Hope Hebert-New Series of Abstracts

One of the perks of being so closely involved with artists is that I get to see new collections before they are shared with the world.

Hope Hebert, prolific South Louisiana based artist, recently completed a series of abstracts that have been unveiled at Gallery at City Club in Lafayette.

A departure from Hope's well known florals and wine bottle paintings, the abstract series possesses the qualities that all of Hope's pieces have-whimsy, color, texture-but add a whole new dimension to Hebert's body of work that is constantly evolving!

Here are three of my favorites that are on display at City Club until April 2nd:

Hope Hebert

Tsunami

Acrylic on Canvas

36" x 48"

$1,875.00

Hope Hebert

Kaleidoscope 6

Acrylic on Canvas

8" x 10"

$90.00

Hope Hebert

Kaleidoscope 4

Acrylic on Canvas

9" x 12"

$135.00

All three are unframed on gallery wrapped canvas. They would look fantastic in a simple floater frame.

For more information or to purchase these pieces, contact me at jefferymccullough@hotmail.com or stop by Gallery at City Club before April 2nd.

To see additional paintings by Hope Hebert, visit her website www.hopehebert.com

Thanks!

and to those of you in the South, Happy Spring! to those of you in the North, hang in there!

Happy Valentine's Day 2010!

Flowers make all of us happy so I am sending you some of my favorite flowers to brighten your day and wish you a very happy Valentine's Day 2010!

From our collection, flower paintings and photographs scattered throughout the house..they cheer me up on a daily basis and I hope they will you as well..

Suzanne Packer

Blue Bureau VII

purchased at Provinceton Art Association Museum auction in our beloved Provincetown, MA

www.suzannempacker.com

Gabriella Mills

Purple Dawn

Camellia photograph

purchased from Gabriella Mills, Lafayette, LA

www.gabriellamills.net

Hope Hebert

the very first Hope Hebert we ever bought

purchased at The Big Easel in Lafayette, 2008

www.hopehebert.com

Jeanne Svendson tulip and rose

purchased from Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio, Breaux Bridge, LA

www.luesvendson.com/galerie.asp

Hannah Lane

www.hannahlane.com

a very special gift to me

from Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio, Breaux Bridge, LA

No house is ever complete without fresh flowers..here are over 100 tulips about to be placed throughout the house!

oh, those of you in Lafayette, if you want tulips don't go to Fresh Market..all tulips they had were purchased by me today so they are either at a clients house that I styled for a party or at our house!

from our house to yours, Happy Valentine's Day 2010!

"12 months, 12 fantastic pieces of art" Part 2

Happy New Year!

Wow...2009 is gone, baby gone. Here's to a healthy, happy, prosperous, and most of all, art-filled 2010!

For Part 2 of "12 months, 12 fantastic pieces of art", I am featuring 1 photograph and 5 paintings-4 of the 6 are pieces that were in shows I curated for Gallery at City Club and 2 paintings were discovered while enjoying a few days in Seaside, FL, in July.

Enjoy my selections...and look for many posts in 2010 featuring art from all over the South-

All the best-

Jeffery

JOYCE LINDE: Featured May 31st, 2009

www.joycelindephoto.com

California native Joyce Linde lives and works in Lafayette. Multi-talented, Joyce produces as many paintings as she does photographs. In May of this past year, Joyce participated in a group show at Dunn's Designs which is where the below photograph was on display.

Photographs and paintings by Linde are currently at Gallery at City Club in Lafayette (until next Saturday) and Jefferson Street Market's gallery will feature Joyce in the Spring.

Joyce Linde

Lily

Toned, Silver Gelatin Photograph (ed. 2/45)

20" x 20" photograph matted and framed in 3" frame

photograph only, $600.00

framed photograph, $900.00

to purchase or see more work by Joyce Linde, contact joyce@joycelindephoto.com

LUE SVENDSON: Featured July 2nd, 2009

www.luesvendson.com

The name Lue Svendson and her gallery Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio have appeared quite a few times on my blog. That is because Lue is an exceptionally talented painter and in 2009 her months old gallery in Breaux Bridge became the hottest gallery in the Lafayette area.

Lue's colorful and precise paintings are just a teaser of the good work that can be found at "Rue du" (as those of us in the fold like to call it)...Because of Lue and her gallery and stable of fine artists, Breaux Bridge has become a destination!

The piece "Contemporary Twilight" is quite different from a typical Lue Svendson painting. Abstract is not what Lue generally does. But Lue used her talent as a "masterful colorist" (as a collector friend refers to her) ,which appears in all of her work, with great success in this piece..it now lives happily on the walls of a design clients home in Lafayette after it was purchased from Gallery at City Club where Lue showed in July/August/September.

