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  • Scratching the Surface: Amy Donaldson

    Scratching the Surface: Amy Donaldson

    In my college painting classes, my painting prof used to always say that knew I was in class because he could literally hear me painting.  You see, I have a tendency to dig my brushes into the surface of the canvas, a sensation and sound I quite enjoy ( though it’s pretty tough on expensive brushes! ).  The work of Florida artist Amy Donaldson has that same kind of textural energy, I can almost hear the scrape of her brush and palette knife against the canvas.

    You're Beautiful by Amy Donaldson
    You’re Beautiful, mixed media on canvas, 60×60

    Donaldson’s process is one of an additive and subtractive back and forth between the palette, paint, and canvas.  Inspired by her ( and my! ) native state of Florida, Donaldson creates abstracts that hint at the broadness of a landscape, yet have the surface of an aged, graffiti covered wall.

    Adore by Amy Donaldson
    Adore, mixed media on canvas, 72×60
    Untitled by Amy Donaldson
    mixed media on canvas

    In expressive abstract quality of her work, Amy’s paintings let us get lost in the play of color, light, and texture, each bouncing our eyes in excitement across the canvases.

    In His Presence by Amy Donaldson
    In His Presence, mixed media on canvas, 60×72

    Would you like to see more of Amy Donaldson’s work?  Please check out her website and Facebook page.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Stellers Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

  • Win Artsy Stuff: January Art Association Contest!

    Win Artsy Stuff: January Art Association Contest!

    With holiday craziness last month, the Art Association Pinterest contest took a short little hiatus.  But this month, Erin from artsocial and I are back with what we think will be our most fabulous contest yet!

    For all you AA newbies ( wait, that sounded wrong ), here’s how it works– You create a Pinterest board around one work of art ( which we provide ), filled with anything and everything that pops into your mind while gazing at the catalyst piece.

    The artwork providing our catalyst this month is Cocktail Party by none other than Artsy Forager’s Featured Artist for January, Christina Baker!  Talk about a perfect place to start!

    Cocktail Party by Christina Baker
    Cocktail Party by Christina Baker

    Are you ready to start pinning away and maybe win some art?  The art we’re giving away this month is FABULOUS.

    Here’s how Art Association works–

    Step 1|  We give you a piece of artwork, this month’s work is Cocktail Party by Christina Baker ( above ).

    Step 2 | You create a Pinterest board titled Art Association, like mine here, where you pin any and all images you associate with the featured artwork ( like word associations, only visual )– here’s a sneak peek at some of my associations

    Step 3 | Leave a link to your Art Association pinboard in the Comments section of this post

    Step 4 | Follow both art social and Artsy Forager on Pinterest ( if you already are, you’re ahead of the game and doubly awesome )

    Here’s what you can win–

    Are you ready?  You will be entered for a chance to win this original painting by Christina Baker!  Christina created this piece, inspired by Artsy Forager ( aww, shucks!! ) specifically for our contest.  And it could be YOURS!**

    Roses Over the Bridge by Christina Baker
    Roses Over the Bridge, acrylic on canvas, 12×12

     The pinner with the most amazingly fabulous Art Association board ( as judged by me and Erin ) will be chosen on Wednesday, January 23rd at 5pm (mountain standard time).  I can’t wait to see what associations you guys make with Christina’s work.

    Pinning begins… NOW!!

    **So sorry but the contest is open to US residents only.

    Would you like your artwork to be featured as an Art Association subject?  Shoot me an email at artsyforager@att.net or Erin an email at artsocialonline@gmail.com for more info.

    Art images via Christina Baker.

  • Manufactured Manifestations: Lothar Gotz

    Manufactured Manifestations: Lothar Gotz

    After posting an image from our trip to Vegas on the Artsy Forager Facebook page yesterday, very insightful artist Gigi Mills wondered if perhaps all of Vegas could be considered one giant art installation?  It is after all, full of manufactured manifestations.  Which got me thinking about the environmental installation work of Lothar Gotz.

