimes, you want your art wall to make a bolder statement– why not make the wall itself the artsy focal point?  Whether you paint your masterpiece directly on the wall’s surface, apply an artsy wallpaper, or a mural sized decal, there will be no shortage of artsiness on those walls!  Here are just a few of my own faves from around the web–

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AD_blue watercolor

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Think I love the simplicity of the pink geometric design and the blue watercolor best.  What do you think?  Have you ever treated your walls as a truly blank canvas?

PS– Need help finding art for your walls?  Check out the new services I’m offering!  Click on Forager For Hire in the tool bar for more info!

All image sources linked below the photos.

Collage Daily Artsy Figurative

Well Placed Pop: Guy Catling

Posted on August 29, 2013

Sometimes, all it takes is just a little somethin’ somethin’ to take an ordinary image and transform it into something unexpected.  UK artist Guy Catling has found that adding some well placed color and pattern can lead to some pretty spectacular imagery.

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Black and white vintage photographs are beautiful, but add in brightly colored faces and floral patterned mountains and they take on a whole new modern life.  Bright shots of geometric shapes in these scenic photos mimic the lines of the photographs simply yet beautifully.

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The patterns added to this trio of well dressed men adds not only a bit of pizazz, but with the Victorian-floral and Native American inspired patterns these guys are sporting, the story behind the image has possibly changed.  Ah the power of color and pattern!

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Want to see more work by this talented artist?  Check out Guy Catling‘s website here.

All images via the artist’s Tumblr.

Miscellaneously Artsy

Forager For Hire! Announcing Services for Artsy Folk

Posted on August 28, 2013

Lately I’ve been working on a little something and am so excited to finally share the news with you!  After lots of thinking, planning, debating and fingernail biting, I’m doing it, I’m..

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I’m excited to announce that Artsy Forager will now be offering a range of services specific to creative folk!  Curious?  Click the image below for more information!

Forager Services

Abstract Art Daily Artsy Drawing Mixed Media Paintings

Exploratory Escapes: Jaime Derringer

Posted on August 28, 2013

One of my favorite things about social media is being able to watch an artist blossom and discover their voice.  Maybe you recognize the name of today’s artist, perhaps better known as the founder and editor of the amazing design blog, DesignMilk, artist-blogger-poet(!), Jaime Derringer.

Composition #5 by Jaime Derringer

Composition #5, acrylic and pencil on heavy canvas paper, 12×16

Why Can't I Be You? by Jaime Derringer

Why Can’t I Be You?, mixed media on wood panel, 8×8

I wasn’t aware of the scope of Jaime’s artistic talent until she began posting her A Shape A Day project on Instagram.  Immediately, I was like, “Hold the phone!  She’s an artist, too??”  The short answer? Yes.

Untitled by Jaime Derringer

Untitled, ink, marker and watercolor on watercolor paper, 9×12

Smoke Monster by Jaime Derringer

Smoke Monster, ink, marker and acrylic on heavy canvas paper, 16×12

For Jaime, her work is an exploration and escape.  Perusing her work, you can see the progression, the playing with style, medium and composition that marks each creative expedition.

Jellyfish by Jaime Derringer

Jellyfish, ink on paper, 25×19

With each journey, the artist is discovering her own uncharted territory and finding new paths.  Personally, I’m enjoying being along for the ride.

Want to see more of Jaime Derringer‘s work?  Be sure to check out her website here.  Oh and bonus– originals and prints of her work are available at super affordable prices!

All images are via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Figurative Photography

Pink Soldiers: Richard Mosse

Posted on August 27, 2013

While the world tweets about Miley’s twerking, understandably, I’ve seen lots of folks online upset that the antics of a 20-something spoiled starlet are making bigger headlines than little things like wars and children dying.  Admittedly, I love my guilty pleasures as much as the next gal, but find myself wondering, how do we draw more attention to real, impactful events happening around the world?  Leave it to an artist to figure it out.  Irish photographer Richard Mosse brings the civil war in the DR Congo to life using bright pink tones to colorfully engage the viewer into the country’s story.

Men of Good Fortune, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011 by Richard Mosse

Men of Good Fortune, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011

Growing Up in Public, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011 by Richard Mosse

Growing Up in Public, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011

Mosse’s use of an ifrared Aerochrome dia-film gives his photographs their striking hot pink hue.  That sugary, Victoria’s Secret hue belies the tragic story behind these photos, one of decades long conflict, government corruption, and innocence lost.

Even better than the real thing, north kivu, eastern congo 2011 by Richard Mosse

Even Better Than the Real Thing, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011

Ruby Tuesday, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011 by Richard Mosse

Ruby Tuesday, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011

The photographer takes documentary war photography and imbues it with a strange sense of playfulness.  The Pop Art pinks are surely what will draw our attention, but it is the faces there and the stories behind them that will keep it.

Sticky Fingers, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011 by Richard Mosse

Sticky Fingers, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011

La Vie En Rose, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2010 by Richard Mosse

La Vie En Rose, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2010

If you’d like to see more of Richard Mosse‘s work, please visit his website.

All images via the artist’s website.

This Artsy Life

This Artsy Life: Weekend 34 [Artsy Say Relax]

Posted on August 26, 2013

You guys.  It has been soooo long.  So very long since we had a weekend like this one!  Nowhere to be, no one to meet, no chores needing to be checked off.  Absolutely no pressure to do anything.  After the craziness of the last few months, it was just what we needed.  Best thing about a do nothing weekend?  The way it frees your mind to observe, to rest, to think.  Oh and there were divine cinnamon rolls and the worst Chinese food ever.

