livefunky

Etsy shop: livefunky
listing: Mid Air
artist: Jessica Torrant

Jessica currently offers a huge body of work in her Etsy shop. There's a great deal of variety among the 200+ items. I selected "Mid Air" for this feature because it reminds me of Paul Klee, one of my favorite artists. Many of her paintings display a strong Cubist foundation. Others are abstract studies in color. Whatever the influence, all of Jessica's work has a creative sense of curiosity about it which makes viewing her work fun and enlifting.

cwysart

Etsy shop: cwysart
listing: original landscape painting
artist: Chad Wys

I'm an artist. I make my fair share of art. However, I have only purchased two pieces of art. This is one of those two.

It's a brillant landscape painting by Chad Wys. This painting has a great balance between abstract and realism. First let's look at its abstract qualities. The painting is divided into thirds which is a basic design principal for adding visual interest. The top two-thirds is a mix of blue, white and some green. The bottom third has a splash of blue cutting into a field of yellow-ish ocre. In between the two sections is a small, yet strikingly dominant slice of black.

So, I enjoy looking at this painting on a purley abstract level, then switching my brain and looking at it as a landscape complete with a lake, fields of gold, mountains in the distance in a partly cloudy sky with a very mysterious green substance floating about. All this for just $5 ($6.20 including shipping). AND IT'S THE ORIGINAL PAINTING. I get tired of seeing inkjet reproductions. It's nice to see a fellow artist selling original work for dirt cheap prices. Mega super kudos to Chad.

I even feel inspired now to paint similar abstract landscapes. The duality between realism and abstract is really intriguing.

davidvmoore

Etsy shop: davidvmoore
listing: Persuasion Print
artist: David V. Moore

EtsyArt.com took last week off. We're back up and running.

bobojunket

Etsy shop: bobojunket
listing: Abstract-Two
artist: Diana Grappasonno

clairejauregui

Etsy shop: clairejauregui
listing: Study 1.1 -- Graphite Drawing
artist: Claire Jauregui

colorpoetry

Etsy shop: colorpoetry
listing: Veils
artist: Martha Marshall

hanswilson

etsy shop: hanswilson
listing: ACEO Original Hand-painted Abstract Symbol

gogokittenart

etsy shop: gogokittenart
listing: ORIGINAL INK DRAWING Circle 5

gogokittenart offers original drawings unique to Etsy. They are highly detailed original drawings featuring repetitive black and white forms. She used a rapidograph for these drawings. Ah, the good ol' Rapidograph. In today's digital age, it's great to see artists committed to the Rapidograph.

bluesunlight

etsy shop: bluesunlight
listing: aopaceo023
artist: Bluesunlight

Bluesunlight's aopaceo (acrylic on paper ACEO) paintings capture a moment of strong, aggressive exertion. Rendered as a visual carving of space against an empty, sterile white field, it's important to recall such dynamic forms slash about in a delicate 2.5 x 3.5" arena.

All at once these paintings are purposeful, yet natural. Bluesunlight's Etsy bio states, "So far these works are being generated using acrylic paint and fine gauge steel wire rolled, pushed, pulled, and slid horizontally across the page." So incidental elements of nature help develop details within the work while strong elements of control are clearly defined in the overall shapes.

I choose "aopaceo023" for this feature because I enjoyed it's architectural elements. Sure enough Bluesunlight works at an architectural firm by day. Ha. In fact, all his paintings have certain architectural undertones complemented by vigorous juts and swooshes of liquid paint.

TinyArtbyJMullin

Etsy shop: TinyArtbyJMullin
listing: Diminutive Improv - Tiny Original Watercolor
artist: J. Mullin

I have to admit that when I saw the title for today's EtsyArt.com feature that I didn't know what "diminutive" meant. dictionary.com defines "diminutive" as "small; little; tiny". That makes sense since J. Mullin's etsy shop is called "TinyArtbyJMullin". And get a load of this. "Diminutive Improv" is only 1.5 x 2.25". Did Picasso ever make a painting that small? I don't think so.

