artsy forager

Tag: abstract art

  • Win Artsy Stuff: March Art Association Contest!

    Win Artsy Stuff: March Art Association Contest!

    What better way is there to officially kick off Spring than a chance to win some art?!  I assert that there is none!  That’s right, Artsies, Art Association is back and this one is going to be crazy good, I can feel it!  After February’s contest Erin, my partner in AA crime over at artsocial, and I persuaded this month’s artist, Karen Schnepf to participate and we think you’ll love her work just as much as we do.  Seriously, it is gorgeous!

    If you’re new to Art Association, here’s the what’s what — 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.

    Are you ready to get started?  Of course, you are!  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and you’re ready to pin your little hearts out.  Our catalyst piece for this month is.. Wedding Day by Karen Schnepf!

    Wedding Day by Karen Schnepf
     Here’s how Art Association works–

    Step 1|  We give you a piece of artwork, this month’s work is Wedding Day by Karen Schnepf ( 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! )

    Here’s what you can win–

    Colors Layered 26 by Karen Schnepf, collaged painting with high gloss finish, 12×12

    Erin & I will choose the best board entry, who will be the lucky new owner of Colors Layered 26 by Karen Schnepf ( below )!  Colors Layered is a series of work in which paper is painted, cut, then layered onto panel and coated with a smooth, high gloss finish.  ( The work has to be photographed before the finish s applied or else it is impossible to capture without glare ).  Isn’t it stunning?  I’m incredibly jealous of whoever wins this lovely.

    The pinner with the best Art Association board ( as judged by me and Erin ) will be chosen on Wednesday, March 27th at 5pm (mountain standard time).  I can’t wait to gaze upon all the beautifully colored boards I just know you guys are going to come up with!  This currently desert-dwelling-gal needs some color!

    OK, now go forth and pin!

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

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

    Art images via Karen Schnepf.


  • In Abundance: Sandy Welch

    In Abundance: Sandy Welch

    Do you ever have days when you just feel abundantly blessed?  I hope you do!!  These days I’m feeling amazingly thankful for so much.  Mr. Forager, the life we lead, the life we’re building, what I do here and everyone who shares in it.  When I was gazing at these abstract paintings by Conneticut artist Sandy Welch, one word came to mind: abundance.

    Springtime in the Park #2 by Sandy Welch
    Springtime in the Park #2

    These paintings are filled to overflowing with vibrant color and energetic rhythm.  Fairly frenetic with joy, they are brimming with life, just as the world explodes in color each spring.

    All That Jazz by Sandy Welch
    All That Jazz, acrylic, 30×40
    Spring II by Sandy Welch
    Spring II

    The paint is almost dancing off the canvas, isn’t it?!   Each one is just brimming with hopefulness and frivolity.  I think we need to remind ourselves sometimes that it’s OK to be happy.  Life isn’t perfect, no, but overall it is pretty darn good.

    A Walk in the Park by Sandy Welch
    A Walk in the Park

    To see more of Sandy Welch’s work, please visit her website and Pinterest page.

    Images via the artist’s website and her Pinterest page, linked above.

  • Artsy Eats: Christina Baker + Strawberry Truffle Pie

    Artsy Eats: Christina Baker + Strawberry Truffle Pie

    Did you know that today, 3.14, is Pi Day?  The happiest of all days? Get it?  Pi/pie?  I have a deep and abiding love for pie.  Ask Mr. Forager.  I’ll take pie ( fruit filled, please, preferably berry ) over cake any day of the week!  And as you know, being artsy is a way of life as much as it is a type of person.  And this artsy loves her pie.  Especially this one from BHG made with fresh strawberries AND chocolate.  If you love Christina Baker’s sweet painted confection, I bet you’ll love this pie, too.  A little rich chocolate, fresh strawberries and a flaky crust perfectly mime Christina’s February painting filled with berry-hued pinks, creamy whites and fresh brights.  I can almost taste them both..

    Gotta go, I need some strawberries STAT.

    art | February by Christina Baker, available at Found Gallery on Artsy Forager

    pie | Strawberry Truffle Pie, recipe at BHG.com

    You can check out February and more of Christina Baker’s candy-colored artwork in the City Mouse | Country Mouse show up in Found Gallery until March 28th.  You can even buy that little sweet for yourself, which let’s face it will be much better on the waistline than confections of the pie variety.  Aaaah, I’m always craving art, but now I’m craving pie, too!  Happy Pi Day, Artsies!

    Christina Baker image via the artist, pie image via Better Homes & Gardens website.

