Tuesday, July 31, 2007

#18 Guest-Justin Smith

This week's guest is Justin Smith, Rita pita's younger brother who brought us the previous artist.
I like him because he's honest especailly about being an angry teenager. I remember those days.





1.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color would have to be olive green, with a VERY close second with black. I don't exactly remember why olive green is my favorite color; but I also don't think I want to find out. I hate olives. Black came second, well, because I'm an angry teenager.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
Well, I'm really kind of between Eric Joyner and my friend wafful (yeah, it's pronounced waffle) I really enjoy Eric Joyner's work, because it's so detailed, yet so crazy at the same time. I believe he is the only person to put doughnuts and robots in the same picture. And wafful's work is so dark and mysterious. It really makes me think.


3.If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I would be HOKUS POKUS. it is made by a turtle made koopa. seriously. a turtle making abstract. i would be HOKUS POKUS because, well, a turtle made it!



Friday, June 29, 2007

#17 Guest-Eric Joyner


This week's guest is an illustrator, painter who lives and works in San Francisco.He's quite prolific in his work and can be seen in galleries and group shows around the world.The painting on the left is Cantina Blues.It reminds me of Edward Hopper.I really enjoy it because it's Casablanca meets Lost in Space.Everyone should go check out his site here. Thanks Eric and thanks Ricky for bringing him over here.




1.
What is your favorite color?
I guess my favorite color is cobalt blue. Or the blue one sees looking into Crater Lake (in Oregan on a sunny day. The blue there is unreal!

2. Who is your favorite artist?
My favorite artist would have to be N.C Wyeth, though Frank Frazettas work is quite awesome:) But, I like a few other people in the world, Van Gogh is a favorite along with Wayne Thiebaud. Oh, Richard Diebenkorn too.


3.If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I would be this painting...I really liked the book Robinson Crusoe. The painting shows that even in adversity, life is worth living.




Monday, June 18, 2007

# 16 Guest-Jos


Well it's sweet sixteen and very befitting this is my husband extraordinaire. He answered my questions, which amazes me because he's so busy. Jos is probably the one person I know that has more interests than I do. He's complicated and full of great ideas but forced to live his life by the suits rules. One day soon I hope he returns to his roots, because, this I know will make him happy.



1. What is your favorite color?
Over the course of many years I've built up a palette of my favorite colors. These go in and out of favor depending on my mood or circumstances. My favorite colors, in order of their appearance, are: Blue, black, orange, red, yellow, grey

2. Who is your favorite artist?
All my favorite artists are fairly obvious and most, Picasso, Van Gogh,& c. have already been touched upon. With that in mind I wanted to mix things up a bit and go back. Way back. I'm talking 15th century, ya'll. One of my favorite artist/painters is the dutchie Hieronymus Bosch. It surely isn't for the moralizing and church inspired themes that I dug him. And it certainly wasn't the painstaking rendering style (I'm not a fan of hyper-detail). I could see the hellish part of the paintings, but I always approached them as being more creative and imaginative than anything else. Plus each little bit is iconic in it's own way so to me it has a graphic and narrative sense to it. Yes, it definitely appeals to the comic-geek side of me.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
My painting pick might surprise pg, who thinks she knows me so well. But Caspar David Friedrich's paintings have always struck a chord with me.Again, I don't really delve too much into the religious aspects of the work, (and I'm no fan of the Romantic movement) but I can relate to the spiritual yearnings and searching themes. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is one of the handful of paintings which I can project myself into.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

#15 Guest-RitaPita

RitaPita is poet and a sweet momma and very newly engaged. She is one of my oldest blog friends. I think we met through Mary Bishop and I have adored her since then. She is a Midwestern girl who moved to Augusta and is back in Ohio. Sounds like a Pretenders song. That's what she's like- a cross between Chrissie Hynde and Claire from Lost. Go check out her blog here.



1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color has to be and has always been red. Why? My name, Rita Elizabeth (with a pasta sounding last name that starts with D) makes my initials spell red which has to be fate. I have also been called Red, by many people for many years because of the chemically produced color of my hair

2. Who is your favorite artist?
This is incredibly difficult. I think I could wax poetic for hours about all the greats out there but what really, really moves me are the street artists out there. People like Bansky and Margaret Killgallen I realize there is a difference, between art and destruction, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.

I once saw this beautiful graffiti on an abandoned building in Augusta. I was walking along so tired I could barely kick my feet where they needed to be. I looked over and there was a turn table spray painted with the words under it - "the most powerful drug comes from a needle". I was instantly awake, nodding in agreement. Music is the drug. The drug is powerful. It made me want to dance.