    Im Flur by Lothar Gotz
    Im Flur 2012, wall painting, site specific

    image source

    Lothar Gotz creates site specific abstract “wall paintings”.  His work encompasses single walls, rooms, even entire floors and buildings, swathing vertical surfaces in planes of saturated color.

    Winterreise by Lothar Gotz
    Winterreise 2010, acrylic and mineral paint on wall, Fundacio Joan Miro, Barcelona
    Drawing Room 2008 by Lothar Gotz
    Drawing Room 2008, vinyl on wall, National Gallery Prague

    The colors and shapes move in and out of the vertical surface, giving the eyes freedom to wander beyond the walls to see an abstract landscape of the artist’s own making.  The walls themselves recede and though the viewer may be boxed in by these partitions, Gotz’s paintings make them come alive, so that we hardly notice the facade.

    What Makes Boys Dance by Lothar Gotz
    What Makes Boys Dance 2012, Domo Baal

    To see more of Lothar Gotz’s work, please visit Rahn Contemporary, his representing gallery in Zurich.

    All images are via Rahn Contemporary, except where otherwise noted.  Artist found via The Painter’s Table.

  • Artsy On Escape Into Life: Brian Taylor

    Artsy On Escape Into Life: Brian Taylor

    I’ve finally joined the world of Instagram, which definitely has me taking more photos than I normally would with just my camera. Which is leading me to think more carefully about what I choose to photograph and how I choose to frame the composition.  So needless to say, I’ve got photography on the brain!  In my Artist Watch today on Escape Into Life, I’m featuring a photographer much more accomplished than I.  Check out the work of Brian Taylor here!

    Little Pink Houses by Brian Taylor

    Brian Taylor on Escape Into Life

  • Art Possessed: Chad Wys

    Art Possessed: Chad Wys

    Our currently semi-vagabond lifestyle dictates that Mr. Forager and I travel light.  Any purchase of a new object is always weighed against whether it’s truly necessary, how much room it will take up when in transit, or if it is too beautiful/wonderful/amazing to live without.  In his work, Illinois artist Chad Wys takes on our obsession with possession, questioning whether we can truly possess a piece of artwork, what our possessions say about us, and how we objectify the world around us.

    Arrangement in Skintones by Chad Wys
    Arrangement in Skintones, c-print ( edition of 10 ), 30×30
    Nocturne 111 by Chad Wys
    Nocturne 111, c-print, 24×30

    When we purchase a piece of artwork, what is our motive?  I believe the majority of art is acquired for aesthetic reasons– something about the work, whether it be the subject, the colors or the composition, appeals to us.  But what about artwork that doesn’t appeal, isn’t pretty?  Is it any less valuable?

    Golden Tea Party by Chad Wys
    Golden Tea Party, paint on found porcelain, 8.5x7x5.5
    Opus 1 by Chad Wys
    Opus 1, c-print

    And what do the objects we possess say about who we are?  And what makes the things we own or the things our ancestors owned so special?  Or are they not really special at all?

    To see more of Chad Wys’s work, please visit his website.

    Thank you to artsocial for reminding about this artist!  All images are via the artist’s website.

     

     

  • This Artsy Life: Weekend 2 [ Artsy & Mr. Forager go to Vegas ]

    This Artsy Life: Weekend 2 [ Artsy & Mr. Forager go to Vegas ]

    As part of my longing to share a little more of myself and our life with you, Artsies, hope you enjoy this second installment of This Artsy Life, a new series of posts in which you get to see a bit of how Mr. Forager & I live. Last weekend, we made my first & our first together ( and probably last ) trip to Las Vegas. While it was nice to get away and stay in a luxurious hotel ( thanks, Hotwire! ) and we can now cross Vegas off our list of must-sees while we’re in SoCal, we didn’t enjoy it as much as we thought we might. Not to sound snobbish, but I think we just hated the artificiality of it all. I know, I know, that’s kind of the point.. yet we found it very wearing. There were a few highlights though, including a trip downtown to the up & coming 18b Arts District. Truly if you go and need a break from all the spectacle, hop in a cab or take a bus downtown and visit the galleries & artist studios there. Your soul & spirit will thank you!

