Sigh, I can almost feel the Hawaiian breezes… oh wait, I can! Yep, I’m in Hawaii this week in full-on tourist mode, but oh how I wish I could buy a little pink cottage in the burbs. Alas, I’ll just have to pretend by staring at the work of Oahu based artist Brenda Cablayan. Her paintings might look familiar because I’ve written about her before. I can’t help it! Hawaii is one of my most favorite places on the planet, and there is something absolutely perfect about the way Brenda captures this beautiful spot … not the ‘pina colada’ tourist version, but the ‘regular old day-in-the-life’ version. Granted, it’s a day-in-the-life in paradise, but still.

Those are needle-hole perforations in paper… because I know you’re wondering! Today I’m talking to the very prolific artist, and teacher, Wendy Kawabata. I wrote about her needle-hole series, titled “Blind World” a few years ago, but they are just one of many gems in her extensive portfolio. So, this episode is coming to you from Hawaii… I’m in Maui, and Wendy lives on Oahu… mai tais for everyone! Listen right up there under that intricate beauty, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, some of her newest work. Wendy has recently gone back to oil painting after a very long break:

Ahhh, gorgeous! Each of these are titled “Cairns III”, “Cairns II”, and “Cairns VII Here Comes The Sun”.

Now, these pieces are both drawings and mixed media. Wait… is it fabric… or drawings .. or both? …

You can see why I wasn’t sure! The top two are gouache and colored pencil on paper, and the bottom two are gouache, colored pencil, and kantha cloth on paper. Love them all!

Next, the work inspired by her month-long residency in Iceland. This is “In The Land” when it was shown in 2016 at Sanderson Contemporary in New Zealand:

Dreamy, icy watercolors and that amazing crocheted flower piece… which has oh so much more behind it than grey, metallic paint covered flowers.

Oooh, I love this series too {see, prolific!}. This is a gouache and pencil on paper series, titled “Acts”:

Note the “mama”… such a beautiful reason for having that word woven into these drawings from a few years back.

And here we are, the first body of work of Wendy’s that I ever saw. “Blind Worlds”. So gorgeous:

Needle-hole perforations in paper, or as Wendy would say, drawing with holes. Love, love, love!

And finally, this is the piece she mentioned near the beginning… logs covered in crochet with Wendy’s made-up stitches {thank goodness for mothers}:

Beautiful… right stitches or wrong stitches! Thanks so much to Wendy for doing this with me; thanks to Saatchi Art and Thrive for supporting the episode, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear, not next weekend but the weekend after that {Feb 17}

Other links:

1. Material Slip Show, March 4 ~ April 6th
2. Sanderson Contemporary, NZ
3. University of Hawaii at Mānoa

Gorgeous architecture… with a few “guests”. This is the work of LA based artist Holly Elander, from her series titled Their Home. She grew up in Los Angeles in a mid-century home, and apparently there were many visitors who wandered through from time to time. This is Holly’s ode to her furry and feathered neighbors. Some of these paintings, along with another body of her work, will be in a show that opens tomorrow night at Launch LA… February 3rd until March 3rd / Opening reception is this Saturday, Feb 3rd, 6 – 9pm RSVP to rsvp@launchLA.org

“Chums” … get it!? Hilarious! This is the whimsical and wonderful work of California based artist Lorien Stern. These pieces are part of a show that opens at Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco this Saturday, and yes, it’s titled “Chums”…

“Chums focuses on the seemingly dubious relationships between sharks and other maritime creatures. The exhibition features a colorful assortment of the artist’s iconic shark heads as well as an array of fish and birds. Stern is particular interested in the mutually beneficial friendship between pilot fish and sharks. Swimming alongside one another, the fish gain protection from predators, while the shark gains freedom from parasites. In response, the artist created every piece in the exhibition to have a counterpart — each work matches to another through pattern and color. Transcending species and trepidation, Chums celebrates the power of connection.”

The opening reception is this Saturday – February 3rd from 6pm-9pm – and Lorien will be there too! {show runs until February 24}.

Yes, fine, I am absolutely dating myself by loving these pieces so much. In fact that could very well be my first grade class {ok, it’s not, but it totally could be}. This is the work of Los Angeles based artist Diane Meyer. I wrote about her in 2013 but this ongoing series, titled “TIME SPENT THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE FORGOTTEN”, is just too good not to follow-up on…

“In the series, cross stitch embroidery has been sewn directly into family photographs. The images are broken down and reformed through the embroidery into a hand-sewn pixel structure. As areas of the image are concealed by the embroidery, small, seemingly trivial details emerge while the larger picture and context are erased. I am interested in the disjunct between actual experience and photographic representation and photography’s ability to supplant memory. By borrowing the visual language of digital imaging with an analog process, a connection is made between forgetting and digital file corruption. The tactility of the pieces also references the growing trend of photos remaining primarily digital- stored on cell phones and hard drives, but rarely printed out into a tangible object.”

Brilliant, nostalgic, lovely. I have to go find my Raggedy Ann doll now.

