Boats on the water: What do they do for the soul?

On Sunday, my friend (and one of my favorite artists) Laurence Young posted a photo on Facebook of a just completed painting. Here is "Tilting at Windmills" by Provincetown artist Laurence Young:

I saw it and had one of those WOW moments where if I had the money, a check would have been written immediately and the piece would now be mine.  But that is not the case so I have looked at the photo several times since it was posted and each time it really sets me off on a course of longing....longing for the water, a journey, a sense of freedom, adventure, peace. All of the things that seeing a boat in the water gives me when I am there in person I received from looking at one piece of art in a photo. Isn't that wonderful? A true art lover is moved in that way when the right piece is put in front of them. Thank you, Laurence, for moving me!

So now that I had to let that piece go, I've gone on a search to see more boats on the water and here are a few by Big Easel artists Candace Greer, Linda Moncla, Michael Eble, Lue Svendson, Kay Jeansonne, Kristen Benson Charbonnet, and Laurence Young.

These pieces put a smile on my face...may they take you on a journey of your own in the way that Laurence Young's painting did for me.

CANDACE GREER
(Lafayette, LA)
PORT SIDE
Oil/Wax/Charcoal on Canvas
16" x 20"
$ 725.00
available from Tracery, Rosemary Beach, FL
www.candacegreerart.com

LINDA MONCLA
(Lafayette, LA)
READY TO SAIL
Watercolor on Paper
11" x 16"
$ 200.00

MICHAEL EBLE
(Morris, MN)
LONE DINGY, 2012
Acrylic on Paper
9" x 12"
$ 500.00
available from Jeffery McCullough Art & Design Consulting
www.michaeleble.com

LUE SVENDSON
(Lafayette, LA)
ATTITUDE
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
$ 1,200.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge, LA
www.luesvendson.com

KAY JEANSONNE
(Lafayette, LA)
DELCAMBRE SHRIMP BOATS
Oil on Canvas
24" x 30"
$ 1,000.00
www.kayjeansonne.com

KRISTEN BENSON CHARBONNET
(Lafayette, LA)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Acrylic/Glue on Canvas
35" x 35"
$ 650.00

LAURENCE YOUNG
(Provincetown, MA)
THE WATERS OF MARCH
Oil/Wax on Canvas
16" x 20"
$ 1,800.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge, LA
www.laurenceyoung.com

Don't forget, THE BIG EASEL is Saturday, May 5th, 2012, 10-5, Town Square in River Ranch.

As always, a huge thank you to our sponsors:

Henry J. Kaufman IV, M.D.

Surgical Oncology & General Surgery

Astral

astral: of, relating to, or coming from the stars; denotes an experience of dream symbols, archetypes, memories, spiritual beings and visionary landscapes

Mallory Page's exceptionally beautiful solo show ASTRAL opens this Thursday night at Lounge Gallery in Lafayette. The uber-talented artist never ceases to amaze me with her incredible work. As astral denotes, there is truly an experience that is of a spiritual, dream-like, and visionary origin when surrounded by Mallory Page's work. I felt it when I first saw Mallory's paintings in 2008 and four years later I know it, believe it, and live it.

Come experience it for yourself at Lounge Gallery on Thursday or Saturday of this week.

I hope to see you there!
If you can not make it to the opening receptions, please email me to make an appointment to see the show.

A Sense of Time and Place

My ADD is kicking in BIG time as I juggle many projects. Today I need to find a sense of time and place for a bit of steadying calm. Somehow a landscape gives me the peace that I need to pull it all together.

Here are a few of my favorite landscapes that will be shown at the 2012 Big Easel on Saturday, May 5th.

JOY GARDNER
(Mobile, AL)
WOODS UNDER BLUE SKY
Oil on Canvas
20" x 24"
$ 475.00
available from Jeffery McCullough Art & Design Consulting
www.joygardner.weebly.com

LINDA MONCLA
(Lafayette, LA)
CAPE COD
Watercolor on Paper, unframed
6" x 15"
$ 45.00

KELLI KAUFMAN
(Lafayette, LA)
MARSH CHANNEL
Oil/Wax on Board
11" x 14"
$ 250.00
www.kellikaufman.com

MARCIA HOLMES
(Mandeville, LA)
REEDS at SUNSET
Oil on Board
24" x 30"
$ 3,250.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge
www.marciaholmes.com

ERIN CHANCE FENSTERMAKER
(Lafayette, LA)
LANDSCAPE STUDY #6, 2012
Oil on Canvas
6" x 6"
$ 50.00
www.erinchancefenstermaker.com

LAURENCE YOUNG
(Provincetown, MA)
OUR WIRES CROSSED
Oil/Wax on Canvas
18" x 24"
$ 2,000.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge
www.laurenceyoung.com

LUE SVENDSON
(Lafayette, LA)
A DEPARTURE for ME
Mixed Media on Canvas
24" x 24"
$ 1,800.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge
www.luesvendson.com

Don't forget, THE BIG EASEL is Saturday, May 5th, 2012, 10-5, Town Square in River Ranch.

