April 14th, 2010 · 1 Comment
I’m a little late on this one… this exhibit at The Hogar Collection unfortunately ended April 5th. However, I still wanted to share the work of Michelle Forsyth, which explores the subjects of memories and loss. Over and Over, Michelle’s exhibit at Hogar, consists of images extracted from modern-day sites of historical disasters such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse of 1940.
What’s also interesting about Michelle’s work is that while it feels familiar, it is, at other times, totally disorienting. From a distance Forsyth’s work reads as landscapes and flowers. No big deal. But as you get closer the work turns abstract and you realize that what looked like a painting is actually an intricate collage of pieces of fabric, paper and beads either sewn or held together with dressmaker’s pins.
Pretty cool, right? And it’s hard not to appreciate the time and attention to detail that goes into Michelle’s work. I also like that it can be appreciated on many layers: for its aesthetics, its creative and laborious use of materials or its unique representation of memories as both fragmented and interconnected. It’s all there for the taking.
Tyson Anthony Roberts is a talented Seattle-based artist who studied both studio art and biology. His abstract urban and rural landscapes have a modernist feel from the reduced color palette and flat, pixelated brushstrokes. A distinguishing feature of Roberts’ work are the paint drips, which result from his use of watered-down acrylics. Roberts’ print The Gardens is available via 20×200, and his paintings are available starting at $125 through the artist. Art Hound’s interview with the artist is below.
You studied studio art and biology. Are these discrete interests or do they overlap?
They do overlap. I appreciate nature, landscapes, ecosystems, and the changing elements of the living organisms around us. Through painting I am able to record these things and somehow preserve what they once looked like. Biology and art are both ‘living’ as over time there is degradation / growth, new discoveries / known facts, inspiration / stagnancy.
How long have you been painting semi-abstract pieces? What’s been the progression of your work?
It has been 4 years since I began painting in this way. I started off experimenting by painting large areas of layered color aiming to create a dense impression. From there I gradually isolated colors, thinned them out, and became more ‘geometric’ to add to the depth of field. The progression also included experimenting with crayons, paper cut-outs, photography and not wearing my glasses so that my visual perception was altered to stripped down blurry areas of color (thank you bad eye-sight).
Tell me about the dripped paint in your work.
The dripped paint in my work represents the tears of all generations past and the hardships we have all encountered (the paint is actually mixed with real tears!) (just kidding).
Actually I have to work fast sometimes because I use acrylic paint. I thin the paint out so much sometimes that it drips and instead of cleaning it up I just let it be. It isn’t really a conscious thing, it simply happens sometimes.
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November 28th, 2009 · 1 Comment
I discovered the work of Vancouver-based Anna Maria Potamiti on etsy and recently stumbled upon Small Blessings, her wonderful and very affordable watercolor series. Potamiti is inspired by the everyday, mundane occurrences in her life or as she calls them, “small blessings,” such as the view of her neighbor’s fig tree. Based on the memory of these experiences she paints landscapes with strong, quasi-abstract visual elements. It’s a lovely series with a lovely perspective on the world around us!
These pieces are all for sale on etsy for $40-48. Please check them out!
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“No 3 (above left) was inspired by a mountain I drive by very often. The shape of the mountain (which always changes depending on the weather), its colors, and moods have mystified me for some time now.”
“No 6 (above right) was painted after a rather wet weekend outing, involving long hours of driving on the highway. I take the landscape in and then I try to paint the essence of the mood of the landscape that day. It also reminded me, while I was working, of the shadow theatre of ‘karagiozis’ that I sometimes watched as a child in Greece.”
“No 7 (above left) was painted after a Sunday outing with my family where we had to spend quite a long time in the car on the highway. I enjoy long car rides, always have done since I was a little girl. I love staring out the window at the changing landscape, I get lost in the colors, the shapes and patterns.”
“No 10 (above right) is inspired by my daily walks to the seawall of our area, and the movement of the tides. I love to layer shapes of color and enjoy the play of transparencies.”
“No 20 (above left) went in a bit of a different path from the previous ones, with a lot more use of ink drawing to complement the watercolor transparencies. I did a small number of watercolors/drawings inspired by the myth of Icarus, so the feet sinking point to that myth.”
“No. 30 (above right) is inspired by my neighbors’ much cherished fig tree. So much of my work springs from the joy this tree gives me daily. In the winter the complexity of its stark skeleton is a thrill to draw. This is it here, abstracted to basics.”
