artsy forager

Tag: mixed media

  • Chaotic Abundance: Katherine Mann

    Chaotic Abundance: Katherine Mann

    We all seem to seek peace and quiet.  An escape from the chaos.  And yes, its true, we do need those times of rest and rejuvenation.  But sometimes it is in the chaos that we find our strengths, what we are really made of, that hone what we are all about.  The abstract works of Washington, DC artist Katherine Mann are incredible clashes of material run wild and moments of fastidious control.

    Mann_Cloud of Oil Mann_Maw2 Mann_Tick Mann_Embroideries Mann_Fallow

     

    Each piece begins with a spill of color, an organic beginning to work that shifts between careful discipline and perceived pandemonium.  They almost have a feeling of accidental abandonment, as if a pot of paint was spilled over a meticulously wrought drawing.  I say almost because you can see that each is a mastery of composition– every placement of line, color and shape providing just the right compliment and contrast.

    To see more of Katherine Mann‘s work, please visit her website.  PS– I posted larger images than I normally do for artist features because these are human-scaled works– check out that last installation image for scale!  Amazing.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Meaning & Myth: Louis St. Lewis

    Meaning & Myth: Louis St. Lewis

    It’s easy to look at the past through a utopian filter, usually fueled by too many historical novels and costume dramas.  We’re often shown worlds filled with richness, decadence and graceful living.  But under all the frills and frippery lie the other side of riches– the backs upon which the wealth is gained, those who serve, and ultimately, the problems caused by overabundance.  The work of artist Louis St. Lewis touches on the themes of decadence, privilege and the myth of history.

    Louis St. Lewis | artsy forager #art #figurativeart #mixedmedia Louis St. Lewis | artsy forager #art #figurativeart #mixedmedia Louis St. Lewis | artsy forager #art #figurativeart #mixedmedia Louis St. Lewis | artsy forager #art #figurativeart #mixedmedia Louis St. Lewis | artsy forager #art #figurativeart #mixedmedia

    I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of watching one too many Jane Austen movies, finding myself wishing I could have been born into aristocratic 19th Century privilege rather than 20th Century middle class.  Oh to have the luxury of being a “lady”!  With a lady’s maid at my bidding and all the time in the world to read, paint, sew, dance and all the other proper skills a lady must possess.  But then there were always little hints to break the facade of carefree privilege– the pressure to marry “up”, to bear sons, the boredom of not being able to pursue what may truly be of interest.

    Mr. F and I just last night were talking about what being “rich” might mean.  For us, it would mean freedom– freedom to travel, to spend our lives doing exactly what we want to do when we want to do it.  But with that freedom must come an incredible burden and responsibility, too.  Perhaps it is best that we remain solidly middle class.  We live a life of privilege by the standards of most of the world’s population and we do have freedom– the freedom to chose to live our lives in the way we choose.  It is a mythological goal, but one that is definitely attainable with vision and sacrifice.

    To see more of the work of Louis St. Lewis, please visit his website.  You can see his work in New Orleans at one of my favorite galleries, Gallery Orange!

    All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Gallery Orange.

  • Circle Circle Dot Dot: Casey Vogt

    Circle Circle Dot Dot: Casey Vogt

    Now you’ve got your cooties shot.  But maybe that cooties shot will do you more harm than good.  It might help prevent you from contracting the dreaded cootie, but the side effects will have you begging for cootieville. In his work, Akron artist Casey Vogt explores this country’s relationship with drugs and big pharma.

    Casey Vogt | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #paintings Casey Vogt | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #paintings Casey Vogt | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #paintings Casey Vogt | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #paintings Casey Vogt | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #paintings

    The background of each piece is composed of elaborate mandala-like patterns, massive layers of dots of house paint.  These layers create a trippy atmosphere recalling the disorientation of a drug induced state.  Cowboys in various situations find themselves among the meditative chaos.  Maybe the cowboys are ghosts– the vestiges of times before corporations took on the role of healer.  Or perhaps they are the new generation of American thinker, the one that rebels against the accepted norms and strikes out on their own, carving their own way and pioneering through unknown territory.

    To see more of Casey Vogt‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Diehl Gallery.