Lue Svendson

Contemporary Twilight

Oil on Canvas

SOLD to a design client of mine

ERIN CHANCE FENSTERMAKER: Featured July 2nd, 2009

www.erinchance.com

One of my main goals with this blog is to introduce you to hot, up and coming artists..Erin Chance Fenstermaker is THAT! I first met Erin about 2 years ago through Mallory Chastant (THE hot, up and coming artist). Erin was still living in Houston and working at the wonderful McClain Gallery there.

Since moving back to Lafayette (where she is from originally), Erin has focused on painting and is creating paintings with energy, vibrancy, and soul.

Buy her work now! It is still very affordable and after the successful 2009 that Erin realized in shows at Tsunami, Gallery at City Club, and The Big Easel, 2010 will most certainly see an increase in prices when her newest body of work is debuted at Rue du Pont Galerie (see above) in Breaux Bridge this month.

Erin Chance Fenstermaker

Landmarks I, 2008

Oil on Canvas

30" x 36"

$500.00, unframed

available from Gallery at City Club (RiverSpa space)

to purchase, contact jefferymccullough@hotmail.com

While enjoying a few days in Watercolor/Seaside, FL in July, I happened upon two venues in Seaside that feature great art. 119 Quincy Circle in Seaside, under the direction of Sylvia Forbes, had paintings by 4 or 5 artists when I was there. I quite liked the work of two of the artists represented there including Dean Bentley (see below).

At Pizitz Home & Cottage, I fell hard for the encaustic pieces by Maralyn Wilson.

Seaside is a beautiful, beautiful place and I look forward to returning there..(and hopefully bringing some of my favorite artists to a new market!)..(and hopefully purchasing some art that already exists there for clients)

DEAN BENTLEY: Featured August 23rd, 2009

www.artofdean.com

This is one of the pieces I should NOT have let get away..a beautiful little painting that reminded me of Central Park in New York..perfect in scale and color and nicely framed in a simple floater frame, a look I love.

Dean Bentley lives in Georgia and is represented by galleries in Atlanta, Savannah, Fairhope, AL, and Seaside, FL (119 Quincy Circle)..wait, sounds like Dean has it all figured out if he is showing in 3 of my favorite places and Fairhope, which is on my list of places to see in 2010..(meet me at the Grand Hotel, anyone?)

Dean Bentley

SOLD at 119 Quincy Circle, Seaside, FL

MARALYN WILSON: Featured August 23rd, 2009

My other big discovery in Seaside: the encaustic pieces by Maralyn Wilson at Pizitz Home & Cottage..

Encaustic work was first shown to me by Bonnie Camos, a great Lafayette artist..There's something about it that I just love..the depth, texture I guess

When I was at Pizitz in July, there were 6 pieces on display by Maralyn Wilson, a Birmingham, AL based artist. I liked all 6 very much. I particularly like the way that Susan Byrd at Pizitz opted to display the pieces on the fantastic easel. It allows one to see them at table-top level and really appreciate the texture of the pieces.

Maralyn Wilson

Encaustic on Wood

12" x 16"

$600.00

to purchase, contact Susan Byrd at Pizitz Home & Cottage at susan@seasidestores.com

JULIE BREAUX: Featured September 25th, 2009

www.juliebreauxart.com

Lafayette artist Julie Breaux has been successful for several years now painting constantly and being featured in many shows throughout Louisiana..But, 2009 was her best year yet! Showing in New Orleans for the first time in a solo show at Ariodante Gallery was a big highlight and The Big Easel in the Spring was tres, tres good for Julie. I included Julie's paintings in the first group show I curated for Gallery at City Club. The piece featured here was my favorite from the show and a client of mine from Chicago purchased it for their house in Holland, MI that I am helping them with.

Julie Breaux's paintings are currently featured in Lafayette at Jefferson Street Market, Gallery at City Club, & Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio.

Julie Breaux

Lady Blue

Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD to a design client of mine for their house in Holland, MI

12 months, 12 fantastic pieces of art! Part 1

It is so hard to believe that another year has flown by...Last November with a goal of providing exposure to talented southern artists, I clumsily began this blog--A year has gone by so quickly, I've had fun doing it, and some of the artists have sold work from my posts reaching the right folks---goal accomplished, I suppose...and I look forward to another year of marketing fantastic art!

For this 1 year "anniversary", I decided to choose my 12 favorite pieces of the last 12 months...

A hard task considering I've featured over 100 pieces of art...

In Part 1 of "12 months, 12 fantastic pieces of art" I've selected paintings by six great Louisiana artists..from abstract to realism, watercolor to acrylic and oil, the styles and mediums vary--

Although these artists are all from Louisiana (Lafayette, Baton Rouge, & New Orleans), there work is shown in four states (Louisiana, Michigan, Texas, and New York)

Enjoy!

And here's to a great 2010 for all of us!

