FIVE WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR HOME FOR SPRING

This week may feel nothing like Spring, but this doesn't mean you have to hold off on updating your home for the season.  Here is a quick list of my go to's for refreshing your home for sunnier days.  

Feature image via Pinterest 
1.), 2.) 4.) Images via Pinterest 
5.) Image via shoparchipelago.com

FINAL DAYS OF SUMMER: SURF'S UP

During a recent trip to Martha's Vineyard I visited the Black Sheep in Edgartown.  As I approached the register, hands filled with sandwiches, drinks, and sweets I noticed a captivating image of a thrilling surf. 

At first glance I thought the image was a photograph, but as I moved closer I could see the artist's incredible talent.  Using hefty impasto, Annie Wildey created a foamy effect, while capturing changes in light within a cresting wave. I looked around the shop and discovered more of these surf paintings, each unique in their movement and lighting.  Some featured surf in foggy settings, while others focused specifically on the wild, but serene nature of a cresting wave.  

Sometimes you come along a piece of artwork that completely captures your attention.  I have always been drawn to the ocean and perhaps that is why I had such a strong reaction to Ms. Wildey's work. Here is a sampling from Ms. Wildey's website.  I suggest visiting www.anniewildey.com for more information about the artist and her work. 

Images via www.anniewildey.com

MARTHA'S VINEYARD: RAY ELLIS

I always look forward to summer evenings, when my mom and I visit the art galleries in Edgartown.  I appreciate all forms of art, but my favorite is always the Ray Ellis's seaside watercolors. Located in downtown Edgartown, North Water Gallery devotes an entire area to Ellis's work.  Last year, my mom and I made plans to attend an event with Ray Ellis.  Unfortunately, other plans got in the way and we didn't make it.  I was recently saddened to hear that Ray Ellis passed away a month after the event.  

Ray Ellis was born in Pennsylvania and attended the Philidelphia Museum of Art.  After serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, he worked in advertising and painted on the side.  From 1969 on, he was a full time artist.  Living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and then finally Martha's Vineyard.  Ellis started his own printing business in Savannah, Georgia that served as his headquarters.  In addition to selling and printing his art, he collaborated with Walter Cronkite to create a series of books showing the coast of the United States: South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind. Ellis was also commissioned to create the White House Christmas Card for 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001. 

South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at: http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf

South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at: http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf

South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at: http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf

South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at: http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf

Many years ago, I remember my mom telling me to look at Ray Ellis's clouds for painting technique.  To this day I am still in awe of the way he captures the lightness of a cloud. In addition to his spectacular clouds, I also love how he magnificently paints an object without fully painting it.  For example, the people on his boats are merely two or three brushstrokes, suggesting the form of a person.  Even at the age of ninety-two, Ray Ellis was capturing the seascape at it's finest.  Here are a few of my favorite Ray Ellis paintings.

Images and info on Ray Ellis via www.rayellis.com

BOSTON LOVES IMPRESSIONISM

Last weekend I had an opportunity to visit the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.  I was eager to see the new exhibit, Boston Loves Impressionism.  The collection features several of the most influential artists of the Impressionist Movement; Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pierre - Aguste Renoir, to name a few.  Upon entering the gallery, you are instantly pulled in by Vincent van Gogh's Houses at Auvers.  This is one of Van Gogh's most well known pieces and was voted Boston's favorite.  After seeing this colorful and exuberant painting in person, I know why.  Van Gogh's use of color and energy is mesmerizing!  A step further into the gallery and you are greeted by an array of stunning masterpieces.  Claude Monet, captures the misty reflections of Venice, in the Grande Canal, Venice, by blending the Santa Maria della Salute into the Adriatic Sea.   Vincent van Gogh, depicts an overgrown valley with whimsical energy in Ravine. And Gustave Caillebotte, transforms a simple tomato into a magnificent arrangement of vibrant brushstrokes, in Fruit Display on a Stand.   Overall the exhibit leaves you with a new perspective on the world.

When viewing art I enjoy the entire composition, but a closer look is where I am truly inspired.  Up close, each colorful and energetic brushstroke becomes it's own entity, exposing the artist's emotional reaction to the subject. Here are a few of my favorite close up studies.   

Houses at Auvers, Vincent van Gogh 1890 
Full image of Houses at Auvers via www.mfa.org/collections

Fruit Display on a Stand, Gustave Caillebotte 1881-82
Full image  of Fruit Display on a Stand via www.mfa.org/collections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Beds at Vétheuil, Claude Monet 1881 

Full image of Flower Beds at Vétheuil via www.mfa.org/collections

 
Mixed Flowers in an Earthenware Pot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Full image of Mixed Flowers in an Earthenware Pot via www.mfa.org/collections

Grand Canal, Venice, Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1881

Full image of Grand Canal via www.mfa.org/collections/object

Grande Canal, Venice, Claude Monet 1908 

Full image of Grande Canal via www.mfa.org/collections

Ravine, Vincent van Gogh 1889
Full image of Ravine via www.mfa.org/collections

Entrance to the Village of Vétheuil in Winter, Claude Monet 1879

Full image of Entrance to the Village of Vétheuil www.mfa.org/collections

Boulevard Saint - Denis, Argenteuil, in Winter, Claude Monet 1875
Full image of Boulevard Saint - Denis, Argenteui, in Winter via www.mfa.org/collections

Be sure to check out this exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
February 14, 2014 - May 26, 2014 

 www.mfa.org/exhibitions/boston-loves-impressionism

Close up images by AGA