As always, a huge thank you to our sponsors:

Henry J. Kaufman IV, M.D.

Surgical Oncology & General Surgery

Spring Flowers.....

Spring flowers are everywhere I look! This is my absolute favorite time of year. My friend Bart Boehlert posted this photo of the Union Square Flower Market in New York on his blog Bart Boehlert's Beautiful Things...

...as well as this image of the tulips in Abingdon Square, our morning coffee spot when we are in New York....

and another favorite blog, Habitually Chic, posted this photo of the tulips on Park Avenue in New York. While living in New York, the tulip moment on Park Avenue, a street I walked daily, was a very special time of year and one that I will always long for.

If I can't have New York's Park Avenue in bloom with tulips, Flower Markets, and Abingdon Square, at least I can have Spring Flowers in the form of art by Big Easel artists. Here are just a few "Spring Flower" pieces to keep everything in bloom....

JULIE BREAUX
(Lafayette, LA)
MORNING GLORY
Acrylic on Canvas
18" x 18"
$ 475.00
www.juliebreauxart.com

KELLI KAUFMAN
(Lafayette, LA)
DECONSTRUCTED STILL LIFE
Oil/Wax on Canvas
18" x 24"
$ 600.00
www.kellikaufman.com

DAREN TUCKER
(Lafayette, LA)
SPRING BOUQUET
Oil on Unbleached Linen
14" x 18"
$ 375.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge, LA

HOPE HEBERT
(Lafayette, LA)
SPRING BREAK I
Acrylic on Canvas
16" x 20"
$ 475.00
www.hopehebert.com

BROOKE WILKE
(Lafayette, LA)
YELLOW FLOWER
Acrylic on Canvas
16" x 20"
$ 320.00

LAURENCE YOUNG
(Provincetown, MA)
BUTTERFLIES
Oil/Wax on Canvas
24" x 18"
$ 1,800.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge, LA
www.laurenceyoung.com

Need a great vase for your spring flowers at home? Glass artist Ginger Kelly makes fantastic ones including my favorite...

GINGER KELLY
(Breaux Bridge, LA)
Handblown and Painted Glass Vase
$ 85.00
www.gingerkelly.com

Isn't this necklace by jewelry artist Liz Juneau just fantastic? So happy making and I love that she named it "Garden Party Necklace". 

LIZ JUNEAU/Archipelago Jewelry
(Alexandria, LA)
GARDEN PARTY NECKLACE
Round Coral Glass Beads and Twisted Silver Wire
Barrel Pendant is 1" high x 3/4" wide on 20" silver chain
$ 46.00
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archipelago-Jewelry-by-Liz-Juneau/175396942516173

A huge thank you to our 2012 Big Easel sponsors:

Henry J. Kaufman IV, M.D.

Surgical Oncology & General Surgery

The Big Easel Part 4...Collection 2 "To the Water....." Continued!

This week has been stunningly beautiful so I keep feeling the need to be at the shore....

Here are a few more pieces to help me get there if only in my mind...this collection includes pieces by 2012 Big Easel artists Joy Gardner, Jerome Weber, Carla Levers, John Clayton, Susan Carver, Zach Barfuss, Eric Svendson, and Mark Rabalais.

Joy Gardner
(Mobile, AL)
Turquoise Water Seascape
Oil on Canvas
36" x 36"
$ 1,150.00
www.joygardner.weebly.com
available from Jeffery McCullough Art & Design Consulting

Jerome Weber
(New Iberia, LA)
Crawfish Pond, St Martinville
Oil on Board
18" x 24"
$ 500.00
available from Potpourri Gallery, New Iberia

John Clayton
(Provincetown, MA)
Green Boat
Oil on Canvas
8" x 10"
$ 450.00
www.johnclaytonstudio.com
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge

Carla Levers
(Lafayette, LA)
Secret Serenity
Pastel on Paper
14" x 18"
$ 550.00

Susan Carver
(New Iberia, LA)
Blue Fish
Hand Painted and Torched Metal
20" x 9"
$ 225.00
www.susancarverart.com

Zach Barfuss
(Houston, TX)
Crashing Waves
Acrylic on Canvas
48" x 12"
$ 300.00
www.artbyzach.com

Eric Svendson
(Lafayette, LA)
Pelican
Black/White Photograph
11" x 16"
$ 90.00
available from Rue du Pont Galerie, Breaux Bridge

Mark Rabalais
(Pineville, LA)
Swampscape I
Charcoal on Wood
72" x 36"
$ 900.00
www.rabalaisart.com

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:

The Big Easel cannot happen without the support of local businesses committed to keeping the arts alive in Acadiana. 

A huge thank you to our 2012 Big Easel sponsors:

Henry J. Kaufman IV, M.D.

Surgical Oncology & General Surgery