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    [ drinks at Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill.. Hell’s Kitchen is a guilty pleasure of ours ]

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     [ sculpture imitating art ]

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    [ socio-political art at 18b ]

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    [ art square studios ]

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    [ art is a weapon ]

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    [ our contribution to the letter to the president art project ]

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    [ ok, so Vegas isn’t all bad ]

    How about you, Artsies?  Love Vegas or hate it?  Want to see more of This Artsy Life?  Artsy Forager is now on Instagram!  Come follow and see what Mr. Forager & I find inspiring, comical, or just plain wacky!

  • Dangerous Beauty: Jane Maxwell

    Dangerous Beauty: Jane Maxwell

    While visiting with friends in San Diego recently, somehow the topic of self-worth came up.  My friend Veronica mentioned that the Dalai Lama didn’t understand the Western issue of low self-esteem– we are not born thinking negatively about ourselves, yet something sinister creeps in.  The work of Boston area artist Jane Maxwell uses vintage fashion, advertising, and pop-culture ephemera to deconstruct the messages being sent to women and young girls by the fashion and entertainment industries.

    Runway Girls and Circles by Jane Maxwell
    Runway Girls and Circles, mixed media and resin on panel

    Our body image issues don’t always begin with someone actually telling us we’re too fat, too skinny, too pale.. we are inundated daily, especially as women and young girls, with images of stick thin fashion models and actresses, being held up as the current standard of ideal beauty.  Maxwell chooses to use silhouetted versions of these iconic figures, deconstructing them so that they become an anonymous “every woman”, which could help us to see the somber truth that these women have indeed become pawns in this game of idealized beauty.

    Blue Circle Girls by Jane Maxwell
    Blue Circle Girls, mixed media with resin on panel, 48×48
    Circle of Thought by Jane Maxwell
    Circle of Thought, mixed media with resin on panel, 48×48
    Blue by Jane Maxwell
    Blue, collage, wax & resin on panel, 36×36

    This standard of beauty seems to fluctuate with each generation, remember the days of Reuben and his voluptuous figures?  Or the curvaceousness of the iconic beauties of the 1950s?  When will we reach a point where women of every size, shape, and color are held up as quintessentially beautiful?  Maxwell’s work recognizes that struggle within us of that longing to be lauded for our unique  beauty yet we continue to strive to attain the ideal.

    Walking Girls and Bullseyes by Jane Maxwell
    Walking Girls and Bullseyes, collage, wax, and resin on panel, 70×40

    What are your thoughts on Jane Maxwell’s work or on self-image in general?  Where do you see the struggle?

    To see more of the work of Jane Maxwell, please visit her website and Facebook page.  Her work can be seen in galleries throughout the US, you can find a list of her representing galleries on her website.

    Artist found via Lanoue Fine Art.  Images via the artist’s website and Lanoue Fine Art.

  • Friday Design Finds: A Touch of Brass

    Friday Design Finds: A Touch of Brass

    Until recently, the word brass conjured up images of hideous early 1980’s decor.  But brass is staging a comeback and when combined with wood, makes for a design statement that is at once organic and modern.  Here are a few brass & wood combos I’m especially intrigued by this week..

