artsy forager

Tag: abstract art

  • Exploratory Escapes: Jaime Derringer

    Exploratory Escapes: Jaime Derringer

    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.

  • Hope in the Dark: Wendy McWilliams

    Hope in the Dark: Wendy McWilliams

    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.

    McWilliams5

    McWilliams1

    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.

     McWilliams2

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

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • White Out: Caitlin Lonegan

    White Out: Caitlin Lonegan

    There can be abundance found with restraint.  When a bush is pruned correctly, it blooms more profusely, doesn’t it?  In her series of White Page paintings, Los Angeles artist Caitlin Lonegan doesn’t shy from letting the white of her canvas show through.  In fact, she embraces it.

    Untitled ( White page, Brown ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White page, brown ), oil on canvas, 72×78
    Untitled ( White page, writing III ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White page, Writing III ), oil on canvas, 48×60

    Instead of the white canvas being just a surface to be covered, it becomes part & parcel in the composition– a place of rest for the eye, an expanse of space in which the marks made by the artist’s brush are not just strokes but the subject.

    Untitled ( White Page, Teal ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Teal ), oil on canvas, 72×78

    The confidence an artist must have to allow her marks to be laid so bare is humbling and astonishing to me.  Every little stray swipe of the brush, every little drop of paint is there for the eye to see.  And it is in these little gestures that I find the most depth and delight.

    Untitled ( White Page, Writing ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Writing ), oil on canvas, 48×60
    Untitled ( White Page, Blue Line ) by Caitlin Lonegan
    Untitled ( White Page, Blue Line ), oil on canvas, 48×60

    Want to see more work by Caitlin Lonegan?  Please visit her website by clicking through on her name.

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

  • A Careful Balance: Ky Anderson

    A Careful Balance: Ky Anderson

    I’ve been working on a freelance art curation project for a healthcare installation– which for this one means looking at a lot of stock photography.. yesterday it was flowers & marshes, today, fitness photos.  So you know what makes me super happy right now?  Some fantastically awesome abstract paintings!  These abstract works by Brooklyn artist Ky Anderson are all about balance and relationship and they are speaking to my stressed out little mind!

    One Has Three Shadows by Ky Anderson
    One Has Three Shadows, acrylic on paper, 50×38

    Anderson uses simple lines and forms, intertwining them in his compositions so that everything feels just cautiously balanced.  Like a game of Jenga, it seems as if the pieces of the whole are carefully placed so that each is supporting the other.

    Settled In by Ky Anderson
    Settled In, acrylic on panel, 16×18
    Untitled by Ky Anderson
    Untitled, acrylic on paper, 22×22
    Pressure by Ky Anderson
    Pressure, acrylic on panel, 16×18

    The artist continues her balancing act in his chosen palette,  softening dark black lines with creamy pastels and translucent blues.  Each piece a study of careful balance.

    Centered Single by Ky Anderson
    Centered Single, acrylic on paper, 22×30

    I highly recommend you check out more of Ky Anderson’s work on her website.  Each piece more lovely than the next!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • August Featured Artist: Candace Fasano

    August Featured Artist: Candace Fasano

    I just love it when an artist seems to take a bit of a break for a while and then BOOM!, comes back strong!  Such seems to have been the case with Florida artist Candace Fasano, this month’s Featured Artist.

    Double Exposure by Candace Fasano
    Double Exposure, oil on wood, 24×24

    Long time Artsy Forager readers might remember Candace’s work from way back in July ’11 ( where have the past two years gone?? ).  Over the past few years, I would occasionally glimpse a post on her blog or Facebook page, but then just within the last few month, suddenly it seemed like this artist was back and she meant business!  When I clicked on a blog post back in January, I was thrilled to see a bunch of new, exciting work looking back at me.

