Friday, February 20, 2009

The Big Easel Preview-Part 2

Too often I hear someone say "I don't like contemporary art" or "I don't like landscapes"...the list of  don't likes seems to outweigh the likes.  What I love about constantly being around art and being introduced to work I haven't seen before is the range of great art that I am exposed to.  And maybe at some point I have been known to say "I don't like people in paintings..the faces freak me out" but that is really my only definitive "don't like" that I can think of. I strive to be an open observer of art..one who will not make a quick like/don't like vote on an artist until I've seen enough of an artists work to feel secure in passing a judgment.

The 2009 Big Easel at Town Square in River Ranch will give collectors the  best as vetted by the committee (Hope Hebert, Lue Svendson, Kim Mallia, Karen Daigle, and myself), Louisiana artists all in one place for one day. So rather than seeing just one or two pieces by an artist, attendees will be able to see 5, 10, even up to 20 pieces by artists all in one place in their own 10 x 10 foot "gallery" tents allowing those who attend a chance to see a broad range of work. There will definitely be something there for everyone. 

For this preview of artists who will be showing their work at The Big Easel, I am presenting you the work of:
Mallory Chastant (www.mallorypage.com), Sidney Creaghan, and Eric Svendson, three very different artists. Mallory, queen of abstracts, Sidney, master of pastoral still lifes and landscapes, and Eric, the perfectionist shutterbug are three of my favorite Louisiana artists.

I have purchased pieces by Sidney and Eric from Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio in Breaux Bridge, LA (sorry to say neither  the artists nor the gallery have their websites just yet) and I was lucky enough to be able to use two of Mallory's paintings in the master bedroom I did in October at the Lafayette Symphony Show House.   





      
In the Master Bedroom at the 
2008 Symphony Show House I used
two of Mallory Chastant's oil on wood
paintings from her Contemporary Tie Dye 
Series



A fantastic acrylic on wood painting from Mallory Chastant's
Editions 25 Series




La Vie en Rose by Sidney Creaghan
at Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio
















A fabulous painting by Sidney Creaghan..this
one NFS (Not for Sale)--Pretty please, Sidney!?

Two of Eric Svendson's photographs from his Atchafalaya Basin series.  The way Eric captures the light in these pieces is incredible.







Don't forget.Saturday, May 16th, 2009.River Ranch Town Square, Lafayette, LA.The Big Easel! For more information on The Big Easel, please contact me at jefferymccullough@hotmail.com.

The Big Easel Preview Part 1

The Big Easel Art Show will take place at River Ranch Town Square in Lafayette, LA, on Saturday, May 16th from 10 am-5 pm.  I am very excited to be the chair of this years event.  One of the things that I love most about Lafayette and the surrounding area is that the arts scene is really thriving.  Everyone knows that New Orleans has a strong arts community.  It doesn't stop there. All of Southwest Louisiana is full of very talented and skilled artists and artisans specializing in many different mediums.  

The 2009 Big Easel will showcase 50+ of Louisiana's  finest artists.  Between now and the end of April, I will be giving you a preview of the artists who are participating in the first ever juried Big Easel.  I hope to see you May 16th at River Ranch Town Square!

This week, I am featuring work by:
Linda Moncla (www.lmoncla.com), Gwen Voorhies (www.gwenvoorhies.com), Hope Hebert (www.hopehebert.com), and Lue Svendson (www.luesvendson.com)


                                                                                         













"Orange Moss" watercolor by Linda Moncla





The bathroom I did at the 2008 Lafayette
Symphony show house
featuring 4 paintings by Hope Hebert










"Ducks on Devils Pond" Oil on Canvas
by Gwen Voorhies














(above)
A trio of oil paintings by Lue Svendson at her
Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio in Breaux Bridge, LA



Please check out the artists websites to learn more about them and be sure to subscribe to the blog to receive all of my updates!

For more information on The Big Easel Art Show, please contact me at jefferymccullough@hotmail.com.