I mention the uber-famous Spainish painter because Mullin's work is post-Cubist. There's some interpretation of three-dimensional subject matter in the painting. In the sorta-center of the painting is a profile of a face. However, "Diminutive Improv" breaks away from Cubism in that it doesn't offer different vantage points of the same subject matter. Instead there's a collection of graphical shapes merging together, some iconic such as hearts and others purely graphical such as swirls and jagged shapes. As a result, "Diminutive Improv" has countless fun nooks and crannies from which to explore; all jammed into a diminutive 1.5" x 2.25" space.

artstudio

etsy shop: artstudio
listing: Paris Reflections
artist: Marie Louise Eriksen

"Paris Reflections" offers different observations into the culture of Paris.

The color palette is quite sophisticated. The turquoise looks great with the dark brown. It speaks to the prevailing intellect of Paris. The colors also dance about on the surface in a vibrant fashion reflecting Paris' liveliness.

I'm curious about the use of an English newspaper as the substrate. It harkens to the 20th century development of the United States becoming the world leader in great abstract artists. This painting tells us that Paris pays homage to those great American artists. (At least that's how I interpret it.)

konyskiw

etsy shop: konyskiw
listing: Earth Tones
artist: Kim Onyskiw

Kim's Etsy bio states: "I like acrylic paints, I like stripes, and I like painting lots of little animals on them." Her etsy shop features many cartoon paintings of animals, but her abstract stripe painting is the focus of this feature.

The soft, blurry background contrasts well with the solid, parallel geometric bars. These elements are fused together by the monochromatic color palette with a focal touch of gold which adds another elemental dimension.

Any sort of association can be developed from this series. Candy bars? Skyscrapers? Fashionable robots?

lebusstudio

etsy shop: lebusstudio
listing: CENTER OF CHAOS
artist: Cinda LeBus

From Cinda's Description for this listing:

CENTER OF CHAOS, by artist Cinda LeBus, is a digitally-rendered art print in vibrant warm tones. This stunning fractal image explores the false-dichotomy of order and chaos; the unpredictable path of the unknown merging with the absolute truth of stability and harmony in all things. This piece is an artistic interpretation of an archetype that is universal.

I like having Cinda's work follow Friday's feature of Las Vegas' Nay. It's quite a contrast. Though interestingly enough, both featured pieces from Cinda and Nay coincidentally have the same color palette.

michelleramin

etsy shop: michelleramin
listing: Chocolate Landscape
artist: Michelle Ramin

Ok, honestly, I'm not doing this on purpose. I'm not specifically seeking out art from Portland. It's pure coincidence that 33% (3 out of 9) of the art features on this blog thus far feature art from that city. I think that says a lot about the great art community that resides in Portland. Artist Michelle Ramin expresses her inspiring love for Portland in her etsy bio:

Hello! My name is Michelle and am a Portland, Oregon artist. I grew up in the comfortable rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. About two years ago, I found myself wondering across the country in search of a creative muse. I came upon Portland and have yet to experience its equivalent anywhere else in the world. It's beautiful here! Every day I feel inspired and am constantly working on new and beautiful little pieces that reflect my every day environment.

A large majority of Michelle's etsy shop features landscape drawings. It's interesting to relate her love of Portland to her transcendental, otherworldly drawings. I call it quietly vibrant Surreal Pop. Consistently throughout, delicate horizontal lines shimmer across the horizon while crisp lines define the labyrinthine sky while falling from the sky. It's a uniquely curious exploration of the abundant natural beauty found in Oregon.

ejwarhus

etsy shop: ejwarhus
listing: like cake (be sure to hit the zoom link below the image to see all the detail)
artist: Erika Warhus

Today's etsyart.com feature is a mixed media painting by Portland artist Erika Warhus. Just the other day etsyart.com featured fellow Portlander, Sarah Kamsler. I don't know what the city of Portland puts in its water, but it sure helps their artists produce interesting abstract art.

Erika's "like cake" can be enjoyed as purely abstract art with no subjective connections or as a representational painting as implied by the title, or better yet as both. Her painting blurs the line between abstract and reality. It that respect I am reminded of celebrated Abstract Expressionist icon, Willem de Kooning. The use of repeated forms and layering of colors and shapes are more themes in Erika's work that recall de Kooning. This loose abstract association allows the viewer to use their imagination to fill in the spaces to define representation.

Yet, the spirit of the Erika's work couldn't be more different that de Kooning. Where de Kooning's paintings express feelings of anger and angst, Erika's paintings denote a sense of explorative joy.