Art To Art Colorado

I have long been a fan of Art To Art Colorado!

Cheri's work is fresh and expressive. Her work includes paintings, assemblages, mixed media and digital art that range from representational to abstract.

A lifelong artist and native of Colorado, Cheri has a degree in Art and has studied in Mexico on two occasions. Currently she is focusing on traditional painting, digital painting, collage, traditional collage on canvas, miniatures and fun assemblages from old worn out junk.

She loves finding discarded items and bringing new life to them in an artistic way.

Legend of the Flying Bear is available for $110.00.

Her style is varied depending on the piece and the goal of a given project... and it can range from representational, impressionistic, or surreal to pure abstraction. She believes it is important to push the limits of her creative expression and to continually learn and grow through a variety of media.

This Southwest style piece is Mesa Verde, available for $795.00.

Cheri has shown in juried competitions at the international level and has won several awards in art, along with being represented by numerous regional galleries and gift shops. Her studio in Colorado is shared with loyal canine 'critics' (two Border Collies and a Lab) named Miss Hatfield, Durango Jazz and Dog.

Rock Mountain Highway is a traditional landscape available for $575.00.


Nature has always been a strong inspiration for her work. Her life in Colorado has been the reason for that deep love of the mountains and wilderness. In her free time she loves to read, write poetry, embroider, fish, target shoot, explore and cook. She has a very cool cabin in the high country to escape to and get away from it all.

Two Trees is a modern digital painting available for $25.00.



You won't be disappointed in her work!

Jean

Jean Levert Hood

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Four to Watch Out For

Today I'm going to discuss four Design Style Guide members you should be paying more attention to, and I'll do so by examining one piece of furniture from each.

Black Elm Woodworking

Black Elm's description says, "An original design by Black Elm Woodworking. This table also features a globular effect with increasing slat lengths towards the center. Handmade of solid walnut with cherry accents." I say this design looks back at designs of the past and gives them a gentle push into the 21st century. There are shades of Art Deco styling that make me think of  New York City in the first half of the last century, but with stunning walnut and cherry in place of metallic shine and glitz. This is pure beauty and you can put it in your home.

Wink Art & Design

Wink's description of this table reads, "This one-of-a-kind steel bench features a maple seat made from mid-century work tables rescued from a retired sewing machine factory in Connecticut. Although it looks like wormwood, the small markings on the seat are actually punch marks made in day-to-day operations of the factory. The overall effect is extremely attractive and eye-catching. The steel base has a wonderful patina that is waxed to a soft shine." I love using reclaimed lumber in my projects and I'm fairly certain I would have passed out at the prospect of building something with this wood. Kudos to Wink Art & Design for finding the perfect design for this wood, making the whole a work of art, indeed.

Lyons Contracting, Inc.

This great copper topped table as described by Lyons Contracting, "Hand finished maple legs and bottom rail, copper top with flamed hand hammered finish. You can let the copper patina naturally or you can keep the finish you see with a little butchers wax once a year." What a beautiful piece of furniture this is! Personally, I'd let the copper turn green for a few years, then seal it up with some wax to preserve it. This is a wonderful marriage of wood and metal, and it gives me ideas. It should be giving decorators ideas as well.

Black Mountain Furniture

Black Mountain Furniture's description reads, "Built with the family in mind the table shown here measures 72"L x 38"W x 30"H and seats 6 comfortably. Finished in a two-tone finish using Vintage White with Dark Walnut this table will be the focal gathering point for any family. It has turned legs and 2 drawers to store silverware or linens." And other options are available. This is a classic American dinner table, constructed of a classic American wood, walnut. The beauty is in the lines and in the wood itself, and it's obvious the designer knows when to let the wood speak for itself.

Design Style Guide seems to be chock full of wonderful designers and artists. Some push the frontiers of design just far enough without letting the design obscure the function. Others look back to our past and lovely recreate it for a modern consumer. And some take inspiration from the past and give it a distinctly modern twist. They are all worthy of your attention.

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If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

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Featured Artist - Irene Wood

The talent of the Design Style Guide Members never cease to amaze me. Looking to see who I was going to feature in todays post became very simple when I came across the unique and beautiful paintings of Irene Wood. On etsy she is Irenemachine.

Irene Wood is an artist currently residing in Seattle Washington.

From Irene's Profile: "My paintings bring together botanical and cellular elements, reoccurring patterns in nature, such as the cluster of tree branches, roots, webs, brain synapses, and meandering rivers, Asian and Western influences, traditional forms with modern abstraction, and a sense of the microscopic with the macroscopic (something you can see with the naked eye). I work to create pieces that imply a general sense of nature’s complexity while maintaining a pleasing, timeless sense of calm and beauty.
I use oil, acrylic, sumi ink and polyurethane in most pieces. "

Lotus Pond In Winter

Layers upon layers of lotus pads float amongst swooping tree branches. This painting holds a quiet calm.

Peering Into a Secret Cave By the Sea
This is a deep blue painting that plays with underwater and above water imagery in one visual plane.

Whispering Branches

Cherry Blossom Grove

Looking Inside A Sunset
This is a rich rose colored painting that depicts faded trees in the background and layers of golden and crimson lotus pads.

Irenes website http://www.irenemachine.com/paintings/

Etsy shop http://irenemachine.etsy.com

Up until now I had no idea what Sumi Ink was, not even sure if I ever heard of it, but I do now. For those of you that do not know either, it is an ink used in Sumi painting and calligraphy. So then I wanted to know what Sumi was, and found that it is an Asian style of painting that has been practiced for thousands of years. Literally means ink painting. Trying to portray a scene or object using a minimum of strokes.

I love the look of the sumi ink with acrylic and oil paints. Irene has a fresh and unique style that I am drawn to.

Make sure you check out her etsy shop and websites listed above. You will not be disappointed.

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