Brooke's Look: Savannah Gallery Wall

Inspired by Katherine Sandoz and Design Sponge's #DSArt project, I decided to redo our gallery wall with a focus on Savannah art in our Hawaii home.

Set against a classic emerald, my colour du jour, I rearranged our art to show off some of our favorite Savannah artists including Mrs. Sandoz, Kelley Hagemes, Jamee Linton, Jimmy Rahn, and some past Art War competitors (Tony and I). All have a really special place in my heart, and home, and being so far away from Savannah, this wall gets me nostalgic/gooey/happy inside!

Small works are perfect for gallery walls and they don't break the bank. Arrange them on a wall in a sharp-clearly laid out grid, or go crazy and arrange them haphazardly for a fun look. You really can't go wrong either way and you'll get a great statement wall in your home!

Art You Should Consider Buying Today (Or At Least In The Near Future): "All Dressed", Cedric Smith

"All Dressed" by Cedric Smith.

I am always so profoundly taken by Cedric Smith's work. Such an emotive, vibrant, touching quality that evokes both nostalgia and a modern, almost pop-art vibe.

"All Dressed" is available on You're Welcome Savannah's online boutique and it is such a great piece. Definitely a showcase piece of art for a living room or foyer...something you want guests to see and appreciate.

Don't worry if you get sticker-shock when first buying art. It's an investment...and an important one. If you are drawn to a piece of art, then it's never a bad decision to purchase. Not only does it make your home look nice, but it also appreciates to an extent.

Art You Should Consider Buying Today (Or At Least In The Near Future): "(Turtle Island) Wrack Line", Katherine Sandoz

"(Turtle Island) Wrack Line" by Katherine Sandoz.

We're big art lovers...and wannabe art collectors...and there's a lot of great art out there. Sometimes it can just be hard to find. Our inaugural Art You Should Consider Buying Today (Or At Least In The Near Future) features probably our favorite artist (local or otherwise) Katherine Sandoz's "(Turtle Island) Wrack Line".

This brilliant water-based media on 18"x18" panel is a perfect compliment to any space. We'd love it in a white-on-white Scandinavian-vibe space...light wood floors, white walls, neutral furniture. The yellow is phenomenal and Katherine's exploration of color theory is beyond reproach.

Buy it. Start your collection. It will make you happier/more thoughtful/maybe smarter (faster/stronger/better in bed/etc. ?!) and your walls will thank you. Such a great piece!

Art War {The Rules}

Art War is our fun, little, friendly competition that we do at home to 1) fuel some creativity, and 2) explore some new tactics/techniques. Now, in an effort to promote global creativity, we're opening our little event up to the WORLD.

The Rules

• On the first of each month, we will give tasks, conditions, and standards for the upcoming month's Art War. This will include medium to use, project specifications (to various degrees of vagueness), and other fun/helpful tidbits.
• We will accept entries based on the specifications for the month from the 1st thru the 21st at rahn.brooke@yahoo.com.  Use the subject 'Art War' and include a photo of your piece, the title of your project and your name. Feel free to add a little blurb about the work...or as many emojis and hashtags as you like!
• As we receive, we will blast Art Wars all over Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/etc. and people can vote on their favorite piece. Winners will be announced the last day of the month.

If you have questions, or are just really excited about this (like we are)...send any to rahn.brooke@yahoo.com! Look forward to going to artistic battle with all of y'all! #ArtWars

The Story Behind: The French Teacher

"The French Teacher" by Joan Thomas McCrossen.



Before my husband's Great-Aunt Joan passed, she went blind.  Before that, she was a brilliant painter. And sometime in between, she wrote detailed stories of all of her paintings, typed out, signed, and attached to her work. 

Of "The French Teacher" above, Joan wrote:

This painting was completed in the early 1950's. It was inspired by Sr. St. Eleanor S.S.J. who taught French at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls. She was a study of constant motion who moved across the front of the classroom, gesturing freely to elicit proper pronunciation from her struggling students. Sr. St. Eleanor was a very small woman who was also slim, neat and tidy so she seemed, to me, very, very French.

Naturally, because of her vocation, she would have been unable to draw attention to herself by posing for a portrait or so I thought. Truthfully, she was never actually invited to do so.

Years later, I needed a model to translate the memory of her into paint. My own mother was the only individual patient enough to pose in an awkward position long enough for me to render three dimensions into two. I am grateful to both teachers for their personal contributions to art.

- Joan Thomas McCrossen, 2006 

Every object in your home has a story and if it isn't something historical or tangible, it is something that means a great weight or value to you and yours. I love that Joan wrote about her work to pass on to generations what each piece meant to her. Very inspiring.

 

Artist of the Day: Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt is awesome. And not just The Kiss...I mean, look at Death and Life (third picture above) and tell me you're not looking at something spectacular!

The NY Times just did a fascinating article on one of Klimt's most famous pieces (here) and we're just obsessed.

