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The Design Inspirationalist

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The Design Inspirationalist

Category Archives: Featured Artists

Dolan Geiman + Night Owl Paper Goods

21 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Featured Artists

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

3-D assemblage, animals, collage, Dolan Geiman, earth, environment, fauna, floral, folk art, folksy, mixed media, nature, Night Owl Paper Goods, notebooks, painting, paper goods, southern style, stationary, Virginia, wood calendars

This week my good friends over at Night Owl Paper Goods shared with me a new collection they are offering and its really is something beautiful. They teamed up with mixed media artist, Dolan Geiman, and created a truly unique collection of paper goods, wood calendars, and notebooks. It makes sense that these two would collaborate since the earth and nature are on top of both their inspiration lists. With a passion for the environment, as well as floral and fauna motifs and modern-yet-folksy style, you can see how they can easily create a magical line of products together.

Geiman’s work is highly influenced by the outdoors and mixed with southern style, which is clearly shown through his folk creations. He is a trained artist in printmaking and sculpture and has a wide range of mediums from painting and collage to 3-D assemblage. You might have seen his work featured in various media like Fossil, Anthropologie, Pendleton and more. He is an advocate for green design and business and currently works in Chicago with his wife but was born and raised in Virginia. I highly recommend you check out his work, its beautiful.

Dolan Geiman + Night Owl Paper Goods

The big debut was this week at the National Stationary Show in NYC from May 18 to today and I am sure it was a big hit. Here is a little peek into the collection. Enjoy!

Dolan Geiman + Night Owl Paper Goods

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro

08 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Featured Artists

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

animal drawings, animals, Anthony Scutro, art, artist, artwork, black and white, carving, craft, design, eyes, Four Word Progress: A Group Change of Perspective, frog, Haida, illustration, jersey city, Native American, new jersey, orca, outdoors, owl, ox, pipes, skulls, snake, Summer Dawn Hortillosa, symbolic images, The Jersey City Independent, theme, Two Doors Salon, wood

If you enjoy traveling through a piece of art and taking a trip among the unique mind of the artist, then you will love Anthony Scutro’s work. Intricately detailed, his illustrations express various thoughts, themes, and ideas that are briefly connected to the whole. You imagine the artist living and breathing through its production, as the time and patience clearly shows with the final product. One can say Scutro really has a knack for layering, by building numerous worlds within one main portal the viewer gets transported to new levels in a constant flow. Tunnels of imagery and ink filled visions lead the way, proving that the paper has a life of its own.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro
The artist in his studio

Living in Jersey City, New Jersey, the artist works as a freelance film editor and enjoys all aspects of the outdoors. Having went to grammar school with him, I can say he is an interesting individual with many talents. Scutro started drawing at a young age when he didn’t have much else to do and was inspired by the work of a stone carver at a sportsman show his parents took him too. He was intrigued with the Haida style the man was exhibiting, which is also known for its wildly themed drawings of animals much like the style Scutro has developed. “I would always draw animals and loved how they had one amimal morph into the next. I thought it would be cool to do my own spin on it…Animal shapes tend to fit into each other and I also can distort them to make it work,” he states.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

In some cases, the artist also ties his works together by a certain theme. You will notice the owl above filled with skulls, the orca filled with black and white animals, and some others not included here like an octopus contained with eyes.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro
Power

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro
Nature

Scutro is always trying to reinvent his work and challenging himself with new ideas. He is now experimenting with other types of imagery outside the realm of animals such as devoting a work to interesting people he knows. “I try to show someone’s life in a picture. I interview them and write everything down, and then depending on what I think is more important to that person, I make it bigger and design it so you follow the path between the light and the dark and get a blueprint of that person’s life and what they love,” he says.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro
Long Island Girl

