I have a weakness for Abstract Expressionism. I’m not sure what it is about the paintings of that time and the artists who created them, but there is just something about these works that move me. Maybe it is the experimentation, or the emotionality behind them or the rebellion against a post-WWII saccharine society.
The last of the original group of the Abstract Expressionists, Hedda Sterne has passed on. Perhaps a lesser known member, her work was still widely collected and is held in the collections of several prominent museums.
I am so excited to bring you our very first Artsy Forager studio tour, featuring ( drumroll, please! ), Amelia Island artist Theresa Daily! *applause*
Theresa and I struck up a friendship through the glory of Facebook long before we’d ever met in person. This self-taught artist struck me as incredibly funny, generous and kind-hearted, not to mention talented. Once I met Theresa in person last year, there was no doubt that my initial impression was true.
The artist in her studio
Though a Kentucky native, Theresa is definitely an “island girl” at heart. Her work lovingly depicts the landscapes and life surrounding her on Amelia Island.
You can usually find Theresa painting at Blue Door Artists on Centre Street in Downtown Fernandina Beach, FL– look for the blue door and crazy stairs! She shares her sun-filled second floor studio with fellow artist, Carol Sprovtsoff. You may even catch a glimpse of Theresa’s grandchildren, two adorable artists-in-training!
Potato-chip bag evidence, kids are about!
A peek inside her watercolor stash
Working in a collective studio like Blue Door allows the artists to share ideas and inspiration, as well as help each other out when they get “stuck”. The idea of an artist working away in a lonely studio may be romantic, but not be nearly as much fun. These artists feed of each other’s creative energy, which results in growth and more dynamic work. For instance, when Theresa was struggling with her latest piece ( pictured below, behind the easel ), fellow Blue Door artist, Casey Matthews was there to encourage, offer suggestions and be a source of support.
Theresa’s work has gone from mostly representational to more intuitive , abstracted landscapes. But a consistent style and palette keeps the work coherent and instantly recognizable as hers.
The studio’s gallery space
Art for sale!!
Thank you for joining me on a little visit to the creative space of this local artist. Stop by Blue Door anytime Monday- Saturday, 11ish to 5ish ( island hours! ) and you may be lucky enough to see Theresa Daily in action and enjoy a chat.
Beauty was abounding in Jacksonville last night and I’m not just talking about the perfect weather. My sister-in-law and I attended the monthly Downtown Art Walk and were treated to not just the usual visual stimulation but mental and emotional engagement, as well. Now, I had a list about a mile long of the spots I wanted to hit, but we arrived late and spent quite a bit of time at each one, so.. yeah, we only made it to a few.
But we began the night with a bang at The VAULT Gallery, Willliams-Cornelius’ space in a former bank vault ( yes, you read that right! ) on Forsyth Street. Greeted by the Mr. Williams & Ms. Cornelius themselves, and intern Adam, we set off to see what artist Jeff Whipple had in store for us. Whipple has been working on this “Spasm” series for more than thirty years. What began as a painterly device to fill negative pace, the three-barred icon has grown from an element in the background to become the object of an entire series of work.
The three bars that comprise a “spasm” serve to symbolize life, lifetime or a lifestyle. The artwork is open to interpretation, based on the viewer’s own experience– how you see it may not be the way I see it and that’s OK. All of our lives are different and it is in this difference that we each find meaning in the spasms. This is work that truly that makes you stop and think– what does this mean? To the artist? To me?
In conjunction with the showing of Jeff Whipple’s work, Williams-Cornelius also presented a performance piece by self-proclaimed “deformance artist”, Liz Gibson. Gibson was born with a birth defect causing her to have only seven fingers– five on one hand and only two on the other. The performance last night was a character of Gibson’s own creation “Ben Wa Betty”. Betty appears as part archetypal Asian lady, but in a hip and provocative way. Gibson tells stories of how at times she felt lucky or unlucky to have been born with a deformity, all while pouring wax over her deformed hand, proving how you can take something that seems unlucky and make something beautiful out of it.
The overaching theme is one of contentment– be happy with who you are and how you were made. At times you may feel unlucky, but there will always be a reminder of just how lucky we all are.
Our next stop was Southlight Gallery, where there is always a display of exceptional art by some of the most well-known artists in Jacksonville, right along side with talented emerging artists. The featured artist last night was wood sculptor, Grant Ward.
