artsy forager

Tag: abstract art

  • Coming to found in February! City Mouse | Country Mouse

    Coming to found in February! City Mouse | Country Mouse

    I’m a little sneaky sometimes.  You know, like a mouse.  You may have noticed the found gallery page pop up in the top navigation last week.. or maybe you noticed the found logo in the sidebar.. or saw the Facebook & Twitter posts on Sunday.  If you haven’t picked up on my not-so-subtle hints, you can find more on found here.

    found is an online exhibition gallery featuring curated collections of small works, quarterly, for limited engagements.  It’s just another way for me to share artists’ work with you, but in a more focused, specific, special way and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity and promise lots of wonderful artsiness will come to found!

    The very first found exhibition will open on Thursday, February 21st!  The show, City Mouse | Country Mouse will showcase two Nashville area artists, Christina Baker and Deann Hebert, who, in their respective work, are drawn to very different perspectives of their Tennessee home.  The show will be sponsored by the artists’ representing gallery, Gregg Irby Fine Art and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Nashville Zoo.

    Mark your calendars!  These two talented artists are creating some beautiful work to share with you!

     

  • Wear the Artsy: Christina’s World

    Wear the Artsy: Christina’s World

    Sometimes, OK if you’re me, often, we fall so in love with a piece of artwork, we want to live in it, breathe it, and yes, WEAR it.  The Wear the Artsy series imagines doing just that.. what if I could become my favorite work of art?  Today, I’m longing to put on the garb of Featured Artist Christina Baker’s Dinner Mints.  Classic, sophisticated, yet laid back yummy.. just like Christina’s painting!

    art | Dinner Mints by Christina Baker, acrylic on canvas, 6×6*

    necklace | Supernatural Necklace by Lina Lundberg

    cuff | Braided Turquoise Leather Cuff by Justlena

    sweater | Striped Merino Crewneck Sweater by The Limited

    shirt | Faded Chambray Popover by JCrew

    skirt | No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Sequins by JCrew

    bag | Bag MH 130 by Margarete Hausler

    heels | Nalo Heels by Anthropologie

     *Dinner Mints is just one of the pieces Christina will be showing in our very first found exhibition!  I’ll be giving you the lowdown on the show later this week!

  • Delicate Revelations: Lisa Occhipinti

    Delicate Revelations: Lisa Occhipinti

    In our current gypsy-like state, Mr. Forager and I try to travel as lightly as possible.  But we do acquire things along the way, some we find unnecessary, contributing to a local Goodwill every where we go, but others we hold onto tightly– art and books.  Small pieces of our own art enrich each temporary home, while the books we carry with us enrich our minds, spirits, and souls.  The work of Southern California artist Lisa Occhipinti centers around books, not just their physical pages but our emotional and spiritual connection to them.

    Perfect Balance by Lisa Occhipinti
    Perfect Balance, mixed media, 12×24

    The artist incorporates pages from various tomes in her work, sometimes in a conspicuous way, like the pretty coffee table books we may buy but never really read.. or in a more subtle way, like the self-help books and other guilty pleasures we keep hidden in the nightstand.

    Un Voyage Comique by Lisa Occhipinti
    Un Voyage Comique, mixed media, 24×36
    Note on the Type by Lisa Occhipinti
    Note on the Type, mixed media, 12×12

    Delicate drawings and inky washes call to mind margin notes and doodles peppering well read stories.  Almost as if the reader of Occhipinti’s visual story is distracted not because the story doesn’t hold their interest, but they lost in becoming a part of the tale being told.

    Sargasso by Lisa Occhipinti
    Sargasso, mixed media, 36×48

    To see more of Lisa Occhipinti’s work, please visit her website.  I chose to focus on her painting work, but you’ll also find wonderful book-y sculptures and photography on her site.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Artsy on Escape Into Life: Chyrum Lambert

    I am loving the mixed media work of Los Angeles artist Chyrum Lambert, featured today on my Artist Watch on Escape Into Life.  They remind me of wonderful puzzles waiting to be solved!  See more of Chyrum Lambert’s work on EIL here.

