In this digital age, it seems like you can’t spit without hitting a self-proclaimed “photographer”. I don’t begrudge anyone a creative outlet– if you want to take photos with your digital SLR, slap ’em up on Facebook and call yourself a photographer, I guess that’s your beeswax. But for me, there is a point where photography ends and artistry begins. There are photographers who are truly artists of their craft and Thomas Hager is a master.
Tom takes the simplest of forms, like the sweetgum pods above and isolates them and infuses them with a ethereal quality. These are no longer those annoying, sharp little balls that litter the sidewalk, they are now magical spheres where fairies reside.
A simple floral stem becomes a beanstalk for a boy named Jack.
Shore birds become ghostly apparitions in a watery tableau. Are they really there or are our eyes playing tricks again?
Is the water moving or is it the earth? Where does the reflection end and the reality begin? Does it even matter?
Check out more of Tom’s work on his website and be sure to stop by the site for his brilliant limited edition line, Town Editions. Oh and did I mention he has a show opening tonightat the University of Maine Museum of Art? Now I just have to get him out here on the West Coast..
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.
Yesterday I went out searching for some artsy inspiration in the area around Aberdeen. I’m sorry to say that, though I visited a couple of galleries in Ocean Shores, I found only one artist’s work that caused me to take a second look. Unfortunately, most of what was there was pretty touristy, not-great-art-but-there-must-be-a-market-for-it kind of stuff. So I came home feeling a tiny bit defeated.
To give myself a pick-me-up, I watched an episode of So You Think You Can Dance ( guilty pleasure confession time! ). While the commercials were playing, I found myself glancing out of the windows of my office/studio and found myself inspired. So I started sketching– for the first time in a long time. It turns out I did find some artsy inspiration yesterday, from a surprising combination, the view of Aberdeen out of our windows and my own inner spirit.
So today, we’re celebrating other artists who’ve inspired me to make the most out of my current view! On with the show!
Vertical Horizontal Break I by Hamish MacEwanEarly Morning Breeze by Camille EngelWindowpane by Sharon SprungParthenon I by Lisa Ernst
Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Take the time to enjoy your view, whatever it may be.
Though our time in the cities we visited on our cross-country tour was short, we managed to hit a couple of wonderful, yet very different museums along the way. In Tulsa, we spent a few hours exploring the Philbrook Museum of Art.
Front facade of the Philbrook Museum of Art
My Jacksonville readers will be familiar with the Cummer Museum of Art in Jax. The Philbrook is, to me, like the Cummer on steroids. Like the Cummer, the Philbrook was once a private residence, which was donated to the city of Tulsa by its owners, oilman Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve. Once we entered the museum doors, we found ourselves in a gorgeous, domed center hall, light streaming through the oculus in the center of the dome.
Center hall at the PhilbrookPhilbrook oculus
Just walking the halls of this Renaissance style villa, built in 1927 and designed by architect Edward Buehler Delk for the Phillips as “a place where there two children could entertain friends” ( Imagine the sleepovers you could have! ), is a pleasure in itself.
Corridor at the Philbrook
The museum houses a varied and extensive permanent collection of art, ranging from African & Asian collections, Native American art to Italian Renaissance and a surprising and delightful modern collection.
Bougereau at the Philbrook, a favorite artist of the Frenz’sLovely little Picasso at the PhilbrookFabulous modern design collection at the Philbrook
While the museum collections are enjoyable, it is the museum grounds that really steal the show. Though we visited on a gray and rainy day, it didn’t stop us from exploring the extensive gardens behind the museum. The original formal gardens extend from the rear colonnade of the museum down to the tempietto. Let’s take a little walking tour..
Rear collonade at the PhilbrookView from the colonnade down to the tempiettoWonderful stepped fountainBeautiful, naturalistic water featureNo formal garden is complete without a koi pond!View from the tempietto back toward the museumYours truly in the tempietto ( wouldn’t this be a romantic spot to pop the question? )Contemporary sculpture walk beyond the formal gardens
Let’s switch gears now, fast-forward through another 12 hour day on the road and pay a little visit to Denver. While in the mile-high city, we spent some time downtown including a tour through the Denver Art Museum. While the Philbrook is classically ornate, the DAM’s Hamilton Building, where we spent our time, is splendidly contemporary. Designed by Daniel Lubeskind, the structure represents the Rocky Mountain peaks surrounding Denver.
