artsy forager

Tag: art

  • No Place to Hide: Gillian Lambert

    No Place to Hide: Gillian Lambert

    At times, there is much disparity in the art world between skill and talent level vs. level of fame and success achieved.  There are some mediums in which it seems easier to get by on mediocrity than in others.  Drawing skills, however, are very hard to fake.  And artist Gillian Lambert has the skill in spades.

    Shirt by Gillian Lambert
    Shirt, graphite on paper, 22×30

    In her Self-Deception series, Lambert finds beauty in the vulnerable and grotesque.  Female faces ( hers ) are partially hidden or disfigured in some way, yet not completely concealed.

    Paint by Gillian Lambert
    Paint, graphite on paper, 22×30
    Hands by Gillian Lambert
    Hands, graphite on paper, 22×30

    In the same way, we try to deceive ourselves, don’t we?  We put on this costume or that mask, hoping the world doesn’t see through.  Not knowing how much more accepted we might be if we just threw back the veil.

    Foil by Gillian Lambert
    Foil, graphite on paper, 22×30

    To see more of Gillian Lambert’s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • This Artsy Life: Weekend 4 [ Artsy & Mr. Forager Go to LA ]

    This Artsy Life: Weekend 4 [ Artsy & Mr. Forager Go to LA ]

    Following a rough, partially sleepless Friday night ( hey landlord, just because your rental is in the desert, doesn’t mean it never rains.. puddles in the bed are no fun ), Mr. Forager & I arose early Saturday morning, fueled up on coffee and pancakes in Joshua Tree and hit the road to escape to LA for the day. On the agenda: The LA Art Show, The Pie Hole, and the Arts District.

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    [ away we go! ]

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    [ unsophisticated ]

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    [ found: Damien Hirst ]

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    [ these were fun, magnifying glasses required ]

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    [ desire, obtain, cherish ]

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    [ speaking of desire ]

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    [ The Sweater contemplates.. is it art? ]

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    [ so long, Sheperd Fairey ]

    Want to see more photos from our LA adventure?  Oh, I’ve got ’em!  Check out my Instagram feed for lots more artsiness form the City of Angels!

  • Beneath the Surface: Charles Clary

    Beneath the Surface: Charles Clary

    Sometimes, work just catches my eye because it’s interesting and well executed.  Then the more I look at it, the more I’m amazed by it.  And then, I read the artist’s statement about his work and I’m left speechless at the way the creative mind weaves and works.  Tennessee paper artist Charles Clary uses layer upon layer upon layer of hand cut paper to render intricate worlds that “mimic viral colonies and concentric sound waves“. ( !?! )

    Microbial Diddlation Movement #18 by Charles Clary
    Microbial Diddlation Movement #18, acrylic and hand cut paper on panel

    Recognizing the similarities in pattern between microbial outbreaks and sound waves, Clary’s work shows us, in a way, what could be lurking under any surface.  We are lulled into a sense of ease and complacency by the smooth, unblemished surface of the canvas, yet what is revealed is a complex system of layered, interconnected shapes.

    Radmiafungle Gestation Movement 6 by Charles Clary
    Radmiafungle Gestation Movement 6, acrylic and hand cut paper on panel
    Radmiafungle Gestation Movement 6 ( detail ) by Charles Clary
    Radmiafungle Gestation Movement 6 ( detail )

    Despite their slightly menacing associations, for me, the work is reassurring rather than disturbing.  I find it comforting to think that despite appearances, there is always more than meets the eye.  What is taken for granted as simple, may very well be extremely complex.  Like peeling back an onion, it’s only when we look beyond the surface that we see the layers.

    Microbial Diddlet Movement #4 by Charles Clary
    Microbial Diddlet Movement #4, acrylic and handcut paper on panel

    To see more of Charles Clary’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Art Association: We Have a Winner!!

    Art Association: We Have a Winner!!

    Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to everyone who pinned their artsy hearts out for our January Art Association contest!  With 22 entries and hundreds, maybe nearly a thousand ( ! ) pins, you guys gave it your all and then some.  But our chosen winner, Karen Schnepf, pinned like mad, pinning over 300 images!  But there was a beautiful method to her madness as each pin was associated not just by subject to what she saw in the painting, but by color palette as well, which created an amazingly lovely selection of images.  I’ve repinned a few on my own boards!  Here’s just a sample of the gorgeousness on Karen’s board– you can see the entire board here.

    Karen Schnepf’s Winning Pinboard!

    Lucky gal, that Karen, as she will soon be the new owner of Christina Baker’s Bridge Over Roses and I think I can safely say we are  all GREEN with envy!  Congratulations, Karen!  PS– Karen is a pretty wonderful artist– be sure to check out her website!

