art Archives - Page 6 of 14 - The Curated House

The Curated Collection | Sara Caracristi

I have a confession to make: I have a rather interesting relationship with figurative paintings. I suppose on a simple level, one would call it a love-hate relationship. I love the power of figurative work to evoke emotion, but I do not love the way that some figurative work forces me to feel a part of a story that doesn’t feel like my own. This seems particularly true for me with most figurative portraits. As a result, I have a lot more abstracts and landscapes in my personal art collection than I do figurative work. In fact, until recently coming across Sara Caracristi through my friends at Art Interiors, Elizabeth Lennie was the only figurative artist who drew me into a story that felt safe enough for me to hang in my own home. I know that probably makes me weird, but I’ve confessed it to you now, so I feel better about it.

In contrast to the figurative portraits that create in me a sense of discomfort, Sara Caracristi’s vantage point on her figurative work is something different altogether. Yes, there is a distinct sense of story and relationship in the characters she paints; and yet, there is an even greater sense that I am the observer. I am free to hover above the story in a way that leaves me feeling safe, amused and still very engaged. I feel more like I am people-watching at the airport, musing on the wanderings of humanity as we buzz about everyday life.

There is a level of detail in Caracristi’s paintings that is deeply personal, and yet her mastery of the aerial vantage point also allows the figures to blur into more abstract blocks of colour to my eye.

For me, this creates a kind of abstraction that is typically quite unexpected in this style of figurative work. And I love it.

I also love the constant sense of motion, that life is always moving, always changing. I feel drawn into that story and made just a little bit more alive from it when I engage with Caracristi’s paintings.

How do you feel about figurative work? Does it draw you into a story; make you feel a part of history? I hope Sara Caracristi’s paintings will inspire you to become a more active observer of detail, perspective and relational interactions, even if it is from a polite distance.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 8th, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Elizabeth Lennie

Happy Canada Day! In celebration of the birthday of our home and native land, I had to share one of my favourite Canadian painters with you today. I adore Elizabeth Lennie‘s work for many reasons, but I think it is her subject matter that has most captured my Canadian heart. She understands and expresses our nation at play, capturing the essence of our outdoor pastimes in a way that is beautifully nostalgic. I am easily transported and transposed into her work, back to a younger, more innocent time. Back to a time when “time” seemed to stretch on infinitely. Back to a time when “summer” meant two months off to just play.

My guess is that this Canada Day long weekend, many of you will be spending your days by {or even better, in} the water, just as Lennie imagines you.

I know of few artists who have perfected the art of painting water with such a casual, painterly stroke. As her work has evolved, there appears to me to be an even greater air of expression and “oneness” between Lennie and the water. She has clearly spent many years researching her paintings by plumbing the water’s depths, feeling the pull and drag of it between her fingers as she draws herself through the blue, dappled-light of liquid dreams. From surface to underworld, Lennie captures the azure essence of what draws us all in and allows us to lose countless hours while finding our sense of play again.

Each time I view Lennie’s latest collections I am inspired to simply get outside. I also pine for a pool in the backyard and a weekend cottage retreat. A pool was perhaps the one and only luxury my family had growing up, and it turned me into the water baby I still am today.

Elizabeth Lennie‘s work is available through Art Interiors in Toronto.

How are you spending your Canada Day weekend? I hope it involves some play time, much laughter, and the opportunity to connect with the ones you love.

xo
s.

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

The Curated Collection | Ann Sheir

I have long been a fan of the mystery and texture that are layered into encaustic work. A technique that combines pigment with wax, encaustic work is tactile yet ethereal, the translucency of the wax creating a filmy veil over the details, inspiring a dream-like interpretation of the subject matter. Canadian painter Ann Sheir – an accomplished Toronto-based encaustic artist – has a collection of encaustic works that focus in on the elusive beauty of cherry blossoms. From the tree in our own backyard to the legends of the Japanese cherry blossoms my mother grew up admiring, I have a fondness for this delicate icon of nature and love the way its beauty is captured in Ann’s work.

As it turns out, Ann also teaches classes and workshops from time to time. If you live in Toronto and would be interested in taking one of Ann’s classes, contact me and perhaps we could put a group together!

Wishing you an inspired Monday.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|June 24th, 2013|0 Comments