National Gallery of Art - Eastern Wing

I recently got to visit the National Gallery of Art - Eastern Wing. Yes, I know I live here, but it had been a while. 

The East Wing is the modern wing and it's my fave! Containing works from about the 1860s - 1970s, its ever-changing galleries often display the Post-Impressionists, Fauvists, Pop art, Expressionists, Color Field Painting, and even some more contemporary special exhibits.

I was really excited to see the French Collection of the 19th and 20th century, the Fauvists, and some pop art (because it's just fun). 

Here are some of my favorite pieces 

(fair warning: I am not an art historian, these are merely my impressions and observations):

 Edouard Vuillard, The Yellow Curtain, 1893

My main takeaway from this piece is that I'm not that interested in the yellow curtain - I'm obsessed with that floral curtain behind it! I'm not sure if he titled the piece ironically or what, but I can definitely see how his focus on the decorative elements may have influenced Matisse and his contemporaries (he was only a year older than Matisse, but he began his art study & career much earlier). 

Henri Matisse, Open Window, Collioure, 1905

Ah, Fauvism. I love the planes of color in this piece, and the color in general. It's so fresh and bright; I could stare at this painting for hours. 

Raoul Dufy, Beach at Sainte-Adresse, 1906

This was in Dufy's true Fauvist stage. His use of outlines here is interesting - they almost seems like they are radiating off the figures. He became know for this 3-plane dissection of his canvases with the distinct foregound, middle ground (water), and background (sky). I think my favorite part of this piece is how he addressed the foreground with the insertion of that bright orange and faded red in the very front. 

 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Dance Hall Bellevue, 1910

The final Fauvist piece I will talk about is this building-scape by Kirchner. A mundane subject made interesting by his color usage. It's almost aggressive color, but the pale periwinkle road in front helps soften the piece. I am in love with the pink sidewalk. What did he love about this building? Clearly it was special to him somehow... 

Henri Matisse, Pot of Geraniums, 1912

Matisse loved geraniums and returned to the subject many times in his career. In this painting, I love his use of color (that pop of turquoise right in front!), the strong cast shadow from the pot, and how you can see the beginning of his flattening of the objects in the background. His color useage is slightly more realistic than his high-Fauvist period, but it's still lovely and intense. The pots at the top of the painting really serve as more of a repeating pattern than a level of realism and depth. Wallpaper would almost have the same effect. 

Henri Matisse, Still Life with Apples, 1924

THAT. PINK. And just a tiiiiny lime on top to help give it that extra umph. Here we see him fully embrace the wallpaper-style decorative background. In fact, it almost has as much movement as the cloth on the table. Lingering question: why did he stop the wallpaper pattern on the bottom left side? 

Raoul Dufy, Regatta at Cowes, 1934

This piece by Dufy was amazing in person. It was the brightest thing in the room. You can feel the choppiness of the water and the cloudy sky. I love how some of the waves on the water have been abstracted so much as to be triangles. I am also noticing how much purple is in this piece... I would call it a daring choice. 

Henri Matisse, Woman Seated in an Armchair, 1940

Here we see Matisse's further foray into abstraction. His flat color planes and decorative lines on the floor that hint at a herringbone design (but are wildly out of perspective) and the funky-shaped flowers in the vase foreshadow his late-life abstract collage pieces. 

I love this room with the "bonus art" on the walls (akin to his Red Studio from 1911). This piece also contains the most black of any piece of his thus far - an interesting choice for the former Fauvist. 

Wayne Theibaud, Cakes, 1962

Has any piece of art ever made your mouth water more? I think that chocolate-frosted cake on the middle right would be the one that I'd sneak a taste of first. Yum. The minty foreground is just lovely, I love the slightly angled elliptical cast shadows, and how that bottom left shadow makes you wonder "but what cake did he leave off frame?!" 

Cakes, detail

Yup, I took a close-up shot. Pretty sure the white frosting details on that pink cake were squeezed right out of the tube. I also sense some Fauvist influence here. His multi-colored outlines among all the white remind me of that Kirchner piece, no? 

