CasaSugar

Ask Casa: Art in the DC Area?

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:30:45 -0700

Hi Casa,

My husband and I just bought our first house (yay!) in the Washington, DC, metro area. We love going to the local art fairs, and we just want some real art. We are huge art fans though we haven't been able to buy very much of it. I know that you often find up-and-coming artists (or established ones) and was wondering if you could give me some suggestions. We love abstract art, deep colors, huge Dali fans, Picasso, etc. The wall we want to fill is a good size, so we could accommodate a 6-feet-tall-by-4 feet-wide painting or a five-feet square painting. I know this is a ton of information, but I don't know where else to turn and we would love to find new artists and help them out!

Thanks so much for your time and I love your site!

Idekosky

To see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Idekosky,

For a painting this large, you'll likely have to commission a work - but don't worry, it's actually a fun process. I've had art commissioned before, and the artist is almost always enthusiastic about the process of working with a buyer. I'd first look online at DC Arts, where you can find links to artists, photographers, and designers in the DC metro area. I found painter Eileen Wold through the site, and I'm really impressed by her series of smokestack paintings.

If your online search proves unsuccessful, I would take it to the streets for Mid City Artists Open Studios night, which usually happens in May. If you can't wait that long (and who can blame you?), I would examine the list of artists from Mid City Artists' website and directly contact any that seem to fit your tastes. You might like Sondra Arkin's abstract paintings (shown here), or the work of Brian Petro, who also works with large panels.

Don't be afraid to also approach emerging galleries or new art spaces or studio spaces, since these artists may be both less expensive and more willing to work with specific requests. Enjoy your hunt! It's a fun one.

Good luck,
Casa

Oh, and are there any DC metro area art mavens out there? Please leave your advice in the comments!

Source and Source

Cool Idea: Skate Deck Art

CasaSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:00:36 -0700

Stretched canvas doesn't show signs of going out of style any time soon, but it's not the only place for paintings. Shannon of FotoFlat, a photoblog showcasing small details throughout her home, shared this photo of a skate deck painted and hung in her home as artwork. She says her boyfriend had "wanted to hang a skateboard (his first love) in the hall as art for as long as [they've] lived together." So they commissioned a friend to paint this abstract portrait on a never-been-built deck they had lying around. I think the shape of the deck is ideal for a figure painting, and it's more intriguing graphically than a canvas frame. The medium also says more about the couple's interests than any standard canvas would. I love it! Want to share small details of your own home? Join my group Lovely Little Vignettes.

Casa Quickie: Make Your Own Mark Rothko

CasaSugar — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:30:38 -0700

Abstract artist Mark Rothko was a largely self-taught artist who created large, abstract expressionist paintings. This photo, from Miles Redd's portfolio, shows a painting with a similar look in this home. While most of us will never be able to afford a real Rothko, we can definitely fake the look. Start by purchasing a canvas at your local craft store, and experiment with painting hazy, rectangular shapes with acrylic paints. Choose your favorite colors, or ones that would complement your home. Have you tried creating something similar?
Source

Artist of the Day: Lee Gainer

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:00:43 -0700

I first stumbled upon Lee Gainer's work when I searched Etsy for the term "circles" for my Trend Alert on circles, and I've been in awe of it ever since. Lee creates beautiful mixed media collages and paintings from a variety of materials like fabric, foam, paper, felt, dried paint, and cardboard. Many of the materials in the collages are hand-rolled into circles and swirls and placed precisely using Golden Soft Gel, forming an abstract representation of imagery we all know and love, like "baby," "seascape," "snowflake," and even "yellow dragon." Lee's eye for color is just plain brilliant, so it doesn't surprise me that she was a portrait photographer for Walt Disney World, America's most vivid amusement park.

Be sure to check out Lee's Etsy shop, and to see more images of Lee's artwork, read more

Although a browse through Lee's Etsy shop suggests that she was born to be a mixed-media artist, her resume is a potpourri of art forms. Lee has always been making art in some way, shape, or form since she could hold a pencil. She earned a scholarship to attend Virginia Commonwealth University where she graduated with a honors degree in Photography. Since then, she's been a portrait photographer for Walt Disney World, run her own photography studio, Hardsun Images (now LeeGainer.com), developed the now-defunct Everquack.com, and created freelance graphics and animated shorts. Whether she's got her fingers on a roll of foam, an acrylic paint brush, or a shutter release, Lee's obviously doing something right.