    Alternating Phase by Candace Fasano
    Alternating Phase, oil on wood, 12×12
    EG3 by Candace Fasano
    EG3, mixed media on wood, 12×12

    Fasano is still playing with her imagination ( and ours ), delving even past narratives into the worlds of scientific mapping and microbiological patterns.  There is still the typography and wispy lines that are part of her artist’s signature, but these new paintings seem to be an artist who has discovered new caves to explore and is diving deeper beneath the surface.

    Double Etch Trenches by Candace Fasano
    Double Etch Trenches, oil on wood, 11×14

    I’m so excited to feature the work of Candace Fasano all August long here on Artsy Forager!  Be sure to check out her website, blog, and Facebook page.  You can see one of Candace’s paintings gracing the Artsy Forager Facebook page, too, as well as a whole album of my favorite Fasano works!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Artsy Spot: Chihuly Garden and Glass

    Artsy Spot: Chihuly Garden and Glass

    Last week, an interior designer friend from Florida was visiting Seattle, so we seized the opportunity to catch up over lunch. I racked my brain trying to come up with a lunch spot I thought would be inspiring to her design senses and then it hit me– the cafe at the Chihuly Garden & Glass museum! I’d been meaning to visit the museum since arriving in Seattle, but it just hadn’t happened yet, so here was the perfect excuse.

    Chihuly Gardens

    Textiles_Northwestern Room_Chihuly Gardens
    The museum centers around the work of renown Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly.  Chihuly is a bit of a polarizing figure in Seattle– his work, having saturated the Seattle glass market for quite sometime, he’s like the Starbucks of art in Seattle.  He’s everywhere, as are copy cats and artists who’ve worked for him so it can be understandably tiresome to see yet more Chihuly.  But with that said, the museum is a feast for the eyes and definitely worth a visit!

    Chihuly Gardens

    Chihuly GardensChihuly GardensFrom an art lover’s standpoint, the mere spectacle of color and texture is unforgettable.  The museum is relatively small, only about 1/2 dozen “rooms”, Chihuly’s work really shines in the atriums and outdoor garden spaces.  The design of each space is done thoughtfully and with much regard to the characteristics of the works themselves, how the light behaves in and around them, color, etc.

    Chihuly Gardens

    Though the price of admission seemed a bit steep at $19 for an adult ticket, the museum staff was friendly & helpful, which goes a long way in my book!  Overall, the Chihuly Garden & Glass is the perfect cultural diversion amongst the touristy offerings at Seattle Center.  Oh and lunch at the Collections Cafe was delicious!  For more information on visiting the Chihuly Garden & Glass, please visit their website.

    If you’d like to see more photos from my visit, check out the Artsy Instagram feed!

  • Twisted & Tangled: Deborah Dancy

    Twisted & Tangled: Deborah Dancy

    Sometimes, as I’m looking through my artists queue and planning which artists to feature, I have to go back and search the Artsy archives because I come across an artist whose work is so fantastic, so just up my alley, that I’m shocked I let this artist’s work sit in queue for so long.  I can’t believe I waited so long to share these gorgeous abstract paintings by artist Deborah Dancy.

    As the World Turns by Deborah Dancy
    As the World Turns, oil on canvas, 60×48
    Dancing in the Dark by Deborah Dancy
    Dancing in the Dark, oil on canvas, 60×60

    Dancy spins a web of layered painterly texture, light, shadow and intricately concocted yet wonderfully spontaneous cages of line.  My eye gets caught up in each tangled maze of paint, getting utterly lost and never wanting to come back.

    The Object of My Affection by Deborah Dancy
    The Object of My Affection, oil on canvas, 46×46
    Stormy Weather by Deborah Dancy
    Stormy Weather, oil on canvas, 30×30

    And have I mentioned the palette?  Warm rusty desert tones contrast with pale cotton candy pastels, keeping things fresh and light.

    Gates of Paradise by Deborah Dancy
    Gates of Paradise, oil on canvas, 60×48

    Want to see more of Deborah Dancy’s work?  Of course you do.  Check out her website.

    All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Sears Peyton Gallery.

