BACK FROM BREAK ... how have you been?

Here's a lovely way to ease back from Spring Break to daily routine:  A weekday breakfast on a charming city sidewalk.  Steaming mug of Earl Grey tea, fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs sunny side up, crisp bacon.  Chartreuse leaves rustle overhead as your girlfriend fills you in on what's happened while you were away.


So, friends, tell me:  how have you been?


Tartine Breakfast (New York City) by Betsy Bart
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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SIGNS OF SPRING

Buds and birds have come to my city tree this week, a tantalizing sign of Spring.

Birds and Fruit by Michael Gallagher 
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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HELLO, GORGEOUS

And so we step into a new year, full of mystery and promise ...


Doorway, Villa Guilia by Betsy Bart
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Patricia Burns

I discovered Patricia Burns twice--in one week.  First, while working on a client project, a store owner (who happens to be her neighbor) recommended her art.  Then, a few days later, a friend invited me to a show at Muse Gallery where, it turns out, Patricia was the featured artist.  That kind of coincidence is simply meant to be.

While I found them pretty when viewed online, in person her paintings positively pulsate with rich, vibrant color palettes ranging from Blues to Bubble Gum. [#2 & #4 above]  "I paint purely from the passion of the paint, the moment and my guts," says Patricia.  "Whatever happens in my life inspires my paintings. Family, friends, romance, world events, adventure are all tucked in there.  My personal emotions are in each painting and I can tell what I was feeling in each one. They are never the same."

"I don't have any plan in mind when I start," she adds.  "Sometimes I think the painting paints itself and names itself too!"

After confirming that Patrica Burns' mysterious midnight blue Nights In White Satin would indeed be the perfect counterpoint to my client's neutral color scheme, I found plenty of art I'd love to have in my own home.  In particular a red piece bursting with energy and happiness for my sunny second-floor loft.  Or perhaps one day, in the beach house of my dreams, a collection of her works hung on soft white walls, with rustic ebony floors, giant cushy sofas, a long table with bright and funky unmatched chairs ... and not much else.




Patricia Burns is an artist, filmmaker and, yes, a Moody Blues fan.  
To see more of her work visit www.patriciaburnsartist.com 
or contact her at pfburns@comcast.net
phone: 610-649-1748
Muse is an artist-run gallery in Old City, Philadelphia.


All images courtesy Patrica BurnsSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Patricia Larsen

Last month in the post Les Artistes I asked readers to share their favorite artists.  In the Comments section reader Carrie wrote about Patricia Larsen.  Patricia's ethereal paintings captivated me immediately. I just had to feature them on Style Maniac (thank you Carrie!).

Besides the gorgeous colors, what I love about these images is that though calm and soothing they vibrate with energy.  And the process by which they arise is quite unique.

"My work evolves more often from a strong desire to create rather then feeling inspired," Patricia told me. "The inspiration usually comes from the activity of painting.  Using materials such as plaster, concrete and found objects such as rusty bits of metal, the search begins.  Marks, shadows, stains and blurs lead to ideas, memories and images that push forward until I feel the painting has said ENOUGH.  I leave a lot a space for the viewer to interpret for themselves, although I usually work in a series as one painting inspires the next piece."



For more on Patricia Larsen and her work visit patricialarsen.com.  And check back this summer for images of Patricia's amazing beach house on the coast of Mexico.
Photos courtesy Klee Larsen--who happens to be Patricia's daughter and a talented photographer.  You can see her work at kleelarsen.comSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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LES ARTISTES

Paris, of course, is famous for cultivating artists.  But these days you can find wonderful, affordable art in so many places.  If you're willing to go in person and sift through the uncatalogued section at auction houses that specialize in furniture--not art--you can often snag pieces for $50 or less.  Art schools, like SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) and PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, holding its 109th annual student exhibit this May), allow you to discover emerging artists before they become famous.  The semi-annual Affordable Art Fair in New York City offers works beginning at $100.  And often design blogs feature incredible finds--like the abstract, above, from Greensboro, North Carolina native Kate Long Stevenson, discovered on The Neo-Traditionalist.

Have another source for great art?  Share it in the Comments section below, or post a link on the Style Maniac Facebook Page. (Become a fan here.)Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Estelle Carraz-Bernabei (photographs)

Although it was Estelle Carraz-Bernabei's paintings that originally caught my attention (see 4/30/09 post), I soon discovered her eye and energy applied to photography as well. For a Redecorators project we had Bar Tabac, above, blown up into a giant canvas, bringing a touch of Paris to an expat Frenchman's home.


"With my photography I try to just capture a moment that I see in life. Landscapes, architecture and animals. Rarely people," explains Estelle.

Unlike her colorful paintings, Estelle photographs mainly in black and white. Every so often she manipulates a photo on the computer, such as the image above. Mostly, though, she allows the moment to shine through--such as this shot taken in Tahiti, below.


