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Jesus Leguizamo

I’ve been seeing a lot of articles pop up lately on the importance of our online profile photos. It seems that we make snap judgements about the people we see online based solely on facial expression in profile photos ( duh? ). In his paintings, Colombian artist Jesus Leguizamo obscures the faces of his subjects, blurring all expression. There seems to be a trend in art and photography of obstructing faces.. in these days of status updates and selfies, are we all just sick of ourselves?

In some of Leguizamo’s work, the faces are completely obliterated, leaving nothing but what’s left of the figure to clue us in as to who they are. In others, the result is a bit more haunting, as we see just enough expression to leave us wanting to know more.

In all the social media swirling around us, it’s tempting to want to put it all out there, to share with the world everything we’re doing and thinking.. and it seems there is a Pavlovian type effect that happens when we do. Sharing and getting a response makes us want to do more. But when do we cross the line over into sharing too much? Is it best to lay it all out for the world to see or retain a bit of mystery?

To see more of Jesus Leguizamo‘s work, please visit his website and his portfolio on Saatchi Art.

Second image via the artist’s website. All other images via Saatchi Art.

June 9, 2014
No Place Like Home: Kelda Martensen

The minute I saw this artist’s work, it resonated deeply with me. As Mr. F and I continue to travel, we are brought closer to the day when we settle down to make a permanent home. The idea of home– where that will be and what it looks like for us is a frequent topic of conversation. Through her collage work, Seattle artist Kelda Martensen is also seeking the meaning of home.

prints available in the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art

prints available in the Artsy Forager collection for Mantle Art

prints available in the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art

Of course house like structures and elements figure prominently in Martensen’s work but they are often turned on their head, or inside out, causing us to remember that the buildings we inhabit are merely that– home, in its true definition cannot be held captive in architecture. Our real home lives and breathes within us and changes with our shifts in relationships and seasons. We may perhaps be bound to one particular place, but our heart is free to soar and live wherever it finds root.

To see more of Kelda Martensen‘s work, please visit her website. And make sure you check out the collection of Kelda’s prints for sale in the Artsy Forager Collection for Mantle Art!

All images via the artist or her website.

*This post contains affiliate links. As curator of the Artsy Forager for Mantle Art Collection, I receive a small commission on each piece sold from the collection.

June 6, 2014
Don’t Miss Artsiness: NSEW 6.5.2014

Gallery Shows You Should Know About

This week, it would seem, is one to be filled with all sorts of newness! In addition to the new post series started on Tuesday and the introduction of my Great.ly shop, I’m excited to finally launch a new featured series I’ve been pondering for a while now. I’m always on the hunt for new ways to support and promote the artists whose work I love. When we travel, we’re on the lookout for local art shows and happenings. Which led me to think, hey, you guys must be, too!

Each Thursday afternoon, I’ll be posting a round up of interesting gallery or museum shows I think you outta know about– one from each region of the country, North, South, East & West. ( FYI– sometimes North and Northwest will be interchangeable, just because. )

Here’s the very first round up–

north | Marie Watt, Receiver at Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA

south | Lily Kuonen, Playnthings, at the Crisp Ellert Museum, St. Augustine, FL

east | Jeremy Miranda, Late Winter/Early Spring at Nahcotta, Portsmouth, NH

west | Jennifer JL Jones, Invisible Thread at Hunter Kirkland Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM**

Find details about each show by clicking through to the gallery or museum links above. If you check ’em out, tag me ( @artsyforager ) on Instagram with the hashtag #dontmissartsiness!

**Jennifer JL Jones’ show ends June 8th! Get there before it closes.

Image sources via the galleries & museum sites linked above.

June 5, 2014
Luscious Piles: Susan Carr

You guys know I love some thick goopy paint! These small paintings by Susan Carr may just be the densest, most luscious piles of paint I’ve ever laid my artsy eyes on.

I’m in love with the way these paths of paint wind their way up, down, and around each canvas, blending and weaving together like rainbowed tree bark. I mean, I kind of want to dip a corn chip into that goodness and eat it. But I won’t. However, I will just sit here and admire and wish I could run my fingers over all that lovely paint.

To see more work by Susan Carr, please visit her page at Saatchi Art or her representing gallery’s website.

All images via the Giampietro Gallery website.

June 5, 2014
Ceremonial Garb: Amy Boone McCreesh

When it comes to ceremonies and celebrating, it seems like here in the US, our traditions are pretty mundane. Where are all the costumes and displays? For many other cultures, milestones are met with ritual and fanfare. Baltimore artist Amy Boone McCreesh explores that relationship between exhibition and ephemera in her sculptural work.

Crafted from cut paper, ribbons, sequins, found objects, you name it– these sculptures are teeming with texture, color, and movement. Reminding us of maypoles, leis, and exploded pinatas, they are contemporary interpretations of ancient traditions.