Oh my goodness, yes. This is an installation by Australian artist Amy Joy Watson. I’ve written about her sculptures twice before {2014, 2011} but I just came across this public installation … and yes, I love it! Plywood, acrylic paint, colored rope, and stainless steel cables come together to create“Celestial Bodies”. Gorgeous! This work is now a permanent public artwork at the Australian Catholic University in the Daniel Mannix Building, Melbourne. Stunning.

*Photos by Lisbeth Grosmann

A pop-up art “bakery”… but wait… do not eat these grey treats! They aren’t made of sugar and spice, they’re made of ash from burned coal. “Coal Comforts” is the work of Brooklyn based artist Spencer Merolla. What is it about, you ask?

“This is about climate change. Coal power has never been “clean” and continuing to mine and burn it causes irreparable harm to frontline communities and accelerates climate change. The current administration wants to prop up this outmoded industry without regard to the known consequences. As we have seen, nostalgia is a powerful tool—it can make what is familiar seem wholesome and innocuous, as “American as apple pie.” But like the sweet treats we might find in an old-fashioned bakery, a little dirty energy might look like a harmless enough indulgence, but our global consumption patterns will be our undoing. Put simply, we can’t have our cake and eat it too.”

Brilliant! And, even more exciting, most of these pieces are actually for sale in her online bakery, so pop over and pick up a coal cake today! *25% of the proceeds from these sales will be donated to the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. 

Whoa … well, clearly I had no choice but to kick things off with that insanely beautiful closeup. Today I’m talking to Cornwall based artist Lisa Wright. I had so many questions for her – did she study art history, why the masks, how big are these beauties, does she like Marmite? She does. Listen right up there under that beautiful blue “lace”, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, some of Lisa’s paintings that I wrote about a few years ago:

Oh, I love all of them… but that girl smoking might be my favorite. So, from there her subjects started to wear masks:

Masks, inspired by the button masks of Venice. The wearer holds a button in their mouth to keep the mask on, which of course, prevents them from being able to speak. Hm. This could go in oh so many directions… and I can’t wait to see where Lisa decides to take it!

So, Venetian masks go hand-in-hand with lace-like patterns… here they are veiling her art history-esque subjects:

Seriously… so unbelievably beautiful. And yes, I included that closeup again because that blue paint is absolutely mesmerizing.

Next up, some of the pieces that Lisa exhibited at CONTEXT New York. This is also a great way to show scale… from little and lovely to big and beautiful:

Yes! And speaking of exhibiting at cool shows, here is Lisa’s work in the Coates & Scarry booth at PULSE Miami:

Isn’t that installation great!? I love that Lisa painted her lacy patterns all over the wall! And finally, a podcast post wouldn’t be complete without a peek into the artist’s studio:

Sigh… that light! Beautiful. Again. Thank you so much to Lisa for such an inspiring conversation; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and thank YOU for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Charlotte Keates, Episode 107
2. Falmouth University
3. Faction Art Projects, NY {her show in Fall 2018}
4. Coates & Scarry Gallery, London

Girlhood, unleashed. This is the work {oil paint on aluminum} of American artist Zoe Hawk. My first guess – Zoe attended an all girls school, and didn’t enjoy it, but I can’t find any proof of that. I did, however, find this quote from an interview she did which beautifully explains why she does what she does:

“My work delves into the world of adolescence, depicting girls and young women within carefully constructed scenes: at school, in the home, or out in nature. Themes of gendered socialization, anxiety, group dynamics, and performance are tackled within scenes of girlhood play and interactions, often stylistically referencing children’s storybook illustrations.

The narratives described in the paintings are meant to be sweet and somewhat familiar to the viewer, yet upon closer inspection they take a mysterious or unsettling turn. Sometimes conveying innocence and curiosity, other times confronting violence and fear, my work investigates the complex experience of coming of age. The costumes, colorful dresses, mournful funeral attire, and matching uniforms signify various modes of feminine identity, and set the stage for the girls’ interactions. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood—between fairytales and the dark realities of womanhood—these characters develop an intricate play of yearning, contention, camaraderie, and mischief, as they navigate their social and physical environments.” (quote via Art Maze Mag)

“What a Racket” … yes! This is a series by South African artist Danielle Clough. I love the work, but I think the statement that she’s posted along side these flower-covered tennis rackets might be the best thing ever:

“WHAT A RACKET – Does this count as being interested in sport?” ~ Danielle Clough

HA! Hilarious and beautiful… a perfect combination. Some of Danielle’s work is part of group show that opens TOMORROW NIGHT in Philadelphia. Paradigm Gallery and HAHA Magazine bring you “Deemed A Canvas”. The show opens Friday January 26th, 5:30 – 10pm at Paradigm {746 S. 4th Street, 1st Floor – Philadelphia, PA} *Other participating artists: Kaplan Bunce, Danielle Clough, Ellen Greene, My Dog Sighs, Bunnie Reiss, Brooks Salzwedel, Suzanna Scott, Ruby Silvious, and Jasjyot Singh Hans.