To view additional works visit www.earthenskyonline.com
or email Estelle at skeye33@aol.com


Photos courtesy Estelle Carraz-BernabeiSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Estelle Carraz-Bernabei (paintings)

In Manayunk again, this time at a coffee shop, I discovered an artist whose energy, motion and color transported me to another world--no, another galaxy. Estelle Carraz-Bernabei's cosmic paintings mix oils and acrylics applied in swirling layers she likens to icing a cake.

Yet despite the other-worldly effect, the pieces are grounded in the elements of Earth (via tactile, textural organic matter such as crushed herbs, botanical powders, pigment dyes and quartz crystals incorporated into the paint) and even Fire: Estelle will sometimes ignite sections of a completed work to achieve a desired effect.

"Painting is a spiritual experience for me," says Estelle. "I meditate, do yoga, play a lot of music. I close my eyes and envision a feeling. Then I start with a base color--usually blue or red. I work one layer at a time, with free-flowing placement yet everything's pre-destined as to where it goes." The process takes about a week per painting.


In contrast to that labor-intensive process, Estelle's photographic art aims to capture a fleeting moment. (Visit Style Maniac next month in June for an online show of Estelle's photographs.)

But no matter the medium, "Positive energy is my focus," says Estelle. "Positive energy goes into my work--and then hopefully back out to the viewer." Perhaps that's why her art, though complex, layered and colorful, exudes a mystical calm.


To view Estelle's works in person, stop by her exhibit
"Water Earth Air Fire" tomorrow night, 5/1/09, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Balance Gallery 112 S. 20th Street,
Philadelphia PA 19103 www.balancegallery.com



You can also visit Estelle's own site, www.earthenskyonline.com,
or email her at skeye33@aol.com

Images courtesy Estelle Carraz-Bernabei

Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Judy Fowler

I discovered Judy Fowler's oil paintings in a Manayunk jewelry store several years ago. Didn't buy any baubles that day, but came away with something even better. I'm crazy about color and that's Judy's art. She builds layers of color to achieve depth and variation and to evoke a landscape or moment without a literal depiction.





















"Often I'm inspired by an actual landscape," says Judy. "But I don't paint it on the spot. I'll take that image with me and later--sometimes much later--what comes out is reliant on those memories. I may start with a shape or a path but that disappears pretty fast."

What's left are ethereal atmospheric paintings of color.

FROM TOP: Atmosphere #3, The Sea #9, The Sea #7.




















Several trips to Paris inspired works such as Paris Evening and Paris Light #2 (above) and L'Orangerie (below), a painting that completely captures my own experience in that museum. "The light there is so different. The layers of history, the architecture," Judy tells me. Yes, of course, I nod in agreement. Then she adds, "Architecture is not just shape but color." So true! And yet I'd never really thought of it like that before. This is the wonderful thing about talking to artists. They make you view the world in an entirely new way.

Judy may soon be looking at the world in a new way as well. "My paintings began as very active, then evolved to a more placid and contemplative place. Lately I've felt a change coming in my style." Check back for an update....


For more information on her work, email Judy Fowler at judy@nightorbs.com
or visit www.judyfowlerartist.com.





Judy is a founding member of the Media Arts Council, a group that supports local artists with events and an artist registry. For more info go to www.mediaartscouncil.org.



"Wedding" above and all other images courtesy Judy Fowler.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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ONLINE ART SHOW: Denise Fike

 
 
Once upon a time, I visited Denise Fike at her studio. She sat on the floor beside a long roll of blank canvas, a Sharpie clasped loosely in her fingers. As we chatted her hand moved in a swift fluid motion. As she worked her way across the canvas an enchanted world of fairies, flowers and birds sprang to life behind her. Pure magic.


That project, handmade children's wallpaper, is just one of the forms Denise's art has taken. She's also taught fashion illustration and was Director of Fashion Drawing at Drexel University. The two interests--wallpaper and fashion--resulted in a series of works that make intricate use of vintage wallpaper. Although dozens of patterns cover every inch of the canvas, none clash. (I've used these in Redecorators' projects and they elevate any furniture they are paired with. They also make terrific screens.)

Most works are of a grand scale. "I think that's me rebelling against my tiny house," Denise laughs. Her house is indeed tiny--a Trinity two rooms deep in which, along with her husband Lane, she raised two boys and a very large Great Dane.

Recently, Denise has been working on a series of nudes in a flat, graphic style; another series of intricate florals against a clean background; as well as interpretive portraits that capture the spirit and essence of a bride-to-be.

Yet, Denise will tell you, all of her pieces "share the same line." Whether of a bride, a dominatrix, an artichoke or a haute couture hat; whether collaged from vintage wallpaper and metallics, or bursting to life in lacquer-like house paint, each creation is unmistakably hers.


 
 




For more information on commissioned portraits, bridal, pets plus fashion and floral themes contact Denise at:

Denise Fike Designs
denisefikedesigns.com
denise.fike@gmail.com
267-968-1849.

All images courtesy Denise Fike.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/online%20art%20show
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