Click on the photos above to see ol' GKs complete works online...you'll spend HOURS over there!!

Artist of the Day: Meredith Pardue

SCAD alum Meredith Pardue plays with color and form in a way that is so unique and so beautiful. We are full-on loving her website and all the beautiful studies (especially her fossil portraits!!!). Click on the photos above to see even more of MPs art and to learn a little bit more about her.  

Artist of the Day: Georgia O'Keeffe

We stumbled upon the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum's website recently, and although we thought we were somewhat of a O'Keeffe aficionado, we were pleasantly surprised to find a wealth of new information and works that had either not seen, or had not been able to find.  Spend some time over at the beautifully kept site to learn more about one of America's greatest artists.  A little snippet from her bio:

"One of the most significant artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” She was a leading member of the Stieglitz Circle artists, headed by Alfred Stieglitz, America’s first advocate of modern art in America.  These avant-garde artists began to flourish in New York in the 1910s. O’Keeffe’s images—instantly recognizable as her own —include abstractions, large-scale depictions of flowers, leaves, rocks, shells, bones and other natural forms, New York cityscapes and paintings of the unusual shapes and colors of architectural and landscape forms of northern New Mexico." - Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Artist of the Day: Banksy (2)

In honor of Banksy's occupation of New York and the amazing artist that he is...(how awesome is "Playground Mob: The Musical" above?!)...he is officially our first, two-time Artist of the Day!!! If you don't get it or can't appreciate his art, just listen to this quote that he gave the Village Voice and let it change. your. life.

"It doesn't take much to be a successful artist — all you need to do is dedicate your entire life to it." Banksy.

Artist of the Day: Maura Ambrose

Fibers extraordinaire, Maura Ambrose, makes some amazing pieces AND she's a SCAD grad to boot! Beautiful work and they look so comfy and chic! Recently named an Emerging Alumna from SCAD, y'all need to get on the Maura Ambrose bandwagon ASAP!

Artist of the Day: Chris Brown

Yes...THE Chris Brown is an artist. His mixed media work and heavily street-art-influenced pieces are bold, fun, unique, and an extension of a talented individual (regardless of his personal exploits).  From Banksy to Brown, street art is a constantly changing, ever innovating medium that sometimes shocks, but always envelopes this enthusiast. What do y'all think? Did you know Breezy was so artistically inclined?

Artist of the Day: Danny Haas

 

The art of Danny Haas is part-fanboy iconography, part-Pop Art, part-evil genius...but ALL amazing.  His twist on iconic images is brilliant...we're huge fans! Click on the photos to see even more of Danny's work...and follow him on Twitter! We're obsessed with "Green With Envy", Haas' take on the Green/White Power Ranger!

Artist of the Day: Jamie Wyeth

American realist, James "Jamie" Wyeth, is a third generation painter. Son of the illustrious Andrew Wyeth and grandson of illustrator N.C. Wyeth, Jamie certainly made a name for himself as a brilliant painter.  Click on the photos to see even more of this awesome American artist.

Artist of the Day: Billy Apple

Pop Art's Billy Apple is a Warhol contemporary, a neon-advocate, and an amazing conceptual artist. His pieces, like Warhol's, personify the Pop Art movement with images of apples and common household items. Ch-ch-check him out.

Artist of the Day: Nathan Sawaya

Nathan Sawaya, the Brick Artist, creates beautiful and culturally significant sculptures out of...Lego's.  From a recreation of the New York Public Library lions, to his foray into street art with Hugman, Sawaya is creative genius. Click on the photos above to see his awesome, funny, sarcastic website and the full collection of Lego sculptures. #Brilliant

Artist of the Day: Daniel E. Smith

Daniel Smith, SCAD graduate and Savannah artist, explores light and form through his beautiful landscapes and abstracts. He has shown all over the country and even has a few works at Clutter (!!). Click on the photos above to see his full portfolio and learn more about this great local artist.

Artist of the Day: Elizabeth Winnel

SCAD grad, Elizabeth Winnel, explores color and form in the most unique, fascinating, and powerful of ways. Click on the photos above to see Elizabeth's portfolio on her beautiful website and visit shopSCAD to buy an original Winnel!

Artist of the Day: Cecil Beaton

Fashion photographer, Cecil Beaton, captured everyone from Marilyn to Audrey to Elizabeth and so many more. He was also an Academy Award winning costume designer (for My Fair Lady) and a brilliant painter and artist to boot. 

Artist of the Day: Rembrandt

In honor of Rembrandt's 407th birthday (thanks Google for the reminder!), Rembrandt is our Artist of the Day!!

Artist of the Day: Milton Avery

Milton Avery was a brilliant, American abstract expressionist artist. Inspired by Matisse and pre-cubism Picasso, Avery captured Americana in simple, yet elegant imagery. Check out Milton's work and you'll be an insta-fan.