I’m a sucker for furniture. I love the mixture of function and design. And paintings of furniture? Well, those hold a special place for me as I went through my own “chair” phase while I was studying painting in college. So when I spotted the work of Gabriel Fernandez at Guardino Gallery in Portland this weekend, he had me at hello.
Eichler Book on Table, oil on canvas, 24×36
Fernandez creates scenes using furniture as another artist might use human models. He sets the stage to tell a story, of a moment that just happened or is about to occur. His compositions focus on the beauty of the objects themselves, the lives that they have led.. maybe an interesting life in a public place or a spiritless existence in a warehouse.
Orange Chair In Front of Radiator, oil on canvas, 25×21
The artist seems to be exploring the relationship of the objects to their environment, as an important player in a larger scene. His use of light and shadow create a sense of emotion and mood, keeping the images from becoming mere still lifes, but instead imbuing them with a sense of story.
Coos Bay Laundromat, oil on wood, 14×19.25Green Chair With Three Suitcases, oil on canvas, 20×22 Green Chair With Three Suitcases, oil on canvas, 20×22
These are objects with soul, with personality, experience. A past, a present and a future.
Green Chair With Three Suitcases, oil on canvas, 20×22
To see more of Gabriel Fernandez’s work, visit his website. Or, if you’re lucky enough to be in or near Portland, OR, drop by the Guardino Gallery in the Alberta Arts District.
Do you remember the days when we didn’t carry our phones around with us, but had to actually seek out that communication tool known as a phone booth? That small, 37″x37″ box where you could look up a number, dial and have a conversation all for just a 25 cents? OK, a dime if you’re really old experienced.
Seattle photographer Todd Jannausch saw in an old phone booth, not a relic of the past, but the blank walls of a would-be gallery.
Gallery ( 206 ), Occidental Park, Seattle, WA
Gallery ( 206 ) in Seattle’s Occidental Park, contains artwork by over 206 Seattle area artists, 18 artists are represented on the “walls” of the booth by original works on plexiglass. This littlest gallery is part public art installation, part exposure vehicle for artists not represented in area galleries. ( 206 is the area code for the Greater Seattle area ). It provides not just an artwork display but an entire experience for anyone willing to step inside for a more private conversation.
Inside Gallery ( 206 )
Inside, lighting is provided by a solar-powered installation overhead and yes, there is still a telephone inside. If you pick up the receiver, you won’t be able to make a call, but you will be rewarded by the music of Dave Abramson.
When is the last time you actually used a phonebook?
Taking a peek inside the Gallery ( 206 ) “phonebook” and you’ll find more 206-area artists, showing examples of their work and contact information. Not since the days of Superman has entering & exiting a phone booth been so much fun.
Addendum to the original post! Thank you to artist Troy Gua for sending me a photo of his ceiling installation in Gallery ( 206 ). The overcast weather that day ( in Seattle, imagine that! ) didn’t allow me to get a decent shot myself. So here it be! Truly cool. Check out Troy’s website and Facebook page for more of his work.
Troy Gua installation
To find out more information, visit the Gallery ( 206 ) website. If you’re in the Seattle area, stop by Occidental Park and see it for yourself!
Coco Chanel once said, “I consider lace to be one of the prettiest imitations ever made of the fantasy of nature; lace always evokes for me those incomparable designs which the branches and leaves of trees embroider across the sky..”
Shoreline, oil on panel, 48×43
I came upon Susan Hall’s paintings as we ascended the stairs up to Butters Gallery in Portland, our last gallery stop of a long day spent in that art mecca. Through the glass doors, I spied beautiful tone-on-tone figures, peaceful in their exquisite solitude.
Vision, oil on panel, 60×48
As they drew me in, I realized that I was viewing these figures through a veil, not one over my own eyes but through the intricate patterns in which Chicago artist Susan Hall ensconces each of her subjects.
Companion, oil on panel, 35×40
Veils may have both negative and positive connotations– The view through the veil of a bride is lovely and full of hope, while the view through the veil of a burqa may be considered by some as the prospect of a prisoner, someone not allowed to view the world through naked eyes.
Reverie, oil on panel. 27×27
Hall’s work also has a bit of a voyeuristic quality, as if we were gazing through lace covered windows, intruding upon a private moment or catching a glimpse of a ghostly deer’s visit before he disappears into the dark night.
