"What did you do during the pandemic?" As an artist, the expected answer was that I had plenty of time to create new art. Or work on my film. I did neither. Instead, I made wine. Most will agree that 2020 was the year from hell for everyone except Jeff Bezos. Mine actually started... Continue Reading →
This plant was among the original "weeds" I allowed to grow to maturity in my vegetable garden in 2020 to see what it would become. The leaves of the young plant looked quite familiar to me from my childhood - it was designated as a weed by my mom and always pulled up as soon... Continue Reading →
Red clover is among the oldest species on the property, dating back to at least 1962 despite having been weeded, mowed and otherwise ignored. As a child, I was fascinated by the white markings on its leaves, making it seem quite exotic for such a simple plant. As I dutifully weeded the vegetable garden, side-by-side... Continue Reading →
The Eco-Garden Project is not only focused on the discovery of plants on the property surrounding my home and studio. It is also a "back-to-the-land" endeavour. Rather that caring for a lawn that is purely ornamental, I'd rather turn it into a source of food. My first acquisition in 2020 was a red raspberry plant.... Continue Reading →
These were among the first unidentified plants that appeared when I let my vegetable garden grow wild in 2020. They grew to be quite tall - as tall as me! Maybe they would be wildflowers? My neighbor laughed. "They're just weeds," she said. But by June they blossomed into exquisite little white flowers I remembered... Continue Reading →
This plant was a mystery for a long time. I first noticed it in the spring of 2020, its purple leaves interspersed among the bee balm and goutweed at the north end of my vegetable garden near the garage. Where did it come from? I initially thought it was purple lettuce that may have... Continue Reading →
Even though we are still self-isolating, there is a certain adjustment to this COVID lifestyle thrust upon us by this coronavirus pandemic. It involves Beauty.
Fine art photographer Tom Kiefer wanted to portray America. But when he took a day job as a janitor at a US Customs Border Protection Facility near the US-Mexico border, a disturbing discovery changed his photography – and his life – forever.
Join us on a voyage without leaving home! Experience Canada's Yukon Territory through the eyes of its artists as Artful Vagabond's Serena Kovalosky takes you on an artful tour, in collaboration with international art magazine, ACS Magazine.
If you had the opportunity to say ONE THING to a room filled with each of the world’s leaders, what would your message be? And if you were an artist, and you could present ONE WORK OF ART in an exhibition for these world leaders that might inspire them to talk to each other and... Continue Reading →
In my research of the roots of sculpture, I became particularly interested in the figures and vessels carved from wood that were used for ceremonial purposes. After many years, particularly with pieces that came in contact with organic materials such as plant resin and animal fat while held over an open fire, a deep ebony... Continue Reading →
Angie Bowie is a pop culture icon. Née Mary-Angela Barnett, she met rock legend David Bowie in the seventies when she was only nineteen, yet her creative influence and marketing savvy helped contribute to the style, image and success of Ziggy Stardust in the emerging era of glam rock. Their ten-year marriage as an openly bisexual... Continue Reading →
Leningrad, Russia – 1970s. A talented young painter, Ilya Shevel, enters the Secondary Art School of Russia’s Academy of Fine Art, but finds the Soviet-mandated academic style of realism too restrictive and “uninteresting.” At home, the artist is surrounded by the art and creative thinking that truly inspires him. His father, architect Vladimir Shevel (Shevelenko), enjoys... Continue Reading →
Nicholas Benson’s art is the sculpted word. A third-generation stone carver, calligrapher and designer, and recipient of an NEA Grant and a MacArthur Fellowship, Benson’s hand-carved work can be seen on memorials and buildings throughout the United States, including the National World War II Memorial inscriptions and the The National Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial inscriptions... Continue Reading →
Alyssha Eve Csük is a fine art photographer, fascinated by places of bygone industry – places that are “suspended in time – a suspension that disorients, that accentuates the visual.” Her photographs in the Slate as Muse exhibition at the Slate Valley Museum surprised most visitors used to seeing slate’s muted tones on rooftops and... Continue Reading →
When people think of Georgia O’Keeffe, they see the iconic image she cultivated during her years in the American Southwest. But from 1918 until 1934, prior to moving to New Mexico, O’Keeffe spent most of each year at Alfred Stieglitz’ family estate in Lake George, NY, where she produced some of her greatest, most innovative... Continue Reading →
