Art Online, Right on time!

Don't hate me cause this is late. I'm only human of flesh and blood I'm made. Sometimes things get prolonged cause life has a way of getting in the way, or I let it sidetrack me and get in the way. No matter how you want to look at it, the bottom line is, life got in the way, damn it! LOL

Salvador Dali

But I digress, this about art online and I have found in my social networking circles, sites that deliver an artful experience. They expand my ideas of what art is and provides new and inspirational ways art can change one's existence. There are some that are inspirational, funny and scary. I appreciate all of them in every format. Some have websites, a lot are located on Facebook.

Buddha Head

Being old school, I love going to museums and recently visited the Kreeger Museum, formally a home, this past weekend.  If you know anything about D.C., then you know that on Foxhall Road, there are many mini mansions. The Kreeger Museum is one of those places that was a home to art collectors, and now just houses the art. The museum is on a two lane road with no bus service and joggers run freely in the street, like animals on the loose. Around my way, they are called roadkill!

I must admit that the most of the museums have become boring, at least the big, free ones. Its the same 'ol art, by the same 'ol dead white males. Some of the same dead men's work are at the Kreeger too. They invested heavily in the works of "popular artists of the day" who just happened to be men, and white. Did you know that the Kreeger's never invested in any female artists works? Any works there now by females, have been "acquired", "donated" or loaned by the artist.  My former instructor and friend Kendall Buster has a sculpture piece out on the grounds. I noticed that all the women's artwork is outside. Most of the free museums only change out a few galleries and keep the permanent collection out to bore people to death.  The portrait gallery has had a few good exhibits, featuring more contemporary artists. Some of them are a mystery to me, as to how they made it as a contemporary artist, and who thought their work was relevant enough to be considered as such.

Kendall Buster

So, I have begun to go elsewhere for art and seek out places that have a variety of images in all mediums. Not enthusiastic about it being on line cause it can't be seen up close and personal, but you can't touch the art or get too close in the museum either, so either way there is a barrier. Choosing the lesser of two evils allows me to sit in my skivvies if I want and look at art anytime I want. There is a lot out there to see online. So I will focus on my faves and share them, maybe you have a few faves too that I don't know about, but most of the sites feature artists that are ALIVE and Kicking! If they are dead, at least they are not the same dead people called the Masters. 

Terrica Atkins

Sandrine Replat

First are the ones that show photos of art, sometimes there is an artist named. The images come from various sources. Some are images created that are more morbid and creepy, rather than scary. TerrorArtists images are more about the dead rising up and scaring the living and their life beyond our mere mortal existence. Like this photo to the right, it's an image that is based on Addams Family, somewhat, okay maybe not all. But you get the idea.

 TerrorArtists and The Macob and Beautifully Grotesque, both of which have imagery that can shock and amaze you. I find them to be thrilling, in that I really don't watch horror movies, my imagination is active enough and I can scare myself silly by looking in the mirror! LOL but I love the odd and mysterious, and my brain doesn't animate them and play back the scary parts over and over....while I'm sitting at the computer in the dark!

Leon Bonnat

From The Macob and Beautifully Grotesque- Bishop Denis, having alarmed the pagan priests by his many conversions, was executed by beheading with his companions on the highest hill in Paris (now Montmartre), which was likely to have been a druidic holy place. After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked six miles from the summit of the hill, preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. 

I love the stories behind the imagery. Can't get any better than art and religion, the best stories come from here. So much contradiction, filled with juicy inexplicable acts beyond belief. Just think this is considered macob and grotesque, by some. All in the name of the church.

Paper Artist Jeff Nishinaka

Twisted Sifter features artists that defy all laws of nature. They go beyond ones perception of art and exposes you to illusions created simply by angling the art a different way and photographing it.  They also provide information about the artist that created the image, and often show other pieces that the artist has done and a brief bio. Totally cool, and often gets the reaction "how they do that!?"  Here's an answer somewhat.

From Twisted Sifter- Artist Jeff Nishinaka. Deragon and Phoenix-Relief Paper Sculpture. Los Angeles native Jeff Nishinaka is a relief paper sculpture artist who has a stunning array of work that needless to say can blow anyone away. His portfolio spans a wide range including Bloomingdale’s, Sprint, Visa, Penn State University, Paramount Pictures and Coca Cola. Over the years he has found various techniques in how to manipulate and bend paper to make these magnificent masterpieces.

