Malcolm Baroway

A Night at Home
Oil on canvas, 24x24

Lobster Boats
Oil on Canvas, 8x10

The Blue Chair
Oil on Canvas

Gourmet Dinnr
Oil on canvas 18 x 24

I love the work of artist Malcolm Baroway. Malcolm's paintings are energetic, refreshingly imaginative and often playful. I particularly love his use of muted tones, whilst still using plenty of color. Certainly he is not a minimalist, yet his renderings can be quietly sparse. My idea of perfection.

ALL ART/PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT OF THE ARTIST

Glasgow Art Club

I have just returned home from a most memorable lunch with the lovely artist Connie Simmers. Connie invited me to join her at the Glasgow Art Club. It is a wonderful old club with a fascinating history.

William Dennistoun, a young amateur artist who had been forced by ill health to leave the city, founded the Glasgow Art Club in 1867. William, along with a small group of amateur artists, began holding preliminary meetings in a tearoom above a Candleriggs baker's shop before launching the club in the Waverley Temperance Hotel.

In 1893 the Glasgow Art Club moved to its current day location. A beautiful building that boasts Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s ornamental details in the Artist’s Gallery. The Art Club is well known for exhibiting the work of many brilliant artists.

Many thanks for a wonderful afternoon Connie and enjoy your trip to Italy!

Profile: Connie Simmers

'Lock Gate' (acrylic on canvas)

I am crazy for the work of Scottish artist Connie Simmers. Based in Kilearn, near Loch Lomond, Connie’s beautiful work has been exhibited throughout Britain.

Born and educated in Glasgow, Connie took advantage of non-diploma courses offered at the Glasgow School of Art. She attended the art school from 1981 to 1983, began exhibiting in 1984 and had her first solo show in 1989.

Connie’s work graces many public and private collections across Europe. I hope to have one in my own home someday. I think her work would look brilliant in our hallway. I especially love 'Lock Gate' - stunning!

'Highland Smoke House' (mixed media on board)

What artists, historical or contemporary, do you most admire?
Historical: Picasso, Tapies, Chagall, Matisse, Diebenkorn, Nicolas de Stael, Joan Eardley. Contemporary: Jimmy Robertson, Barbara Rae

What inspires your art and ideas?
Travel has played a large part - an excuse to use colour. I always try to see subject matter differently. I like shapes and colour i.e. harbours, urban material and people.

What is your most prized possession?
My home

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
My family and my car

'Graffiti Man' (acrylic on canvas)

What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
Scottish Arts Club prize, Visual Arts Club prize and represented at National 50 Over 50 Exhibition at Brighton.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
A good marriage, a happy family and contentment.

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Atticus in To Kill a Mocking Bird. Jung Chang in Wild Swans. Shirin Ebadi in Iran Awakening. Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks.

'Cloths Drying in the Wind, West Africa' (mixed media on board)

What books are on your bedside table?
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. The Pillars of Hercules by Paul Theroux.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
The surprises - maybe an unexpected sale - winning a prize in an open exhibition - meeting people in art world - dealing with galleries.

Profile by Ronda Carman
ALL ART/PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT OF THE ARTIST

The Art Wall

Recently a few people have left comments asking if I have finished our hallway. It's almost finished, but I have to wait before I post too many photos. I have been talking with a publication that plans to do a feature on All the Best and will use photos of our flat. So, I need to wait until I know whether or not I can post photos. I will post more as soon as I can and will update you further. In the meantime here is a sneak peek of our hall (above) and a few photos that keep me inspired.

Johnson Hartig's home (Photo published in LA Times)

London design firm Christopher Chanond

New York designer Ashley Whittaker

New York designer Robert Passal

Ali Cockrean

'Loose in London' acrylic on canvas

'Sailing In Sydney' acrylic on canvas

'Manhattan Magic' acrylic on canvas

The one thing that I love the most about writing my blog is the chance to learn more about the people I admire. Most always I find the answers to my questions both humbling and inspiring. British-based artist Ali Cockrean is no exception. I am mad for her cityscapes and her answers to my questions are honest and though provoking.

What artists, historical or contemporary, do you most admire?
There are so many I admire for different reasons it’s really difficult to choose. But those in historical terms that have influenced me the most in my own artistic development are Turner, Picasso, Miro, Pollock and Rothko. Equally, there are many contemporary artists I admire.

Some I know personally, others I appreciate from a distance like Kurt Jackson and Neil Canning. Generally they all have the same things in common; a natural and effortless talent, an overwhelming passion for the subject and an invincible determination to succeed.

What inspires your art and ideas?
All sorts of things can stimulate ideas. It is usually an emotional response to something going on around me. Sometimes it can be very simple, such as a song, a few lines in a film that makes an impression, or a particularly beautiful landscape. Other times it can be truly life-changing experiences like the loss of a loved one.

Many of my prompts are generated by my relationships with other people. Intimate moments shared with friends or family. Maybe just a look shared between two people or an understanding unsaid, but fully appreciated by both parties. I’m someone who is very much in sync with my emotions and comfortable with most of them, even the negative ones. I’m an analyser and my mind is always full to overflowing with potential subject matter for paintings.

