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Sigh… I want to take a deep cleansing breath while also jumping for joy! These absolutely gorgeous paintings are the work of American artist Rochelle Redfield. They are all part of her “Confetti Skies” series which are inspired by “Hudson Valley skies and person moments of stormy optimism.” Beautiful.
Sigh, I can almost feel the Hawaiian breezes… oh wait, I can! Yep, I’m in Hawaii this week in full-on tourist mode, but oh how I wish I could buy a little pink cottage in the burbs. Alas, I’ll just have to pretend by staring at the work of Oahu based artist Brenda Cablayan. Her paintings might look familiar because I’ve written about her before. I can’t help it! Hawaii is one of my most favorite places on the planet, and there is something absolutely perfect about the way Brenda captures this beautiful spot … not the ‘pina colada’ tourist version, but the ‘regular old day-in-the-life’ version. Granted, it’s a day-in-the-life in paradise, but still.
Those are needle-hole perforations in paper… because I know you’re wondering! Today I’m talking to the very prolific artist, and teacher, Wendy Kawabata. I wrote about her needle-hole series, titled “Blind World” a few years ago, but they are just one of many gems in her extensive portfolio. So, this episode is coming to you from Hawaii… I’m in Maui, and Wendy lives on Oahu… mai tais for everyone! Listen right up there under that intricate beauty, or you can subscribe on iTunes.
First up, some of her newest work. Wendy has recently gone back to oil painting after a very long break:
Ahhh, gorgeous! Each of these are titled “Cairns III”, “Cairns II”, and “Cairns VII Here Comes The Sun”.
Now, these pieces are both drawings and mixed media. Wait… is it fabric… or drawings .. or both? …
You can see why I wasn’t sure! The top two are gouache and colored pencil on paper, and the bottom two are gouache, colored pencil, and kantha cloth on paper. Love them all!
Next, the work inspired by her month-long residency in Iceland. This is “In The Land” when it was shown in 2016 at Sanderson Contemporary in New Zealand:
Dreamy, icy watercolors and that amazing crocheted flower piece… which has oh so much more behind it than grey, metallic paint covered flowers.
Oooh, I love this series too {see, prolific!}. This is a gouache and pencil on paper series, titled “Acts”:
Note the “mama”… such a beautiful reason for having that word woven into these drawings from a few years back.
And here we are, the first body of work of Wendy’s that I ever saw. “Blind Worlds”. So gorgeous:
Needle-hole perforations in paper, or as Wendy would say, drawing with holes. Love, love, love!
And finally, this is the piece she mentioned near the beginning… logs covered in crochet with Wendy’s made-up stitches {thank goodness for mothers}:
Beautiful… right stitches or wrong stitches! Thanks so much to Wendy for doing this with me; thanks to Saatchi Art and Thrive for supporting the episode, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear, not next weekend but the weekend after that {Feb 17}
Other links:
Gorgeous architecture… with a few “guests”. This is the work of LA based artist Holly Elander, from her series titled Their Home. She grew up in Los Angeles in a mid-century home, and apparently there were many visitors who wandered through from time to time. This is Holly’s ode to her furry and feathered neighbors. Some of these paintings, along with another body of her work, will be in a show that opens tomorrow night at Launch LA… February 3rd until March 3rd / Opening reception is this Saturday, Feb 3rd, 6 – 9pm RSVP to rsvp@launchLA.org
Whoa … well, clearly I had no choice but to kick things off with that insanely beautiful closeup. Today I’m talking to Cornwall based artist Lisa Wright. I had so many questions for her – did she study art history, why the masks, how big are these beauties, does she like Marmite? She does. Listen right up there under that beautiful blue “lace”, or you can subscribe on iTunes.
First, some of Lisa’s paintings that I wrote about a few years ago:
Oh, I love all of them… but that girl smoking might be my favorite. So, from there her subjects started to wear masks:
Masks, inspired by the button masks of Venice. The wearer holds a button in their mouth to keep the mask on, which of course, prevents them from being able to speak. Hm. This could go in oh so many directions… and I can’t wait to see where Lisa decides to take it!