Jeffery

ANNE McLEOD: Featured May 2009

New Orleans artists Anne Mcleod is currently in shows at Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio in Breaux Bridge, LA; Galerie Eclaireuse (www.galerie-eclaireuse.com) in Lafayette, LA; and Deux Bayous Gallery (formerly Town Market) in Arnaudville, LA

Anne's paintings range in price from $75 for a small unframed watercolor on paper to $850 for a large framed piece. On Saturday, I attended the opening of her newest show at Rue du Pont Galerie in Breaux Bridge and all I can say is...Brava, Anne! the new work is really wonderful..the small $75 pieces make great Christmas presents..the show will be up through the end of the year

Anne Mcleod

Untitled Abstract, watercolor on paper

22" x 28"

$250.00, unframed

to purchase, contact Anne at madamecat2001@yahoo.com

JILL TAUZIN BROUSSARD: Featured May 2009

www.jillmariefineart.com

Lafayette native Jill Tauzin Broussard is currently in shows at Gerilyn Lytal Roth design studio in Lafayette; Entre Nous in Lafayette; and (breaking news) Kipton Art (www.kiptonart.com) in New York.

The November 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home magazine featured Leah Simon's house in Baton Rouge where one of Jill's pieces was on view in the living room.

Jill Tauzin Broussard

Pieces, Acrylic on Canvas

11" x 14"

$510.00, framed

to purchase, contact Jill at jillmarietb@yahoo.com

LINDA MONCLA: featured February 2009

www.lmoncla.com

Lafayette based watercolor artist Linda Moncla is a native of New Iberia, LA. Through her travels around the world and her homeland of Louisiana, Linda is inspired to capture the landscapes that surround her.

Paintings by Linda are currently on view in Lafayette at Gallery at City Club & River Spa; and Gerilyn Lytal Roth design studio.

Linda Moncla

Orange Moss, watercolor on paper

GIFTED (to me!!)

LISA DISTEFANO: featured November 2008

Baton Rouge, LA artist Lisa diStefano studied fine art at LSU. Lisa's work has been featured in gallery shows in Louisiana, Michigan, Texas, and Chicago and in magazines including Veranda and Southern Accents.

Lisa is currently represented by Ann Connelly Fine Art (www.annconnelly.com) in Baton Rouge, LA; Blue Gallery (www.bluegalleryart.com) in Three Oaks, MI; and Rising Gallery (www.risinggallery.com) in Dallas, TX.

Lisa diStefano

Abstract, mixed media on paper

GIFTED (for Charity Auction)

HOPE HEBERT: featured November 2008, December 2008, August 2009

www.hopehebert.com

Whimsical and colorful are the qualities I am drawn to in the acrylic paintings by Hope Hebert. Based in Lafayette, LA, Hope's work has been shown in galleries and group shows throughout Louisiana.

Gallery at City Club & River Spa, Jefferson Street Market, and Lafayette Art Association (all 3 in Lafayette) as well as Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio (Breaux Bridge) and Quince (New Orleans) currently have a nice selection of Hebert's work.

Hope Hebert

Roses of Red & White, acrylic on canvas

SOLD (to one of my design clients)

MALLORY CHASTANT: featured November 2008 and February 2009

www.mallorypage.com

Mallory Chastant is one of the primary reasons I started blogging. Once I met this incredibly talented young artist, I knew I had to help her get her work "out there". Mallory has had a phenomenal 2009 realizing major success in the shows she has been a part of and being selected for the juried prestigious ArtMelt in Baton Rouge.

Mallory and I have worked together on several projects and plan to do many big collaborations in 2010.

Paintings by Mallory are currently in shows that I curated at Gallery at City Club/River Spa and Gerilyn Lytal Roth design studio as well as at Jefferson Street Market and Lounge Gallery and Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio.

Mallory Chastant

Untilted Abstract, Acrylic on Wood

SOLD (and boy was I mad it wasn't to me!)

Summer Discoveries Part 1-Seaside, Florida

I have returned to Lafayette after a VERY busy, exciting, and inspiring five weeks of travel.

As always, when I am on "vacation" (HA!) I am constantly shopping for client projects and looking for new artists.

There will be several posts on the artists whose work I discovered this Summer. For this first "teaser", I am featuring a couple of pieces by two artists who are represented in Seaside, FL, a gorgeous beach getaway.

The first two paintings are encaustics by Maralyn Wilson, a Birmingham, AL, artist who shows at Pizitz Home & Cottage (a fantastic shop where I picked up some items for clients) in Seaside. I absolutely love the easels (available through Pizitz) that are used to display Wilson's pieces.

The third and fourth images are of paintings by Dean Bentley, a Georgia artist who shows at 119 Quincy Circle (I also made great purchases for clients here) in Seaside.

Enjoy for now...detailed posts on these two fabulous artists as soon as I recuperate from my journey and get back in the swing of things!

All I Want for Christmas is....

