Artwork of the Week: Ruin #9

Ruin #9 by Danny Jauregui

graphite and ash on panel, 2007 

We are back! While I had a wonderful time spending bright mornings on the beach and overeating delicious food by dad all summer, it feels SO nice to be back in my own space again. And getting things in order! I finally backed up my computer and updated my OS after months of moving the task from week to week on my To-Do list. Boring stuff, I know, but it feels like I've done a cleanse. Minus the glowing skin and energy boost. Anyway, major administrative accomplishments over here! Next on the list: finally finishing Graham's baby book. IT SHALL BE DONE.

You can see more work from artist Danny Jauregui on his website: www.dannyjauregui.com

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Drawing by Junyi Wu

Pencil drawing by Junyi Wu

Alissa! I feel the same way! Fall is so open! Full of possibilities! Brimming with potential! 

We've just finished setting up our living room (after moving in almost 4 months ago) and it feels like a fresh start. We splurged and had it painted in my favorite Pewter Mug gray and spent one night last week hanging art on the walls. I even took a drawing that we received as a wedding gift (over 3 years ago) to be framed and I'm SO excited to finally see it hung in our home and checked off my to-do list. 

And I bought a new plant! (To replace one that was recently confirmed dead.) Things are really looking bright shiny and new over here!

You can see more work from Los Angeles-based illustrator Junyi Wu on the artist's website and Tumblr, as well as purchase original artwork and prints online from Nucleus Gallery. 

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Marketplace

Marketplace sketch by Melissa Castrillon, 2012

My friend Janie and I decided to do an entire dinner sourced from the Durham Farmer's Market this weekend. Unfortunately (ok, fortunately!) they only sell what's in season, so both of us ended up rounding out the meal with a little help from the bog box supermarket. (Who knew lettuce season was over?) But all of the main stars of the meal were local! I cooked these super delicious meatballs with ground beef I got from one vendor and sliced up some goat cheese from another guy that I served on a whole grain bread bought from one of the baked goods tables. Janie boiled up some sweet corn for our side, tossed some beets into a salad, and baked a beautiful peach buckle for dessert. It was great! Though next time it would be really cool to limit ourselves to JUST what they're selling at the DFM. It would be tough, but I think we're up to the challenge. 

You can see more from British illustrator Melissa Castrillon on her website www.melissacastrillon.co.uk, purchase prints from her shop, and peek her process on her blog. 


- Cathleen 


[Image via flickr]

Artwork of the Week: Drawing by David Hockney

Drawing by David Hockney

October 1966

Is there anything crueler than a summer cold? I am home with a runny nose and sore throat today---though not in bed. A certain yell-y little boy would never allow something like that. This drawing by David Hockney certainly makes me wish I were, however. 

- Cathleen

[Image via berlindrawingroom.blogspot.com]

Artwork of the Week: Ocean Abstract

Ocean Abstract by Gao Cheng

ink on paper, 54.3 x 54.3 x 3.9"

$4000 from Saatchi Art

It's rained for three days straight. Three days cooped up in a house at the beach with an 18 month old has tested all of our mettle. We went to the aquarium. Two days in a row. We've watched more episodes of Curious George and Peppa Pig than I can count. We made a blanket fort (that Graham promptly tore down) and splashed in the puddles outside (until he got down on his hands and knees to lap up the dirty water). Hopefully tomorrow will be brighter. And drier. And outside! 

You can see more work from Chinese artist Gao Cheng on saatchiart.com/gaocheng

- Cathleen 

[Image via booooooom]

Artwork of the Week: Illustration by Rhona Garvin

Illustration by Rhona Garvin

Still beaching. I finished AOGG. A pile of tears were shed. (SO GOOD, you guys.)

Nothing much else to report. 

The drawing above was a sketch for what turned into this screenprint. I think I prefer the earlier version, though. I have always appreciated great economy of line. You can see more work from UK illustrator Rhona Garvin on her website (www.rhonagarvin.com) as well as a peek into her process on her blog (rhonagarvin.blogspot.co.uk).

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Illustration by Sabrina Arnault

Illustration by Sabrina Arnault

We are at the beach! Emerald Isle, NC to be precise. We arrived Saturday afternoon and so far my main concerns are adequate sunscreen coverage and nap schedule adherence. Sunday morning was spent trying to coax Graham away from the comforts of sandy Cheerios under the beach umbrella and into the water. Progress was made --- after 2 hours and several attempts, he allowed me to carry him in up to my waist, and even laughed when we were blind-sided by a wave on the way back to the shore. But it was all at great cost; I probably brought home a pound of sand in my bathing suit. Speaking of, I picked up a couple of solid one pieces at Target before I left. Pleasantly surprised by the selection; both fairly attractive with decent butt coverage. I recommend a look-see if you're in the market for something along those lines. 

The illustration above doesn't have a title that I could find, but it does have some serious sass. Also Sabrina Arnault's website doesn't appear to be up and running (what gives?), so you'll have to just Google her for more images.