Arrival, oil on panel, 43×48Clearing, oil on panel, 48×43
We see him but does he see us through our gossamer covering? Or perhaps he is merely an apparition of our imagination? Either way, I am enthralled.
Please visit Susan Hall’s website to see more of her breathtaking work. If you are in the Northwest, a visit to Butters Gallery to see her work in person will be a delight for your eyes, pinky promise.
PDX is slang for Portland, apparently. I kept seeing it everywhere in Portland this weekend and being from Florida, of course had no idea what it meant. Was it some sort of secret code? Some inside joke only super-hip Portlandians knew about? Nope, just Portland’s airport code, which has become short for Portland, just like JAX is short for my hometown of Jacksonville. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t some sort of subversive meaning to PDX, at least not one I could find on Google.
After a month in the Northwest, George & I finally made the 2 1/2 hour drive from Aberdeen, WA to Portland last Saturday. We’ve already hit a couple of smaller artsy destinations nearby ( Olympia, WA & Astoria, OR ), but finally worked our way up to the mac-daddy of them all, Portland. The home of hip. We were only in Portland for the day, so decided it would be best to limit ourselves to one section of the city. So we chose The Pearl District, for its galleries for me and its proximity to Powell’s Books, Stumptown Coffee & Rogue Brewery for George. I try to make sure that when I drag him gallery-hopping, there is always the promise of beer. This makes for a much happier husband.
Work by David Slader at Gallery 903
Gallery 903 was filled with contemporary painting, sculpture and mixed-media work. I can usually tell the minute I walk into a gallery whether or not I’m going to enjoy my visit and find artists to blog about. As soon as I saw wonderfully textured abstracts and thoughtfully placed sculpture, I knew Gallery 903 was a good stop. The work of the artist above, David Slader, got George’s attention before than mine. Slader is a former high-powered attorney turned artist and after reading his tongue-in-cheek artist statement, I had a better appreciation for him. His work has deep texture , a powerful palette and expression. Here’s an even better shot of “You Want to Dance”, that gallerist Herschel was nice enough to email me..
You Want to Dance, Oil on canvas, 24×24
This was just the first of the delights to be found at 903. While George continued to admire the Sladers, I rounded the corner and happily came across a little niche and what was to be found there? Some thrilling little Salvador Dali prints!
Salvador Dali prints at Gallery 903
Complimenting the Dalis in the same little space were two epoxy-resing pieces by Alan Fulle. One of my favorite things about working in a gallery was designing & creating tableaus of artwork that coordinate together in unexpected ways. Virtual congrats to whomever hung the work in this gallery.
I absolutely loved this bronze geese sculpture! George wasn’t quite as enamored. What’s not to love about lovey-dovey, fat bronze geese? I mean, really, how could you not love them?! Oh well, moving on..
Augen Gallery had two interesting exhibitions showing, the first, work by Wendy Franklund Miller– I am a sucker for encaustics. There is just something about that waxy texture that I adore.
Artist: Wendy Franklund Miller, Augen Gallery
The kind-of cosmic feel to Franklund Miller’s work was a great complement to their other exhibition, Light Drawings by James Minden.
Artist: James Minden, Augen Gallery
These “light drawings” are scratched/etched PETG ( plastic ) reflecting light. They are totally trippy in the best sense. We had so much fun looking at these from all different angles. Check out this slide show to see better photos than I could have taken: James Minden on Vimeo.
Continuing the equestrian kick I seem to be on lately, Froelick Gallery happened to be showing Equine, a juried group exhibition showcasing the horse. A diverse showing of work centered around our four-legged friends, it was fun to see the variety of interpretations, including a plate from the famous MuybridgeAnimal Locomotion series. George was drawn to the work of Miles Cleveland Goodwin, which while beautifully rendered, was a bit on the dark side for my tastes. I love how the differences in our tastes spark lively discussion!
Artist: Miles Cleveland Goodwin, Froelick Gallery
I, on the other hand, fell in love with the giant below. White Shadow by Rick Barstow is pastel on paper, 74″ long and it is fabulous. I’m not sure what I love more, the lovely layering of the pastel, the unfinished, sketchy-quality or the scribbled “HORSES” at the bottom. It’s all workin’ for me. Or maybe it is that the straight-on gaze of the horse reminds me of an illustration of a story my grandmother used to read me as a little girl, The Goose Girl.
