It seems that the hipster craft craze has given birds a bad name in the art world. If you’ve seen the “Put a Bird On it” sketch from IFC’s hilarious Portlandia, you know what I’m talkin’ about. Bird “art” is everywhere. It’s those mixed-media collagey things that you see at outdoor art festivals and markets, it’s the ubiquitous black bird on a bare branch. Now don’t get me wrong, some of this bird art is lovely and fun. But after a while, it all begins to look the same.
I want to set the record straight. Restore the good name of bird art. Here’s a round up of my favorite pieces featuring our fine feathered friends…
Barn Owl by Mary Alayne ThomasTrespasser by Camille EngelClover by Jim DraperGolden Light by Diane FarrisBeginnings by Susan HallCaeli by Vicki Sawyer
Think we may be doing a bit of bird watching this weekend. If you’d like to do some online birding, check out the featured artists’ websites for more ornithological goodies.
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.
CONFESSION TIME: One of my biggest pet peeves is artwork hung incorrectly. And by this I mean too high, too low, staggered when there is no reason for staggering ( i.e., up a staircase wall ), etc. While there are no set rules when it comes to hanging artwork, there are guidelines. Knowledge is power, ya’ll, and you’ll thank me for it when my eyes aren’t twitching uncontrollably when I come over and see how your artwork is hung. I’m too polite to say anything, though.. I am a Southern girl, after all.
Guideline #1: Normal height for hanging artwork is to center it at eye level.
But whose eye level? You may be 4’11” but your husband is 6’4″– how do you decide? Law of averages, my friends. I’m 5’5″ ( ok, 5’4 1/2″ ), so my eye level is actually spot on. The safest height at which to hang artwork is 60″ from the center of the artwork to the floor.
Guideline #2: Use picture hooks and D-rings for hanging whenever possible
Plain ol’ nails might be super cheap, but picture hooks are the best way to go to get your artwork to hang levelly and securely. The weight of a piece of artwork will drag down a nail, but the picture hooks are designed to set the nail at an angle so that the laws of physics hold the picture up, instead of putting all the weight on the nail. There are different size hooks available according to the weight of what you’re hanging, so if you’re in doubt about the weight, go with the heaviest weight hook so you’ll be sure your artwork won’t fall on someone’s head.. or toes.
D-rings are God-sends for hanging artwork and should be used instead of wire, if possible. Simply install two d-rings at the same horizontal level on the back of the picture frame. It’s true, you’ll need to put two holes in the wall instead of one, but your artwork will be more secure and won’t have that annoying habit of going crooked anytime it get’s bumped a little or someone closes a door a bit too hard.
Guideline #3: When hanging multiple pieces together, be aware of the space between them and how they relate to each other
If you’re hanging a pair or series of artwork above a piece of furniture, measure and treat the pieces as if you were hanging one solid piece– taking into account a bit of space between them and center the overall size horizontally above the furniture and center each piece vertically at 60″.
Guideline #4: Some rules were made to be broken
Not Guideline #2, the picture hook thing is always important, not just for aesthetics, but for safety. The other two, however, might be flexible depending on the situation.
Broken rule #1– It is OK to hang artwork lower ( or higher, I guess, though this is less common ) than eye level if it helps the work relate to its surroundings
Broken rule #2– Sometimes extending a grouping of work outside of the borders of a piece of furniture or other furnishing helps the artwork to make more sense within the room, as in the case of the room below. In this instance, more is more, yes?
Broken rule #3– The rules are, there are no rules.. Sometimes the positioning of artwork doesn’t really need to relate to the surroundings at all.. randomness & asymmetry can be beautiful! If done well, of course.
If you ever find yourself unsure of how to hang your latest acquisition, I hope these guidelines are helpful. If you’re really stuck, drop me a line– I’m happy to help! Happy hanging!
Today is my birthday, ya’ll. I will be happily spending the day with the one who birthed me, touring the Downtown Jacksonville studio of Christina Foard and researching downtown galleries for an article I’m writing for EU Magazine ( my first published print article! ). In the spirit of Steve Martin’s SNL “Christmas Wish” sketch, I’m indulging in my own Birthday Wish list.
These are works of art that, “If I could have but one birthday wish this birthday”… to own any one of these would be my birthday wish. These are the pieces I covet, the pieces that I know I would love forever and ever and give them a kind and loving home.
The title alone makes me smile. I love how the palette is both warm and cool AND neutral all at the same time. And I have a thing for circles. I’ve seen this in person and it is stunning.
I fell in love with this the first time I saw it on Christina’s Facebook page. It reminds me of the devotion and complete commitment it takes to make a life with someone, to be a united front through thick and thin, to be sure of each other no matter what may lie ahead. Maybe I’m just a starry-eyed newlywed.
I could go on and on adding more and more to this list– believe me, there are MANY more! But I was raised to not be greedy, so I’m limiting myself to these five. Even if I don’t have the real thing, they will always be here for me to gaze upon lovingly. Happy birthday to me!