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Pregnant Woman with Man

Pregnant Woman with Man by Gustav Klimt

Have any of you seen Call the Midwife? I tore through the second season in two days (there are only 8 episodes so it's not totally unreasonable), and ended each one with an invigorating cry. I do love a good period drama. And this one is really good, you guys. Chummy is the absolute very best part. You'll see.

This drawing by Gustav Klimt is one I hadn't seen before. I think it is a study for his painting Hope I, as is this. Apparently depictions of pregnant women in art were quite rare back then, and Klimt's sketches of full, rounded forms atop spindly legs are done quite beautifully. 

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Cold on a Beach

Cold on a Beach by Lizzy Stewart

This past holiday weekend, pools across America flung open their gates, peeled back their covers, and welcomed pale swimmers to cannonball into their deep ends. We spent a sunny afternoon at my sister-in-law's pool and despite it being the unofficial start of summer, this drawing completely encapsulates how I looked that day: cold and cross-armed. But it was lovely! Still! Especially watching Graham throw a ball into the freezy water, again and again, after Micky had JUST fished it out. 

You can see more of London-based illustrator Lizzy Stewart's work on her website abouttoday.co.uk

and purchase her art in her online shop here: lizzystewart.bigcartel.com

[Image found via Pinterest on Lizzy's flickr.com]

- Cathleen

Artwork of the Week: My Library

My Library by Carine Brancowitz

Nothing makes you step back and assess your lot in life quite like a move. (Or an episode of Hoarders.) And by "lot" I mean "possessions" --- as in, we've got quite a lot of them. And by "them" I mean specifically "books" --- as in, why do we keep books at all? After you've read them, even if you absolutely loved the narrative, are you ever really going to read through it a second time? I know some people do, but I am not one of them. And yet! I'm saving (and moving) all of these books. For what? To pass onto my future literate children who will probably only skim stories on screens by then?

These are the thoughts that roll over me when I sit here walled in by heavy cartons. With, if I'm being honest here, no deep intention of changing my pack ratting ways. But I'm thinking about thinking about it. 

This drawing by French illustrator Carine Brancowitz made me think about it some more. She does very detailed and finely patterned work in ballpoint pen mostly. You can see more of her art on her website: www.carinebrancowitz.com

- Cathleen 

[Image via bibliolectors.tumblr.com]

Artwork of the Week: Girl at Van Leeuwen

Girl at Van Leeuwen by Rachel Levit

I really like portraits of people that don't include faces. I love when an artist can draw you in using every other detail of the subject, giving you an almost fuller description of the person, without relying on their most prominent feature.

You can see more examples of the artist's work, including some really lovely small ceramics, on her website: 

rachellevit.com

- Cathleen

[via doodlersanonymous.com]

David

An open call to artists went out: create a portrait of the founder of the School of Visual Arts MFA Fine Arts program and recently retired chair, David L. Shirey. Organized by SVA alums at the studio/art space that they run and named after the man himself, The Shirey will be showing the work in their exhibition simply titled David on October 18th, 2013. 

I sent in my ink on paper version (pictured above) last week. When I was thinking about how I might want to portray the man, the myth, the legend, I knew that his eyes should be most prominent, as they are one of the first things you notice about him. They are a bright, piercing, other-worldly blue. Like, there is no way this blue exists in real human eyeballs on this earth. He is also super broad and muscular because he works out constantly. Like, he knows people at his local gym so they lock him in at night when they're done cleaning up so he can continue his grueling regime well past midnight. Oh yeah, did I mention he's also in his 80s? And while his physical fitness is important to him, and he often wears obscenely tight shirts to show it off, there is always a side of Shirey that remains hidden, buttoned up. He is extremely private and incredibly smart and he has a wonderful way of making you feel like you're the most important and interesting person in the room when he talks to you. I had the privilege of working with him at SVA for two years after I was a student in the program and I am so very grateful for the opportunity he gave me and for the chance I got to know him better. 

Go see this group exhibition at The Shirey located at 47 Thames Street in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, October 18th, 2013 from 7 pm-11 pm. While you're there, take pictures of everyone's work and send them to me. Then hoist a light beer (his favorite) to the man who brought us all together. 

- Cathleen   

Artwork of the Week: Thumbs Up

Thumb by Marcus Oakley

As a rounder faced preteen, I was notorious for flashing thumbs up in photos. I was never much for the peace sign. Nor was I ever edgy enough to go for the bird. It was the thumb for me all the way. Those pictures are now a terribly embarrassing reminder of how totally radical I thought I was. 

[Speaking of which, The Awkward Years Project deals in just this sort of thing.] 

This thumb and eleven finger salute is a square drawing by London artist Marcus Oakley that a professional thumb gesticulator like myself can fully endorse. 