I’m a sucker for any burl or wood sculpture and have been a fan of Ward’s pieces for a long time. There is something about an artist that looks at a log or a tree stump, sees the potential for creating something unique AND possesses the craftsmanship to create something polished and beautiful out of such rough raw materials.
I have always especially loved Ward’s pieces that combine burl wood with spun metal. These pieces take on, for me an other worldly space-like quality. It is as if the wood is a planetary surface and the metal pieces are alien pods making their home there.
After leaving Southlight, we made our way toward the river to the Suntrust Tower, new home of Town Editions, Thomas Hager’s new line of accessibly affordable limited editions– making this artist’s beautiful work available to even a young collector.
These hand-crafted, signed and numbered editions are created using vintage photographic processes, which give the simple subject matter an elegance and sophistication lacking in much of today’s photographic prints. Also on view are some of Hager’s paintings ( He paints, too! I know! ).
Filled with texture and a pastel & neutral palette, these pieces are reminiscent of sand or rock. They have an organic feeling to them that such completely non-representational work rarely possesses. I’m looking forward to seeing Tom’s paintings evolve just as his photography continues to do so.
I wish I could tell you more about all the places we visited and amazing art we saw, but alas, that was the end of our night. I can tell you that I will be back downtown soon to visit the exhibits and studios I missed. I’m not sure how anyone could see it all in ArtWalk’s four hours.. but what an awesome problem to have!
May’s Downtown ArtWalk will be May 4, 2011. More information available here. Hope to see you there!
Yesterday I learned of the passing of one of the great leaders of the art community in Jacksonville, Hamish MacEwan. Hamish was born in Scotland, eventually coming to the US and earning a Masters of Art degree from Harvard University. His career brought him to Jacksonville and though he gained notoriety as the head of the arts department at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville and producer of cultural programs for Jacksonville’s local PBS Station. It is in his paintings and personal relationships that Hamish’s real legacy is found.
I can still vividly remember my first encounter with Hamish. I had only been working at Fogle Fine Art for a short time, when Hamish came into the gallery on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. I had, of course, already been familiar with his work from living in Jacksonville and working for SuperStock, who handled the licensing of much of his artwork.
He came into the gallery looking like a character from a Rosamunde Pilcher novel, dressed in cordoruoys, tweed jacket ( complete with elbow patches! ) and hat. His voice had that beautiful Scottish lilt and he was the epitome of a Scottish gentleman. I always remember his hankerchiefs, because they reminded me of my own grandfather, also an old-school hankerchief user.
Hamish was a prolific artist, painting every day even into his 90’s. In 2009, Fogle joined forces with MOCA Jax to do a retrospective of his work the year Hamish turned 90 years old, “90 in “09” showcased the artistic journey of this remarkable artist. I was fortunate to give Hamish a ride home after the opening at the gallery. He was blown away by all the attention and so appreciative and humbled by this celebration of his life of work.
After I dropped Hamish off that night, I watched him amble along the sidewalk to his apartment, leaning on his cane. I pictured him the next day, same as always, painting in his studio. I like to think that he is still painting.
Goodbye, Hamish. Thank you for the creative legacy you have left us all.
Sorry for the late post today– we’ve had some big things happening, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied. More on that later! For this week’s Masters Monday, we’re going a little more modern– enter Pablo Picasso and cubism. Cubism is an early 20th century art movement that was begun by Picasso and Georges Braques in which objects were depicted from a multitude of viewpoints in a seemingly random fashion.
Breakfast by Juan Gris
For me, cubism was a quite a breakthrough while taking figure drawing classes in college. Once figure drawing started clicking for me, ( it was horribly frustrating at first, but my professor at UNF, Paul Ladnier, told me that one day it would just “click” and it would be smooth sailing– I didn’t believe him until it actually happened that way! ) it was then that Paul suggested I try a little cubism. That’s when things REALLY started to get more fun and interesting! I loved exaggerating the planes and forms.
Girl With a Mandolin ( Fanny Tellier ) by Pablo Picasso
I realize Cubism isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it was the introduction into a different way of seeing, a new perspective on how we look at the things we see.