  • This Artsy Life: Weekend 10 [ Stuff We Did. Stuff We Didn’t Do. ]

    This Artsy Life: Weekend 10 [ Stuff We Did. Stuff We Didn’t Do. ]

    Please forgive me for getting this latest This Artsy Life post up a bit tardy. The last seven days have been a bit out of whack around these parts, with our beloved ( and much relyed on! ) Macbook taking a nosedive late Tuesday night, three treks to the Apple store an hour away in five days, major life decisions made, a visit with the only blood family I have in Cali, and the time change, well.. the actual life part of This Artsy Life took a bit of precedent. 😉

    In all that craziness we did manage to squeeze in a little ArtWalking in Joshua Tree and some much needed downtime with my San Franciscan cousin in Palm Springs. We found some new artists to love at both The Red Arrow Gallery & Joshua Tree Art Gallery and bonded with my cuz over being the only family members crazy enough to choose the West over the South. I so enjoyed the time with my cousin that I didn’t snap one photo all day. You’ll just have to take my word for what a gorgeous day it was! But I’m happy to share a few snaps from the one time I did take out the camera– at the Joshua Tree ArtWalk.

    20130312-145019.jpg
    [ almost bought this piece by Judy Wold a few months ago.. still coveting ]

    20130312-145124.jpg
    [ we both loved this sculpture by Steve Reiman ]

    20130312-145250.jpg
    [ lovely lines and texture by Bret Philpot* ]

    20130312-145739.jpg
    [ Mr. F’s fave ( right ) and my fave ( left ) ]

    20130312-145907.jpg

    [ awesome painted cubes ]

    Things are inching back toward normal today in This Artsy Life, though it will only be a few more weeks before we begin making plans to move on to our next spot.  And then what madness will begin!  Want to see more from our JT ArtWalk? Follow Artsy Forager on Instagram.  I might even show you obligatory-Instagram-lunch photos.

    *Bret Philpot’s website doesn’t appear to be working.  Sorry.  If you’d like to get in touch with the artist, please contact The Red Arrow Gallery.

    All images by Artsy Forager.

  • Springing Forward: Marion Lane

    Springing Forward: Marion Lane

    Did the time change knock anyone else for a loop?  Mr. F and I were fine ( fantastic, actually! ) the first day, OK yesterday, but both exceedingly groggy this morning.  Everything feels just a tiny bit off.  But we relished the extra daylight yesterday.  Everything around us seems to be basking in the glory of spring.  While we were in Palm Springs on Sunday, blossoms were everywhere.  Perhaps that’s why I was so drawn to this series of work by Los Angeles artist Marion Lane, Spring.

    Untitled by Marion Lane
    Untitled, acrylic on panel, 13×13
    Untitled by Marion Lane
    Untitled, acrylic on panel, 13×13

    The paintings in the Spring series remind me so much of what spring is like in the city.  The lushness of blossoms bursting forth against the hard-edged verticality of urban architecture.

    Untitled by Marion Lane
    Untitled, acrylic on panel, 13×13
    Untitled by Marion Lane
    Untitled, acrylic on panel, 13×13

    Spring is, after all, a season of transition, and as such still filled with wet, grey days.  But it is those spring showers that nourish and bring to life all that was dormant.   New life suddenly sprouts everywhere, as Lane’s oozing organic shapes remind us.

    Untitled by Marion Lane
    Untitled, acrylic on panel, 13×13

    To see more of Marion Lane’s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

     

  • The Abstract and The Absurd: Simon DeGroot

    The Abstract and The Absurd: Simon DeGroot

    Confession: there are times when I am bored by art.  Not often, but Mr. Forager will testify that it’s pretty obvious when I’m not crazy about the work I’m looking at.. my eyes just kinda glaze over or even worse still, I take one glance, shrug my shoulders and walk on in hopes of finding something more interesting.  But the work of today’s artist?  Nu uh.  I couldn’t stop looking and agonized over which work to include for you.  Yep, Brisbane artist Simon DeGroot knows how to capture my attention.

    Maintain Pleasure Personally by Simon DeGroot
    Maintain Pleasure Personally, screenprint, acrylic and oil on board, 600x800mm
    Copia Avis with Purple by Simon DeGroot
    Copia Avis with Purple, screenprint, acrylic and oil on board, 800x800mm

    First, there are these wonderfully absurd collages, filled with seemingly incongruous imagery like traditional Dutch still lifes, toy trucks, shelter magazine shots and of course.. Big Bird.  How do they all fit together?  Is it really necessary that they do?  DeGroot makes the compositions work using color, form and line, keeping our eye moving.  Keeping us guessing.

    But Is It Fragile by Simon DeGroot
    But Is It Fragile, 600x600mm
    Garnish by Simon DeGroot
    Garnish, 105x150mm
    Small Overload by Simon DeGroot
    Small Overload, 300x325mm

    Then there are the more purely abstract works– studies in vivid, expressive color against the pale or the black of an abyss.  Simple lines and shapes put together in that wonderfully it-seems-random-but-it-works-so-well-it-can’t-possibly-be.  Splashes of color and looping lines.  Perhaps more free than their collaged counterparts, but the compositions remain as grounded and sure as any classical still life.