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Long Braid

Long Braid by Diem Chau

porcelain plate, silk, thread, 6.25" in diameter

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Swings & Arrows! Hurray!! So I thought as our gift to you I'd find an Artwork of the Week to commemorate the occasion that blends the traditional (cotton) with the modern (china), something I think we strive to accomplish here daily. 

Artist Diem Chau embroiders drawings on a fine silk muslin that is stretched like canvas across various serving dishes. The effect is quite ethereal, an image floating just above the surface of a saucer or bowl. My favorite pieces are the ones where the line comes off the canvas, engaging the territory around the work, or when the thread pools in the space beneath the scrim.  

You can see more of Chau's work on her website: www.diemchau.com

- Cathleen 

Artwork of the Week: Violinist Seen from the Back

Violinist Seen from the Back by Vincent van Gogh, 1887

chalk on paper

image courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum

A sketch that I had never seen before by the late great Van Gogh. A beautiful example of hatching (parallel lines drawn closely together) and cross hatching (overlapping layers of hatching drawn at right angles), the definitions of which I never fully understood before. 

An expressive yet fairly simplistic line drawing with varying tones and texture. 

This sort of thing really thrills me.

- Cathleen

Artwork of the Week: Figs

Figs by Sarah Maycock

Illustrator Sarah Maycock shows there's more to figs than Newtons. 

Check out Sarah's other beautiful illustrations on her website: sarahmaycock.co.uk

And her blog: sarahmaycock.blogspot.com

- Cathleen

Artist of the Week: Colleen Ford

Colleen Ford is a Brooklyn-based artist and dear friend of mine whose mixed media work is both a humorous critique on our culture and a thoughtful response to what's found. The Depression/Recession series I've posted here are made of two images; the one on the left is a collection of drawings she found in her neighborhood thrift store signed by a woman named Elizabeth Fletcher in 1933, and the graphite drawing on the right is Colleen's interpretation of the same subject through the lens of today. The work makes a simple, eloquent statement contrasting two time periods that are separated by nearly a century, two eras that are so similar in their bleak economic state and hopeful outlook and yet so completely different in terms of their ideals and reality. 

Colleen is also currently trying to raise money for her newest project Saving For Our Futures through the fundraising site indiegogo. The work she is hoping to execute will be an installation of ten handblown glass piggy banks stuffed to the snout with lottery tickets, like this little guy:

The piece is a commentary on the debt we incur in the hopeful (and often fruitless) pursuit of our dreams, and the sometimes impractical investment in our futures, a reality that has smacked so many of us even before we reach adulthood. Once completed the work will be a part of an exhibition titled How Much Do I Owe You? produced by the public art organization No Longer Empty set to open in an abandoned Long Island City bank in December 2012. Please consider contributing—even the smallest donation of $10 will put your name into the work as a patron, $25 will earn you a piece of art in exchange for helping the artist realize her vision, but larger amounts will invest in even greater art rewards—for your walls and your karma.

You can also see more examples of Colleen's work on her website: colleenford.com

- Cathleen


[Images courtesy of the artist's website: colleenford.com]

Artwork of the Week: Four Oranges

Ellsworth Kelly, Four Oranges, 1966

 graphite on paper, 22 9/16 in x 28 9/16 in

Currently on view at the Metropolitan Museum in an exhibition titled Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings until September 3, 2012. Saw it in person with my dad last week. This one was his favorite. Beautiful show. 

- Cathleen

Animal Vegetable or Mineral

Rocks and Minerals, A Golden Nature Guide

Published in 1957, $0.49 Used on Amazon

On the hunt for stones and gems to use in my jewelry class, I've come across a bunch of cool old rock and mineral illustrations through my internet space travels. I especially enjoy the look of the drawings from 50s and 60s guidebooks.

Illustration from Rocks and Minerals

Stones and Minerals by Valerie Swenson 

Published in 1955, $9.95 from SouthernBliss on Etsy

Information on Copper and Gold from Stones and Minerals

1897 Native American Print - Vintage Book Plate Illustration

7.5"x 11.25", $15 from Holcroft on Etsy 

Mineral Specimens Mens Tshirt from Haeckel Illustration (circa 1876)

$16 from nonfictiontees on Etsy

To render something as boring as a rock so beautifully back then. Well, you can color me impressed. 

- Cathleen 

Artist of the Week: Faye Moorhouse

Forty Faces Print - 8/40, 10 GBP on Etsy

This week we bring you the work of UK artist and illustrator Faye Moorhouse: moody, expressive, and dark, with an edge of humor and whimsy. I like.

Mankini - Articulated Paper Doll Kit, 5 GBP on Etsy 

Arms for Dinner - Original Collage/Illustration, 75 GBP on Etsy

Grave Robber 001 - Original Illustration, 75 GBP on Etsy

Drawing from the Swimmers Series 

Illustration of Paralympic Oscar Pistorius 

surrounding the London 2012 Olympics

- Cathleen

[First four images via Faye's Etsy shop, Faye Moorhouse Illustration, last two via her website (fayemoorhouse.co.uk)]