Steampunk image

Others that rock, in a similar way are Ink Army, Steampunk and Megaphoto. Each one offers something different, like tattoo images  from Ink Army that are unreal, they make you want to bring the pain! for these images. The mixing of the Victorian era and Sci-Fi of Steampunk, which offers a real life connection through clothing, books, music and conventions. Photos of nature and life that maybe altered slightly, but still totally awesome from Megaphoto.

Daniella Bonachella

If you want something more gallery like and demure, try the online galleries of The Hemphill Gallery, Touchstone Gallery, The Baltimore Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim, Woman Made Gallery, Saatchi Gallery and a host of others that I'm sure have more interesting work by working artists. Plus, they rotate on a more frequent basis so you won't get bored looking at the same thing every time you visit their site. One of my favorites is Artfinder which features artists work for sale. They often give background and artist website information. I find it interesting that some artists often copy in some way the work of an artist they admire. Gustav Klimt is one that has been copied and interpreted in more ways than can be counted. But I still love his work. Oh yeah, and he's a dead white male, but not considered a master.

Ceramique Contemporaire is a unique site that features the artwork of ceramic artists who push the art of clay manipulation to the extreme.  A lot of it is just plain beautiful to look at. Sculpture features, what else, sculpture. Something that I can admire, drool over and copy in my own special way. Yes, I ponder copying some of the sculpture pieces that are shown, but when I sit down to work, copying them escapes me. I infuse my work with the ideas of the sculpture I've seen. I would need it in front of me to remember to copy it. Must be the Tequila infusion.

Jean de la Huerta and Antoine Mounier

Mourners from the Tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria

1443-1457

On the lighter side of art is Last Kiss Comics; Humor, life with Lip, Third Eye Comics,World of Black Heroes, (yes, I said Black Heroes, there are a few, you know)
There are several online comics sites that show cover art and allow you to read online.

If you want a little art history and more of a story line, similar to religious art but not quite, check out the posts of Mark Dylan Sieber.  He will be featured on my blog in August. I follow him because he gives great background on the images he posts and I love the historical references and story line. This excerpt is from "Pompadours" in which he explains the images of outrageous hairstyles of women that actually existed. Some of the hair styles are totally out there! Tartuffe's Folly is a good post to follow, it can come to you via email.

"Fashionable hairstyles for women began their vertical climb in the late 1760’s, as they quickly raised the ire of social critics. Editorials appearing in London periodicals immediately decried the large headdresses that English ladies were all too eager to copy from their French counterparts.

These mostly late-18th century engravings, often hand-colored, capture such coiffed extravaganzas in grotesque caricature. Naturally, we still have quite the fascination with "big hair" today, as it is said to approach the heavens! Some of the images are modern interpretations of such an "art of hair" and its hived fashion.

Chronicling the rise and fall of the fashion takes us from the courts of France, to the print shops of London, and finally to the streets of Philadelphia, where all that the high roll represented in a new nation at war with an old empire was brought quite literally to a head." - Pompadours, Mark Dylan Sieber.

Pompadours

For a little inspiration via quotes and imagery, check out Rumi, the messages are always profound. Just as profound as the quote I memorized from Kung Fun Panda. Something about mysteries, histories, and the present being a gift. The Tequila infused margarita has a way of making me forget. I will remember the whole thing after I post this, no doubt. Sometimes Rumi strikes a chord within me with their inspirational messages, but so does the work of Salvador Dali, pictured at the top of the page. He's considered a Surrealist master that's dead and stinkin' but Dali was quite the character in his day and it's reflected in pictures of him with his mustache and artistic flare. Often images of him or his work is accompanied by poetry, mostly in Spanish. Se habla Espanol?

Uzumaki

This has only touched on a few on line/Facebook sites that can enlighten you. There are a million more and I've barely scratched the surface with my faves. Now, get on line and find a few faves for yourself, you can borrow mine, but it's always better when you find your own. 

Don't forget if your on Facebook, feel free to like my page StoneWomynArt. Your always welcome to follow me as well. I will get my shit together eventually, so if your a social network junkie, my bi weekly posts may not be enough for you and you may need other sites to fulfill your social junkie needs. I'm cool with that, just don't you forget about me! One day soon, I'm going to do an 80's music flashback, cause there are several in this post. 

Check out the new blue mist alabaster piece that I'm working on, click the StoneWomynArt sidebar. To see more of my work, check out that StoneWomynArt page on Facebook, and Women's Art Collaborative at zhibit.org.

Thank you for reading my blog, I'm getting myself together...honestly!

See you next time, Same blog time, same blog channel!