    Alma Brass Chair from Organic Modernism
    Alma Brass Chair from Organic Modernism

    source

    Sun-Tipped Serveware from Anthropologie
    Sun-Tipped Serveware via Anthropologie

    source

    Wood &Brass Triangle Ring from Of Matter
    Wood &Brass Triangle Ring from Of Matter

    source

    Wood & Brass iPhone case from EXOVault
    Wood & Brass iPhone case from EXOVault

    source

    Pia Wustenberg vase
    Pia Wustenberg vase

    source

    Have a fantastic weekend, Artsies!  Speaking of shiny things, I’m going Viva Las Vegas this weekend.  Hope to see an Elvis impersonator and hope to have some fun Vegas-style artsyness to share next week!

    All image sources are linked above.

  • Artsy About Town: Ruud van Empel’s Strange Beauty

    Artsy About Town: Ruud van Empel’s Strange Beauty

    I have had the work of Dutch artist Ruud van Empel pinned to my Pinterest board for months now.  Imagine my excitement when we arrived in San Diego back in October and I saw who was coming to the Museum of Photographic Arts at Balboa Park!  Since then, I’ve had the postcard for his show, Strange Beauty, hanging on our fridge, just waiting to see this compelling work up close.

    *I snapped this pic before I saw the sign for no photography.  Shhh.. don’t tell on me!

    The artist’s first solo show in an American museum, Strange Beauty showcases over 40 of van Empel’s digitally created works.  I hate to call them digitally enhanced photographs because they are so very much more than that.  Ruud van Empel carefully constructs each piece, meticulously layering staged photographs, digital imagery, and collage.

    World #7 by Ruud Van Empel
    World #7, cibachrome, 41.43×59.06

    The results are stunningly haunting, complex imagery.  With a background in theater arts and graphic graphic design, van Empel sets a beautifully enticing stage, one in we aren’t sure whether his characters should feel right at home or terribly out of place.

    World #20 by Rudd van Empel
    World #20, cibachrome, 23.5×33
    The Office #41 by Ruud van Empel
    The Office #41, digital print on paper, 12.01×13.78
    Untitled #1 by Ruud van Empel
    Untitled #1, cibachrome, 33.11×46.81

    As you look closely at each image, you aren’t sure where the actual photograph and the manipulation or collage begins.. in many we would be surprised to know which elements were not present all along.

    Generation #2 by Ruud van Empel
    Generation #2, cibachrome, 130×49

    Strange Beauty runs through February 3, 2013 at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego.  If you’re anywhere near the area, I highly recommend a visit!  You can also see more of Ruud van Empel’s work on his website.

    Top image by Artsy Forager.  All other images are via the artist’s website.

  • Caught in the Act: Jim Gaylord

    Caught in the Act: Jim Gaylord

    OK, I’ll admit, I’m not a big action-movie fan.  In fact, the latest super-hero based film is usually the very last on my movie watching list ( although I end up watching them with Mr. Forager so that he’ll watch the latest costume drama/foreign film with me ).  But I might be rethinking my prejudice due to the work featured today.  The recent work of Brooklyn artist Jim Gaylord is based on action sequences in films– now there’s an action movie screening approach I could get into!

    High Muck-a-Muck by Jim Gaylord
    High Muck-a-Muck, oil on canvas, 24×20

    In Gaylord’s work, some paintings, some collage/mixed media, we are met with a cacophony of shapes, colliding upon one another.  The crashing of objects, the roar of engines.. it’s almost audible.  Can you hear it?

    Coat of Arms by Jim Gaylord
    Coat of Arms, gouache on cutout paper, 40×26
    Rat King by Jim Gaylord
    Rat King, oil on paper, 43.75×30
    Victory Lap by Jim Gaylord
    Victory Lap, gouache and soot on cutout paper, 26×36

    Pops of white amid the chaos resemble clouds of smoke, distorting the full scene from our view, while smaller forms are catapulted out from the midst like shrapnel.

    Soft Endorsement by Jim Gaylord
    Soft Endorsement, oil on canvas, 22×17

    I think I’ll be looking at action sequences a bit differently from now on, won’t you?  To see more of Jim Gaylord’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Gregory Lind Gallery.