All I want for Christmas is a few paintings, a few paintings, a few paintings........

Specifically:

"Flowers of Red and White" by Hope Hebert..www.hopehebert.com...14" x 14"....$195

"Forsyth Park" by Michelle Berg Radford from Parker Gallery in St Simons Island, GA www.parkerartgallery.com...9" x 12"...$250

"California Flowers" by Lue Svendson...www.luesvendson.com...at Rue du Pont Galerie et Studio in Breaux Bridge, LA...8" x 10"...$325

"Luminous Field" by Steven Schneider...from Grand Contemporary Gallery in Lafayette, LA...www.grandcontemporary.com...9" x 7"...$450

Wink, wink Santa Claus!!

Seriously, all I really want for Christmas is to feel better (I have pneumonia!) and to enjoy my time with family in Georgia and Louisiana. But if any of you need last minute gift ideas for art loving family and friends, I think any of these paintings would be an excellent idea! Art is a great gift!

A very Merry Christmas to you all! I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Jeffery McCullough

Southern Art & Design

917 282 1880

Collector of the Week-Moi

This past week has been absolutely crazy for me. I planned to be in Lafayette for Thanksgiving and then my Grandfather passed away and I had to fly home to Georgia for the funeral. I have been at my parents house since Thanksgiving day and have really enjoyed some down time and days where I've been able to just be in my own little world tucked away in Mom and Dad's house (I often come here and stay "holed up" for several days at a time without much interaction with the outside world--my idea of heaven!). While I've been here, I have gone through the 1989-93 (my high school years) issues of Southern Accents magazine that my mother has in her den. Going through these old issues has taken me down memory lane and inspired me. In a 1990 issue was a house in Savannah that I was in many times during my early teenage years. It is the wonderful house on Little Comfort Road that Richard and Cindy Moore lived in for many years. My dear friend Paula Parker and I used to love to escape from Claxton to "Miss Cindy's" to drive the golf cart around the Landings (sometimes until it ran out of juice!) and hang out with our Savannah friends and be with our version of Auntie Mame, "Miss Cindy".

After going through these old magazines and feeling so inspired and invigorated by the wonderful Southern houses and collections that I had just discovered (and in the case of the Moore's house, rediscovered) in the glossy pages of a magazine, I sat down to work on this weeks posts of "Southern Art and Design". Maybe it's the "home" mindset that I am in right now, maybe it's the thought of time passing and loss of a family member but I couldn't stop thinking about home, family, my early years....where am I now? what do I love? what am I doing next? where do I live? (in my case, that's a tricky question with a convoluted answer!)

I started thinking about New York and the apartment I have there that I've never really connected with (and yes, I do believe one should connect with where they live and lay their head at night) and what I want to take from that apartment when I leave it behind...and there are only three things that I really care to take with me when I lock the door for the last time...family photographs, books, art....and exactly what art? I have about 40 pieces of art in New York that I will have to do something with eventually. What do I want to make the journey with me to the next place?

My "collection", you see, is an evolving collection that began with a couple of pieces that were gifts. It was exciting at the time to have two or three paintings that were considered fine art. I hung them in my apartment and looked at them every day but I have never had a real connection with them..a connection that a passionate collector feels when they see a photograph or painting or piece of sculpture..a connection that reminds them of something special, a time, a place, a person....

I felt that connection with art for the first time when I saw the photograph titled "Greenwich" (as in Greenwich, CT) by Foster Witt (http://www.fosterwitt.com/) Foster is from Richmond, VA, originally and he and I have many mutual friends. Foster was having his first big show at a gallery in New York. If I remember correctly, the post card announcing the show featured "Greenwich" on it and I was intrigued. I went to the show and there was a small book that featured the piece in it and I was more intrigued. Then I saw the piece hanging on the wall and I was in love..a mad, passionate love...the color, the symbolism (BMW, big diamond, Gucci purse, Lily Pulitzer pants), I want to know more!! I couldn't stop thinking about it..I couldn't afford the piece, but I talked to Foster and told him that I had to have this photograph. He told me the story that the series he had done for the show was called "Passengers" and he had carried his camera around with him and shot normal life moments. In fact, the girl in the passenger seat is our mutual friend, Hobby Williams. Now I really have to have it!! What do I do to get this piece? As many collectors do, I paid for the piece "on time" and about a year later, it was mine. The day it came to my apartment I was still madly in love. I knew I had made a good decision. That was about five years ago I believe and each time I look at it I still feel exactly what I felt when I first saw the photograph. In fact, I actually miss it when I am away from New York and can't see it. So that piece is definitely making the journey with me!!

Collecting art is a personal thing. Collecting art is a passion. Buy what you love. If you don't love it in a few years, no big deal. Give it to someone. Donate it to a charity auction. Sell it.

You will know your collection is as it should be when you live with the ones you love surrounded by the art you love.