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[ saturday morning treat ]

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[ blue skies above ]

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[ finally reading Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Kandinsky ]

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[ horseshoes– Mr. F is really good, I am really not ]

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[ sunday drive along hood canal ]

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[ looking up ]

Weekends like this almost make me want to spend every weekend this way.  But we have hikes to take, places to go and people to see!  More adventures next weekend, promise!

Want to see more from This Artsy Life?  Head on over to Instagram and follow Artsy Forager!

All images by Artsy Forager.

Daily Artsy Paintings Still Life

Fresh Graphics: Kate Mullin

Posted on August 26, 2013

Days are getting shorter, nights are cooler, and kids everywhere are headed back to school.  Summer’s end is near, and as much as I’m looking forward to the arrival of my favorite season, I do hate to see some summer things go!  The bright, happy colors of flowers with their faces turned to the sun never fail to make me smile.  These graphically painted floral still lifes by Charleston artist Kate Mullin just might get me through the coming cold and rainy months.

Sally by Kate Mullin

Sally, oil on canvas, 22×28

Pink & Pink by Kate Mullin

Pink & Pink, oil on canvas, 16×20

Mullins’ use of flattened planes seems to be a deliberate nod to vintage paint-by-numbers ( which I love and have a few of my own in storage! ), but she amps up the modern feel by mixing in bright, saturated color and graphic blacks.

Zinnia Arrangement by Kate Mullin

Zinnia Arrangement, oil on canvas, 24×24

Teal Zinnias by Kate Mullin

Teal Zinnias, oil on canvas, 28×22

Mullins’ bouquets are full of light and life.  They fairly drip with color and vivacity!  The perfect antidote for the coming dreariness. 😉

Coral by Kate Mullin

Coral, oil on canvas, 16×20

Want to see more work by Kate Mullin?  Be sure to check out her website and Facebook page!

All images via the artist’s website.

Daily Artsy Woodcuts

Puzzle Me This: Kent Ambler

Posted on August 23, 2013

I love it when you guys write to me to tell me about an artist’s work!  Even more than that, I love gallery owners who are passionate about promoting their artists’ work.  So when Art & Light Gallery owner Teresa Roche emailed me about this artist, I was intrigued.  Then I went to his website and fell in love! These woodcut pieces of Greenville, SC artist Kent Ambler are full of texture and pattern and I can’t get enough of them.

Ambler2 Ambler3Kent draws inspiration from the life and simple objects around him– his dogs, the woods surrounding his home, birds, etc.  His woodcuts feel like quick little sketches of every day life and familiar adventures.

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While I love his single woodcuts, for me, it’s when they are put together in these Block Contstructs, that they really shine.  The colors and patterns harmonize so well together, there is a wonderful energy about them.  They remind me in the most glorious way of those old plastic sliding puzzles I used to get as a prize at school carnivals.  You know the ones in which you slide the little blocks around until the picture is completed?

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I hope you are as delighted by Kent Ambler’s work as I am!  You can catch a few glimpses into his process in this video.

If you’d like to see more, please visit his website.  If you happen to be near Greenville, he just opened a show at the Caine Gallery— go by and check it out!  And Greenville folks, be sure to mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Block Party October 1st-15th at Art & Light, featuring 100 hand selected retired woodblock prints by Kent Ambler available for a limited time.

PS–I know Fridays are usually for Design Foraging, but since I took the day off to unpack on Monday, I wanted to squeeze in another artist post!

All images are via the artist’s website.

Fashion Jewelry Wear the Artsy

Wear the Artsy: Candace Fasano

Posted on August 22, 2013

You know sometimes I love a piece of artwork so much I wanna wear it.  Like all day, every day.  This month’s Featured Artist, Candace Fasano has oodles of lovely new work, but this particular piece, Bird Pod, just keeps speaking to me.  Alas, the painting is sold ( lucky duck,  whoever you are! ), but that won’t stop me from dreaming about it!

WTA_Candace Fasano & Anthony Roussel

art | Bird Pod by Candace Fasano

jewelry | from top: Branch Bangle, Fan Ring, Geo Colour Bangle by Anthony Roussel

Don’t these sculpted pieces by jewelry artist Anthony Roussel remind you of Bird Pod? That same organic, cosmic magic could still be mine.  Oh yes it could!

Check out more work from Candace Fasano on her website and the Artsy Forager Facebook page.

Abstract Art Daily Artsy Paintings

Hope in the Dark: Wendy McWilliams

Posted on August 21, 2013

As much as we would love to be happily skipping through life at all times, there will always be moments that get us down.  We get stressed, overwhelmed, and sometimes just plain sad.  But in the darkness, there is always a light of hope.  These abstract paintings by Tennessee artist Wendy McWilliams illustrate in paint that feeling of glimpsing the light in our dark moments.

McWilliams_feeling the pinch 36 x 36 $500

I’m not sure this was the artist’s purpose when she set out to paint these canvases, but it is what these pieces are speaking to my own, slightly stressed mind today.. There is always something happening, something or someone clamoring for our attention.  Sometimes the noise is welcome, other times, not so much.  But in the light and color of McWilliams’ work, today I’m reminded that the stress doesn’t last forever.

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We always manage somehow to come through the chaos, to tackle the seemingly insurmountable tasks before us or to just plain grin and bear it until it’s all over.  Whether it is through our own strength, help from another or above, we get through it.  The color returns and so does the light.

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Want to see more work from this artist?  Check out Wendy McWilliams’ website.

All images are via the artist’s website.