Artist Obsession - Ana Strumpf

Hi There

For all you doodlers out there, myself included, enjoy!  I have loved the works of art by Ana Strumpf 

for a while and thought I'd share.  How fun.   

I have been finally finishing our new studio at Atherton Mill and working on a custom mural as an accent wall.  I have gone back and forth on the look and after see this amazing panel of hers I am now pondering a different style.  Great inspiration !

Happy Thursday

Artist Spotlight: Kristin Blakeney

Hi !

Another artist we placed in our recent install was Kristin Blakeney.  She is represented by Shain Gallery, here in Charlotte as well as Galleries in Georgia, Alabama and Boston (see her site).  I have always loved her work and have placed several pieces !

This particular piece I thought was perfect for the space we just installed . .  and my client agreed !

These new pieces, available at Shain are the perfect for a small spot or as a grouping.

I have loved filtering in her work on several installs, this one was a big hit in a job we working on in Florida for a new modern build.

Maggie also took a two of her pieces to a recent install to give out client a visual . . . So perfect !

Here are a few more of my favorites !

Mekenzie recently interviewed Kristin, here's what the young and talented artist revealed . .

Raised in Davidson, NC, Kristin says North Carolina influenced her work greatly.

"There is so much character and funk in North Carolina. Some of my friend's parents were artists, like David Wilgus, and I remember being so intrigued by their lifestyle and talents.  Like many Carolinians, I grew up going to the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were raised going to the mountains, camping and hiking. The mountains of my youth continue to be my greatest source of inspiration with my landscapes. Even my abstracts have a neutral, hazy quality to them that always takes me back to nature. The shades of mint, gray and green you can see on a single piece of tree bark...many times that's where I find my color palettes. Mother Nature always does it best. 

Kristin lives and works in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She recently opened a studio downtown. "The front of the store is all windows so it has beautiful, natural light - it's a giant room with tall white walls and I work on six to ten paintings at a time. I work with a lot of different mediums so I'm constantly leaving one painting and moving to the next." When asked about her workspace: "Very messy...once I get in the mode, I just start slinging paint.  I have two large tables that I use as palettes.  I like to take a color and make lots of subtle variances so I need lots of space to create.  My walls are covered with large brushstrokes. I like to test colors before I "marry" them to the canvas so my walls become a plethora of test samples."

Her inspiration?  "Joan Mitchell's work changed everything for me. On a trip to Chicago, I saw her painting, City Landscape, at the Art Institute. I couldn't get enough.  On my way home from Chicago, I got off the plane and drove to the nearest art supply store. I told the store clerk I wanted to learn to paint with oils and asked him how to do it and what I needed. Ha! I've had help since then but her work definitely inspires me.  I also love the work of Willem De Kooning, Cy Twombly and Francis Bacon." 

She also uses experimental media. "I mix a lot of non paint substances to create my colors. Coffee helps me make the most beautiful turquoise." Her painting ritual includes music reminiscent of her art. "I like to make a playlist to get my groove going. I did a series of landscapes based off Alabama and listened to only bluegrass type stuff...Amos Lee, Allison Krauss...I like for the music to represent my work." 

When asked about books she has enjoyed recently, she recommended Yellow Crocus. "It was such a well written and thought provoking book! I cannot recommend it enough."

Thanks for talking with us, Kristin! 

Artist Spotlight: Lauren Bolshakov

Hi !

Meet Lauren Bolshakov.  I recently placed one of her pieces on a project I was working on.  Found at Isabella, here in Charlotte, it was perfect for the room... Soothing and organic.  I jumped on her website and found so many pretty pieces, well priced too !

Take a look at a few of my favorites . . .

Mekenzie recently spoke with artist, lover of dance, nature, and music, Lauren Bolshakov about herself and her artistic journey. 

Lauren has called Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Colorado, Texas, South Carolina and now Charlotte home. "I feel home home here, though - it’s my favorite of everywhere I’ve ever lived and I plan to stay for a while!” She's been here for three years now, but began her artistic career in Columbia, South Carolina. "It was a wonderful, supportive arts community and I’m so glad to have had so many wonderful collectors and galleries and interior showrooms that gave me so many great experiences to build on and grow from here in Charlotte.”

Her father had a hand in influencing her trade early on. “My dad was a painter by hobby, never profession. (I wish he’d get back into it!) I remember sneaking into his little office where he painted and being enamored by the smells of his oil paints and wanting to play with everything. I still have a super old tube of cadmium red grumbacher oil paint in . No idea why I would have chosen to steal that particular color as I never ever use red, but every time I find in my studio it makes me happy. Probably the only tube of red paint I’ll ever own!” 

She has a home studio, but imagines moving to another location. "I would love to at some point to also have a studio outside of the house with lots of big windows and wood floors - I’ve (had) a dream for a while now to have a space where I could have a gallery, studio space, and a dance floor. (My husband and I dance Argentine Tango). A girl can dream, right?”

As for the artist's inspiration: “My abstract art is inspired by movement, by nature, by dance, and by connections. Being an artist and a dancer makes you want to convey the way moving feels to people visually. There is also a reoccuring botanical note that seems to creep up in my work from time to time and I also get the itch to paint cityscapes every time we travel.”

When asked if she has any rituals when creating her art, she said “Music!! I have to have music - when I get “stuck” I put down my brush and dance around my studio.”

Lauren is also the author of a delightfully fresh blog, showcasing her art, family travels, shopping, and decor. 

Check it out here.

Thanks, Lauren, for chatting with us!

Artist Spotlight: Petros Koublis

Happy Sunday !

I am actually home.. and home ALL day.. wow.  It has been months and months of doing something work related every day and while I did answer a few emails and spent about an hour moving more documents from our old remote server to google docs (reluctantly I might add - it has been a chore we have had to deal with as of late.. updating all the computers - UGH).  I decided I needed a brain break.  I made my Thanksgiving Menu from all the wonderful things I pinned and put in my Pinterest file vowing that this year I would make something different, created a grocery list - then sent Keith, Kate and Lucy all to the grocery store.  I then clean out and organized my entire fridge, pulling out the new Food Saver and having a big ole time with that thing.  Now I sit, for a few to relax a bit. While watching back to back Food Network challenges, I just spend time on the website of Petros Koublis, photographer.  Wow.  Beautiful.  I have been on the hunt for a horse image.  I love horses. While I don't have one, ride one or even fantasize about moving out to the ranch and disconnecting with horses, a garden and several dogs (ok maybe I do)  I love a good horse movie, they always make me cry a bit.  Seabiscuit and The Horse Whisper being two of my favorites.   So when I came across these images by Petros I really paused.  He reached out to me and I throughly enjoyed all of his work. Not only did I fall in love with several of the horses, the landscapes and still images are all so beautiful as well.

Take a look and enjoy.  

Petros Koublis

He is a New York and Athens based photographer. His relationship with photography started in 2000, after having dedicated some years in painting. Since then he has been developing his style through a constant personal exploration. His work has been presented in exhibitions, and frequently published on major Art & Design platforms and magazines all over the world. He has been taking over photographic assignments both in the United States and Europe.