I realize there is a difference, between art and destruction, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

This one is easy. I would have to be Goldfische (Goldfish) by Gustav Klimt. The reason why is so simple and nearly vain. I would be that painting because the woman at the bottom looks like me. Her bottom is round and full. Her breasts, although mostly covered, give the illusion that they are full and the perkiness of youth has fled somewhat. Her hair is wild, free and red. She is not societies perfect. She isn't the rubenesque of days gone by or the anorexic-heroin-chic of now. The look on her face makes me think she keeps a secret very much like my own.





Sunday, May 13, 2007

#14 Guest-Momster

Momster is Irene Nam who is a writer, wife and mother of twin boys. She lives in beautiful Paris and takes amazing polaroids. Currently she's working on a book project. Go check out her blog here.

*editorial-Her clean blog template inspired me to completely change mine. Thank you Irene!


1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color changes all the time. today I love light green.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
I have so many. Right now, I really enjoy Marc Chagall's work.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
Marc Chagall's "Amoureux de Vence" or "The Lovers". I love the colors and that Chagall paints lovers in each other's embrace. I love the sense of safety and peace that this image always gives me. But I think I would rather be a black and white photograph, or a Polaroid photo like this one .

Photo by fernandadesu



Thursday, May 3, 2007

#13 Guest-Maggie Grier



Maggie Grier is an artist and mom living life to the fullest in Birmingham, Alabama. She used to be an engineer (read smarty) and now she's full time painting and crackin good. Check out her work.



1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color is blue, so many moods it can capture, yet hard to grasp fully.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
JMW Turner is my favorite artist. All the power in the forces of nature make me feel alive, the idea that he "drove the colours about till he had expressed the idea in his mind" is so comforting an approach, very me.

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I'd most likely be Munch's "Puberty"... forever; but I'd choose to live in a more festive Botticelli.




Friday, April 27, 2007

#12 Guest-Amy Sedaris


Amy Sedaris is a woman of the world. She's an actress, comedian, writer, baker and lives in NYC with her pet bunny Dusty. Go check out her new book-I Like You.












1. What is your favorite color?
I like a lot of colors. I really like pink-but I love all shades of green.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
This is a tough question. I couldn't possibly pick one out-especially when there are so many different kinds. I like artists-period. Every kind.


3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
If I were a painting, I would be an unframed one-I don't like limitations.

Friday, April 20, 2007

#11 Guest-Adaminspace



Adaminspace is a eco friendly blog friend, by way of Lilly who lives in Shoreham-by-Sea UK. He's a programmer by day, has a very sweet family, and by night he's bass player/singer for blisstrooper. Go check them out!








1. What is your favorite color? Orange. Warm and delicious.

2. Who is your favorite artist? Vincent Van Gogh

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

Van Gogh's 'WheatField With Crows'. Like me, it's full of all the joy of nature and beautiful sunshine, but with something dark lurking on the horizon!



Monday, April 16, 2007

#10 Guest-Queen of the Run-on-Sentence

Queen of the Run-on Sentence is a mom living in San Diego while her much missed hubby lives in northern California. She is mom to Austin and Carson and work's in a bar while she waits for hubby to pass his CPA. Not very glamorous but it is never boring.





1. What is your favorite color? Olive green

2. Who is your favorite artist? Modigliani

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

One of Modigliani's nudes, I love the way he captured real women with real bodies. They all seemed very comfortable in their own skin.


Friday, April 13, 2007

# 9 Guest-David Cauchi

I met David-Pointless and Absurd through blogger world because of all things, I looked up subject matter "Time travel". His girlfriend, Rose wrote me back. There was an instant friendship between all of us. He lives in Wellington, New Zealand and works as an editor. He is a self taught artist with no formal qualifications. Check out his stuff.





1. What is your favorite color? Black (followed closely by red and yellow)
As the Aztecs said, 'The good painter is a toltec, an artist; he creates with
red and black ink.'
2. Who is your favorite artist? Piero della Francesca
Piero was a key member of the early 15th century revolution in
painting, neglected for 500 years, and then rediscovered by the early moderns. As
(I think) Andre Lhote said, 'We hail in Piero the first cubist.' The
organising principle of his paintings is the mystical geometry of light.

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
Kasimir Malevich, Black square, 1915
This is the ultimate self-portrait. Like other early abstractionists,
Malevich was a realist painter. He wanted to portray the new modern
understanding of the spiritual reality underpinning the world of appearances.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

# 8 Guest-Lambretta Man


Lambretta Man is a Scotsman living in Denmark studying for his Masters in English Literature. I met him by way of his girlfriend Lilly in blog world. If he's not studying or working, he's perfecting motorbikes. He and Lilly have a Lambretta Club, check out their bikes.