Graham Nixon, Bather with Outstretched Arms, 1980-1981

This painting done in 5 panels almost shocks the eyes with the purple. This piece is located in a hallway by the elevators and it drew me in from across the entire floor. There is a lot of movement in his linework, even in the "solid" panels at the top, and that pop of chartreuse at the bottom is just enough to make a statement among the violet. I don't even care about the figure, other than the color and strong diagonal she adds. It's really a statement on color and line. The portrait part seems secondary (just like in Vuillard's piece above).

Now I could make some remarks on how all these artists are men, but suffice to say: 

1. There is definitely under-representation of women artists in most museums. That is a fact.

 2. Yes, women were painting in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but most art schools were not co-ed, and women simply weren't taken seriously (though it's not for their lack of skill); and in the Victorian era, it was "improper" for women to paint anything other than domestic scenes. Insert eyeroll here.

3. This doesn't lessen the works by men depicted here - I still find them inspiring.

4. If you want to hear more about women in the arts (and I hope you do) go here and here
Edited to add: check out this book! 

Online inspiration

We all find inspiration in different places. I find lots in nature, films, books, museums, and even shopping (Anthropologie, anyone?)

 

But I also get a lot from my computer (and - let's be honest - my phone) -- I wanted to share my favorite blogs and creative inspirations I've found online. 

Art Blogs:

 from Pam Garrison

Pam Garrison is a great artist and has a fairly active blog. I LOVE her use of color, and her sketchbook doodles are so gorgeous I want to frame them. 

from Emily Jeffords

 

Emily Jeffords is an amazing artist and oil painter who creates dreamy abstract landscapes. She also has a great blog where she talks about working in the creative industry. Lots of good tidbits. 

Home Decor/Lifestyle Blogs:

I LOVE home decor and have a not-so-secret obsession with decorating (have you seen my Pinterest board?? It's out of control.) 

from House of Jade Interiors

House of Jade Interiors (formerly 6th Street Design School) - I love this blog and their aesthetic. Pretty but totally livable design.  

 from A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess - more of a lifestyle blog but with huge doses of home decor and DIY. And always so much COLOR. I love color. And their photography is always on point.

Business-y Blogs: 

These blogs aren't just about business, but offer a lot of inspiration for running a creative business. When you work from home/work alone you don't get that office atmosphere and constant brainstorming/ critiquing/ advice-filled environment. 

 from Smart Creative Women

Smart Creative Women - I mean, it's all in the title. Artist and blogger Moncia Lee has an impressive catalog of podcast interviews with (you guessed it) smart, creative women. So much inspiration, and so easy to listen to while you work. 

from Sycamore Street Press

Sycamore Street Press - This blog run by the stationery brand of the same name offers visual inspiration interspersed with small business tips (mostly focusing on the stationery biz). Some super useful stuff in here!

 from Oh So Beautiful Paper

Oh So Beautiful Paper - chock full of gorgeous photos and fun DIYs, this blog also offered a series called "Brick and Mortar" with tips for small stationery biz owners and designers. Very insightful and helpful. (also the best blog to stalk during and right after the National Stationery Show each year. So. much. pretty.)

What are your favorite sites for inspiration?

 

Instagram pretties

Some recent images from May 

You can follow me on Instagram for more up-to-date inspirations and shots from the studio.

(Also, don't forget to check out my "Upcoming shows" tab above -- I have several gallery shows and an art fair on the horizon! yay Spring!)

Inspiration: Sia

I know Sia's video for "Chandelier" is not new, but I wanted to share a bit about it anyway. 

Sia Furler is an Australian singer and songwriter, and has written hits for many artists including Madonna, Katy Perry, and Rihanna (you may recognize Sia's name from the song "Titanium" that she co-wrote and performed with David Guetta.) Sia has suffered from depression, drug, and alcohol addiction. She took a break from performing and the public eye in 2010, stating that she was almost smothered by her own success.

After receiving treatment, Sia went back to writing. Touted as an "anti-party girl anthem," Sia almost gave "Chandelier" to Rihanna, but changed her mind saying it was too personal and she needed to sing it herself. She refused to show her face on the cover art, and hides or doesn't show her face when she performs the song live. 

As an artist, I completely understand what she was feeling with this song. Sometimes we create things that are just too personal to sell, or maybe we show it, but we can't talk about it. It's hard to remove yourself from the art, because the art is a part of you and your journey. And sometimes you create without even quite understanding what it's about. Those pieces are, quite often, our best ones, our most powerful ones; at least for me, not every piece I create can be that personal and autobiographical. It's emotionally exhausting. 

