Artist I'm Drawn To: Amy Casey

I decided to start a new blog series called "Artist I'm Drawn To."  The series will feature all different types of artists with the main criteria being that I saw and really dug their art.  Hopefully this will introduce you to some new art to bookmark, talk about and even purchase.

This past weekend I went to Art San Diego - Contemporary Art Fair.  This show featured galleries from around the world and in my opinion the art was 10 times better than what I've seen at local art walks.  One artist that caught my eye was Amy Casey, represented by the Rosenthal Gallery in San Francisco.    

Amy's 2010 paintings that were shown at the fair were a series of houses & buildings strung from twine and bound together in messy piles.  It reminded me of a mix between a Doctor Seuss illustration and a delicate drawing by Andrew Wyeth (like this one).  On Amy's website she said that this work was meant to "reflect the view of the nervous state of affairs the world seems to be in.  Inspired by natural and unnatural disasters, personal fiascos and the never ending stream of bad news coming from the media."  Hmmm.  Sounds like the book I am reading - Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America.  ANYHOO... Here are some of her paintings:

Interdependence - Acrylic on Panel

Anchored - Acrylic on Paper

Guarded Premises - Acrylic on Paper

So what do you think of this art?  Comments please!

Local Art Scene: Pearl St. in Denver's Washington Park

River Sunset by Susan Bell

This weekend I got a chance to stroll down one of my favorite streets in Denver:  Pearl Street in Washington Park.  This street is lined with funky stores, yummy cafes and hip restaurants.  It has a youthful  yet posh vibe - kind of like a nice street in Chicago's Lincoln Park but with many more green trees and flowers.  I poked my head into a small gallery to check out the local art and had a nice visit with one of the artists, Jess Covey.  The Gallery, Bell Studio Gallery, is owned by Susan Bell but features a small number of other local artists who paint mainly in the representational style with only a few abstract/impressionistic pieces included.  I really liked the variety of work, the price points and the friendly staff.  I wish all galleries had a welcoming feel like this one did.  If you're ever in the Denver area you should check out Pearl St. and the Bell Studio Gallery.