1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. Who is your favorite artist? Vincent van Gogh

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

Wheat Field with Cypress Trees by Vincent van Gogh. Because it's kind of mellow and laid back and natural as well as being swirly and crazy, showing some kind of latent madness. Everything including the sky actually looks like it's burning, I like that.



Friday, April 6, 2007

#7 Guest-Ilanna




Ilanna is a new blog friend and I'm so happy she did this. Short, curly haired, geek living in Newark, De with a husband and 2 four footed children. (read: Dogs :))




1. What is your favorite color? red - all flavors

2. Who is your favorite artist? Da Vinci

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

Not so much a painting, as Da Vinci's technical drawings as I am a logical creature at heart and love to see how things work. I also truly adore the insight from ages ago that are reflected in what has truly come to pass...




Tuesday, April 3, 2007

#6 Guest-LaurenBove

Laurenbove is the first blog I started visiting and commenting on years ago. Bless her for commenting back and introducing me to some other bloggers. She's a crazy mama and wife and lives about 2 hours from the big apple.



1. What is your favorite color? This reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Pink, no red, no, blue...ahhhhhhh......


2. Who is your favorite artist? Pablo but of course.


3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

The old guitarist is my absolute favorite...but I don't want to be it. Uh, Mother and Child and Four Sketches is so cozy and sweet and I could hold my baby forever...and my hands look so elegant.

Monday, April 2, 2007

#5 Guest-Miss A

What can I say about Miss A? I have known her since the day she was born. She's one of my nieces. She's a free spirit and a brainiac. Currently she lives and attends Veterinary School in Grenada.







1. What is your favorite color? Blue


2. Who is your favorite artist? Monet and Dali


3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

Van Gogh's Starry Night, specifically, the sky. Its so uninhibited and free. I can't look away from it, its mesmerizing.


Friday, March 30, 2007

# 4 Guest-Mary Bishop


Mary Bishop is one of my first blog friends. She hails from Connecticut and is an animal lover, hermit, time-waster and day-dreamer. She's married, harried and hobby-varied. She wears pink glasses.









1. What is your favorite color? Denim Blue

2. Who is your favorite artist? Pierre Bonnard

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

"Table Set in a Garden" Bonnard
The table only has one chair, but the table looks ready for guests. The setting is outdoors on a beautiful day. I want to smell the green of the trees; run my fingers over the textures of the lovely cloth. I want to hear the chirping sounds of passing birds, the flap of wings.
I want to be that painting because I want to sit in that chair and wait to see what happens next.


Thursday, March 29, 2007

# 3 Guest-JC

JC is a is a fellow comrade in blog world.
He's the man from the big state of Texas. A photographer, movie aficionado and soon to be librarian.





1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. Who is your favorite artist? Van Gogh

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

I would be The Scream by Munch. The look on that face, it could be a couple of different things. Is it surprise or anguish? Or terror? Just like life, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, and sometimes it's all of them at once. The Scream captures how I feel on some of my down days. It's what the inside of my head looks like.




Wednesday, March 28, 2007

# 2 Guest-Stepping Over the Junk


Stepping Over the Junk is a new blog friend of mine. She is a west coast girl transplanted in a coastal New England town. She's a painter and a mommy of 2 girls.



What is your favorite color? Cobalt Blue
Because it can be the sky or water and it is refreshing to me.


Who is your favorite artist?
My dad's sweetheart/girlfriend in Venice Beach, CA
But I also really like Lotte Klaver

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
Monet's "Springtime"
Just because. It reminds me of being barefoot and the change from depression to light and more freedom outdoors with the kids.


Tuesday, March 27, 2007

# 1 Guest-Acumamakiki

My first participant is my good friend Acumamakiki. She hails from New Jersey and she is an acupuncturist, roller derby ref, mama and wifey.





1. What is your favorite color? Purple

2. Who is your favorite artist? Rothko

3. If you were a painting which one would you be? Why?

I would be Rothko's Seagram murals, the ones slated for the Four Seasons hotel. He decided the place sucked (commercialism, etc.) and pulled the project on the spot and returned the money. I'd be the series that now hangs in the Tate Gallery in London, rich browns and reds, I get lost in those paintings. I find the paintings soothing and I'd like to be that for people gazing upon me (were I actually a painting) and of course, the controversy suits me well.