The video for "Chandelier" features 11-year-old dancer Maddie, who performs with incredible passion and a naivete that captures Sia's struggle and brings me to tears when I see the video. It feels as though we have stepped into her head - this visual representation of depression, decay, intense psychological struggle, and loss of control. While there is a sadness to it there is also strength, knowing that Sia has gained the confidence to look back on her pain and share it with others.

What I have included below is the video of the LIVE performance of "Chandelier" from the Ellen show. The set and dance are recreated from the video, but what I love even more about this performance is that you can really feel what Sia's words mean to her in her voice, and it's really beautiful and cathartic.

Inspirational Christian Prints

My new line of inspirational Christian art prints is something I've been thinking about and working on for a while.

I really wanted to be able to share my faith in a beautiful and meaningful way.

I chose some of my favorite verses, and ones that really inspired striking imagery. 

Each is hand painted in watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and/or ink and then scanned into the computer. There is a little bit of photoshop clean-up, usually on the lettering, so that it prints cleanly (watercolors tend to have finite overbleed), but I really wanted to capture the original colors and brushstrokes as accurately as possible.

By offering them as prints, I'm able to make as many as I want or need of each and allow them to hopefully inspire and encourage many others. 

Most are offered as 8.5" x 11" prints in the shop, and I hope to add 11" x 14" soon. 
I have several more in my sketchbook already that I'm excited to paint soon!

Do you have any verses you'd like to see as a print?

Art Crush: Michelle Schneider

My newest Art Crush is Michelle Schneider of The Art of Michelle. 

I discovered Michelle through a favorite blog of mine 6th Street Design School, and I have been obsessively reading Michelle's blog and staring at her work ever since. 

She works mainly in watercolors and her work is so fun. Her charming illustrations capture the most adorable little moments.

I asked Michelle what it means to be an artist and a Christian. 
In her own words:

My faith has always been integral in my work. I whole-heartedly believe that painting is my professional purpose in life- even before it was my profession. It's something that I've always prayed most fervently about and what I hold closest to my heart. My values in business must always reflect my personal values and belief in honesty, purity, and quality. I believe in developing my best self and delivering the best quality product I know how to create.

Her line work is delicate and adds lovely detail to the pieces. The graphite line work makes you want to get right up in her work to see all the intricacies.

Michelle did a series of 12 bird paintings recently; each is thoughtful and whimsical, and the birds have the sweetest individual personalities. Here is the video she made about the process. 

She also occasionally works in oils, which makes me totally jelly since I miss working with them so much. Can you see the delicate pencil lines? Gorgeous.

Michelle makes lovely house portraits and each includes vintage music and book paper somewhere in the painting. The way she incorporates it into the work is brilliant  - she really uses the pattern and direction in very meaningful ways. 

But this right here might be my favorite piece: Here is her own house imagined in the snow. It's so adorable and the tiny cardinals are such a sweet touch, and it's so full of love that it brings tears to my eyes. 

I have found her work to be such an inspiration; she speaks often on the blog about her work being informed by her faith, and many paintings have direct tie-ins / are inspired by scripture. It's a beautiful way to let God speak through her talents.

Here is Michelle's shop and her blog. 

All work and photography by Michelle Schneider.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I LOVE Christmas! Hands-down, it's my favorite holiday. I love the meaning behind it, celebrating our Savior, the warmth and glow it creates, and sharing that love with my friends and family. (and also cookies. Man, I love cookies).

Unfortunately, our apartment is just too small for a tree this year (boo), but I thought I'd share the rest of our holiday decor. 

We have tall shelves in the living room, and this is what they looked like originally:

 I really like my fauxpiary (faux topiary - totally stole the term from Sherry of Young House Love), but I thought it looked too naked up there, so I decided to make a garland.

 Inspired by this garland from P.S. I made this, I made mine out of pretty fabric I had lying around and rick rack (rick rack rocks!). I pulled my color palatte from reds, pinks, blues, greens, and yellows to create a fun, colorful swag. I cut 8-inch by 1-inch strips of fabric with pinking shears and tied them onto an indoor light string (the LED light string is from Target). 
 