View 10 Photos ›

Source

Etsy Find: Floral Floor Cloth

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:00:42 -0700

If you're looking to make one small change that will make an instant difference, how about laying down this exquisitely painted Simplicity on Canvas Floor Cloth ($110)? Handpainted with an abstract flower, its cornflower blue color will bring a little Spring cheer to your front door. The floor cloth measures 2 by 3 feet, and has a non-slip backing. Its surface has been treated so you can wipe it down easily with a damp cloth. In case you love the pattern but aren't feeling the floor cloth, this design is also available as a pillow.

Artist of the Day: Jennifer Skoropowski

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:00:46 -0800

Jennifer Skoropowski (a.k.a. Jenn Ski) is a Somerville, Massachusetts based artist who makes one-of-a-kind hand-painted panels with paper and acrylic, and giclée prints of her digital art. She received a B.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Massachusetts, and worked for years as a graphic designer. This year, though, she waded into trepid waters by dedicating herself full-time to getting her website and shop off the ground and running. She also has an Etsy shop and keeps up with her own blog, which showcases her interest in all things retro and modern.

Jenn's artwork, which for the most part involves an abstract series of orbs, spheres, and other irregular shapes in somewhat subdued tones, is undeniably and admittedly retro. Not surprisingly, Jenn claims to have "a passion for modern and mid-20th century art and design." What I find interesting about her work is that in spite of the asymmetry of her shapes, her work is overwhelmingly smooth, restrained, and polished. It makes you wonder why she chooses to place one lone dot just slightly off-center.

View 5 Photos ›

Source

Artist of the Day: Yellena James

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:15:41 -0800

Yellena James is a Sarajevo-born artist and graphic designer who lives with her musician husband and two cats in Oregon. During the civil war in Sarajevo, Yellena had to "sneak past numerous snipers to attend a high school that was dedicated to the arts," where it was, she says, that she really grew passionate about her own art. She lived in Sarajevo until the end of the civil war in 1995, and then moved to Orlando, Florida, where she received a BA in graphic design from the University of Central Florida. She's "obsessed with markers, pens, inks, paper, patterns, good design, wallpaper, cacti, vintage fabric, empty journals, and anything little." Her abstract botanical drawings and paintings are dream-like, magically colored, and what I see as the uncanny love child of Jill Bliss, the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and Barabarella - in a good way. She even has a drawing called, "Bliss." Yellena's attention to detail is painstaking, yet her lines are very free flowing, which makes for drawings that are inspirational in both a raw emotional and chemical way, as well as in a technical, artistic sense. Archival quality prints of these wonderful drawings are for sale in her Etsy shop at very reasonable prices, in case you're looking for a Seuss-esque gift this stolen Christmas.

View 5 Photos ›

Source

Get the Look: Miranda Hobbes' Slick Upper West Side Home Part II

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:59:33 -0700

If you read my first post on Miranda Hobbes' home, you're probably aching for more of that successful lawyer style. I'll show you how to get the look of the accents and lighting in her pad, when you read more

The Accents:
Pick some light, girly accents to add a feminine touch to the straight lines of the furniture. Miranda kept antique perfume bottles on her dresser, and chose sheer, airy curtains to let light into her big, pre-War apartment. Make sure to pick up a Starburst Mirror for above your mantle that's hard, sharp, and unusual like Miranda. Leave other decorative touches to a minimum, maybe just some vases, a bedside childhood portrait, and candles. Hang abstract black and white photo prints that are intriguing and sexy. Install clean and classical crown moldings. Purchase a Tibetan-inspired, somewhat mystical painting to hang in the dining room, and lay down a muted toned brocade rug.

The Lighting:
Let the light in with sheer curtains, so you cast soft shadows into the room. Pick a geometric lamp for your bedside table lamp, and put a tall, textured wooden floor lamp and a crystal sphere table lamp next to the couch. Hang boxy, rectangular white pendants over the dining room table-nothing fussy, it doubles as a workspace, remember?

Whatever you do, think conservative. Choose proportion over embellishment, and neatness over clutter like Carrie's creative crib. Choose products that are lean, simple, understated, and very well-made. This is, after all, the Upper West Side.

Source