art Archives - Page 5 of 14 - The Curated House

The Curated Collection | Vicki Smith

I have already confessed to you many-a-time my love affair with water. I was a water baby from birth. The weightlessness and adventure of defying gravity in the clear, azure liquid of my backyard pool enabled me to dance the way I did in my dreams. Graceful, fluid movements like an elegant figure draped in sheer chiffon – that was how it appeared in my imagination.

Vicki Smith’s latest collection takes me right back to those endless hours of imaginative play from my childhood. I find that her choice of perspective emphasizes the weightless defiance of gravity, the suspension and fluidity of movement while breaking the surface of the water. The anonymity of the figures allows me to imagine it is me doing that silent, graceful dance. And the vintage-style bathing costumes simply charm me.

As I project myself into these scenes of relaxation and play, stillness and movement, I am somehow calmed and disarmed as if I’ve spent the afternoon in the pool. Perhaps painting, like water, has the power to heal? It most certainly has the power to transport.

Smith’s next solo exhibition will be held August 10 – 24, 2013 at Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto. Well worth the visit for a dip into the waters of Vicki’s imagination.

Happy Monday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 5th, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Jen Garrido

Abstraction nestled within the safe confines of natural form. That is how I would first attempt to describe the work of Jen Garrido. Other words come to mind as well: Layered. Exuberant. Colourful. Intuitive. Intentional. Unrestrained. Refined. Joyful.

I think you will see what I mean as you engage with her work.

There is a brilliant marriage here between chance and purpose; ambiguity and representation; dimension and colour. For me it feels as though all the sturm und drang of nature is revealed, uncovering the life and chaos, beauty and movement that exists just beneath the surface.

More than anything, there is for me a profound sense of being alive when I engage with Jen Garrido‘s arresting pieces.

What do Jen’s beautiful paintings awaken in you?

Wishing you an inspired Monday.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 29th, 2013|1 Comment

The Curated Collection | Paul Ferney

There is something about the painterly brushstrokes of the work of Paul Ferney that I find so engaging. The textural, almost gestural brush strokes transport me into a scene that Ferney has scripted and yet somehow left open to my imagination. And on a scorching hot summer’s day like today, Ferney‘s beach scenes are just where I would like to imagine myself to be.

Although San Francisco is home, Ferney and his wife {event planner and blogger Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!} recently spent one glorious year in Paris. You will definitely want to check out Jordan’s blog, as her DIY ideas for personalizing your next fête are nothing short of delightful. And for your daily dose of delight right here, feast your eyes and indulge your senses in Paul’s serene and engaging oil paintings.

“I like the way paint feels, the look of paint,” Says Ferney. “If I’m painting a tree, I’m not trying to make the painting look like a tree; I want it to look like paint—to never forget that it is paint. I like how primitive painting tools are. I use hair tied to a stick to spread oil mixed with plants and dirt on cloth.”

That appreciation for the elements – the love of the process – are so evident in Ferney’s work. The medium is not lost in the message. Rather, it becomes a significant part of the message itself.

In some ways that love of the medium and the process can be most aptly appreciated in the painterly details of these smalls.

I confess I am now longing for one of Paul’s paintings in my home. Wouldn’t one of his smalls look so inspiring in the nursery I’ll be designing in the months to come? I’d also love one of his large canvases as the visual anchor for our family room, especially because playing at the beach is one of our happiest “happy places” as a family.

I do hope Paul’s inspiring work has transported you to a happy place today.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 15th, 2013|1 Comment