The Figurative Artbeat » Painting

The Intriguing Figurative Paintings of LISA G.

Alice — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:26:08 +0000

The Fair Angel - LISA G

LISA G is a contact of mine on Facebook. Her work is beautiful, playful, thoughtful and engaging. I just can’t spend enough time with her work.

Many of her paintings are oil on fabric. I’d love to see them in person. Her colors are so rich and vibrant, they truly sing.

Tomorrow, one will see well - LISA G

LISA G was born in Montreal Canada and painted for many years. She is a self taught artist. She says “In fact I believe that I can express myself only through form and painting. It is a universal language by which all my emotions passes from my mind. It is my way of existing, my breath.”

I take you along to the sea - LISA G

Many of her painting tell interesting stories that hold your attention, I’m often afraid I might miss something if I don’t take my time. It seems she is a prolific artist with much to say. Her work has a dream like quality that carries you to a different place if only for a heartbeat. Isn’t that what art is meant to do? Take us outside of ourselves?

The Thoughts Baroques - LISA G

There seems to be a fish, bird or some animal in each piece. Many times all are flying, contributing to the other worldly feeling evoked by her art.

the black ribbon - LISA G

There are so many piece of work to choose from, it was difficult for me to decide which ones to share with you here. If you enjoyed these, I know you’ll enjoy her blog. The site is in French, you can enter the address into this translator to read it in your language.

Many thanks to Lisa for allowing me to share her work with you. You can become her fan on facebook.

The Figurative Paintings of michel guerin

Alice — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:26:13 +0000

le chapeau cloche 9 – the cloche hat

I came across michel guerin’s painting through my Filckr site. His work captured my imagination the minute I saw it. It made me think of the 20’s, of France in the 20′, of people and romance in the 20’s. At least how I have always imagined the 20’s to be.

At the same time his paintings are contemporary in their subject matter, the human condition. Both in groups and in the solitary figure.

A Tanger

michel told me that he is 69 years old and has been a professional painter since 1975. He has a MA and a PhD in literature from University in Aix en Provence. At the same time he was attending Escole Nationale des Arts Deco. He taught for a few years and then decided he wanted to see the world. He worked for TWA as a purser and was based in Rome where he began to paint.

He said, ” I began as an abstract painter, but I got fed up trying to paint ideas. I decided I wanted to paint things and human beings.”

les beaux jours 17 - beautiful days

michel has had exhibitions around the world and now lives in Italy. He is a resident of the Riviera where “I find the kind of landscapes I like.”

Parade

It was so very hard for me to choose which paintings to share with you. michel is nothing if not prolific. His flickr site is full of his interesting work.

He portrays people being people, living, drinking, loving, singing, dancing, he show us it all. He truly reveals that he loves people and show us to ourselves.

dans l'atelier

This is a photo of michel in his work space. On his flickr site under this photo he wrote..

My favourite colour is RED
I believe in friendship
I only have female friends
I’ve been married for 44years(same wife)
I hate sports
I love dogs and cats
I’m utterly pessimistic
I hate cities and crowds,so I live in a small village of the Italian Riviera (27 inhabitants)
Went to an art school, was a teacher, was a purser on TWA, became a professional painter in 75 with my first show in Paris, lived 7 years in London, 4 years in Tangiers and finally Italy
I’m painting because I want to stay alive

ne me quitte pas - do not leave me

He left me with this last thought, “Oh yes, I forgot, I’m French, love the sea and women, (married 44 years with the same one!!)”.

Unfortunately, there is no website, but you can see over 100 fabulous paintings of michel’s on his flickr site.

Leave him a comment there, I know he’s loved to hear from you. Tell him I sent you!

Christina Bothwell’s Glass Sculpture Captures What Lies Beneath

Alice — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:58:57 +0000

Dreaming

Christina Bothwell employs glass, clay, wood, paint and found objects in her revealing sculptures. She includes glass within glass and painting on top of glass. Clay and wood come together to add warmth to many of her creations.

When the Body Sleeps, the Spirit Travels

I particularly love her “dreaming” sculptures. I have always believed that we go “home ” when we sleep and come back ready to try to remember who we really are and create a wonderful day for ourselves by what we choose to think, say, and do.

She'd Give You Her Heart

Christina states on her website, “In my work I am drawn to the processes of birth, death, and renewal. What lies below the surface fascinates me and I try to capture the qualities of the “unseen” that express the sense of wonder that I feel in my daily existence. I am attracted to glass because it can do everything that other sculptural media can; in addition, it offers an inner space and transmits light.”

Tree

She goes on to say, “My subject matter includes babies, animals, and children as they embody the essence of vulnerability that is the underlying theme in my work. Currently I am exploring metamorphosis as a topic, and have been incorporating figures within figures in my pieces. Within each glass figure there is a smaller figure seen through the surface of the glass.”

Angel on My Shoulder

She closes by saying, “I think of these pieces as souls, each being pregnant with their own potential, giving birth to new, improved versions of themselves.”

