artsy forager

Tag: figurative art

  • Still Life: Mary Jane Ansell

    Still Life: Mary Jane Ansell

    Do you ever wonder what it might be like to be the subject of a painting?  Would you be content to let the artist interpret you as you are or would you try to clothe yourself in your own chosen persona?  The subjects in the paintings of UK artist Mary Jane Ansell seem to be playing dress-up, yet we are left to wonder, is this who they are or who they wish to be?

    Girl in a Cocked Hat II by Mary Jane Ansell
    Girl in a Cocked Hat II, oil on panel, 19.8x 19.8
    Girl in a Naval Cap by Mary Jane Ansell
    Girl in a Naval Cap, oil on panel, 10.6×14.1

    In these quiet paintings, we are offered a glimpse into a moment, a fleeting feeling, a pause in the life of the subject, the life of the artist and one of our own.

    Anima Animus by Mary Jane Ansell
    Anima Animus, oil on panel, 48×60
    The Loved One by Mary Jane Ansell
    The Loved One, oil on panel, 99×99 cm

    They are quiet, contemplative portrayals, yet within each is a sense of anticipation.  The stillness and peace that comes just before we discover something amazing.  Perhaps it might be within ourselves that we find the revelation.

    Girl Reflected by Mary Jane Ansell
    Girl Reflected, oil on board, 42×30 cm

    To see more of Mary Jane Ansell’s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s representing gallery, Fairfax Contemporary.

  • The Awakening: Amy Guidry

    The Awakening: Amy Guidry

    Mr. Forager has just completed a course on Women’s Studies, in preparation to pursue a Master’s Degree, so we’ve had some interesting discussions around the dinner table of late.  There’s been talk of women’s rights, gender equality, etc.  It seems as women, we still struggle against the fairy tales we grow up with versus the reality of living as a contemporary female.  In her New Realm series, Louisiana artist Amy Guidry weaves a new kind of story, as surreal as any myth yet grounded in modern strength.

    Release by Amy Guidry
    Release, acrylic on canvas, 36×48

    The heroine of Guidry’s tale embraces her situation.  Instead of being helpless and afraid, she is empowered to embrace the opportunity for transformation.  Knit throughout the series are symbols of growth and change, such as the butterfly and snail, as well as signs of freedom such as a bird in flight.

    Awakening by Amy Guidry
    Awakening, acrylic on canvas, 48×24
    Renewal by Amy Guidry
    Renewal, acrylic on canvas, 48×24

    This heroine is not wallowing in her plight or withering away in a cage.  She is in control of her own story, her own destiny.

    Was It a Dream by Amy Guidry
    Was It a Dream, acrylic on canvas, 40×30

    To see more of Amy Guidry’s work, please visit her website.  Be sure to check out the video for the New Realm series here!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Body Language: Anna Bocek

    Body Language: Anna Bocek

    So much of our communication these days is in a non-face-to-face fashion.  We text, email, Facebook, and Twitter each other, but the subtleties of expression and eye contact is lost, making these a poor substitute for a live chat over coffee.  Perhaps too, that may be why we find ourselves drawn to work like that of Polish artist Anna Bocek.  We long to see another face gazing back at us.

    Summer Wind II by Bocek
    Summer Wind II, painting, 100×100 cm

    Bocek chooses to isolate her subjects against a usually colorful, vibrant background, yet it is the person we focus on.  She captures each figure in the midst of movement, their motions as fluid as a dancer’s.

    Jetty by Anna Bocek
    Jetty, painting, 100×100 cm
    El Circo III by Anna Bocek
    El Circo III, painting, 100×100 cm
    Swimming Pool by Anna Bocek
    Swimming Pool, painting, 100×130 cm

    The flesh of her figures is painted with a vibrancy and warmth, making them come alive as if the canvas was taking in breath.

    Cafe Rose Series by Anna Bocek
    Cafe Rose Series, painting, 100×110 cm

    If you enjoyed Anna Bocek’s work, be sure to visit her website to see more!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Weaving Tales: Kaoru Mansour

    There is nothing better than a good yarn.  And by yarn, I mean story, although the fiber kind can be pretty satisfying, too.  One of the things that I love about Mr. Forager is his propensity for spinning tales.  Los Angeles based artist Karou Manour weaves visual stories throughout her work, whether figurative, abstract, sculpture, or landscape, her work catches us in the midst of a mystery.

    Kaoru Mansour
    Yoshinobu 1949, collage, acrylic and ganbi tissue on wood panel, 16×16

    Each piece has such an clandestine atmosphere, making us wonder where we have found ourselves, what we are seeing, and how it came to be.

    From Portland #117, collage, acrylic on wood panel, 10×10
    Uzu Uzu #104, acrylic and thread on gourd, 5x5x5
    Rocket Apron, thread, acrylic, ink pen on paper, 23.5×35

    It feels as if we are caught in the midst of an ancient story, one filled with myth and mysticism.

