Art Hound

These gorgeous, ethereal line drawings are by Joe Kievitt of Portland, Maine. Although the artist studied painting, he currently works in pencil and tile. Kievitt also has an tremendous knack for translating his work to large scale mosaics. Prints are available at 20 x 200.

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The colorful, playful work of Santiago Salvador via brown paper bag.

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Yesterday the work I featured was rather intense so today I’m showcasing art on the other end of the spectrum (i.e. humorous and light-hearted). I discovered Peregrine Honig’s work on the New American Paintings blog, but she is also well-known as the contestant from Kansas City on Bravo’s Work of Art.

In the series, ‘Exposed’, Peregrine uses tabloid headlines like ‘Who Wore It Better?’ to describe adorable farm and stuffed animals. Hilarious! Here’s hoping that the tabloids editors will follow suit!

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These paintings by NYC artist Anna Navasardian take my breath away. There is so much soul in her work, in each dramatic brushstroke. It’s true that her paintings are somber and perhaps a bit morose, but they are still utterly beautiful.

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Don’t her portraits make you think of Picasso’s Blue Period?

Caroline Wright may be best known for her series, Migration, (below) which I featured back in February. These amorphous, dripped paintings are full of chaotic energy and, in my view, illustrate life’s unpredictability. Wright is now back with new work that shows a fascinating transition from her previous work.

It turns out that Caroline experienced a period of artistic ‘stuckness’ but managed to breakthrough this summer with an exciting new series, Desmoiselles. Her new paintings (below) represent some of the same ideas as her previous work but are very different stylistically. This shift signals an exciting new time for the artist, and lucky for us, Caroline agreed to chat with us about her new series, maintaining artistic integrity and advice for emerging artists.

Tell us a bit about your new series and how it came about.

I was feeling a bit stuck earlier this summer, as if every piece of work I was making was an imitation of what I’d done before. It’s easy to get distracted by what people respond to, but ultimately it’s really important to have periods where I block that out and let things get really messy. I was in this process when I discovered some early paintings by Joan Snyder, from the 1970s. The contrast of colorful drips in ordered space and the ugly/beautiful emotive quality of these works was thrilling to me, and I used her painting Demoiselles, which was done with a nod to Picasso’s break-through Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, as a starting place. Once I started painting in this way, I opened up all these old spaces, calling up my previous interest in textile and fashion design, all the way back to the drawings I made as a child. It’s been oddly therapeutic, and very fun.

Hard Sweetness (1971) by Joan Snyder

I think a lot of artists and art world people have insecurities about spending all their time on something that could be seen as superfluous or superficial and end up coating that in a veneer of inaccessibility. This is really irritating, because what’s beautiful and utterly necessary about art is its ability to remind us of our infinite potential, our smallness, and our connection to each other. Looking at painting is a visual experience, and people should not feel intimidated to engage with the art and have opinions about it. The other aspect of that statement is that I’m always looking for ways to slow down, to feel fully absorbed in a moment without the nag of impatience and worry. Looking at something that engages you, that is harmonious and rhythmical enough to keep your eyes moving around the surface, allows the mind to sit for a bit.

I think one of the best things you can have as an emerging artist is a good website. Organized, frequently updated, and with high quality images. This is how most people find my work. It’s also important to engage in your local art community by going to openings, lectures, and other events. Making real-life connections with the people who run galleries, organize events, and place art in larger venues is extremely helpful for getting you art up.

I’ve been really lucky to grow up believing it’s possible to have a life in the arts. My dad is a writer who never had a “steady” job while I was growing up, and grew his career by patching together free-lance work while becoming a published author. Both my parents have fervently supported my career path but also tethered me to the reality that it has to work financially. I think I’ve always had an entrepreneurial sense (as a child I decorated envelopes with marker scrawl and sold them door to door), and I don’t mind the book-keeping and publicity sides of the job. I’m also glad that there is an audience for the kind of work I want to make.

I hope to continue spending my time in the studio, as well as attending art residencies and having conversations with other artists. I’d like to do more collaborations with musicians, dancers and filmmakers, and to bring the art into larger spaces, exposing my work to a greater audience.