Denver Art Museum
We started at the top and worked our way down, discovering lots of fun & interesting contemporary work along the way.
Noguchi sculpture and Motherwell painting **Sidenote: Motherwell was born in Aberdeen, WA, the town where we are living for the summer.Ceramics at DAM
Did you notice in the pictures above how the walls are slanted? The angled walls created a very interesting visual space, especially in the 4th floor gallery where they were prominent. They were a bit disconcerting when walking down the main stairs, though!
Artist: Mark Tansey
We were all fascinated by the piece above, by Mark Tansey. Another highlight was the Fox Games installation by Sandy Skoglund. I first saw Skoglund’s work in Jacksonville and am always fascinated by the environments she creates.
Fox Games by Sandy Skoglund
And there was just something about “Minotaur with Brushstrokes” that appealed to us. What can I say, we like work that makes us smile.
Minotaur With Brushstrokes by Richard Patterson
Speaking of making us smile, George & I also loved the piece below, although I’m sad to report that I don’t recall the name of the artist. But it reminded me of spring in the Northwest.
Kicking myself for not writing down the title & artist for this piece! Anyone have any clues?
The museum also boasts an impressive Western American Art Collection, as well as African, American Indian, Oceanic, Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial Collections. We toured through the current special exhibition, Cities of Splendor: A Journey Through Renaissance Italy, but alas, no photography allowed in the exhibit, so you’ll have to check out the DAM website for a taste. As you can see, our art experiences on this trip were widely varied and we are looking forward to more such experiences here in the Northwest.
Happy Monday, Artsies! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. This week’s Masterworks Monday artist is one of my all-time faves, American Realist painter Edward Hopper. A feeling of melancholy tends to pervade most of Hopper’s work, but maybe that is why they appeal to me. His scenes seem so very real, not just in their sense of time and of place, but in the capturing of a moment. Early mornings in small towns DO feel desolate, being an attendant at a gas station on a far off country road WOULD be lonely.
Despite the lone figures or desolate landscapes, Hopper’s images are filled with light and in that, create a sense of hope within the isolation. Early morning means it is a new day.. light coming in a window means that there is an escape from the darkness. Whether this is what Hopper intended or not, it is what I personally take from his work.
As many of you know, my hubby George and I have been planning to move to the Pacific Northwest, pretty much since we started dating a little over a year ago. But first we had to #1, get engaged, #2, sell his house in Tulsa, #3 plan a wedding, #4 get married and #5 sell my house in Jacksonville. We have finally accomplished that last objective ( well, almost, our closing is May 18th ) and are planning the next stage of our life together.
I have an ongoing list of artists I’d like to feature on Artsy Forager, but sometimes fate steps in and pushes a certain artist ahead of the rest. I happened to be checking out a design blog I follow and spotted a painting the blogger had purchased from Seattle artist, Julia Hensley. I surfed on over to her website and was impressed by what I found. I discovered via Facebook, that today is Julia’s birthday!
So, in honor of Julia’s birthday, our upcoming move to the Northwest and just because her stuff is just genuinely awesome, I’m sharing her work with you.
Chinatown, oil on masonite, 13 1/2″ x 11″
65th and Roosevelt, gouache collage on bristol board, 9″ x 12″
Hot Day Bremerton, gouache on bristol board, 7 1/2″ x 4 3/4″
( this might be my favorite )
Flat Iron, acrylic on bristol board, 8″ x 12″
Sunday Downtown, acrylic on paper, 19″ x 24″
Hope you enjoyed meeting Julia, be sure to wish her a happy birthday!
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.
Happy Friday everyone! If you’re in North Florida, no, that light coming through your windows is not an April Fool’s Day joke– the sun is finally shining! If you haven’t made it to the beach yet, here are a few of my favorite beachy pieces to get your through until then.. each one brings a little somethin’ different, dontcha think?