    Iro #529, collage, acrylic and 22k metal leaf on canvas, 30×30

    To see more of Karou Mansour’s work, please visit her website.

    Artist found via Florida Mining Gallery, where I saw a few of Karou’s pieces in person– they are stunning!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Social Media: Laura Hudson

    Because of the transitory nature of my life currently, many times Mr. Forager and I will purposely seek out coffee shops, art openings, and pubs merely for the opportunity to interact face to face with other people.  Baltimore based artist Laura Hudson takes such opportunities a few steps further, cultivating events in order to draw people together, observe their scenes of interaction, then distilling selected scenes as life-scale paintings.

    Laura Hudson

    Laura Hudson

     In her series “Art Opening“, the artist took images from other events which were put into life-size paintings that would serve as a framework for new interactions with viewers who then become a part of the composition simply by observing.

    Laura Hudson

    Laura Hudson

    To see more of Laura Hudson’s work, please visit her website.  She is an artist in residence at Gallery Four in Baltimore.

     Artist found via New American Paintings.  All images are via the artist’s website.

  • A Day Filled with Thankfulness

    Wishing a very happy Thanksgiving to all the US Artsies and a day of blessing to everyone!  I am thankful for the inspiration found in the work of so many talented artists, the encouragement of all my artsy readers, and the opportunity to bring these two blessings together each day.

    Hope you are all enjoying an abundance of love today!

    Lullaby by Susan Melrath

    Image by November Featured Artist, Susan Melrath.  See her work on the Artsy Forager Facebook page & her website.

  • Transforming Myths: Hung Liu

    Transforming Myths: Hung Liu

    I’ve always had a fascination with Asian cultures, especially Chinese folklore and familial traditions.  Chinese American artist Hung Liu’s work evolves from her background in socialist realism  taking traditional “mythic poses” of Chinese propoganda photography and reshaping them into visual stories of feminine strength.

    Calendar Girl, mixed media, 41×60

    The women in Liu’s paintings are not victims.  They are towers of strength, their fortitude existing not in brute force but in quiet dignity.

    Green Mountains, mixed media on panel, 41×41
    Soul Mates VII, mixed media, 13.5xx13.5

     

    Series V, mixed media, 13.5×13.5

    To see more of Hung Liu’s work, please visit her website, as well as the website of her representing gallery, Diehl Gallery, where I first discovered her work.

    All images are via the artist’s representing Jackson Hole, WY gallery, Diehl Gallery.

  • Without Guile: Catriona Miller

    Without Guile: Catriona Miller

    There is so much cynicism to be had in this world, that sweetness and innocence seem to get lost in the shuffle.  What drew me to the work of Scottish artist Catriona Miller is its charming purity.

    Brighton Belle

    Her figures gaze coyly to the side, just a hint of a smile on their lips.  It’s as if they carry a delicious secret they cannot tell.

    Daisy Daisy
    Small World
    River Man

    Isn’t it interesting how we might often feel sorry for “simple” folks,  yet how much more happy might they be than we?

    Jack Jarrett

    To see more of Catriona Miller’s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Artsy on Escape Into Life: Sarah Johanna Eick

    Artsy on Escape Into Life: Sarah Johanna Eick

    While most of the time I’m drawn to saturated “happy” color, occasionally my soul calls out for a little moody darkness.  So when I laid my eyes upon the work of photographer Sarah Johanna Eick at The Red Arrow Gallery here in Joshua Tree, the quiet power in the work took hold of me and I just had to feature her in my Artist Watch over on Escape Into Life today ( see the EIL post here ).

    From The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing series by Sarah Johanna Eick

    Sarah Johanna Eick on Escape Into Life

    PS- stay tuned for another Red Arrow artist later this week!

  • On the Verge: Kevin Peterson

    On the Verge: Kevin Peterson

    You may have noticed that moving over the website didn’t happen yesterday.. things didn’t quite go as planned.  Working on it again today! 

    In just a few days, I’ll be seeing my beautiful nieces for the first time in over a year.  They’ve gotten older and taller and I can tell from photos that they are on the brink of leaving childhood behind.  The work of Houston artist Kevin Peterson looks at that the journey out of childhood and into a fractured world.

    Oil on panel, 27×34
    Acrylic, metallic paint on panel, 36×36

    As children, we’re so quick to want to grow up, we can’t wait to go on our first date, get our driver’s license, go off to college, be able to sit at the “grown-up table”.  But isn’t it amazing how swiftly we would go back to swing sets and school holidays, once we get a glimpse of the cynicism and cruelty of life among the full grown.

    Bubbles, oil on panel, 27.5×31
    Lovely, oil on panel with corrugated metal, 40×57

    While entering adulthood has its carefree qualities ( hello, ice cream for dinner! ), there is a delicious freedom when you’re a kid that only grown-up children can recognize.

    To see more of Kevin Peterson’s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.