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
Honesty.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
Producing and raising my son, who never ceases to delight and amaze me as only children can.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
To be genuinely content and at peace with yourself. Possible, but very difficult to achieve.

Who are your favourite heroes of fiction?
I don’t have any heroes of fiction. I prefer to reserve my appreciation for real people with real achievements and accomplishments.

What books are on your bedside table?
Currently a Taschen art book featuring Mark Rothko’s work and a book called “Art for Dummies” which intrigues me because I have yet to find a book that can explain art simply and directly. Making art accessible to people is a subject I feel very strongly about. There is still too much pretension in the art world. It all comes down to interpretation and opinion at the end of the day, both of which are totally subjective.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the freedom to follow my own path. However the biggest buzz I get is seeing the pleasure my work can bring to those who enjoy it. There have been occasions when the reaction to my unveiling a commissioned piece has literally been tears of joy and that is quite overwhelming for the artist as well as the buyer. To enrich someone’s life like that is priceless.

Profile by Ronda Carman
Art: Copyright Ali Cockrean

New Feature

Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job.

Andy Warhol

Warhol may have been right, but it’s a profession that I have great respect for. In doing my research for my guest blog post on Design*Sponge I realized just how many talented artists there are here in Scotland and have decided to do a weekly feature profiling art in Scotland. I will highlight the work of an artist living in Scotland along with profiles and interviews. I am very excited about this new feature and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

Blair Thomson
‘West Wind, Killreggan’
Japanese Ink on paper

Elaine Wilson
‘Beacon's Closet’
Mixed Media

Jamie Primrose
‘Scott Monument’
Indian ink

Hai Huang
‘West End Back Lane’
Watercolour


ALL ART/PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT OF THE ARTIST

Profile: Ewan Gibbs

‘London’, 2005. Pencil on paper

‘New York’, 2006. Pen and pencil on graph paper

I am fascinated with the work of British artist Ewan Gibbs. His ink on graph paper and linocuts are exactly executed, yet quietly stunning. Perhaps it is the love and appreciation I have for the linocuts in our home, imaginatively crafted by my husband’s grandmother that draws me to Ewan’s work.

Circular and linear marks on grid paper create fascinating pixel-like images. Hundreds of tiny marks are hand drawn into each grid in varying shades of black and grey. Up close, they appear vague, yet at a distance, they are transformed into meticulous, detailed drawings of cities, landmarks and interiors.

Ewan graduated from Goldsmiths College, London in 1996. Other famous Goldsmiths alumni include Lucian Freud, Mary Quant and Damien Hirst. Ewan has exhibited in both the UK and the US. Recent solo exhibitions have included Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin, Texas and Paul Morris Gallery, New York. In London the prestigious Timothy Taylor Gallery represents his work. You can view more of Ewan’s work on the Timothy Taylor Gallery website. The computer of course is an invaluable tool, but it is not a perfect substitute for viewing the actual artwork.

If you are stateside you can view Ewan’s upcoming exhibit ‘Pictures of Pitchers’ at the Lora Reynolds Gallery in Austin from 8 March – 19 April.

'Ewan' 2001. Portrait of Ewan Gibbs painted by artist and friend Alessandro Raho.

What artists, historical or contemporary, do you most admire?
Historically I would say, Bonnard, Mattise , Van Gogh, Atget, Brassai, Seurat. Also Patrick Caulfield and Roy Lichtenstein. In terms of people working today, Vija Celmins, Richard Artschwager, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Chuck Close, Bernd and Hiller Becher and On Kawara.

What inspires your art and ideas?
In terms of developing a technique, the major inspiration was a book of knitting and crochet patterns that I came across on a market stall in Brick Lane in 1993. I was excited by the patterns use of a grid as a structure or scaffold to hang a picture on. The patterns were also made up of a variety of symbols such as circles, crosses, diagonal lines etc. These marks differentiated between the different colours to be used when knitting or crocheting the pictures, a similar logic to painting by numbers.

I adopted this language to initially translate images of hotel interiors from holiday brochures and have gradually reduced the marks down to either circles or diagonal lines over the last fifteen years. I now work from both found images and my own photographs.

‘San Francisco’, 2006. Lino cut on 225g Zerkall 902 paper

‘New York’, 2006. Pencil on graph paper

What is your most prized possession?
I do not really have many prized possessions but if the house was on fire I would try and save our family photographs and my photographic record of the 200 plus drawings I have made so far.

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
Enough sleep.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
I once shot a hole in one on a short par 3 but that was more luck than judgment. Apart from that, on the work front I am proud of a 46ft x 7ft mural I was commissioned to paint when I was 18. It took me about nine months and I was paid £2000 which at the time made me feel rich. I suppose it also made me a professional artist of sorts.

On the domestic front, I looked after our seven month old daughter Lillian for four days a week for the two years before our son Arthur was born. Going from the solitary, self absorbed life of an artist to entertaining a child for eleven hours a day was quite a challenge and a major culture shock.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
I’m sure it is much the same as everyone else’s.

