Design Debate

How do artists do it? My personal art taste is normally abstract or nature focussed, an impression rather than an accurate representation. I love mark making and the quality of line. Occasionally though I am drawn to art that looks to so real I am just left staring. I love these pieces from American painter  Ali Cavanaugh , they are actually modern frescos. What Ali does is rather beautoful, she layers watercolour pigment on thin kaolin clay with tiny round synthetic brushes. The result has a luminosity that makes the subject feel like they are an actual person standing in the room. I mean you can see these are painted rather than real, but there is something in the quality of them that has a 'real' presence. Her subject matter varies, she does paint more ethereal watercolours of children, capturing their innocent eyes and playful poses. And of course there are the socks - yes arms in socks in interesting poses! I love the series she also completed where ...

I came accross the artwork of   Kiana Mosley   at The Jealous Curator , and I am just that! I adore how she uses the colours with confidence but still produces a delicate result. Her work is a little like the paintings I do, I just love to draw and paint flowers and natural forms. Mosley creates joy on a page with multi coloured blooms all intertwined and rising to greet us.  Kiana Mosely was born in Hawaii and raised in Southern California, but now resides in the Pacific Northwest of America. She trained as a graphic designer but now creates beautiful artworks in mixed media and watercolour or on canvas.  The watercolours are just lovely. The lightness of touch and depth of colour makes me want to pick up a paint brush!   

I wanted to highlight to you the work of Italian artist Francesca Lancisi. I came across her shop on Etsy and fell in love straight away. Her water colours are both bold in colour and subdued in shade. Using bright block colour and playing with opacity, layers and line.     Francesca lives and works in Florence, Italy. You can imagine her on her sunny terrace, surrounded by plants and natural forms. She says she is fascinated by colour and its infinite variations.  She is a self taught artist and had trained and worked as a language teacher. On Francesca's website she has this quote "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."   Johann Wolfgang von Goethe