Artists To Watch
I am no Gertrude Stein, but when I see art that I love, I want to collect it and champion the artist just like her. I am lucky to say I grew up in a household where being creative was encouraged. Whether that was through photography, painting, clothes, interiors, writing; you name it and my family participated in it. I also learned different mediums through all my schooling from pottery to jewelry making all the way to sewing. You could say being creative is in my blood and honestly without it, I would be lost. It’s almost too hard to write this because I feel so passionate about art that I begin to spiral thinking about all the old and new work that’s out there that I want to see. Instead of going down a rabbit-hole where I could word vomit about all the forms of art I love, I want to focus on artists that social media has introduced me to in the past year. That is the one thing I do love about social media, the ability to discover artists across the world that you might have never encountered. It gives everyone a platform to promote and advocate for their chosen medium and it’s exciting. I am solely focusing on painters for this series, but I will dive into the world of ceramics, jewelry and fashion further down the line.
Jack Penny - A British contemporary artist who depicts the “urban life from the perspective of a rural-dwelling outsider”. As a social commentator, his work hones in on the hustle and daily lives of blue-and-white collar workers participating in their “9-5s”. There is a chaos and urgency to this work that perfectly captures the authenticity of humanity in urban settings. His expressionist style and bold compositions create the perfect juxtaposition between order and mayhem. His work champions the underdog with the yearning for the human need of structure and the desire for freedom.
Antonia Figueiredo - AF Illustrations - Born in Brazil, based in Lisbon, Portugal, Antonia has a very vibrant and playful style that is emphasized through her use of oil pastels and acrylics on canvas. Her technique of layering textures and different mediums with the use of collaging and quotidian shapes, makes her signature pop iconography and text extrude from the canvas. Her ability to take old-world motifs and challenge them with colorful imperfections and feminine emblems, create a joyful landscape of juxtaposition. I am a proud owner of some of her prints and truly feel the power behind the imagery.
Blakely Made- Blakely grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and now resides in Charleston, South Carolina. Her work very much depicts her surroundings from South Carolina marshlands to Maryland aquatic motifs. Her work is very calming, but playful, using colors from nature and organic brushstrokes that make you feel tranquil and alive. Her impressionist style captures the essence of natural light and form through unblended brush strokes and soft scenes of her current landscape. She has slowly started to expand her work with her new ‘David Hockney’ inspired collection called “the Kitchen”.
Frances Featherstone - An established artist who truly mastered the art of perspective and conceptual depth. Her use of composition and design tells a story of the interplay between figures and interiors, allowing her audience to create their own dreamlike interpretation of space and how we occupy it. She employs aerial perspectives in her oil paintings, giving a common theme a new outlook. Her work is refreshing, but comforting; challenging our depth of space in a conventional setting.