Artist: Rick Barstow, Froelick Gallery
Our next stop, Bullseye Gallery has a kick-a$$ space. Two levels, full of exposed brick and metal work, rustic wood and these amazing little installation rooms. I got so caught up in admiring my surroundings that I failed to take many pictures. I know, bad little blogger. The gallery is part of Bullseye Glass Company, maker of colored glass for art & architecture. Oh, that explains why there was so much incredible art glass!
Our final destination was Butters Gallery. Are ya’ll tired yet? Because I sure was by this point in the day. ( We’d also hit the Saturday Market, Stumptown Coffee, Powell’s Books and Rogue, in addition to all the galleries. ) Butters reminded me of some of the Chelsea galleries in NYC, as it was kind of hidden away, on the 2nd floor of a walk-up building.
Artist: Susan Hall, Butters Gallery
Butters had some really interesting work on display, I hope to bring you more on those artists very soon, especially the one whose work is pictured above, Susan Hall. I fell head over heads for her work– my crappy picture doesn’t even begin to do it justice. I’ll feature her more in depth in a separate post in the next few weeks.
So ends our little jaunt through Portland’s Pearl District galleries. I can’t wait to go back to PDX and explore the other art districts. This weekend we’re headed North!
“Rich colors draw me in, patterns guide me through, and flat, poetic shapes allow me to rest.” — Susan Melrath
It is just these rich colors and flat, poetic shapes that drew me in to Susan Melrath’s work. Susan takes complex forms like flowers, architecture and figures and condenses them to their most basic shapes.
Crimson Kiss, acrylic on canvas, 36×36
By doing so, the viewer becomes more drawn in by the emotionality brought to the surface through her use of vibrant color applied to the forms, rather than by the subjects themselves.
Cafe, acrylic on paper, 11×19 framed
Though I love ALL of Susan’s work, it is her Garden series that speaks something to my soul. Perhaps it is how I am amazed by the flora to be found here in the Northwest. ( Wildflowers!! )
Out of the Blue, acrylic on paper, 22×22 framed
She takes what could be a mundane subject and with the use of pattern and color creates something extraordinary. It’s a little bit Pop-Art, a little bit Fauvist, kind of Cubist without the hard edges ( Cone-ist? ).The flowers seem to be underwater, floating in a happy haze of pattern. Or maybe it’s drizzly rain? We ARE in the Northwest..Sometimes it seems that we are seeing the flower’s shadow, rather than the plant itself, looking through the shadow to the play of patterns and light beyond. Which makes the work groovily mysterious.
Moonflower, acrylic on canvas, 24×24
Susan created a floral series called “Bloom” for a recent Art & Sustainability show at the Sightline Institute in Seattle, integrating technology and traditional painting, posting a mobile tag by each painting providing more insight and information about each work of art. You can see the progress of one of these works and hear Susan speaking about the work here. And because I always personally find these things to be so much darn fun, here’s a time-lapse video of Susan completing a painting. What’s up next for Susan after her technology driven show? Unplugged, artwork created during a one-week period in which artists went without TV, internet, social media and texting. Because great art is always about finding balance.
Be sure to check out Susan Melrath’s website to see more of her work and learn more about the artist.
The Matisse post yesterday got me in the mood for color. AND it’s the first day of summer, perfect for sharing work that is bright, colorful and full of whimsical goodness. George & I took a day trip to Olympia, WA this past Saturday to scope it out a bit. In Childhood’s End Gallery, we both fell in love with the imagery of Lisa Telling Kattenbraker.
U-Turn
Lisa works in batik, an ancient process of wax-resist dyeing. Her work juxtaposes traditional Batik patterning with simple, stylized childlike imagery.
Language Convergence
Most of her figures are faceless, so that the viewer can apply their own experience and emotions to the scene, which reminds me of another favorite artist, Yvonne Lozano.
Dress Rehearsal
These just make you smile, don’t they? Wouldn’t you love to see this gal every day? Doesn’t every good goat need a yellow rain slicker and wellies?
Lorelei the Pacific Northwest Goat from the New Moon Goat Rescue and Sanctuary
I would love to begin a tradition of collecting one piece of artwork from each of our travel assignments. Thinking a Lisa Kattenbaker might just be The One for this summer.
