One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how to inject more of myself into the blog. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely not going to turn into the Artsy & Mr. Forager show.. but the way we live is so unique and our opportunities for adventure and exploration so rich that I thought you guys might enjoy the occasional glimpse into the way we live. So beginning this week, I’ll post a little recap of how we spent our weekend, part of a This Artsy Life series. Mind you, not every weekend will be filled with new sights and discoveries.. sometimes we’re really boring. 😉 But I hope these posts will help you get to know me a little better, and in turn, we’ll get to know each other a little better!
Last weekend was spent with dear friends in San Diego. Our times with the Jameses and their three sweet boys are filled with the sharing of food, drink, and laughter. And sometimes a tickle fight.
[ beer tasting at Ballast Point Brewing ]
[ Ruud van Empel at MOPA* ]
[ the sweater likes coffee** ]
[ artsy eating ]
[ tickle fight ]
[ turkish coffee at Hillcrest Farmer’s Market ]
*Look for a post on this amazing artist & exhibition soon!
**There’s a story behind the sweater. And many to come.
Since Mr. Forager & I made our trek West from Florida over a year and a half ago, I hadn’t been back to my hometown. So we took advantage of finally being semi-close to a major airport, counted up our credit card reward points, and bought me a ticket home. For a month. Which turned out to be such a long time to be separated! My main focus while in Jacksonville was to see my family, so artsy stuff was put on the back burner. But I did see a few fantastic shows and enjoyed long chats with some of my favorite artsy folk. Thought you might enjoy the highlights from my trip!
Ke Francis show, Biloxi to Babylon at Florida Mining Gallery
Biloxi to Babylon, the Ke Francis show that was up at Florida Mining last month was incredible. I wasn’t terribly familiar with Ke’s work but am now a fan. Amazing dream-like imagery and delicious texture produce stunning and provocative paintings. The gallery space at FM was just a gorgeous as in the photos I’d seen and gallery owner/artist Steve Willliams and Gallery Manager Aaron Levi Garvey were kind enough to share exciting upcoming shows and some of the incredible work hangin’ out in the backroom.. hello Mapplethorpes!
Cap Tossing Over the Wall of Space by Steve Williams
Steve & I were able to get away from the gallery for a bit of an artsy chat over lunch. He filled me in on what’s happening in the art scene in Jacksonville and he asked that question dreaded by all aspiring artists.. “So have you been painting lately?” Ugh. Punch in the gut. But we commiserated over the plight of just not knowing how to start and where to go with what we begin.
After much back and forth and rescheduling, artist Christina Foard & I were finally able to get a chat and studio visit in. Sorry, no photos from C’s studio, currently set up in her home. Christina, as a person and artist, is often someone I just want to chat with. Her work is incredible and I’m one of her biggest fans, but on this particular day, talking without focusing on taking photos for the blog just seemed right. Seeing her work again in person just reiterated to me how powerful it is. She’s working on a new project that will be unlike anything she’s done before.. I got goosebumps just hearing her talk about it!
My time at both museums left me filled with nostalgia. The 80s show at MoCAwas incredibly memorable, not just for the star power of the artwork show ( Warhol, Fischl, Basquiat, Sherman, Freud, and Close, just to name a few ) but seeing some of the work, especially pieces from the museum’s permanent collection transported me right back to my college days, when the museum was in a much smaller, more intimate setting and I was first able to see work of that magnitude up close & personal.
Then Came a Dog and Bit the Cat by Frank Stella, from Re:Focus Art of the 1980s at MOCA JacksonvilleElizabeth Gilbert and Lois Mailou Jones at The Cummer Museum of Art
My time at the Cummer filled me with a similar wistfulness, especially when left there to wander on my own while waiting for my sister-in-law to arrive with my nieces. It was there I truly fell in love with art history, where the paintings came alive and spoke to me as I sketched them as a young college student.
But soon, the true purpose for my trip home arrived. The rest of our evening at the Cummer was spent with my nieces Kendall and Samantha, playing with art in the Cummer’s Art Connectionsarea.
Playing with art at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville
I miss being able to be an artistic influence on my nieces, hard to do from 2000 miles away. Hopefully, the memories will remain vibrant in their young minds and they will become flourishing artsies themselves.
Steve Williams and Christina Foard images via the artists’ websites. Frank Stella image via Jacksonville.com. All other images by Artsy Forager.
I can only imagine the courage it takes for an artist to create in front of a group of people. Heck, even one other person would terrify me. But at The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene, ID ( our hometown for just another 6 weeks ), their new featured artist for the month gives a demo on the Saturday following their opening. It is a fantastic way to gain a real “behind the art” glimpse into the creative process! I can’t believe it took me this long to attend one, but I’m so glad I did. The work of Spokane artist Mel McCuddin is striking online, luminous up close, but to see it in progress was truly inspiring.
