Art, (and lighting) are key to the designs I work on... mucho important. Invest in it, shop for it (on trips and locally at some of my favorite galleries), and love it - it's personal. I often get asked to pick out art and I am happy, happy to do it. I scout artists I feel will work in the space, but the final decision is always my client's because I want it to have special meaning to them (whether I love it or not)
I am working on two big new projects, one is Brevard, NC and one is Kernersville, NC (see here and here) as well as two smaller ones, all of which need art ! Proposing original pieces in each of these jobs for very focal places. I am loving these artists for all different reasons. Want to give a shout out to Hidell Brooks, Shain Gallery, and Sozo Gallery all of which I am heading to shortly with my clients to get a closer look and hopefully pick that perfect piece. I am thinking they will love pieces by Amanda Talley, Geraldine Neuwirth, Windy O'Connor, Josh Brown, Kristin Blakeney, and Arthur Brouthers and have pulled images to show them exactly which one of their pieces will look like in the space.
Check out a few of my favorite artists, each very different and stay tuned to how some of these pieces will look in their designed space where art is the focal point !!
Amanda Talley
(represented by Hidell Brooks
with a show coming up from January 8 through February 27th)
Amanda Talley received her MFA in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design and her BA in studio painting from Mary Baldwin College.“Painting, for me, is about translating the activity and movement of the outside world into a vocabulary of paint and line. Light, color, and energy are reflected in a fractured window view of the underside of a live oak or in the curls and folds of an elephant ear. each painting experience becomes a challenge to push aesthetic decision-making aside, In favor of drawing in the moment. The best paintings occur when I succeed in letting action dictate form.”
Geraldine Neuwirth
(represented by Hidell Brooks)
Geraldine Neuwirth attended the american university before moving to LA where she studied under the artist martin lubner for six years. lubner had his own teaching space in Los Angeles and was an art professor at ucla. Her work has been influenced by Elizabeth Murray, Frank Stella, Terry Winters, and Arshile Gorky to name only a few. Geradline handles paper in such a way that is only learned over time with a mature hand and a unique vision complied from a life full of experiences. Early years "i spent time watching rehearsals, waiting for my dad who worked for Shubert theaters, and “a world within a world” became present to me. I later carried it into a theme connected to the circus, representing the stage of life and many aspects existing beneath it.A vocabulary of forms developed in my process, and i have been working with this language and allowing the freedom of it to explore different ways of building my images. Creating this “thread of existence”, exists historically as well as spiritually. the spiritual being particularly important to me as I look at life in a layered way and enters into my work increasingly as i physically build layer upon layer of paper as well as building many layers of reality, revealing an energy that reaches beyond the visible."
Windy O'Connor
(represented by Hidell Brooks)
Windy O’Connor has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from East Carolina and her life long passions include music, theatre, and art. Windy views each of her paintings as an attempt to disconnect from the realty of an object or landscape through traditional representation and abstraction. Her work is driven primarily by her love of color and the feel of paint. ” I love to add add layers of paint to the canvas and for me… paint itself is the subject of each piece. I see God’s beauty all around me each and everyday. I also know that i could not come close to painting a realistic image of what He has created. Therefore, I honor nature through abstraction and expressionism.”
Josh Brown
(represented by Shain Gallery)
Josh Brown is a fine artist working out of Chicago, Il. Josh has had a lifetime interest in animals and enjoys bringing the personalities of each animal to life in a very graphic way. His bold minimalist painting style and graceful figural sculptures capture the energy and attitude of his subjects creating joy, magnetic characters and curiously subtle movement. Josh does this deftly with sculptural brush strokes and refined palette knife. The work of Josh Brown is designed to inspire us to live in goodwill and humor, in art and life.Over the years Josh has also had the opportunity to care for his community through art, raising funds for numerous charity groups, battered women shelters, animal rights organizations, children hospitals and local food venues. Prior to pursuing a career in fine art Josh was a full scholarship Student-Artist-Athlete and captain of the Savannah College of Art & Design soccer team, earning NAIA Academic All-American his last three years playing, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in Industrial Design, Spring 2015. While studying and playing goalkeeper for SCAD Josh committed his free time to painting and sculpting. In addition to a love of art and design, Josh also has a heart for fashion working as a model for photography and runway with coaching by Mrs. J. Alexander for the SCAD annual runway show.
Kristin Blakeney
(represented by Shain Gallery)
Kristin Blakeney finds beauty in everything. Rich texture and selective color work in concert in her paintings. Using a wide variety of mediums, her work is always celebratory by nature and sophisticated. “While appreciating the classics, I am a bit more eclectic: merging styles and design. Travel is my passion and inspiration. I take pictures and record everything. The human form, the interaction of colors, composition, shadows and hues are all fascinating. Recently I became captured by the yellow and umbers from a field in France. Every place I visit is reflected in my paintings.” Raised in the beauty and charm of Davidson, NC, she now resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with her husband William and dog Winston.
Arthur Brouthers
(represented by Sozo Gallery)
In 2002 Brouthers founded Aspyr Productions, a Charleston based organization that promoted over 200 emerging artists through award-winning group art exhibitions and various multi-media events. In 2005, he moved to North Carolina to make his mark on Charlotte's growing art scene. Later in 2008, he co-founded Culture Initiative, a grassroots art organization geared toward evolving the Charlotte art scene, working with hundreds of artists and executing over 30 high-profile art events. Most recently, he has stepped back from the world of creative event planning to further pursue his path as an artist. He currently resides in Charlotte, NC.