Who are your favourite heroes of fiction?
I don’t tend to make time to read fiction or watch movies. I have however watched Mary Poppins with Lillian about fifty times over the last few months. So I would have to say that Mary Poppins is a hero as she keeps the kids entertained and is practically perfect in every way. Bert has also become a firm favourite. He never seeks to press his advantage with Mary and as a pavement artist he draws what he likes and he likes what he drew.

What books are on your bedside table?
I am currently re reading ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ by Mitch Albom. The last fiction I read was a book called ‘The Manny’ by Holly Peterson. I heard her interviewed on the radio and although aimed at female readers the book intrigued me as I had done a bit of childcare and I was about to go to New York and stay with a friend who lived on Park Avenue.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love sitting down on a Monday morning with five days of drawing stretched out in front of me. Putting on my headphones and listening to an album that I have fallen in love with but not yet played to death. (Current flavours of the month are Kate Nash’s ‘Made of bricks’ and Neil Young’s ‘Chrome dreams 11’) If I am in the middle of a drawing that is going well then that’s all the better.

Art/Photos: Copyright, Ewan Gibbs; Courtesy, Timothy Taylor Gallery, London
Profile by Ronda Carman

Framing and Hanging Art

Our unfinished hallway

Home of Kate and Andy Spade, published in The World of Interiors, Dec'06, designer Steven Sclaroff.

I have long been inspired by the 'salon' look of Kate and Andy Spade's foyer and have decided to try and create a similar look in our hallway (pictured above). It is a rather long hallway (twenty five feet in length), eight doors and a lot of wall space.

Right now I am in the process of framing and reframing some of our art. Having looked at several rooms I admire over the past few weeks (see below) it feels as though many of our pieces were framed ad hoc over the years. There just seems to be a general lack of cohesiveness. However, I don't want a matchy-matchy look either. Unfortunately framing a work of art is a significant expense, so I want to get it right this time. I'll keep you posted on the progress...

Upper East Side home of Camilla and Carl Sorenson, published in Elle Decor, Dec/Jan '05, designer Steven Sclaroff.

Home of San Francisco art dealer Martin Muller, published in the book San Francisco Interiors.

The Venetian home of Lars Rachen, published in The World of Interiors, Dec'06.

Another view of Lars Rachen's home.

Home of Nicolas Berggruen, son of the late renowned art collector Heinz Berggruen, published in the book Bright Young Things.

Art on eBay

My most recent purchase is an Alberto Giacometti graphite drawing.

Close up details
The one that got away. Once it reached $800 USD I was out of the game.

Over the years I have made some wonderful purchases on eBay. I love the thrill of the hunt and there is nothing better than snagging a great bargain, except for winning of course. We have several eBay paintings in our home and I have been very pleased with each transaction. With such a wealth of original art on eBay it can be both exciting and overwhelming. So how does one choose?

Here are a few of my general guidelines:
First and foremost I buy what I like and I try to use common sense. I am always skeptical of purchasing art described as an "authentic" work by a "famous" artist. This is certainly the case when the price seems too good to be true. I almost always search out lesser known artists or look for paintings that have come from an estate sell. I tend to be ruthless when it comes to reading a seller’s feedback and I always ask a ton of questions. So far this formula seems to work for me. Do you buy art on eBay? If so, what have been your experiences?

My Favorite Things - Anne Harwell

I adore artist Anne Harwell. Her warm personality always comes through in her emails and post comments, as well as her work. If you are not familiar with Anne's work, then do visit her Etsy shop and blog. Her work is so charming and just this week Anne's work was featured on Domino's gift giving gallery.


Here are a few of Anne's favorite things:

Favorite movie:
To Catch A Thief
Favorite song:
Rescue by Desperation
Favorite season:
Autumn
Favorite city:
Paris
Favorite food:
Lobster
Favorite Drink:
Perrier
Favorite memory:
When I was little, dancing around to cheesy Christmas LP's as my family decorated our Christmas tree.

Absolutely Beautiful Dinning Room

If you have not checked out Absolutely Beautiful Things today then go and take a peek. Anna has posted photos of her dinning room and it is absolutely stunning!!

Artist Kelly Stewart

Paris Series

Edinburgh Series

Edinburgh Series


I was recently having lunch with friends at Howies restaurant in Edinburgh, when I discovered the beautiful artwork of Kelly Stewart. Born in Sydney Australia, Kelly studied at the University of Western Sydney and moved to Edinburgh in 2000 to begin her illustration career. Kelly takes her inspiration from Victorian, Georgian and Gothic architecture and uses the medium of Silkscreen as a way to combine architectural sketches and hand-written text. I'm fascinated by the muted colors and sketching of the Edinburgh and Paris series posted above—simple, yet beautiful.

Breakfasts in Paris

Leave it to the lovely Rita Konig at Domino Magazine’s Daily Dose to introduce me to the beautiful blog Paris Breakfasts. Artist and blogger Carol Gillott spent three weeks in Paris photographing glorious Parisian patisseries and then painting the food around her. The result is a beautiful collection of watercolors like the two above. Paris Breakfasts is truly a delightful feast for the eyes! Just beautiful.