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro
Could Have Done Better

Besides drawing, Scutro also enjoys the art of carving and has continued to create Native American peace pipes. He says it all started when his friend showed an interest of having one incorporated into his wedding. Upon looking for one he thought would make a great gift, he was unsatisfied and decided to make one himself. This favor for a friend eventually developed into a hobby where he now masters his craft.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

“Pipes are just really fun to make…They’re made out of antler and wood that’s aged for two years or more and some of them also have tubing and plumbing fixtures so there’s a modern edge to it. They’re all built, painted, and have things carved into them and then I use a nontoxic protective seal so it can be preserved,” says Scutro. I have seen this pipes first hand and I have to say they are really beautifully made. You can tell he loves the process and puts so much care into his work.

There is so much to explore in Scutro’s work and I believe there will be much more to come from this artist. You can view more of his work on his website and contact the artist himself to commission a piece. He has recently exhibited his work in various art shows including Two Doors Salon in Hamilton Park, NJ on June 7th and being a part of Four Word Progress: A Group Change of Perspective in Jersey City, which recently had its opening reception this past July 9th.

Featured Artist: Anthony Scutro - © Anthony Scutro

“I simplify life through my art by making it black and white because life never is actually in black and white. My work tells a story of a person or place or mindset through a puzzle of images.” ~ A. Scutro for Four Word Progress

{All quotes taken from The Jersey City Independent June 3, 2013 article by Summer Dawn Hortillosa}

Farm Stories and Everything in Between

01 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Awesome Shops, Featured Artists, Weddings

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Tags

commercial, dedicated farmers, editorial, farm stories, farmers, farming, farms, healthy living, Indiana, Indiana wedding photographer, Indiana weddings, Kelley Jordan, Kelley Jordan Photography, natural light, photography, potraits, sustainable agriculture, wedding photographer, weddings

Farm Stories and Everything in Between

I was delighted to have Indiana photographer, Kelley Jordan contact me recently. She was inquiring about my albums and possibly working together in the future. I was impressed that she offers such a wide range of photography services. From portraits and weddings/events to products and commercial shoots, her talents and skills go far and beyond what you expect.

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Using the camera as a tool to tell beautiful stories and capture those special moments, it’s the connection between her subjects that is most important. Her love for life and exploration clearly shows through her work and since high school, photography has been her main focus. It is obvious Jordan is sincere in her vision, only seeing what truly speaks to her, and bravely unveiling the beauty that natural light has to offer.

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

I also discovered her love for the Earth and sustainable methods, which she expresses through her project, Farm Stories. It was created to connect people with farmers who practice sustainable agriculture and encourage all of us to live healthy lives and be kind to the planet. Jordan travels all over the world and captures these beautiful farms as well as the farmers and animals who call them home. I thought this was such a great way to introduce and encourage people to open their eyes and learn more about what we eat, how it grows, and the insightful dedicated farmers who stick to their values and do what is right.

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

Farm Stories and Everything in Between - © Kelley Jordan Photography

I did a little Q&A with Jordan about her experience in the field as well as the importance of Farm Stories, enjoy!

What do you look for when shooting a wedding or an event?
Whenever I’m shooting I look for light. Not just any light, but compelling and interesting light. Sometimes that looks like the perfect silhouette and other times it’s a sunbeam highlighting an intimate moment. I also love finding those little moments – the ones that may be fleeting and seemingly insignificant. Those are often the most darling and lovely to capture because they embody the realness of life that transcends that single day.

When is your favorite time of day to take photographs and what season do you love most and why?
Looking through the lens often is most beautiful in the morning or evening. The sunlight softens and changes color which highlights things in a new way. I like shooting in every season because they vary so much, but I do especially enjoy finding new green growth in the spring.

What role do you feel Farm Stories plays in todays food industry and how can it change the way people see agriculture in general?
Farm Stories is about sharing the positive stories of farmers who are investing in a better food system. Discouraging food stories prevail in the news these days because bad farming practices are so common. But the more I look, the more I find men and women investing their lives to feed their communities well. I hope that Farm Stories will connect the surrounding communities to their local farmers to promote a more sustainable and healthy system.