     

  • Insert the Artsy: Casey Matthews

    Insert the Artsy: Casey Matthews

    In my not so distant past, I worked as a Project Manager/Art Consultant for a gallery & art consulting firm.  What does that mean exactly?  It means I looked for artwork for clients.  A LOT.  Matching up the right art to fit the client’s space, budget, design, and taste was what I did and something I plan to start doing again ( keep your eye on this page! ).  When I see a blank wall, instinct takes over and I immediately start thinking of what artist’s work would be perfect in that space!

    When I saw the empty wall above this bed, the wheels immediately started turning.. Clean, modern bedframe, fabulous funky black Bertoia chair, graphic striped rug and bright green coverlet.  So we want something with some texture and color but not too much.. enter this pair of abstract paintings by Casey Matthews!

    ITA_Casey Matthews

     

    interior | artwork 

    Casey’s work feels fresh and young, but still sophisticated enough to add a grown up vibe to what could otherwise feel like a “starter” room.  And I love putting a pair or series of work where a single large piece is the more expected choice.  What do you think?  What artwork might you place in this space?

    Stay tuned for more details regarding services coming soon to Artsy Forager!

    Images via artist’s representing gallery, Gallery Orange.

  • Shifting Perceptions: Katharina Grosse

    Shifting Perceptions: Katharina Grosse

    I find myself continually fascinated by the work of artists who very literally paint outside the lines.  Artists like Margie Livingston and Laura Moriarty use paint as a medium for sculpture, who see beyond paint applied to canvas to what else these aqueous pigments can be.  German artist Katharina Grosse paints across spatial planes, creating psychedelic landscapes which push and ignore our perceptions of boundaries.

    Untitled by Katharina Grosse, Nasher Sculpture Center
    Untitled ( 2013 ) by Katharina Grosse, Nasher Sculpture Center
    Pigmentos Para Plantos y Globos by Katharina Grosse
    Pigmentos Para Plantos y Globos, acrylic on balloons, soil, wall, floor

    Our realities are really all about perceptions– each person’s reality is different depending on their perceptions.  When we were in Friday Harbor last weekend, we received wildly different answers to the question “What is it like to live on the island?” Because of their own unique experiences, each person we asked had a completely different answer.  Their perceptions had shaped their reality.

    Untitled 2008 by Katharina Grosse
    Untitled, 2008, New Orleans, acrylic on wall and floor

    Grosse’s work takes the process of “painting” off the canvas and onto any surface, often ignoring spatial boundaries.  Her installations cause us to change how we perceive reality through her eyes and perhaps changes our perceptions permanently.

    One Floor Up More Highly by Katharina Grosse
    One Floor Up More Highly, 2010, styrofoam, acrylic on wall, floor, soil and reinforced plastic
    Picture Park, 2007 by Katharina Grosse
    Picture Park, 2007, acrylic on wall, ceiling, soil, latex balloons and canvases

    If you’d like to see more of Katharina Grosse’s work, please visit her website.  Have you seen any interesting installations lately?  Perhaps ones that pushed boundaries?

    All images via the artist’s website.

     

  • Color Harvest: The Deep Blue Sea

    Color Harvest: The Deep Blue Sea

    Maybe it’s finally living in a place surrounded by water after living in the desert last year, but I have been finding such inspiration in the various hues of blue to be found in the waters around Seattle!  So many gorgeous shades from the deepest, darkest blue to green aquas, I just want to plunge right in and see what mysteries await!

    IMG_1114It’s only natural that this blue obsession is trickling over into the artwork I’m foraging on my Pinterest boards.. here’s a little deep blue sea inspiration to get your own seas churning!

    Color Harvest_Deep Blue Sea

     

    [ clockwise, from top left: Elena Kalis |  John Armleder | Miranda Lake | Emily Ferretti studio | Michal Fargo | Jennifer JL Jones

    What colors are inspiring you this summer?

    All image credits linked above.