Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Floral Explosion
I took a mini-trip up to Santa Barbara this past weekend to visit my friend C. I had never spent very much time up there so it was nice to see a new place.
C took me to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. They were having a cool Impressionism exhibit with paintings not commonly seen from the Impressionists. I actually enjoyed looking at Henri Fantin-Latour's floral paintings the most. He wasn't an Impressionist but was a friend of theirs I believe. I want this floral arrangement in my house!
The museum was also showing contemporary work from Ori Gersht:
You gotta love a curator with a sense of humor. This exhibit cracked me up seeing the juxtaposition of the Impressionists and Gersht's take on similar objects used by Latour such as flowers. But seriously, it was cool to see Gersht's digital images, HD videos, and photography printed on aluminum. The things you can do with technology. Some of his other photographs have this dream-like quality about them that I love.
And here is another Linda Kim floral that I finished last night. I was looking through my box of art supplies and found an unfinished painting from a few years back. I decided to use Prismacolors and watercolors to fill it in:
C took me to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. They were having a cool Impressionism exhibit with paintings not commonly seen from the Impressionists. I actually enjoyed looking at Henri Fantin-Latour's floral paintings the most. He wasn't an Impressionist but was a friend of theirs I believe. I want this floral arrangement in my house!
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| Henri Fantin-Latour, Roses in a Glass Vase, 1873 Oil on canvas (Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, England) |
The museum was also showing contemporary work from Ori Gersht:
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| Ori Gersht, Blow Up: Untitled 4, 2007. Light jet print mounted on aluminum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Museum |
And here is another Linda Kim floral that I finished last night. I was looking through my box of art supplies and found an unfinished painting from a few years back. I decided to use Prismacolors and watercolors to fill it in:
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| Linda Kim, Untitled, 2011. Mixed media. |
Friday, July 8, 2011
Natural beauty at the beach
With all my posts about the beauty created by artists, I can't help but get overwhelmed by God's natural beauty all around me.
I was recently on Catalina Island, and also took a morning trip to my local beach and snapped some inspirational images. I can see how an artist like Noguchi could get inspired to create his designs given the natural beauty so readily available around us.
I was recently on Catalina Island, and also took a morning trip to my local beach and snapped some inspirational images. I can see how an artist like Noguchi could get inspired to create his designs given the natural beauty so readily available around us.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Noguchi garden in Costa Mesa: CA Scenario
I had heard about the Noguchi garden in Costa Mesa for some time and finally had a chance to visit last month. It's tucked away in a courtyard surrounded by skyscrapers and parking lots near South Coast Plaza and the Segerstrom Arts Center.
Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese American sculptor who experimented with such organic forms as wood, marble, and physical landscapes. His work is minimal, abstract, and seems to exude peace and mystery at the same time. I instantly felt calm entering the garden, and marveled at the lines of his work, and the interplay of man-made sculptures, trees, water, and stone. His garden made me think about my previous post on minimalist sculptures.
I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area (I suggest going on a weekend or after business hours; I parked in a nearby lot by the TGIF restaurant for free):
611 Anton
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese American sculptor who experimented with such organic forms as wood, marble, and physical landscapes. His work is minimal, abstract, and seems to exude peace and mystery at the same time. I instantly felt calm entering the garden, and marveled at the lines of his work, and the interplay of man-made sculptures, trees, water, and stone. His garden made me think about my previous post on minimalist sculptures.
I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area (I suggest going on a weekend or after business hours; I parked in a nearby lot by the TGIF restaurant for free):
611 Anton
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Monday, June 27, 2011
Ahhh, summer!
Summer is my favorite season of the year!
I celebrated tonight with a refreshing watermelon salad (spinach, chicken, watermelon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper) and a nice glass of sangria. Here's to summer!
I celebrated tonight with a refreshing watermelon salad (spinach, chicken, watermelon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper) and a nice glass of sangria. Here's to summer!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Kehinde Wiley
I was looking at Compai blog today (a really fun design and inspiration blog), and I stumbled upon her post on artist Kehinde Wiley.
WOW. His paintings made me stop in my tracks. There was all at once the mix of the feminine in his floral patterns, and masculine in his portrayal of male subjects. It was also a mix of old world skill (think Rembrandt and others) and urban modern in his portrayal of everyday men.
I did some research and found out that Wiley paints portraits of men of color and has them pose in classically European poses in order to insert these men in the narratives of power associated traditionally with white males.
It is now a life goal to visit his paintings in person.
WOW. His paintings made me stop in my tracks. There was all at once the mix of the feminine in his floral patterns, and masculine in his portrayal of male subjects. It was also a mix of old world skill (think Rembrandt and others) and urban modern in his portrayal of everyday men.
I did some research and found out that Wiley paints portraits of men of color and has them pose in classically European poses in order to insert these men in the narratives of power associated traditionally with white males.
It is now a life goal to visit his paintings in person.
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| Image from http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/paintings.html Three Graces Kehinde Wiley, 2005 Oil and enamel on canvas 182.9 x 423.8 cm (72 x 96 in) Hort Family Collection, courtesy Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, California © Kehinde Wiley |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
It's been a busy season
I've been so busy that I really haven't had time to blog. I had hoped that by starting this blog I could post insightful, interesting, and thoughtful posts but it's been a mixed bag. Oh well, as long as I keep enjoying it. I hope to post a lot more once I get past these last few weeks of deadlines and projects.
That said, I've really enjoyed Netflix's extensive library of art documentaries and art films. This is one I recently watched on Maya Lin - the woman who designed the Vietnam Veteran's memorial. Ahh, such a great film and such an inspiring woman. I'll have to write more on her at another time.
That said, I've really enjoyed Netflix's extensive library of art documentaries and art films. This is one I recently watched on Maya Lin - the woman who designed the Vietnam Veteran's memorial. Ahh, such a great film and such an inspiring woman. I'll have to write more on her at another time.
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