Artist at Home: Nathan Abels

I'm very happy to share a few peeks inside the home of my good friend and fellow SCAD grad-artist, Nathan Abels and his wife, Lorna Cochrane.  The couples combined love of art and vintage treasures along with their effortless style is apparent in the thoughtfully curated historic apartment they share in Denver, Colorado. Luckily, some of these photos were taken before a few works of Nathan's were shipped off to galleries-so you'll see a glimpse or two of his fine art work. (Nathan's work is currently on exhibit at Rule Gallery in Denver through March 20.) {website} {flickr} {blog}

The building's charming exterior.

Nathan and Lorna have an ever-growing collection of artwork that they have either
purchased, found, or traded over the years. The painting over the sofa is an original
by Denver artist,  Kay Tuttle. The sofa is from Room & Board and the coffee

table is vintage Lane. 

A view of the other side of the living room reveals a large original painting, Overpass
by Nathan. The bench was a vintage find and the credenza against the wall is from BluDot.

Lorna arranged this artful still life that features more of the couple's art collections- a piece by Kay Tuttle (behind the candlestick) and a resin antler sculpture by Lauri Lynnxe Murphy. 

The dining room wall entertains a salon style grouping of interesting images from a David Bowie album cover and a vintage book cover to original artwork and prints- see the detail here. The table is another great piece from Blu-Dot and the chairs are from Room & Board.

Vintage no-maintenance guard dog was a flea market find.

An old hand-made ship from a Silverton, Colorado antique shop.

The bedroom is serene in a wash of white. The painting is an original acrylic on panel by Nathan called, Dénouement. Nathan was honored with the title, Emerging Artist of The Year for 2009 by the Denver Post and his work is soon to appear in the juried Western edition of New American Paintings!

Nathan's work desk.

Meet Lorna and Nathan! Thank you for sharing your home with us!

View even more details of their home on Flickr. xo

Pony Show

I wish I may, I wish I might, be at the opening for Pony Show tonight.  Three of my favorite artists...Halligan Norris, Josh Goleman, and Maura Ambrose will open their collaborative exhibit tonight at their work collective, Part Time Studios in Philadephia from 6-9pm. Check out a preview of all the pony magic...xo

{Photos by Josh Goleman}

 Part Time Studios

2031 Frankford Avenue Philadelphia, Pa 19125

(215) 948-2242  info@parttimestudios.com

Nick Cave (The Artist-Not the Bad Seed)

*Tonight* there will be a free and open to the public performance by multidisciplinary artist, Nick Cave at The Savannah College of Art and Design. Cave is an artist and educator (Professor at The School of the Art Institute) known around the world for his "Soundsuit"creations made from a multitude of found objects-including metal toys, plastic,  fabric, and dyed human hair. He crosses his background in dance with art to create performance pieces in which his Soundsuits are animated by the movement of the dancers who wear them. More in this NYT article. The performance is tonight- Saturday, November 14 at 8 p.m., Hamilton Hall, 522 Indian St., Savannah, Ga. 

Soundsuit 2008

mixed media

Soundsuit 2009

dyed human hair

Soundsuit 5, 2006

vintage beaded flowers, cotton, afghans, bird figurines

Soundsuit 2009

Vintage Fairy Tales

Swedish photographer, Rebecka Ryberg Skött's exhibit, Vintage Fairy Tales opens today at The Church of Sweden in New York! Congratulations, Rebecka! This series grew out of her passion for collecting vintage dolls and toys and allowing their loved and tattered conditions to share their stories. I love her saturated colors and compositions. My favorite aspect is the tension of the doll's poses- they retain that "I will not sit or bend to your will, no matter what you do!" attitude that always perplexed me as a kid. I would also very much like to raid her supply closet! Xo

Above photos copyright Rebecka Ryberg Skött

Ferry Staverman Sculpture

The paper sculptures of Dutch artist, Ferry Staverman have been circulating the blogosphere lately and I can't help but catalog them here too. I think their allure to me is due to their similarities to honeycomb paper ornaments-but on a grand and curious scale. Her chalky and modern color palette is gorgeous too! If you're lucky to live near New York-her work is currently on exhibit in Slash: Paper Under the Knife at the Museum of Art and Design through April 4th 2010.

