Agave by Michelle Jung   30×30″   Oil

Michelle Jung. Wow. Her paintings take my breath away. They are incredible. The Sea Series is powerful and masterful. The Flora Series is stunning. For instance, this impressive agave painting – the vast majority of this painting is green, no easy feat! I find this painting so interesting! I was going to show one image of each series, but just go check them out… seriously!

California Eucalyptus by Michelle Jung 40×48″  Oil

The light in this eucalyptus tree is so beautiful! While looking through Michelle’s Instagram images I saw an image of this painting in a frame, hanging on a wall. It gave the feeling of looking out of a window and seeing something so stunning.

Check out Michelle’s work via these links:

Website  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Michelle’s Flora Series – and check out her paintings… I was in a quandary as to which images to use they are all just breathtaking…

Nature is a major influence in my new series, Flora. The initial inspiration comes from my experience outdoors painting and observing beauty. Plein air painting is a tool I use to capture color and atmosphere. It is also a place for exploration and a chance for all my senses to take in information. In the studio, I utilize my experience outdoors with critical thinking to construct a composition that conveys to the viewer: sight, sound and mood.

The main purpose in this series is to compose idyllic beauty in a natural setting. I believe the landscape is at its most powerful when two energies collide; for example heaven and earth or light and dark. Using elements of nature as metaphors, I am able to explore dualism through artistic practices. In my past work, I explored how water and earth interact with one another through seascape paintings. Cropping, viewpoint and incorporating the sounds of water enhanced the experience of how land succumbs to the power of water.  In this new exhibition, I continue the concept of dualistic thinking by analyzing chaos and order in woodland settings. I use intuitive reasoning and succumb to the rhythms of nature to make decisions in composition and to create harmony.  

To reach a much deeper region of the conscious of the viewer, I expanded the vocabulary of my painting process through pigment manipulation.  Along with brushes, I have added the palette knife and cold wax to build up paint on the canvas and enhance the surface and create another dimension of visual exploration. Also, I used a spatula and sandpaper to scrape and sand down to uncover and reveal the canvas and wood.  This continual process of taking apart and reconstructing creates an abstraction of movement. It also mirrors my concept of dualistic models in art expression.

In summary, my vision in Flora is to demonstrate through the artistic process that it is our selective path in life that can bring order and peace to chaos.  Most importantly, that a path of beauty is achievable if it is done with intention.  ~Michelle Jung

ALL IMAGES VIA Michellejungart.com, USED WITH PERMISSION…

IMAGES ARE NOT FOR REPRODUCTION, THEY ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARTIST.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Into the Light by Jessica Lee Ives  20×30″

Jessica Lee Ives. I am enthralled with her paintings. They capture something very different. Many of her paintings are scenes in and around water. People swimming, wading, fishing, etc. I love the light that you see, as in the men above how you see the light through their ears like you do with the sun is just right. How cool to capture that. I love the low down vantage point – I almost feel as if I’m in the boat with them.

Sea Level by Jessica Lee Ives 10×10

I was lucky enough to see this painting in person at the Lupine Gallery (Monhegan, Maine) – I LOVED IT! We always visit the gallery several times during the week and it was such fun seeing this in person. The colors are fabulous.

Check out links to Jessica’s work:

Website  |  Blog  | Instagram  |  Facebook

Read a bit about Jessica, from her website:

Jessica Lee Ives (né Jessica Stammen) uses paint to explore and experience her adventure-filled relationship with the landscape of her home state of Maine and beyond. “I paint out of love — love for the world and for the human capacity to know the world through movement, recreation, and adventure. Kinesthetic intelligence and imagination are very important to me; so is the sensation of wonder. That a small movement of paint can capture a large movement of body through water, and that we can know the world’s beauty through both these actions, is astounding. It’s time we start picturing ourselves in the landscape more.”

When not in the landscape herself, or in the studio, Jessica maintains an energetic online presence through her newsletter, Instagram, and almost-weekly small work sale. She contributes to Happier Outside, The American Guide, and is editor and curator of The Maine, an online publication devoted to “an artful dialogue about the wonders of the state — and the state of wonder.”

Jessica received her B.F.A. from The Cooper Union School of Art and was named one of Glamour Magazine’s Top Ten College Women of 2003. Her work as an artist-in-residence at Ground Zero in New York City after September 11, 2001 earned her the Clark Foundation Fellowship with which she pursued her M.A. at New York University, combining work in the fields of art, religion, and public service. View Jessica’s current CV here.

All images via JessicaLeeIves.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Brant’s Kitchen by Jimmy Craig Womble 18×24 Oil – Sold

Paintings of Interiors are a favorite of mine. I enjoy seeing what the artist captures (and what they may leave out) – everyone is a little different, but most I’ve seen are pretty incredible. If you think about it, it’s not an easy subject. It’s something that we’re all familiar with, we know how it should look – yet these paintings don’t just show an interior space, they tell a story. A story about the people who live there, what they’re up to. In this case I would guess that these people like to cook, although the kitchen isn’t large it appears to be well equipped and ready to create a wonderful meal. There is a lot to paint and I have to say that Jimmy did it so well. Love it! Be sure to check out more paintings on Jimmy’s website…

Check out links to Jimmy’s work:

Website  |  Blog  |   Facebook  |  Linked In  |  Instagram

Read a bit about Jimmy, from his website:

I am an oil painter living on the coast of North Carolina. I paint that which has usually been overlooked by many as old, run down, or without value. Abandoned houses, old barns, rusty vehicles, and the detritus of a once thriving farming and fishing region find their way into many of my works. They tell a story of the south that I could never put into words. The rust and decay is a physical reminder of the passage of time, and speaks of those who have struggled to make a life in this part of the country. 

But I have my own selfish reasons as well for painting what I do. I find a certain beauty in the peeling paint and rust of forgotten things. The light falling over these old objects and places has an intensity and sparkle that is endlessly fascinating to me. There will always be new things, but how long will I continue to be able to paint  those reminders of what used to be? Both man and nature conspire against them, so I hoard their images in pads and on canvas.

All images via JimmyCraigWomble.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!