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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
If you’re following along on Instagram, you might have noticed a little sneak peek into something I’ve been working on lately. Since starting my #colorforaging2014 project at the beginning of the year, I’ve had more creative energy than ever. And I’ve begun taking full advantage of it. I’ve always worked in a series format ( thanks, Prof. Ladnier for creating that habit! ) and have already completed 5(!) paintings in one series while my mind is pondering, researching, contemplating the beginnings of seven more different series of work.
Early on, my above mentioned college painting prof labeled me a colorist. It’s true, I’ve always been drawn to color and color theory. I’m sure one of my first experiences with color was in admiring the fashion in my favorite curl-up-on-a-Sunday classic films. As a little girl, I imagined myself in those beautiful clothes, becoming those charismatic leading ladies. Then as a grown woman, I’ve found myself analyzing the use of color in the establishment of character– the reasoning why the film’s costume director chose that particular gown in that particular shade for that particular scene. There was a method to all that beautiful madness.
Each series of paintings I have in mind will deal with the psychology and effect of color in some way. For this first series, which I’ve tentatively titled Feminine Wiles, I’m focusing on the fashion of iconic female film characters, especially those used in scenes in which the character is capitalizing on her feminity in some way.
Each piece is a small abstract portrait of that character at the moment and how the character is defined by that particular costume choice. All that intellectual stuff plus I just love pretty dresses and pretty paint..
The first painting in the series is a study of Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. While the character’s series of elegant little black dresses is synonymous with the character, I’ve always been drawn to the pink Givenchy cocktail dress. The character wears this confection while in the midst of wooing her Brazilian millionaire would-be fiancé. She is no longer fashioned as cool and elegant, her style for Jose is warm and feminine and festive. It is such an interesting contrast to the devastation that happens later in the scene.
Through a sequence of layers in shades of grey, red, purple, pink and white in acrylic on a 6×6 inch canvas panel, I finally came to a point where I felt like I had a representation of my own interpretation of the character in that dress, in that scene.
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, The Pink Dress by Lesley Frenz
acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6
I’ve always worked on larger canvases in the past but our current vagabond lifestyle doesn’t include much room for storage of bulky canvases. I would love to translate these BIG, but for now, these little studies are proving satisfying. I can’t wait to share more of the Feminine Wiles series with you! Do you have any iconic female film characters to suggest? I have a list of possibilities, but am completely open to suggestion. I’ve been focusing on classic films, but may eventually move into contemporary characters, too. Can you tell I’m having a ball and completely obsessed with this? I hope so, because I totally am!
Art and logo by Lesley Frenz/Artsy Forager, other image sources linked above.
It seems such a shame that we hardly write letters anymore. Especially love letters. There was once a time when a couple’s main source of communication before marriage was the exchange of letters. Putting thoughts and feelings into words, on paper, give them an importance and a permanence– and something to pour over when our love is far away. But then there is something even sweeter about expressing your feelings in a non-verbal way. Brooklyn photographer Graeme Mitchell created a beautiful book of drawings and photographs for his wife-to-be, Molly, presented to her on their wedding day.
The juxtaposition of those little abstract drawings ( perhaps they are a secret short-hand? ) and tender scenes from their life together speak so much love. It’s true that it is in those small moments that our hearts swell most, the every day glimpses of a life built together with the person you love most in the world that fortify us when things get tough.
I imagine that when Mitchell’s wife Molly looks back at this collection of images, she doesn’t think of the spectacle of a wedding day, but of the constant, every moment of every day love her husband expressed without saying a word. Perhaps his gift might inspire you to find ways to express the tenderness you feel to your own loved ones.
For some artists, the end product is the goal, but for others, the process of creating, pushing the limits of medium and where that journey takes them is more the target. In his work, Portland artist Justyn Hegreberg explores the reaction of paint against glitter, plastic against canvas.
Given their diminutive size, most being around 5×7 inches, there is a playfulness about these pieces that make them seem like small and lively test samples for a larger project. Which is a huge part of their charm. If they were to be enlarged, these pieces would lose some of their frivolity, gaining in return something labored. It’s that experimental aspect of each piece that is so pleasing– you can almost see him working out the juxtapositions.. so what if I extend the raw canvas here, how about some yellow there?
How about you, Artsies? Are you a final result type of artist or is the process where your joy is found? If you’d like to see more of Justyn Hegreberg‘s work, please check out his website.
A while back I wrote about the work of Wendy McWilliams and how to me, much of her work illustrates the glimpses of light and color that give us hope in the dark. We are now well into winter and if you happen to be living in the Northeast, you may be wondering if you will ever see blue skies, flowers and unfrozen ground. February has always seemed to be winter’s last cold blow, preparing us for March and the beginning of our transition into spring. But maybe you can’t wait for March and need to put a little spring into your dark winter days! This painting by McWilliams reminded me that even in the midst of the coldest, darkest winter, we can still embrace the spring in our souls.
I love how the Tapestry Necklace brings together the dark and light of McWilliams’ painting, the colors echoing the painting and the inspiration, as well as mimicking the beautiful messiness of the brushstrokes. Perfect for a shot of color and would keep your neck warm while it’s still freezing outside!
To see more of Wendy McWilliams’ work, please visit her website and to see more fiber art necklaces like these ( I want one! So many gorgeous choices! ) check out the You Made That shop on Etsy.