Beauty was abounding in Jacksonville last night and I’m not just talking about the perfect weather. My sister-in-law and I attended the monthly Downtown Art Walk and were treated to not just the usual visual stimulation but mental and emotional engagement, as well. Now, I had a list about a mile long of the spots I wanted to hit, but we arrived late and spent quite a bit of time at each one, so.. yeah, we only made it to a few.
But we began the night with a bang at The VAULT Gallery, Willliams-Cornelius’ space in a former bank vault ( yes, you read that right! ) on Forsyth Street. Greeted by the Mr. Williams & Ms. Cornelius themselves, and intern Adam, we set off to see what artist Jeff Whipple had in store for us. Whipple has been working on this “Spasm” series for more than thirty years. What began as a painterly device to fill negative pace, the three-barred icon has grown from an element in the background to become the object of an entire series of work.
The three bars that comprise a “spasm” serve to symbolize life, lifetime or a lifestyle. The artwork is open to interpretation, based on the viewer’s own experience– how you see it may not be the way I see it and that’s OK. All of our lives are different and it is in this difference that we each find meaning in the spasms. This is work that truly that makes you stop and think– what does this mean? To the artist? To me?
In conjunction with the showing of Jeff Whipple’s work, Williams-Cornelius also presented a performance piece by self-proclaimed “deformance artist”, Liz Gibson. Gibson was born with a birth defect causing her to have only seven fingers– five on one hand and only two on the other. The performance last night was a character of Gibson’s own creation “Ben Wa Betty”. Betty appears as part archetypal Asian lady, but in a hip and provocative way. Gibson tells stories of how at times she felt lucky or unlucky to have been born with a deformity, all while pouring wax over her deformed hand, proving how you can take something that seems unlucky and make something beautiful out of it.
The overaching theme is one of contentment– be happy with who you are and how you were made. At times you may feel unlucky, but there will always be a reminder of just how lucky we all are.
Our next stop was Southlight Gallery, where there is always a display of exceptional art by some of the most well-known artists in Jacksonville, right along side with talented emerging artists. The featured artist last night was wood sculptor, Grant Ward.
I’m a sucker for any burl or wood sculpture and have been a fan of Ward’s pieces for a long time. There is something about an artist that looks at a log or a tree stump, sees the potential for creating something unique AND possesses the craftsmanship to create something polished and beautiful out of such rough raw materials.
I have always especially loved Ward’s pieces that combine burl wood with spun metal. These pieces take on, for me an other worldly space-like quality. It is as if the wood is a planetary surface and the metal pieces are alien pods making their home there.
After leaving Southlight, we made our way toward the river to the Suntrust Tower, new home of Town Editions, Thomas Hager’s new line of accessibly affordable limited editions– making this artist’s beautiful work available to even a young collector.
These hand-crafted, signed and numbered editions are created using vintage photographic processes, which give the simple subject matter an elegance and sophistication lacking in much of today’s photographic prints. Also on view are some of Hager’s paintings ( He paints, too! I know! ).
Filled with texture and a pastel & neutral palette, these pieces are reminiscent of sand or rock. They have an organic feeling to them that such completely non-representational work rarely possesses. I’m looking forward to seeing Tom’s paintings evolve just as his photography continues to do so.
I wish I could tell you more about all the places we visited and amazing art we saw, but alas, that was the end of our night. I can tell you that I will be back downtown soon to visit the exhibits and studios I missed. I’m not sure how anyone could see it all in ArtWalk’s four hours.. but what an awesome problem to have!
May’s Downtown ArtWalk will be May 4, 2011. More information available here. Hope to see you there!
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?
One week into being an official blogger and I’ve already found that though I may plan to write about a specific artist on a specific day, sometimes the universe seems to be telling me to write something different. All signs today pointed first to photography, then to Jacksonville photographer, Doug Eng.
I first saw Doug’s nature photography and definitely knew he had something. While working for a gallery & art consulting firm, I saw A LOT of mediocre photography. But Doug’s images were different– not only were they many notches above most others in terms of the quality of the image itself, but the compositions were unique and unusual. His way of seeing, especially in capturing architectural structures, is extraordinary.
Unlike many photographers today, Doug doesn’t rely on heavily manipulating his images– he mostly composes his images in the camera, taking hundreds of different shots to get to that one “magic” piece.
Capturing moments in time is Doug’s specialty– whether the moment is filled with humor, sentiment or a changing cityscape.
Each image tells a story, some more obvious than others, but all equally interesting and relevant.
Doug’s work can be seen in person at Southlight Gallery in Downtown Jacksonville or online here at Artsy Forager or on Doug’s own website. When not out shooting fabulous imagery, he can usually be found working at Studio 121, a co-operative studio of artists in Downtown Jacksonville.