  • Beauty Felt: Jessica Zoob

    Beauty Felt: Jessica Zoob

    I’m a touchy feely person.  As in I love running my hands over interesting textures.  I’m that shopper who touches everything, I run my hands over tree bark and moss when we’re hiking and I have to force myself to refrain from touching artwork anytime I’m in a gallery or museum.  So it kind of goes without saying that I love paintings with lots of yummy texture.  The work of British artist Jessica Zoob is fairly oozing with lovely scrapes and swishes and piles of paint, celebrating the abstract beauty found all around.

    Jessica Zoob | artsy forager #art #abstract #mixedmedia Jessica Zoob | artsy forager #art #abstract #mixedmedia Jessica Zoob | artsy forager #art #abstract #mixedmedia Jessica Zoob | artsy forager #art #abstract #mixedmedia Jessica Zoob | artsy forager #art #abstract #mixedmedia

    From her vibrant palette to the multitude of visual and physical textures in each piece, Zoob creates incredible abstract impressionistic compositions that transport us to dreamy places.  It’s easy to imagine yourself looking up through the clouds into a blinding and beautiful sun or looking down on sandy beaches and coral reefs.  But these aren’t merely abstracted scenes, they carry within them their own story, their own idea of beauty, their own path of feeling.

    To see more of Jessica Zoob‘s work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Unraveling the Canvas: Rosemary Liss

    Unraveling the Canvas: Rosemary Liss

    It is the unique gift of an artist to create beauty from the unexpected, to look at a thing and see its potential in a way no one else does.  In her A Sacred Space series, Baltimore artist Rosemary Liss deconstructs the canvas then puts each back together in a way that emphasizes the beauty of the materials themselves.

    Rosemary Liss | artsy forager #art Rosemary Liss | artsy forager #art Rosemary Liss | artsy forager #art Rosemary Liss | artsy forager #art Rosemary Liss | artsy forager #art

    By focusing on the parts that make up the whole, Liss compels us to think about the entirety of the process of art making.  From the tree that was felled for it’s wood, to the wood cut and sanded for stretchers, to the threads woven together to create the canvas’ surface, through these tiny works of art, we realize that while most artists are individual creators, a village of hands are woven together in each piece.

    To see more work by Rosemary Liss, please visit her website.  You can purchase some of her work through her show on Buy Some Damn Art, up now on the BSDA site!

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Lines of Intrigue: Augustine Kofie

    Lines of Intrigue: Augustine Kofie

    I can’t freehand a straight line to save my life.  But when I was studying Interior Design for a few years, I loved drafting.  Sliding my mechanical pencil along the T-square, everything became so precise and orderly, there was a controlled creativity to it that I found intriguing. When I first saw the work of Augustine Kofie, I was instantly intrigued by a similar use of line, but it was the way those lines were placed and the little surprises that stole my imagination.

    Augustine Kofie | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia Augustine Kofie | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia Augustine Kofie | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia Augustine Kofie | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia Augustine Kofie | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia

    In his beginnings as a street artist, Kofie began exploring letter and line not just for their aesthetic value, but the way they were constructed and how they could be broken down and rebuilt into something new.  Each piece is a manipulation of angle, line and form, leaving the eye to wander endlessly over each canvas, shapes shifting and changes as our perspective moves.  And then there are the little pops of retro imagery that pop up when they are least expected– adding a bit of life and humor to these overtly geometric compositions.

    To see more of Augustine Kofie‘s work, please visit his website.  You can also follow along with the artist on Instagram and Tumblr.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • A Sense of Place: Stacey Rees

    A Sense of Place: Stacey Rees

    Every place has its own personality, just like any person.  Some places are a bit dark and brooding, while others are so sunny and bright they are almost annoying.. Victoria artist Stacey Rees captures the sensual and spiritual atmosphere of her surroundings in her paintings and illustrations.

    Stacey Rees Stacey Rees Stacey Rees Stacey Rees Stacey Rees

    I always find it interesting to compare the feel and palette of the different places we visit.  Between some, there are only minor differences, but in other spots, it feels like being in an entirely different world.  And in those places, often times our personalities may absorb some of that difference, too.  As in Rees’ work, in which there is a wonderful sense of not just earthly but spiritual atmosphere, we can take on not just the physicality of a place but some places get into our souls– for better or worse.