Weekend Galerij Loolaan 49 

Apeldoorn 2006

Weekend Galerij Loolaan 49 

Apeldoorn 2006

Weekend Galerij Loolaan 49 

Apeldoorn 2007

 

 Beekpark Stroomt, CBKG Apeldoorn, 

Beekpark 28, 2008

 

Interior-Outside Arnhem 2007

Monnikenwerk de Refter Ubbergen 2006 

Lauren Clay...Hootenanny!

It is always thrilling to find out when a former classmate has an opening at a major gallery! Such is the case for Lauren Clay-her new show, Hootenanny is coming up this weekend at Larissa Goldston Gallery in New York, October 29-December 19. Her work is so fresh and different-a mix of sculpture, installation, paper and plastics-its hard to know how to define it. What impresses me the most is how her forms are so seemingly geometrical, rooted in engineering or science- and at the same time are overtly "Girlie" with their pastels, curves, and occasional scallops! Her titles are brilliant and curious as well- giving context to otherwise baffling scenes that are familiar yet totally new and out of this world! Hooray, Lauren! xo

One way ticket into the nirvana thickets, 2009

Acrylic on cut paper, papier-mâché, foam, wire, wood

29" x 26" x 13"

Inverted Continuum, 2008

Acrylic on cut paper, acrylic mirror, papier-mâché, wood

45” x 27” x 10 1/2”

The Worlds Were In His Speech But Now They're In Reach, 2008

Acrylic on cut paper, acetate, foam

30" x 17" x 17"

Constructing Visions for Kublai Khan 2008

Acrylic on cut paper, acrylic mirror, acetate, foam

8 1/2 x 13 x 13

Your Relentless Tenderness is Our Prism Pivot Point, 2007

Acrylic on cut paper, fabric, mixed media

70 x 75 x 78 inches

There is a Place for You, In my Heart of Hearts , 2006

acrylic on cut paper, wall painting, flocking, light

85 x 96 x 45 inches 

Monica Cook at Marcia Wood Gallery

I'm kicking myself for not remembering to post this earlier!  Tonight was the opening for Monica Cook's new exhibition at Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta. The show, Seeded and Soiled will be up through November 28. I gathered a small but telling quote from Monica from the Gallery's website:

“{the figures} wrestle with debauchery and virtue, control and liberation, logic and absurdity – the beauty and repulsion inherent in each of these extremes and the magnificent struggle in our search for balance”. 

Sprouting Potatoes
oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches, 2009

I'm intrigued by Monica as a person and an artist; from her quixotic imagery to her stunning technical painting skills-no other painter has ever impressed me more thoroughly!  More of her work can be viewed here,  here and at shopSCAD-- and if at all possible be sure to view her work in person whenever possible! xo

Carrie Christian

Congratulations to my friend, Carrie Christian for her acceptance into the new Southern issue of New American Paintings! I hadn't seen her work in awhile and was so excited to see her series concerning interiors. It hard for me to imagine just how she does it- but she creates a regular collage then painstakingly hand paints the collaged image in watercolor! Visit her new website for more! She also has work at shopSCAD-including some made in collaboration with her new hubby, Woodie Webber!

Dollhouse III
32" x 32" 2009
watercolor on paper

Dollhouse III, detail

Dream House
33" x 40" 2007
watercolor on paper

Dream House, detail

Interior I
15" x 22" 2008
watercolor on paper

Interior I, detail

Christmas
32"x 42" 2009
watercolor on paper

Christmas, detail

These works begin as a means to gain control but deepen into a borderline devotional experience. All my life I have developed rituals to soothe myself into feeling I had some power over my circumstances. These paintings represent my anxieties while providing an escape from them. The act of translating each collage into watercolor creates an intimacy that mimics inhabitance. I am able to “live” in these works while I am painting them. Ultimately I am locked out as I find myself always on the outside of them, always left looking in.

-Carrie Christian. (thanks, Carrie!)