So, Venetian masks go hand-in-hand with lace-like patterns… here they are veiling her art history-esque subjects:
Seriously… so unbelievably beautiful. And yes, I included that closeup again because that blue paint is absolutely mesmerizing.
Next up, some of the pieces that Lisa exhibited at CONTEXT New York. This is also a great way to show scale… from little and lovely to big and beautiful:
Yes! And speaking of exhibiting at cool shows, here is Lisa’s work in the Coates & Scarry booth at PULSE Miami:
Isn’t that installation great!? I love that Lisa painted her lacy patterns all over the wall! And finally, a podcast post wouldn’t be complete without a peek into the artist’s studio:
Sigh… that light! Beautiful. Again. Thank you so much to Lisa for such an inspiring conversation; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and thank YOU for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.
Other links:
Girlhood, unleashed. This is the work {oil paint on aluminum} of American artist Zoe Hawk. My first guess – Zoe attended an all girls school, and didn’t enjoy it, but I can’t find any proof of that. I did, however, find this quote from an interview she did which beautifully explains why she does what she does:
“My work delves into the world of adolescence, depicting girls and young women within carefully constructed scenes: at school, in the home, or out in nature. Themes of gendered socialization, anxiety, group dynamics, and performance are tackled within scenes of girlhood play and interactions, often stylistically referencing children’s storybook illustrations.
The narratives described in the paintings are meant to be sweet and somewhat familiar to the viewer, yet upon closer inspection they take a mysterious or unsettling turn. Sometimes conveying innocence and curiosity, other times confronting violence and fear, my work investigates the complex experience of coming of age. The costumes, colorful dresses, mournful funeral attire, and matching uniforms signify various modes of feminine identity, and set the stage for the girls’ interactions. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood—between fairytales and the dark realities of womanhood—these characters develop an intricate play of yearning, contention, camaraderie, and mischief, as they navigate their social and physical environments.” (quote via Art Maze Mag)
Gasp! Absolutely stunning oil paintings, overflowing with flora and fauna. This is the work of Brooklyn based painter Marc Dennis, who creates “alternate reality rich with hype, narrative and humor where art, history, nature and pop culture intersect.” I included the close-ups so you could see the gorgeous detail in each of these large-scale beauties, BUT, if you happen to be in New York all of these paintings will be hanging in a fabulous group show at a new gallery that opens on February 2:
“FACTION Art Projects presents their inaugural exhibition, “All That You Have Is Your Soul”, a group show of 17 artists, all of whom are tied together by their responses to building identity within a foreign land. The exhibition uses the link of heritage between the artists to present artworks that celebrate difference in identity.”
Go! ps. FACTION is a new flexible collective, from the team behind the hugely successful Gallery 8 and Coates & Scarry in London, who in this, their foray into the US, are adapting a unique model for artists and gallerists to work together. It sounds fantastic!
Yep. Paintings. Acrylic and airbrush on canvas to be exact. This is the work of Australian painter Amelia Millard. So dreamy … like a layer of white gauze covering each canvas. Happy Monday.
{via Saatchi Art}
Gorgeous … but lonely. This is the work of American artist Jared Small. All of these dark ‘n stormy oil paintings are part of his latest show, titled ‘Dimension’. If you happen to be in or near Memphis. you can see this work and meet Jared… tomorrow, Saturday January 20th at 11am, Jared will be doing a talk at the David Lusk Gallery in Memphis {97 Tillman St.}. Pop by if you can!
ps. The show runs until February 3rd.
Oh, the work of Barcelona based artist and illustrator Sonia Pulido. Love. I’ve written about Sonia’s ceramics before, and so today my plan was to focus on her 2D work… but then a bunch of porcelain bird ladies got in there! I couldn’t help myself, they’re just too good.
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