 However, I was told that my female nutcrackers (Clara and Alice) were too girly (thanks, Mom) and I needed to make my Christmas decor more man-friendly. So off to Target I went! 

 I replaced the ladies with a wooden reindeer, a geometric white ceramic fox, and a cool metallic nutrcracker. Much more gender neutral. Also on the top shelf are two of my Moravian stars. I LOVE Moravian stars. The multi-faceted points are so pretty; I went to grad school in Winston-Salem, a city founded by Moravians, and these stars were always everywhere.

On the next shelf down, there is another one of my Moravian stars (this one was a gift from a friend who bought it in Historic Old Salem), a frame of fine paper that I switch out with the seasons, a white ceramic 5-opening bud vase, kraft letters spelling out "Noel," a tiny wooden chest I got from a super cool secondhand shop in North Carolina, and a small globe sitting upon a mercury glass holder (a little nod to world peace).

The third shelf features my original Nutcracker. I got him when I was 8 years old after my mom took me to see The Nutcracker for the first time, danced by Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio. I fell in love and all I wanted for Christmas that year was my own Nutcracker. Isn't he a handsome fellow? I used to sleep with him like a teddy bear (definitely not very cuddly, though). Next to him is a teeny artist nutcracker that my mom got me while I was in grad school - so cute. 

 

On our coffee table, I placed this Christmas house dome - it's so sweet and reminds me of It's a Wonderful Life - my favorite Christmas film. I'm a huge fan of Jimmy Stewart. 

 I also added some lights and pinecones to the barcart and some small ornaments on our other shelves. 

 Though we don't have room for a tree, I really wanted some real pine in the apartment this year, so we got a fresh wreath from Whole Foods and adorned it with salt dough ornaments painted by Jason's niece and nephew. Too cute. And it smells a-mah-zing.

And because I couldn't resist:

Merry Christmas!

Warhol Forever

I have been a fan of Andy Warhol ever since I drew my first soup can. 

 

(not my soup can ^ just a depiction)

I did a sketch of a Campbell's Tomato Soup can in high school (oh, man, I wish I knew where it was!) and I was pretty proud of the result. My high school art teacher, Mrs. Turner, was inspiring. She was the first teacher that ever took me seriously as an artist, who challenged me, and who made me feel like I might actually have some talent. And, yes, the soup can had a lot to do with that. (I didn't think I actually had a future in art, though, until college, but that's a story for another day.)

 

Anywho, later I did a small oil painting of a tomato soup can in college (on display in my parents' gallery house) and a watercolor that featured a can in grad school (pictured below). 

Though my soup cans were nothing like Warhol's, I felt a kind of connection to him through the subject, both from recreating the iconic cans in my own medium and style, and because they were a part of my daily life (well, maybe not daily, but I do love me some tomato soup).

 He passed away in 1987, when I was child, so everything I ever knew of him was in the past; and yet this thing, this soup can, was there on the shelf at the grocery store, in my pantry, in my bowl. 

(btw if you've never seen the films I Shot Andy Warhol or Basquiat, watch both of them for the portrayals of Andy. David Bowie as Warhol in Basquiat is particularly fabulous.)


 Anyway, all this is why I was elated when Target was carrying the special edition Andy Warhol soup cans back in September. Our Target was almost sold out by the time I got there, but I managed to snag one of each of the designs. 

Aren't they super fun?? The use of color just makes me smile. 


While they were just totally awesome in their real, 3-D form, I knew I needed to do something not involving the soup itself if I wanted these to last longer than a year or two. So, as sad as I was to do it, I removed the labels from the cans (and ate the soup - yum!), and made my own Homage to Warhol Pop Art:

I found a white frame with a multi-slot mat from Michael's and just mounted the labels behind the mat openings. I made sure to tape them in place with acid-free tape so they wouldn't droop or sag. Easy!
 
The hardest part was arranging and rearranging the labels until I had them in the order I wanted.

This collection makes me smile every time I see it. 

Cheers, Andy, from depressionist-era Pittsburgh. Your iconic imagery of iconic imagery gave you your 15 minutes of fame forever. 


(psst... Young House Love showed a cute DIY project keeping the cans intact here)