To see more of the work of Amy Boone McCreesh, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

June 4, 2014
The Artsy Nature: Yellowstone & Amy Donaldson

Judging from the blog’s title & if you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ve probably guessed that Mr. F and I are the outdoorsy types. We both thrive on time spent among the quiet beauty of the outdoors, whether surrounded by snow-capped mountains or digging our toes into the black sand of Northwest beaches. I’m finding artistic inspiration in nature for my own series of work, so why not find it in the work of other artists, too? Often when I see an artist’s work, my mind connects it to the memory of a place I’ve been or a detail observed or sometimes, an outdoor scene will call the artist’s work to mind. It’s the whole chicken vs. egg thing, but this time, with art and nature.

So with this post, I’m launching a new series, The Artsy Nature, in which I pair a photograph from our traverses in the great outdoors with a piece of artwork.

photo | spring at The Black Sand Basin, Yellowstone National Park by Artsy Forager

art | Purpose by Amy Donalson

One of my absolute favorite features in the wondrous beauty that is Yellowstone were the geysers and hot springs. Algae and micro bacteria create gorgeously saturated coloration in the most heavenly palette.

Nature is the most spectacular of canvases, isn’t it? Look for more The Artsy Nature posts coming your way!

Photo by Artsy Forager, art image credit linked above.

June 3, 2014
June Featured Artist: Deb Haugen

There are certain artists whose work just instantly resonates with me. Perhaps it’s their style or subject matter, but in the case of this month’s Featured Artist, Deb Haugen, it’s both. When I first saw her work waaay back in 2011, I immediately responded to the free flowing naturalness to her work.

Since then, Deb’s work has evolved beautifully, in some cases incorporating graphic drawing as in her ink pieces featured above. These intuitive drawings have a delicious tension between the concrete illustrative quality of intricate patterns and the bright, watery world surrounding them.

I’m not the only one who is drawn to these organic beauties– Neiman Marcus and Crate & Barrel have both carried Deb’s prints ( currently available through Neiman Marcus, new large print to come for C&B! ). But you can also purchase Deb’s work directly through her own website shop! Gorgeous work at super affordable prices, you can’t go wrong!

To see more of Deb Haugen‘s work, please visit her website and be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to keep up with what she’s up to! You’ll be seeing more of Deb’s work around the blog & Artsy Forager social media all June long!

All images via the artist’s website.

June 2, 2014
Easy Like Sunday Morning: Anna Topuriya

I am so ready for a bit of R&R this weekend, aren’t you? This traveling lifestyle that Mr. F and I enjoy has its perks but the desire to see as much of each area as possible while we are here mean that weekends are rarely spent doing much relaxing. These paintings on paper by Anna Topuriya have a lovely sense of ease and leisure to them.

The pale palette creates a peaceful atmosphere and the pops of cerulean blue are tiny little seas of calm. The tropical motifs definitely help foster that sense of a visual vacation, as well as the artist’s compositional style similar to Japanese painting, celebrating the beauty in simplicity.

To see more of Anna Topuriya‘s work, please visit her website. Now excuse me, I think I need to find myself a hammock and a pina colada.

All images via the artist’s website.

May 30, 2014
Finding My Own Artsy: Feminine Wiles, Painting Ten

It’s been a while since I shared a new Feminine Wiles piece with you! I’ve been so distracted by the gorgeous weather, hikes with Mr. F, and my new series on paper, that I let the FW pieces slip a bit. But then Sunday came and along with it a warm and sunny afternoon, so I spent some time painting out on our little deck. When I was ruminating on starting this series, iconic feminine film icons were popping into my noggin’ and Rita Hayworth‘s Gilda was among the first to come to mind.

found here

In the 1946 black & white film noir, Rita Hayworth plays title character Gilda, the passionate and beautiful songstress wife of an illegal casino owner. The film plays out a dark love triangle between Gilda, casino owner husband Mundson, and Gilda’s former love, and indebted confidante to Mundson, Johnny Farrell.

The 40s film is teeming with tension– crime, secrets, anger, revenge. It’s not wonder costume designer Jean Louis outfitted the femme fatale character is slinky black, reminiscent of Sargent’s Madame X.

Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell in Gilda, acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

My darkest FW piece yet, it also has a slightly looser feel– something that I thought fit the characterization of Gilda so well– full of turmoil and contradiction.

To see more from the Feminine Wiles series, check out the series portfolio page. Up next? I’m thinking a little Monroe. 😉

Film image source linked above, painting by Lesley Frenz.

May 29, 2014
Cable Guy: Andy Mattern

If there was ever a series of photographs I could relate to, Cable Management is it. In this series, Albuquerque artist Andy Mattern documents “the process of reconstructing domestic space”, specifically the often frustrating task of figuring out which cable goes where.

As Mr. F and I move so frequently and live in furnished rentals when we do, we’re often faced with the challenge of learning a whole new layout ( which often involves crashing into walls in the middle of the night for the first week or so ), as well as new appliances and remotes. For the artist, the process of relocating and managing the electronic connections and accoutrements has become a sort of “Zen activity”. For this series, instead of documenting the actual living spaces, the artist composed mock walls and arrangements. The outlets and cables snake up and along the walls, almost taking on an anamorphic quality, the power of connection coursing through their wires.

To see more of Andy Mattern‘s work, please visit his website.

All images via the artist’s website. Artist found via Uprise Art.

May 29, 2014

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artistic pathfinding by lesley frenz

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