Matchmaker, oil on canvas, 52×48Reveries, oil on canvas, 48×44
Each canvas begins as an exercise in Abstract Expressionism– it is all about the paint, texture and color. Slowly, as formations evolve in clouds, a figure emerges on the surface.
The Old Dog, oil on canvas, 36×40Black Dirt Farmer, oil on canvas, 48×48
McCuddin thoughtfully builds his layers, alternating patches of light and dark. Deliberate smudging of large swaths of canvas give way to areas of delicate and careful application.
The Late Bus, oil on canvas, 52×48
His finished works are often left with an eerie glow, giving them a slightly alien quality yet they are approachable and likable. His subjects stare back at us with curious wisdom. You can see a slideshow of images of Mel McCuddin in action here ( Artsy Forager now has a YouTube channel! ). His solo show can be seen at The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene until August 4, 2012. I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area!
Featured image is Three in a Tub, oil on canvas, 48×52. All images are via The Art Spirit Gallery website.
As I mentioned before, there were certain shows I knew I wanted to see while we were in Seattle last weekend. I’ve loved the work of Seattle artist Anne Siems since first seeing it online and was excited to get my chance to see her work up close and personal. Her solo show, Guidance is showing at Grover Thurston Gallery, just up ( or down? Still don’t have my Seattle geography down pat ) the street from Foster/White, so away we went.
Wolf Girl, acrylic on panel, 48×48
Siems’ inspiration behind the show was the evolution of her daughter from childhood into adolescence and the idea that wild animal spirits may help children navigate their way through this transition. In each of us there is a wild, animalistic-like spirit that, as we grow up and grow older gets buried under years of suppression and training in proper behavior.
Antler Girl, acrylic on panel, 40×52
In Siems’ work, we see children taking on historically grim expression and formal, constricting garb, reminding us of centuries of children whose innocence is lost all too soon. Children whose natural wild spirits may fight against the constraints of social tradition and custom.
Bison Boy Drawing, mixed media on paper, 38×50
I was particularly drawn to Bison Boy ( above ), perhaps for the way the figure is isolated starkly against the white paper background. He has been taken out of his environment, out of his element. His garments are in the somewhat effeminate style of his era, yet his bison head & skin seem to be reminding us to not forget the wildness within.
George’s favorite work in the show was Lynx Cap ( below ), as this figure retains a sprightly, little girl expression in contrast to the other figures’ more suppressed, even haughty countenances. She is still an innocent.
Lynx Cap, mixed media on paper with embroidery, 22×30Guidance Tree, mixed media on panel, 48×48
I could go on and on about these and talk about every one– they are so interesting, visually and spiritually. If you’d like to see more of Anne Siems’ work, please visit her website. If you’re in Seattle, I highly recommend a visit to Grover Thurston to see these in person, a truly stunning show.
Featured image is Heart Branches, mixed media on panel, 30×30. All images are via the artist’s website.
None other a luminary than my husband’s man crush, Eddie Vedder said, “It’s an art to live with pain.. mix the light into the grey.” Although I don’t necessarily subscribe to the notion that all artists must suffer in order to create great work, artists have long had a way of funneling hardships endured into their work. The result is often something extraordinary. When diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, Cleveland artist Arabella Proffer channelled the painful endurances of modern medical procedures into research of the remedies of the past. The result is a new series, The National Portrait Gallery of Kessa, a collection of paintings exploring the medical procedures and superstitions of the past.
Skin of the Fox Cures the Pox, oil on linen, 16×20 ( via Lee Joseph Publicity )
Being in the midst of a Frida Kahlobiography, Arabella’s work immediately struck a chord with me. But these aren’t remade Kahlos. There may be a similarity in style and subject, but while Kahlo’s work dealt directly with her own experiences and emotions, Arabella instead chose to portray imaginary female subjects, creating not only a visual representation but a history and backstory for each.
Violets for Heart Veins, oil on linen, 16×20 ( via Lee Joseph Publicity )
From the artist: “After having a section of my leg removed, I began researching medicine from the Middle Ages through the 18th century; this series was a good way for me to work out my anger and be even more thankful that what I’m going through is nothing compared to old remedies and techniques. My art and interests were in the way society lived in the past, but with emphasis on the defiant, glamorous, and eccentric — not daily strife. You could have been rich, important, or beautiful, but if sick, you would still receive brutal or worthless treatment.”
Sawed, oil on linen, 16×20Black Madonna, oil on linen, 5×7
This series, along with selected works from the Black Madonna series, are now on display in a solo exhibition, Ephemeral Antidotes at Articulated Gallery in San Francisco through February 3rd. If you’re not in the San Fran area, be sure to check out Arabella Proffer’s website for more of her work.
Featured image is a detail from Violets For Heart Veins, oil on linen, 16×20. All images are via that artist unless otherwise stated.
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