Prints of Wright’s work are available on artmuse.

Deep blue-green, mustard yellow and hints of lavender: the colors of this dress by DVF (via shopbop) are spot-on for fall. And I discovered this beautiful painting, Cassidy, by Michelle Armas with the same palette and floral motif.

My friend Laura Cattano has the best, most ingenious yet simple ideas. She focuses on quality and the basics and boy does it pay off! If you aren’t familiar with this professional organizer/ Martha Stewart-in-training just take a peak at her Apartment Therapy House Tours here and here.

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Laura is on a pretty limited budget and makes it quite clear that when it comes to spending money her (beautiful) wardrobe comes before art. Hey, we all have our priorities! So Laura got crafty and created a few simple pieces of art for her bathroom. Just how much did it cost her??? Oh, a mere $8. Don’t believe me? Well, here’s how she pulled it off…

The small abstract piece is by Jaq Chartier and was clipped out of an art book (no judgment!). The larger black and white striped piece (Miss Cattano loves her black and white!) is actually just a piece of fabric! The frames didn’t cost her anything since she already owned them.

As Laura would undoubtedly agree, original art is ideal but just isn’t an option for her at this time. But her bathroom is proof that even if your budget is basically nil you can still live with interesting art- you may just have to get a bit creative!

A round-up of good art in the home from across the design blogosphere.

Freunde von Freunden via emmas designblogg

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Lonny via little glowing lights

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Jim Houser via Fecal Face

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Fantastic Frank via emmas designblogg

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Emily Henderson via The City Sage

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sfgirlbybay via design is mine

Yes, I know I’m kind of obsessed with house art, but I didn’t even realize this installation was a house (of sorts) until watching the video below. I swear! Reminds me of Jim Houser’s installations.

Free Life Center by Mark Warren Jacques and Seth Neefus at Needles + Pens. Photos and interview by MLFU.

The Free Life Center is “…a movable gallery space, built of reclaimed materials, in a modular fashion. At its full size the structure is a pretty large free standing building (10 ft wide x 16 ft long x 10ft tall), complete with lighting, a tin roof and a wood floor… At each location along the journey we’ve been setting up the structure and filling it with our artworks, video works, process documentation, interactive installation elements, music, good vibes. Along with our own artworks we’ve asked members of each local community to join in…” – Mark Warren Jacques

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When it comes to decorating and finding art, a lot of people feel lost. Where do I start? Should my art match my furniture? Or the other way around?

Well, it really depends what you’re starting with. If you have art you love, then make sure any furniture you buy works with it. Looking for art but have great furniture? You’re not beholden to buying art that perfectly matches your furniture but make sure they complement each other. Another big consideration – what do you want to be the focal point of the room? Art, furniture, little doggy?

To shed light on these questions, Kelly + Olive, super cool Chicago decorating duo, and I have teamed up for a new series, Decorate from the ART. The concept is simple: we create imaginary rooms that show you how to decorate with art.

For each room we start off by selecting a few pieces of furniture. Then I pick out three sets of art that all work with the furnishings in different ways. And finally Courtney and Lauren (Kelly + Olive’s real names) finish the room with accessories that tie everything together.

To start, Lauren and Courtney picked out this swanky black and white furniture for our first room. These pieces are modern, bold and over-the-top. Bed by Anthropologie, table by Room & Board, chair by Z Gallerie, and IKEA wardrobe.

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So, for the version #1 of the black & white bedroom I picked out This Big Love by Christine Kesler and Hold by Langdon Graves. Why these choices? I was going for art with a soft and feminine feel that was still very contemporary and sophisticated. I love the combination of the blacks and grays with the soft pink. In this version it was important to me that the art not compete with the furnishings but be complementary and subtle.

Courtney and Lauren did a wonderful job finishing the room with bedding, a pillow, a blanket, an alarm clock, and a funky chandelier. All of the pieces are modern and bold without being outright loud. Overall the theme is feminine, delicate, modern.

Stay tuned for two more art choices and accessories for our black & white bedroom!