    I wish we could have given you all a piece of artwork.. but there is always next month’s Art Association!  If you’re an artist who would like to be considered for AA, please contact me at artsyforager@att.net or Erin from artsocial at artsocialonline@gmail.com. Thanks everyone for joining in the fun!

     

     

  • 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!

     

  • 2G2B4G: Shawn Huckins

    2G2B4G: Shawn Huckins

    Just in case you don’t speak text short-hand, 2G2B4G = too good to be forgotten.  Which very aptly describes the work of today’s artist, Denver’s Shawn Huckins.  The artist’s current series, An American Revolution Revolution combines 18th Century American portraiture with 21st Century lexicons such as tweet and text acronyms, creating diverting and provocative images.

    Vanderlyn's Secret Obsession, Talk Dirty to Me by Shawn Huckins
    Vanderlyn’s Secret Obsession, Talk Dirty to Me, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 30×36
    Dorothy Quincy: Don't U Realize Dat I Only Txt U Wen Im Drunk by Shawn Huckins
    Dorothy Quincy: Don’t U Realize Dat I Only Txt U Wen Im Drunk, acrylic on canvas, 34×44

    Like the historical portraits he uses in his work, the text slang has become a part of our own period in history.  Will we still be using this jargon to communicate in a hundred years?  Or will future generations look back and see us as stodgy, stuffy, and hopelessly formal?  Hard to believe that we could denigrate any further than we have, but perhaps our ancestors thought they were just as hip and happening as we believe ourselves to be.

    The Transient State of Mr. Rice, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 22×28

    My first thought when looking at this series was similarities between traditional portraiture, often created as a remembrance of a certain person for a special occasion, and our modern obsession with texting and tweeting, and the impressions and memories of ourselves we are creating.

    Young Girl with Dog and Bird- Sorry to Tell You, But Your Girlfriend Looks Like a Farm Animal by Shawn Huckins
    Young Girl with Dog and Bird- Sorry to Tell You, But Your Girlfriend Looks Like a Farm Animal, acrylic on canvas, 32×40
    Verplank's Post on American Moralism: Like Duh, Obviously, It's a Complete Waste of Time by Shawn Huckins
    Verplank’s Post on American Moralism: Like Duh, Obviously, It’s a Complete Waste of Time, acrylic on canvas, 40×53

    I’m not sure I would want to be remembered for my texts.  Would you?  To see more of Shawn Huckins’ work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • 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!

  • Finding the Pearl: Carlos Lopez

    Finding the Pearl: Carlos Lopez

    You know the old wives’ tale: oysters are an aphrodisiac.  How many single guys have taken a gal out for beer & oysters hoping to make a lil magic happen?  If it’s sensual magic you’re hunting, look no further than the work of New Orleans artist Carlos Lopez.  His elegant, nearly surreal still lifes of oysters will make your mouth water and pulse quicken before you ever bite into the real thing.

    Gluttony by Carlos Lopez
    Gluttony, oil on canvas, 10×10
    Champagne with Gigi by Carlos Lopez
    Champagne with Gigi, oil on canvas, 20×20

    For a New Orleans native, oysters, so abundant in the area seem a natural still life subject, yet there is nothing prosaic about Lopez’s treatment of the common bivalve.  These works carry the sensuality of Georgia O’Keeffe, the smooth surrealism of Dali, yet glow with the light and crispness of classical still lifes.

    Passionate Affair by Carlos Lopez
    Passionate Affair, oil on canvas, 50×40

    These mollusks seem to take on a life of their own, the work is so full of emotional charge, we can feel the sadness, the joy, the hope or shame the oyster seems to be feeling.  Or perhaps we are seeing our own reflection in the pearly surface of its shell.

    Make a Wish by Carlos Lopez
    Make a Wish, oil on canvas, 16×16
    Heavenly by Carlos Lopez
    Heavenly, oil on canvas, 20×20

    To see more of Carlos Lopez’s work, please visit the website of his representing gallery, Gallery Orange in New Orleans.

    All images via Gallery Orange.

     

  • Artsy on Escape Into Life: Andy Price

    Artsy on Escape Into Life: Andy Price

    The juxtapositions of uber-traditional garb and the ultra modern in these paintings by Andy Price really caught my eye.  See more from this artist in my Artist Watch over on Escape Into Life today!

    See No Evil by Andy Price
    See No Evil by Andy Price

    Andy Price on Escape Into Life

    Image via View Art Gallery.

  • 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.