This post has been in my drafts folder since February! I miss the days of cranking out blog posts, but I also acknowledge that my priorities have shifted during life with a little one. With all of that said, enjoy.... I recently visited the ICA Boston (Institute of Contemporary Art) and was charmed by the large scale mixed media collges of María Berrío. I was with my three-year-old, so I only got to take a few pictures (you can see them below), but I went home and did some research. And I thought I'd share that research with you! First,... Read more →

Today, I'm delighted to bring you another installment of my "Get Smart About Art" series. Today I want to share paper cut illustrator Alice Lindstrom. Her bio on her website says: "Alice works in paper collage, using cut and paste techniques, painting and preparing the paper beforehand, before cutting and assembling it to create textured and painterly collages. Alice's aesthetic draws on diverse influences, including mid-century illustration and design, folk art as well as Modern art movements." Here's a peek at some of her beautiful work: In this short video you can see Alice Lindstrom in her studio working on... Read more →

Do you know the difference between "abstract" and "non-objective" artwork? I didn't know there was a difference until I watched this video: So, looking at my own work, this is a small sampling of abstract work I've created: And these are a few examples of non-objective work I've made: I find this to be a fascinating bifurcation. I see that I do tend towards abstract, though I have made more non-objective work in recent years. How about you? Are you a realistic, abstract, or non-objective artist? Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

If you're a long time blog reader, you know that I used to live just a few blocks away from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and was a frequent visitor to its galleries. MoMA has an outstanding collection of pieces by Henri Matisse -- one of my all time favorite artists. (Be sure to check out the Book Club video about the book, Matisse on Art.) Currently, MoMA has an exhibit all about his painting, "The Red Studio." It wasn't a painting that I was immediately drawn to. In a room full of Matisse paintings,... Read more →

As part of my ongoing series about artists I admire, I wanted to share a bit about California artist, Anna Valdez. photo source From the Hashimoto Contemporary website: Anna Valdez (b. 1985) is a multi-disciplinary artist who examines the relationship between objects, cultural formation, and collective consciousness. Creating epic tableaux in her studio, Valdez moves seamlessly between still life and landscape painting, collecting objects and making new ones, and cultivation, observation, and fictionalization. Valdez received her MFA in painting from Boston University in 2013 and her BA in Anthropology and Art from University of California, Davis in 2009. Her work... Read more →

One of my Design Boot Camp students recently asked me how I know so much about such a wide variety of artists? Well, it's no secret that I have a passion for art and art history. I love visiting museums and galleries, reading books, taking classes, and learning about art movements and famous artists - both historically important and contemporary. I thought I'd begin a new occasional series for the blog where I share some of the things that I've learned with you about artists whom I admire. Today, I thought we could take look at the work of contemporary... Read more →