When confronted with certain mathematical tasks, I’ve met many artists who will throw up their hands and say, “I’m not good at math – I’m an artist!” Their statement always confounded me since I’m a professional artist who also happens to have a strong mathematical mind. What I eventually learned is that while the first... Continue Reading →
America in the 1950s holds a certain nostalgia, especially for those of us baby boomers who were born during the two decades immediately following World War II. Life was simpler back then and the world was a kinder, gentler place that was filled with magic that came from our unlimited imaginations. There were no cell... Continue Reading →
Art is a deeply powerful tool that can enhance a spiritual practice and, at the same time, a spiritual practice can bring another dimension to an artist’s work. Robert Bridges practices what he calls “contemplative photography,” using his camera as a meditative tool and as a means of concentrating awareness and focusing his intent. “Contemplation... Continue Reading →
Simon Beck creates large-scale “paintings” in the snow by walking them out, step by step, wearing snowshoes. Read about how he does it.
Toys are what sparks a child’s imagination as they spend hours each day creating and playing out stories inspired by real life. Revisiting old toys as an adult can bring up surprisingly strong emotional connections and can offer revealing perspectives when explored through the creative process of art. Juan Rodrigo Piedrahita is a painter who... Continue Reading →
Sculptors, ceramicists and other three-dimensional artists often decide early in their careers whether their goal is to produce work that is functional, or work that is research-oriented for the fine art world. Ceramics in particular is so often considered a “functional” medium, however there are artists who enjoy pushing the boundaries of that perception, experimenting... Continue Reading →
The kaleidoscope is a fascinating visual toy, with its name derived from Ancient Greek meaning “observer of beautiful forms.” It magnificently alters the scene before you, as bits and pieces of life are reflected off tiny mirrors to create beautiful, mandala-like images that shift and change, depending on where you point it. Tathi Premchand is... Continue Reading →
The artist is the ultimate observer, a visual journalist of sorts, depicting travels far and wide in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms. Some artists are very grounded in their sense of place in the physical world while others use their art as a vehicle in their search for a place to call “home.”... Continue Reading →
Children who feel like they “don’t fit in” are often creatives who find themselves growing up in a system that favors left-brained thinking. Dreamers and thinkers are often considered outsiders in the school yard as well as the working world. Some, however, are fortunate to recognize their abilities and take the path less traveled to... Continue Reading →
Anyone who has ever spent time commuting on a public transportation system knows the feeling of “being neither here nor there” while enroute to work or home. Waiting for a subway train to arrive, surrounded by others on their way to their individual destinations, we are in transition, detached from our surroundings and from each... Continue Reading →
Why do artists create self-portraits? What’s it like to create something so intensely personal and how does the artist “step back” enough from knowing the subject too well in order to be the artist and the subject at the same time? Vladimir Kezerashvili creates the most extraordinary still-life paintings. As I was perusing his portfolio,... Continue Reading →
Creating art is a study in relationships – the artist’s creative process involves a constant weighing and balancing of the relationships between forms, colors and textures to create a final piece that resonates with integrity. Human relationships are much more complex and incorporating these issues into the creative context brings an additional set of challenges... Continue Reading →
A neologism is a newly-coined word or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language. In the world of technology, neologisms such as “google” and “photoshop” become popular almost as soon as they are coined. Artists often create visual neologisms through their work,... Continue Reading →
Visual art can communicate powerful messages in a single painting or sculpture. It can tell a story without words, often staying on the viewer’s mind for a long time afterwards. Amy Guidry has been creating visual stories through her art even before she was old enough to write. “My work stems from two loves –... Continue Reading →