Happy Friday everyone! If you’re in North Florida, no, that light coming through your windows is not an April Fool’s Day joke– the sun is finally shining! If you haven’t made it to the beach yet, here are a few of my favorite beachy pieces to get your through until then.. each one brings a little somethin’ different, dontcha think?
Oh how I wish we were already on the West Coast! Claire Cowie’s work is intriguing and this exhibition is hanging in Seattle only for a few more days. The article goes into the importance of placement and hanging for the exhibition, something many gallerists overlook, but is often so important to the artist’s vision of how the work is to be viewed.
WINTER TRANSITIONS; SPRING STORMS is R. Roberts Gallery’s celebration of the transition from the grey, dreary days of winter into the fresh bloom of spring. The show features the work of three very different artists, mixed media artist Madeline Peck-Wagner, sculptor James Oleson and encaustic painter Kathleen Wobie.
As you enter the gallery, you may almost miss James Oleson’s tiny bust sculpture. This diminutive piece, made of repurposed metal, will definitely make you stop and take the time to really check it out. I couldn’t believe I walked right by it when I first came in! Beyond the bust is one of Oleson’s horse sculptures. With its stilt-like legs and flowing tail, this equine could be right out of a Tim Burton movie. Oleson also has some much larger scale sculptures that are interesting in their own right.
Speaking of equines, Madeline Peck-Wagner’s mixed media works were defnitely, for me, the star of this show. She takes subject matter that could be trite and cringe-worthy ( think cheesy Southwestern art ), but treats it in a unique, contemporary and elegant way.
These are delicate line drawings possessing an intense presence and power, much like the impressive animals depicted. The cross-hatching & precision of the lines are reminiscent of architectural drafting, giving the figures depicted a strutctural, landscaped quality. Conversely, blots and washes of brightly colored paints call to the spiritual significance such animals, both living and decayed possess.
Just as the delicate, bare branches of winter transition into the full, heady blooms of spring, so we move from Madeline Peck-Wagner’s graceful lines into Kathleen Wobie’s encaustics, thick with wax, paint & color. Kathleen’s pieces, in the context of this show, seem to depict spring at its height– full of pastel tones and sunshiney warmth.
For me personally, I found the larger, abstract piece below to be Wobie’s most successful of this show. This piece, rather than being the literal translation of winter to spring that the piece above is, instead represents more the feeling of spring– of rebirth, renewal and the joy of being alive.
As we in North Florida transition into spring ( though some days lately, it feels as if summer is already upon us! ), take the time to drop by R. Roberts to see how these artists make the switch and enjoy this last show in the gallery’s current space. R. Roberts is doing some transitioning of their own, can’t wait to see the bountiful blooming that is sure to be in store!
R. Roberts Gallery is located at 3606 St. Johns Ave in historic Avondale, in Jacksonville.
Winter Transitions; Spring Storms will be on display through April 23rd, the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm.
SHAWN MEHARG: SEEING LITTLE MORE is the latest exhibition of work at the Williams-Cornelius Gallery located inside Daryl Bunn Studios in Riverside. If, like me, all you’ve ever seen are Shawn’s more representational works, you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was to discover this new series of abstracts.
I am a huge sucker for lots of texture, so this show had me at hello. These abstracts are LOUSY with texture ( and I mean that in the best possible sense! ), color and depth. Layer upon layer of paint, charcoal, etc., give way to artwork in which the viewer can get lost. There are a few pieces that are lighter in tone, but for the most part the color is heavily saturated, but somehow still remaining translucent, giving the feeling of looking through wet stained glass.
Lots of edgy endings in color and straight lines add to the stained-glass effect. There also seems to be a reflectory vibe happening, especially in the darker pieces– they could be reflections of city lights in pools of water on asphalt streets.
The visual depth is especially evident in the pieces in which the canvas seems to be opening up into a world beyond– as in “City Mouth” below.
I don’t want to give too much away. If you’re in Jacksonville, go see this show for yourself and find out what “more” you can see.
Williams-Cornelius Gallery is located inside Daryl Bunn Studios, 643 Edison Ave in Jacksonville.
I have a weakness for Abstract Expressionism. I’m not sure what it is about the paintings of that time and the artists who created them, but there is just something about these works that move me. Maybe it is the experimentation, or the emotionality behind them or the rebellion against a post-WWII saccharine society.
