Holiday Etsy Guide: Art
Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 9:28PM I always think art is a fantastic gift to give anyone. It's one-of-a-kind (usually), personal, and full of personality. Also, art at lower price points and by unknown artists provides a great way to begin building a collection that will last a lifetime. When selecting art, one should always go with pieces that appeal to you - maybe there's something that reminds you of something else, or the colors catch your eye - whatever it is, go with your instincts. When I was in art school we learnt that "good art doesn't match the sofa"... a very good place to start. Choose something that speaks to you and don't worry about how it coordinates!
The Seasprayblue boutique comes to Etsy by an artist named Katrin who lives in Dresden, Germany. I fell in love with her quirky-retro pieces like "and then he kissed her". I love how the artist sometimes includes a little backstory about her piece, giving a little situation to the scene; this little touch makes the images fun and romantic too. The entire boutique is simply charming. I also loved "hangin' around" and "be different" - I loved the simplicity and spatial arrangements, as well as the different textures incorporated by the artist's own hand...
Pieces are 8 1/2" x 11", are ready for framing, and cost only $15 each. Seasprayblue is offering a special for the holidays: buy any three prints and you can get a fourth of equal or lesser value for free! What a wonderful opportunity to build a series! In addition to your large-size print, you'll also receive a card of each print.
When I saw Shelby Healey's work I was instantly drawn to the colors and whimsical bubbles that seem to be a recurring motif. Yet despite all of this whimsy, there seems to be something a little bit darker going on inside these images - mysterious children, odd forests and buildings... I'm not sure what's going on, but it's intriguing. Healey is originally from the UK where she earned a degree in fashion and textiles at Birmingham University. Lately, however, she seems to be distributing her imagery from Tenerife, Canary Islands.
I was instantly drawn to "Biding My Time" because of the way it incorporates some industrial print-stamps and numbers. I love this kind of rawness being preserved in the finished pieces. With this piece, Healey's textiles background is also apparent with the flowered-print tree.
Healey's work reminds me of a Gustav Klimt who also designed textiles and loved to incorporate their flatness into his work. The piece "I Need You Right Now" is also reminiscent of Klimt with its jewel-studded trees and and reflective, thin trees. It's mysterious and magical.
As I browsed the many artists on Etsy, I was immediately captivated by Suzanne Clements' boutique. In a space where the predominant look is crafted, Clements' images are incredibly polished and rich-looking. She is based in Melbourne, Florida, and her photographs have the saturated colors of the sunshine state throughout. They feature hyper-real images of nature: bugs, butterflies, flowers, fruit...
I loved her piece entitled "Gossiping Ladies" - who would have correlated three, fat, blushing pears with a group of chatterboxes? Once I saw it I was instantly reminded of Camille Claudel's famous sculpture entitled "The Gossips" which is now housed in the Rodin Museum in Paris. The pears here certainly personify a gang of talkers - the title alone makes the fruit more alive and exciting - you could almost name each one! The image "She Looked Away" is likewise given a new character, likening the curving stem of a rose to a lady turning away from a lover...beautiful!
Clements photographs with antique cameras which gives the images a spotty patina and tight framing. The elements contribute an unexpected interest to the images, which I think would be fantastic in a framed series of three or five. For $25 each, you can get multiple images for far less than a single gallery work!
Be sure to check out Chic & Charming, Flutterbyblue, and SFGirlbybay for other Etsy ideas for gift-giving this season!!!
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