    Mr. Forager & I have visited a few soul-filling places.  Do you have any place you’ve visited that had a profound effect on you?

    To see more of Stacey Rees‘ work, please visit her website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Amuse You: Mana Morimoto

    Amuse You: Mana Morimoto

    Sometimes the art world, including myself and this blog, can take themselves just a wee bit too seriously.  We agonize over what we want to SAY with our work, it just has to mean something deep and intellectual and philosophical, doesn’t it?  Or does it??  What’s that you say?  Some artists create just because its fun?  You’re telling me this is supposed to be fun?   All kidding aside, I do love it when I discover an artist who is creating just for the sheer joy and experimentation of it.  In her own words, Portland artist Mana Morimoto states “I simply love making thread beams come out of people’s eyes!“

    Mana Morimoto | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #embroidery Mana Morimoto | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #embroidery Mana Morimoto | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #embroidery Mana Morimoto | artsy forager #art #mixedmedia #embroidery Morimoto5

    As it does for so many of us, the act of creating began as therapy for Morimoto, and the joy she found in what she discovered to be a talent is evident in the humor seen in each piece. I wrote a bit last week about art as catharsis and I do believe for myself and so many others, it does provide a non-verbal way of working out what’s going on inside our heads.  Or sometimes, it simply provides our minds, hands, and spirits with enough of an enjoyable distraction to put things into perspective.

  • Process Reveler: Justyn Hegreberg

    Process Reveler: Justyn Hegreberg

    For some artists, the end product is the goal, but for others, the process of creating, pushing the limits of medium and where that journey takes them is more the target.  In his work, Portland artist Justyn Hegreberg explores the reaction of paint against glitter, plastic against canvas.

    Justyn Hegregerg | artsy forager #art #painting Justyn Hegregerg | artsy forager #art #painting Justyn Hegregerg | artsy forager #art #painting #abstract Justyn Hegregerg | artsy forager #art #painting #abstract Justyn Hegregerg | artsy forager #art #painting #abstract

    Given their diminutive size, most being around 5×7 inches, there is a playfulness about these pieces that make them seem like small and lively test samples for a larger project.  Which is a huge part of their charm.  If they were to be enlarged, these pieces would lose some of their frivolity, gaining in return something labored.  It’s that experimental aspect of each piece that is so pleasing– you can almost see him working out the juxtapositions.. so what if I extend the raw canvas here, how about some yellow there?

    How about you, Artsies?  Are you a final result type of artist or is the process where your joy  is found?  If you’d like to see more of Justyn Hegreberg‘s work, please check out his website.

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • February Featured Artist: Jenny Brown

    February Featured Artist: Jenny Brown

    It’s happened again.  We’ve turned over the calendar page to a new month.  February is such a short & sweet month, isn’t it?  It’s here and then over before we know it, but while it remains, it’s filled with Valentines and chocolates, hugs and kisses and cuddles.  The work of this month’s Featured Artist Jenny Brown with her use of antique papers and ephemera seemed the perfect way to put just a little more love into the next 28 days!

    Flowering Jelly #5 by Jenny Brown | artsy forager #art #collage #flowers Flowering Jelly #6 by Jenny Brown Flowering Egg by Jenny Brown | artsy forager #art #collage #flowers #egg Flowering Cephalopod by Jenny Brown Flowering Seed #8 by Jenny Brown

    Jenny collects antique papiers and books, which she methodically and meticulously weaves together to create these magical organisms that seem to float in the ether.  Each small element is put into place just so, resulting in a delightfully real fictitious character on the page, like little Victorian nymphs.

    To see more of Jenny Brown’s work, make sure you head over to her website.  Jenny is opening two shows this month–  she’ll be in the Enormous Tiny Art Show at Nahcotta in Portsmouth, NH and over here in the Northwest at Ghost Gallery in Seattle.  If you’re in either area, please check out her work in person!  You can also follow Jenny on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ( her feed is so fun! ), and Pinterest.  Four of Jenny’s pieces are gracing the Artsy Forager Facebook cover for the month AND I’ve compiled an album over there of the Jenny Brown’s I love the most.

    All images are via the artist.