What have you learned since Farm Stories has been created?
I’ve learned SO much more than I can write here. One of the biggest lessons I learned in the beginning was how transparent our food system is NOT and how uneducated we are as consumers. This came about when I stayed on an egg farm in England. Seeing the behind the scenes of free range farming was disturbing to me. Let’s just say the term “free range” does not mean hens frolicking in open fields.

There is tons to know about healthy living and sustainability. What tips or advice would you share with people you feel are most important?
I’d say the best way to start is to ask questions of the people that are feeding you. Buying local is the catchphrase of the day, but when it comes to food, it is very important. If you cannot ask about your food because you have no idea who is growing it or where it’s produced, chances are there is a lot going on that you don’t know about and wouldn’t want to support. If shopping at the farmers market is already a part of your rhythm, don’t be shy about asking questions of the vendors. Where is your farm and can I visit? How do you make your pasta sauce? Do you follow organic practices? etc. This will inform and impact your food choices and therefore our food system in positive ways.

{You can purchase Jordan’s photographs in her Etsy shop: Farmstories & view more of her work at her website, Kelley Jordan Photography}

Decisions, Decisions

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Everyday Design, Featured Artists, The Home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Andrew Wyeth, art, beige, Christina's World, cream, Easterly, Evening on a Marsh, field, fine art, gray, horse, interior design, light house, moon, nature, nautical, neutral, painting, Peter Sculthorpe, sky, Springhouse, white, woman

My husband and I are planning to renovate our kitchen in a few weeks and we are very close to collecting all our new pieces and materials for the space. I am so excited to finally design my dream kitchen! It will be all neutral tones, cream and white, and all the vintage pieces we have found will be painted the same color with an antique finish. The added elements will be soft plaids, grays, and rustic textures. It’s going to look gorgeous.

One of the things I am trying to decide is choosing a fine art piece for the wall across from the sink. It’t basically the only wall with nothing on it or in front of it so I thought it would be nice to feature a large piece of work in the space. Something that will really bring the room together. I know I want a nature inspired piece, preferably an open field or landscape, and one that truly resonates with what Dan and I love. I want to be able to glance at the work and not want to look away. It must be showstopper.

I’ve found a few I really like and wanted to share with my readers. I will look some more but these are very big contenders. If I don’t find anything I like more than these, they are the top choices. I want this piece to be perfect. It has to set the tone for the space and help the room feel peaceful and calm. Just the right work of art to fit with a rustic country kitchen. Decisions, decisions – what is your top pick?

Easterly by Andrew Wyeth
I have always loved Wyeth’s work. I admire the white and gray tones in this piece. Both Dan and I love nautical scenes so this is a true contender. It’s calming and ethereal which totally wins me over.
Easterly by Andrew Wyeth

Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
I have this exact piece printed on a postcard on my fridge so it would make sense to own a large print of it. There was something about this piece I have always been drawn to. Maybe it was the distant feeling and vast landscape or detailed strokes in the field. I love how the woman seems determined, yet hesitant to move. Her light pink dress blowing in the wind and her hair, slightly undone and natural. A true winner in my eyes.
Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth

Springhouse by Peter Sculthorpe
The rustic feel of this piece really draws me in. The texture of the grass and the details of the tree, so beautiful. I love the stone structure as well as its placement in the scene. The horse is such a fascinating creature and in this painting, it truly shines in such a natural way. Imagine looking out your back door and seeing this. Amazing.
Springhouse by Peter Sculthorpe

Evening on a Marsh by Peter Sculthorpe
The serenity of this piece is what really attracted me to it. Such silence and so much life. The blues are so beautiful against the green and brown and the gold elements really bring an element of beauty as well. I love art that just goes on forever, like this one.
Evening on a Marsh by Peter Sculthorpe

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