    In Real Time by Simon DeGroot
    In Real Time, 600x600mm

    There is much more abstraction and absurdity on Simon DeGroot’s website.  Pixelated floral still lifes?  Wrapping paper collages?  He’s got ’em.  Be sure to check them out.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • March Featured Artist: Peri Schwartz

    March Featured Artist: Peri Schwartz

    I may have mentioned Mr. Forager has taken up beer making. Lately he has been obsessed with finding out the best methods and practices for brewing the perfect beer. He recently told me about a fellow brewer he found online that worked for over twenty years to perfect one particular brew recipe. Talk about practicing and perfecting your craft! This month’s Featured Artist, Peri Schwartz is equally tenacious in striving to capture every nuanced surface, angle and corner in her own studio.

    Studio IX, color monotype, 30×34.5
    Studio XXX by Peri Schwartz
    Studio XXX, oil on canvas, 38×48

    By narrowing her scope of work and field of vision, Schwartz frees herself to carefully explore her space, the forms inhabited therein, and the light that enters and retreats each day. Although her overall style and palette remains consistent, we can see her exploring how the space and objects are represented.. sometimes they are mere planes of color, other times their shapes are more concrete.

    Studio 12 by Peri Schwartz
    Studio 12, ink and charcoal on mylar, 12.34×27
    Studio 13 by Peri Schwartz
    Studio #13, ink and charcoal on mylar, 13.30x28x25

    In other instances, as in her black and white drawings above, she is carefully studying the effect of light on the familiar surfaces, carefully watching and interpreting the reflective play between light and shadow.

    Bottles and Jars XII by Peri Schwartz
    Bottles and Jars XII, oil on canvas, 30×20

    To see more of Per Schwartz’s work, please visit her website. You can also see an album of Peri’s work on the Artsy Forager Facebook page. Peri will be a busy bee soon with three openings– at Davis & Cline Gallery in April, Garvey/Simon Art Access in May, and Gerald Peters Gallery in July. Whew! Hope you’ll be able to catch one!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Welcome our March Featured Artist!

    March is here! Where in the world did February go? Sneaky little short month catches me off guard every time. But I’m excited to welcome a new month because it means welcoming a new Featured Artist to Artsy Forager! Please help give a warm artsy welcome to New York artist Peri Schwartz!

    Studio XXXII by Peri Schwartz
    Studio XXXII by Peri Schwartz

    Be sure to head on over to the Artsy Forager Facebook page where Peri’s work will be gracing the cover for the month of March! And don’t forget to check out her Facebook album, where you’ll see a combination of her latest work and a few of my personal favorites. Happy month of March!

    Image via the artist’s website.

  • Suspended Effervescence: Kim Squaglia

    Suspended Effervescence: Kim Squaglia

    Ever throw a party, then wake up the next morning to a completely disheveled house, yet revel in the knowledge that you know a good time was had?  The work of California artist Kim Squaglia, with its effusive confetti-like dots and streamer-like lines against soft, solid backgrounds reminds me of the quiet morning after a rockin’ party.

    Lolly by Kim Squaglia
    Lolly, oil, acrylic and resin on panel, 24×24
    Lolly ( detail ) by Kim Squaglia
    Lolly ( detail )

    As you can see in Lolly ( detail ) above, Squaglia’s technique of layering acrylics, oil and resin results in incredible depth, almost cut-paper like in nature, adding to the confetti and streamer effect I can’t seem to get out of my head.

    Scend by Kim Squaglia
    Scend, oil, acrylic and resin on panel

    Then there are works like Scend ( above ) and Cirque I ( below ), which are a bit more reminiscent of cosmic configurations and tangled vines.  There is also an interesting cell-like structure to many of her compositions, which may seem like a microscopic peek inside the human body or other organism.

    Cirque I by Kim Squaglia
    Cirque I, oil, acrylic and resin on panel, 48×72

    So many possibilities to be discovered!  What do you see in Kim Squaglia’s work?  To view more of the artist’s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Now Showing in Found Gallery: City Mouse | Country Mouse!

    Now Showing in Found Gallery: City Mouse | Country Mouse!

    The artsy mice have officially invaded Artsy Forager!  Our very first online exhibition and sale, City Mouse | Country Mouse is now on view in the found gallery !  I’m so excited to present the work of two talented Nashville artists, Christina Baker and Deann Hebert.

    If you’ve been reading the blog for awhile, hopefully you’ll recognize the work of these painters.  Each painting is an original and available for purchase through the artists, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Nashville Zoo.  Now I’m not sure they have any mice at the zoo, but I’m sure there are lots of other wonderful little furry foragers!

    City Mouse | Country Mouse will be showing in the found gallery through March 28th, so you’ll have until then to snatch up one of these beautiful little paintings all for your very own!  Throughout the month we’ll get to know the artists a little better, too!

    So what are you waiting for?!  Grab a handful of cheese and click here to see for yourself!