Old Soul Baby

As the viewer I was captivated by her display of what lies beneath the surface of her figures. I felt as if I were looking more deeply than I should, but unable to look away. We are more than our bodies and Christina’s figures cause us to pause and think about what truly lies within ourselves.

Carousel

Christina is an accomplished artists with many solo and group exhibitions and numerous awards. She was the 2008 Winner of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Award.

Visit Christina’s website for more of her award winning work.

The Figurative Art of Jereme and Sam Crow

Alice — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:23:27 +0000

Dancing

I’ve been a fan of Jereme Crow ’s action filled paintings for quite awhile now. His figures are so alive, while his colors are soft and easy on the eye. I want to laugh and tap my feet, I can feel the motion.

Golden Spray

On his web site Jereme writes, ”To attempt to explain my paintings would be an after thought. They are a celebration and exploration of the beauty of colour and the human form. I am attracted to dance as a source of inspiration because of the endless compositions created by the human form. The beauty, energy and emotion that is captured through movement. Art is beauty. Capturing a feeling, or an idea and through the use of a subject attempting to create something beautiful.”

Tango

In my opinion, he has easily accomplished all of the above and something else as well. An involvement with the viewer.

Leap Frog

After I contacted Jereme and while I was pouring over his site to choose paintings to feature here, I noticed a link to Sam Crow. I clicked and was taken to a very exciting blog featuring textile art by Jereme’s wife Sam. To my delight, not just textile art, but figurative textile art.

Staircase

While Jereme’s paintings require the viewer to move, if not actually, then mentally, Sam’s work is more introspective, slowing the viewer down to be self analytical.

Pink Shoes

She states on her site in reference to a recent exhibition, “For this show, most of the women are sitting or lying down, exhausted or resting, this is because i am suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome at the moment and have to rest and sleep lots…… so i was focussing on that, and trying to incorporate my feelings about that and how it effects me and others, and trying to restrict myself to those sort of postures in a similar way that we are resticted often in our activities and have to force ourselves to stop and rest….which is hard when i work obsessively and have to be dragged away from the sewing machine!

I think as women, mothers, wives, even without chronic fatigue syndrome, we can all relate to those times of shear exhaustion.

Dressing Room

I love this one. Contemplation, a pause in a busy life…. a look, if you will, into the dream.

Summer Love

What a wonderful feeling this pictures leaves us with. Maybe after a good dance, a snugly rest is needed.

Jereme and Sam Crow live in South East Kent, UK

You can find out more about his talented couple by visiting their websites. Jereme Crow’s fabulous, lively art can be seen at Jereme Crow Fine Art and Sam Crow’s wonderful textile portraits can be view at Sam Crow Drawing with Stitches.

Annett E. Bank’s Figuative Art is Energy in Motion

Alice — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Synchronicity II

When Annett and I first talked she was working on a project that has been evolving over several years, since she was in Art School actually. Now she works in the top floor studio of her old Victorian Home in Brighton, UK.

The painting, Synchronicity II, reflects her studies of esoteric and spiritual teachings and she is influenced by the concept of the Oneness of all things, as well as the merging of the male and female principle. She was kind enough to send me some pictures of the work in progress and I’ve posted them below.

The Sketch

Annett wrote to me, “It (this painting) states that people are made to be unaware of their true origin, their amazing vastness as a being that has comprised within themselves all the elements of the universe. An unspeakable wonder, but we experiencing life as limiting, suffocating and often depressing. The sensation of ‘a human experience’ stands therefore in stark contrast to our infinite, eternal existence.”

Stage 1

“For that reason I want to convey the couple in a confined capsule-like shape, which coincidentally reminds us of the shape of a heart – representing the idea of Togetherness within Separateness, yet sensing that the bubble will soon open.”

Stage 2

She goes on the say, “This is an image of male and female opposites who choose to exist in a close space together, but ending up seeking to manipulate each other to fulfill their own ends. I played with the idea that humanity is about to be birthed into a new, higher consciousness, but yet not aware of it – so the old drama of separateness, duality and dysfunction is still played out between them in their private lives.”

Stage 3

The progression, the layers of paint and feeling and thought that builds this work is interesting to me. Each stage is able to stand on it’s own, yet it is still waiting for that final brush stroke. But after speaking with Annett, it still might not be “finished”. But it has been shown, here it is between two more of her energetic works at a recent exhibition.

She has had numerous exhibitions in the UK and her work is in many private collections. In 2008 she was recognized as one of UK’s Best Graduates by the SaLon Gallery in Notting Hill and exhibited at the ‘Midsummer Art Fair’ at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington, London.

Yellow Dancer

I’m drawn to Annett’s work, I enjoy the intertwining of contemporary texture and color with classical movement and energy. I particularly enjoy her Dancer Series and her portrait work is stunning.

Untitled

Annett’s accomplishments are too many to list here, but you can find out more about her on her website and spend some time enjoying more of her vibrant work.

The Figurative Artbeat » Painting

The Intriguing Figurative Paintings of LISA G.

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The Figurative Paintings of michel guerin

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