    The Artist as a Portrait of His Material by Chyrum Lambert

    Chyrum Lambert on Escape Into Life

  • January Featured Artist Christina Baker

    January Featured Artist Christina Baker

    This month’s featured artist, Christina Baker, is a painter whose work I’ve followed since we were both living in Florida.  Christina now resides in Tennessee, while at the moment you can find me in California..  While we are geographically distant, I’ve enjoyed watching her artistic career flourish from afar.  It has been such an amazing journey to watch as Christina grow into her own style as her work has blossomed into sophisticated expressions of her own visual language.

    Manhattan Memories by Christina Baker
    Manhattan Memories, acrylic on canvas
    Runaway Deer by Christina Baker
    Runaway Deer, acrylic on canvas, 40×40

    Christina’s work harnesses the power of color and emotion as she translates the feelings of a moment onto canvas.  Her palette goes through phases and cycles, just as our psyches do.  In many cases, you can truly see the joy she was feeling as warmth and light bounces around the canvases.

    Mint Chocolate by Christina Baker
    Mint Chocolate, acrylic on canvas, 20×20
    White Chocolate by Christina Baker
    White Chocolate, acrylic on canvas, 20×20

    Often in her work, there is a sense of fluidity and movement, possibly a byproduct of so much time spent near the ocean in Florida.  Shapes float among the light like drops of ocean spray or falling leaves.  Whatever the moment, wherever the place, it is a happy one.

    Love Letters by Christina Baker
    Love Letters, acrylic on canvas, 40×30

    To see more of Christina Baker’s work, please visit her website.  You can see her work in person at her representing galleries, Gregg Irby Fine Art in Atlanta and Imagine Gallery of Fine Art in Franklin, Tennessee.  Be sure to follow Artsy Forager all month long for more Christina Baker goodies!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

    PS– this post was published by mistake last Wednesday, my apologies to Christina and anyone who saw it and then went back to find it gone!  Blog operator error. 😉

  • Narrative Patterns: John Westmark

    Narrative Patterns: John Westmark

    One memory I have of my grandmother is of she and I in her dining room, sewing patterns spread out over fabric, pinking shears in hand, as she cut out the pieces to yet another new dress for me.  The crunch of that brown tissue paper is now always associated with those times together.  Austin artist John Westmark  incorporates paper sewing patterns into his work, reinterpreting them as he explores feminist narratives, mythical figures, and the segregation of stereotypes.

    Matrimony by John Westmark
    Matrimony, paper sewing patterns and acrylic on canvas, 36×36

    Not only does the artist incorporate the patterns into his work as a means of literal and visual texture, the patterns and their associations are the catalyst behind the explorations of themes in each series.  For instance, in his Folklore series ( including Corona below ), Westmark references the traditions of story telling, incorporating the instructional verbiage of the patterns themselves.  While in his Double Bind series ( including She-Crab below ), he reinterprets these instruments of traditionally feminine work into images of female mythical heroes and warriors.  Adding an additional level of interest, he adds to the patterns custom text from contemporary feminist writings– creating work not just to be seen but to be experienced.

    Corona by John Westmark
    Corona, paper sewing patters and acrylic on canvas, 48×48
    She-Crab by John Westmark
    She-Crab, paper sewing patterns and acrylic on canvas, 36×48

    For his Flight series, Westmark continues the visual conversation between the feminine and masculine by creating a bridge between the typically female sewing patterns and the mechanical drawings of aircraft, usually a more masculine endeavor.  Each patterns upon which to build and construct, looking very similar upon first glance– it is only when we examine more closely and determine their origin that we assign a stereotype to each.

    Mercury by John Westmark
    Mercury, paper sewing patterns and acrylic on canvas, 100×72

    To see more of the phenomenal work of John Westermark, please visit his website.  His work can be seen at Stark + Kent, a contemporary art gallery in Palm Springs, where I first spotted these extraordinary works, or at Gilman Contermporary in Sun Valley, ID, where his solo exhibition, Into the Fold, is showing until January 20, 2013.

    Artist found via Stark + Kent.  All images are via the artist’s website.