Find out more about Lisa and her work, including originals and ( very affordable! ) limited editions on her website, here.
Last night, as my hubby was catching up on my blog posts ( he reads them all, even if he has to sit and catch up on a week’s worth at a time, such a good hubby! ), over his shoulder I re-read my In Search Of post from last week and man, what a whiney little whiner! To save you all from more self-pity-filled posts from me, sweet George took me on a day trip to Astoria, OR on Saturday, in the hopes of helping me feel a bit more connected to the 3-dimensional art world. You know, the one that doesn’t live inside my laptop.
Astoria, Oregon
Despite the gray day, my spirits were sunny. Astoria’s main claim to fame is the movie, The Goonies, which was filmed here way back in 1985 ( yes, we made a children of the 80’s pilgrimage to The Goonies House ). But movie history isn’t the only draw to Astoria. Its downtown area is super charming, filled with a mix of restaurants, coffee houses, shops and YES, some very interesting and diverse galleries.
Our first stop was Lightbox Photographic, a wonderful little gallery dedicated to the photographic arts. Their current show, Plastic Fantastic II, features images created using plastic toy cameras. Absolutely beautiful, emotion-filled images. Be sure to check out their website to see images created their member photographers.
Inside Lightbox Photographic
Astoria was definitely starting out with a bang! We continued our walking tour of downtown, stopping for coffee and treats along the way. Right across from the Astoria Coffeehouse, was Lunar Boy Gallery, whose quirky-look caught my eye. And LunarBoy definitely brought the quirk. June 7th was Astoria’s Official Goonies Day, so Lunar Boy was exhibiting a special show of Goonies-related work. Fun!
This Is Our Time Now! Goonies Show at Lunar BoyLandscapes by Nicholas Knapton at Lunar Boy
After lots of cool art & laughs at Lunar Boy, we perused a few bookstores & other shops ( it can’t be ALL about me ) before finding RiverSea Gallery. This contemporary gallery features a wide variety of work by artists from the Northwest and beyond. I was thrilled to find that their current show, The Fabled Landscape, featured the work of Marla Baggetta.
Artist, Marla Baggetta
Since my days of specifying art for the corporate & healthcare industries, I’ve been a fan of Baggetta, her landscapes bring that perfect combination of happy color and peace, perfect especially for healthcare. Her work is even more lush and gorgeous in it’s original state than her reproductions even begin to show. I was in awe.
Artist, Marla BaggettaArtist, Marla Baggetta
Though seeing Baggetta’s original work was a highlight for me, RiverSea had many other artists whose work caught my eye. Like…
Maple wood sculpture by Michael HampelEncaustics by Paula BlackwellFigurative work by Shannon RichardsonWonderful urban landscapes by Brin Levinson
George had his favorites, too– like the work of abstract mixed-media artist, Charles Schweigert ( told you he was loving abstracts now! ) and kooky sculptures by Pamela Mummy.
Namikaze by Charles SchweigertA Lot on His Mind by Pamela Mummy
Our little day trip to Astoria was just what the art doctor ordered. I was able to peruse some lovely, unique galleries and found some really interesting artists to share with you. We even spotted a couple of empty storefronts that would make great galleries.. you know, just in case.
My hubby is a very intelligent and creative person in his own way– the stories he concocts and “sketches” he comes up with are Saturday Night Live-worthy and he reads books like A People’s History of the United States for fun. But when we started dating, he was definitely an art-world novice. Questions like, “But what exactly is wrong with Thomas Kinkade?” made my head want to explode. But maybe the biggest struggle was trying to explain what I loved so much about abstract painting and why no, honey, a 3rd grader could NOT have done that.
George checking out Rauschenberg
Part of what I love about George is how much he appreciates my creative side and artsiness. Makes me more interesting than the average-gal, I suppose. And, like all lovey-dovey types, I wanted to be able to share that part of myself with him. We went to art festivals, galleries and openings, all in pursuit of awakening his mind to a world of art he may have never experienced before. He became a fan of Christina Foard, following the opening of her Williams-Cornelius show, admiring her use of color and texture.
