The Curated Collection Archives - Page 6 of 12

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

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