ArtThatFits Blog

Josie Martin: Expect the Unexpected

Josie Martin is an internationally known artist who resides in Akaroa, New Zealand. If you see her standing amidst her art, it may be difficult to determine where she ends and the art begins. She has a colorful personality to match her hair and wardrobe. A few years ago, my wife Nancy and I had the great fortune of taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip, spending two weeks in New Zealand. One of our stops was the picturesque village of Akaroa, near Christchurch. In fact, the only thing separating the towns is a single mountain road with hairpin turns!!!

When we arrived, we checked into Mill Cottage. You never can tell when you make reservation on the internet what you are in for but I assure you the real thing surpassed all of our expectations. In addition to the beautiful accommodations, the grounds were magnificent. We did manage to tear ourselves away to stroll into town. At the visitors center, we asked what we should do while we were in town. The first thing we were told was not to miss Linton, a B&B owned by a local artist. We walked up the road and couldn’t have missed it if we tried. The house stood out like a beacon, but the art - much of which is outside, was completely unexpected and entirely memorable.

Sure, Josie paints and sculpts, but it is her mosaic work that really stands out. The pieces you see above are just two examples of many. Each of her figures are encrusted with small fragments of glass that sparkle in the afternoon sun and they are at least life-size, so you can imagine how massive this scene is in person. She has a true gift and certainly makes the most of it - to our benefit.

If you ever get a chance to visit Akaroa, be sure to experience this one-of-a-kind treasure. Once you’ve seen it though, don’t miss the harbor cruise. It is incredible.

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Greg

Filed under: Art, Artists, Travel on June 29th, 2009 | No Comments »

La Biennale di Venezia

The 53rd International Art Exhibition is well underway in Venice. Every other year, the world descends on the city of water to take part in this Contemporary Art experience. The title of this year’s exhibit is “Making Worlds”. Daniel Birnbaum, the Director, explains why:

“A work of art represents a vision of the world and if taken seriously it can be seen as a way of making a world. The strength of the vision is not dependent on the kind or complexity of the tools brought into play. Hence all forms of artistic expression are present: installation art, video and film, sculpture, performance, painting and drawing, and a live parade. Taking ´worldmaking´ as a starting point, also allows the exhibition to highlight the fundamental importance of certain key artists for the creativity of successive generations, just as much as exploring new spaces for art to unfold outside the institutional context and beyond the expectations of the art market. Making Worlds is an exhibition driven by the aspiration to explore worlds around us as well as worlds ahead. It is about possible new beginnings—this is what I would like to share with the visitors of the Biennale.”

Bruce Nauman’s U.S. Pavilion

Catch it if you can. The event runs through November 22nd. If you don’t plan to go Al Italia by then, lucky for us - Steve McKenzie is there as I type, and will bring us his view from the ground.

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Anne

Filed under: Art, Events, Exhibits, Travel on June 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

National Take Your Dog To Work Day!

If you’re not already aware, today is “National Take Your Dog To Work Day.” A pretty exciting day for us dog lovers! However, if you’re like me and don’t work in the best environment for our furry friends, the closest we can get to our pup appreciation is through images… and of course, I’m thinking of art!

There are so many variations of images of man’s best friend at ArtThatFits, and I’d like to share some of my favorites with you. Maybe one reminds you of the fur ball in your life? Regardless, it’s a great day to celebrate dogs and all the joy they bring to our lives!

“Four Digs IV” by Soraya Chemaly

“Red Ball” by Jamie Ellsworth

“Dog” by johnny Taylor

“Lion Dog of Malta” from the Biltmore Collection

“Outside” by Jamie Ellsworth

“Doggies” by Kate Endle

“Andy” by Kristin Nelson

“Chien I” by Maeve Harris

And, just for kicks - a picture of my sweet little furry guy who will get an extra treat this evening, in celebration of “National Take Your Dog to Work Day,” enjoy!

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Arlynn

Filed under: Art, Artaissance, Holiday on June 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

Remembering Andrew Wyeth

A significant exhibit opens today. Through October 18th, the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) will display a collection of Andrew Wyeth’s paintings that have never before been viewed by the public. The collection includes Brown Swiss (1957) and Distant Thunder (1961) along with five Helga paintings: Black Velvet (1972), Farm Road (1979), Cape Coat (1982), Overflow (1978) and Braids (1979), below, one of his most beloved paintings.

Significant, because Wyeth passed away this January at the age of 91. This is his first exhibit since his death. SAM’s Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art, Patricia Junker says, “The people and places that Wyeth brought to life in his paintings are full of deeply personal associations for him. This focused exhibition allows us to mark the late artist’s extraordinary career, to see a concentration of great Wyeth paintings from private collections that are otherwise never on public view, and to gain appreciation for Wyeth’s choice of subjects and his brilliant manner of execution.” Appreciation? Most definitely.

Wyeth was an incredibly talented realist painter. His subjects ranged from people to landscapes to objects, though delicately woven into each of them are the common threads of intimacy, spirituality and emotion. His soft color palette is a distinguishing trait in his work. Starting with studies (pencil scetches or watercolor “drafts”), Wyeth eventually created his paintings using egg tempera, drybrush or watercolor.

In 2007, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts, created by Congress to honor artists and patrons of the arts. It’s a big deal.

One of his most famous paintings is Christina’s World, which is owned by MoMA in NYC. The subject, Christina Olsen, was a neighbor of Wyeth’s in Maine and she was crippled by polio. He said of her, “She was limited physically but by no means spiritually. The challenge to me was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless.”

He brought us decades worth of extraordinarily beautiful, meaningful work. What a man, what an artist. He’ll be missed.

Exclusive: Andrew Wyeth's first TV interview
Exclusive: Andrew Wyeth’s first TV interview