Moonlight Solitude by Christina Foard
We also discovered that he doesn’t always care for abstract expressionist-type work, i.e., seemingly random slashes of paint across a canvas, which will more than likely elicit a shoulder-shrug and a “eh” from him. He does, however, appreciate light and texture, as he surprised me by totally digging these pieces we saw recently in a gallery in Hood River, Oregon.
Artist: Barry MackArtist: Barry Mack
Surprisingly, his tastes have emerged as running a bit more deep & avant-garde than mine.. where I get drawn in by beautiful color, texture and form, what may draw him to a particular work is the narrative of the story it is telling. For instance, he was very interested in investigating the details of the Rauschenberg prints we saw in Tulsa. He also tends to lean more toward multi-media work, such as this kind of creepy haunted-house-like part sculpture-part installation at the Denver Art Museum held his interest far longer than it held mine.
Installation at the Denver Art Museum
But what really keeps me on my toes is how inquisitive he is about what he is seeing– the process, the motivation, background story, etc. He asks questions that I don’t always have the answers to, which results in us making discoveries together. ( Who could ask for better? ) It is that inquisitive & curious nature that I think finally led him to the realization of just what it is about abstract art that makes it so interesting and provocative.
Admiring the work of Hilary Williams
As we were leaving the art gallery at The Pines in Hood River, George said to me, “I think I understand why you like abstract art so much. When you see another realistic painting of a tree or landscape, it’s usually just another painting of a tree. But abstract art draws you in, makes you think.” YES! Here’s to more discoveries with you, my love.
Hello Artsies!!! After being out of the blogosphere for the past three weeks or so, I am finally back behind the computer, as it were and it feels great. I have so much to share that I hardly know where to begin.. As many of you know, my hubby George and I recently moved from Florida to Washington. We were incredibly blessed to be able to make a vacation out of our cross-country trek, with stops to see friends, new places and old favorites along the way.
Our first stop ( OK, first fun stop.. we spent the first night in a motel outside Little Rock, AR, not super exciting ) was Tulsa, Oklahoma. George lived in Tulsa for several years and we hadn’t been back since we got married, so decided to take a couple of days to introduce me around to Tulsa friends and places. It just so happened that the friends we were staying with in Tulsa had a friend who owned a gallery, Exhibit by Abersons at Center 1 Tulsa. Said friend of friends happened to be having an opening the night of our arrival in Tulsa, so even though there was a whole gang of people expected for dinner, we popped over to the gallery to have a peeksy.
The exhibit, which opened on May 19th was curated by Master Printer Bill Goldston of Universal Limited Art Editions and follows the progression of Rauschenberg’s print work through the years. Like any good Art History Major, I recognized Rauschenberg’s work and his importance as a painter & print maker, but beyond that, I admit I didn’t know much. Rauschenberg came to the forefront toward the end of the Abstract Expressionist movement and toward the beginning of the Pop Art movement. The prints included in the exhibition lean more toward the Pop end of the spectrum, showing examples of his collaging of photographic images through silk-screen processing showcasing pop culture imagery of the 1950s and 60s, such as Guardian ( 1968 ).
Guardian is compromised of transfer images from Life Magazine, the transfers being done by brushing the images with solvent, placing them on the lithograph stone, then passing the stone through the printing press. These are works that demand a closer look, there is so much going on, even little details are significant. George enjoyed scrutinizing the work ( see photo below! ), which are so accessible that they seem just as relevant today as they must have 50 years ago.
The work George is pondering is Bazaar, an intagilio print and lithograph on paper created in 1984. Other highlights for me included, Aquafix ( below ), a haunting image created by Rauschenberg in 1981. As the years progressed, his work evolved into cleaner, more simplified compositions as exemplified in Aquafix and Lotus VII, both favorites of mine from the exhibit.
Lotus VII ( above ) is part of Rauschenberg’s final series of prints, completed only a month prior to his death. The Lotus images were created for an exhibition of Rauschenberg’s work in Beijing and are compilations of photographs taken by the artist on two trips to China. The photographs were transferred to panels, then an intagilio process, photogravure, was used to tie the images together visually. The results are stunning images, which surely pleased Rauschenberg as his final legacy.
If you are in the Tulsa area, be sure to check out the show at Exhibit by Abersons. If you can’t get to Tulsa, Rauschenberg’s work can be found in many major museum collections with images, biography and other info available online, check out the websites of MOMA, The Tate, the Guggenheim and many more.
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.
