Saturday, July 20, 2024

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

Stop by the gallery between now and July 27th to see Zachary Steinman's LEGO sculpture show "Lego My Ego"!

Patchwork Colour Cube 5x5x5


Energy Coupler Cube 7x7x7

This show opened with ALMOST 40 custom designed LEGO sculptures all from the deeply creative mind of Zachary. 

Venomous cubes

We asked Zacahary some questions to share with you about his creative process, take a read below!

How do you design your Lego pieces?


Some of my works are direct scale representations of real world objects and I try to make them as accurate as possible using the different Lego elements.


Art Desk Inspiration 8x9x7

Matchsticks 12 inches tall


Keep it clean 8x8



My more artistic builds such as the cubes and other sculptures are inspired by the bricks themselves sometimes.  I’ll discover a pattern or technique using the bricks that I think is interesting and then incorporate in my work.  


Road Work Cube 14x14x14

Coral Sunset cube 6x6x6


What made you decide to use LEGO as your medium?


I’ve always loved to construct things from a young age and of course LEGO played a large part in my childhood.  During the pandemic I rediscovered my love of Lego but this time took it in a more artistic direction.  After receiving a lot of positive feedback and reactions to my work I started to believe that I could use it as a true art medium. 


Endless Knot cube 7x7x7 pedestal separate 4x4x8

Spiral/hurricane sculpture 5x5 base 12inches tall


What motivates you to create art?


Besides being a way to separate myself from reality for while I love to create things that I have never seen before.  I also love people’s reactions to my work, especially when they realize it is made with Lego. 


Stone with blue topaz core 5x5x8



Paint it Black 5x6x15


Want to see more of Zachary's work? 
Follow THIS LINK to see the entire album of his "Lego My Ego" show!

Thursday, July 18, 2024

NEVER GROW UP... With Dusan Postolovic

 We're excited to be holding another incredible show of Coloured Pencil Drawings by Dusan Postolovic!

His current show "Never Grow Up" is on from now until July 27th with 12 new pieces... all inspired by LEGO and childhood JOY! 


We asked Dusan some questions to share with you, read below to see what he has to say!
(Read all the way to the bottom and find a links Dusan's show album and album of entire works with us)

Why did you decide to draw LEGO?


In recent years I have been more and more inspired to draw items or "things" from my own personal history or from popular culture, that hold some sort of story, significance or nostalgia. I find it facinating that mundane, everyday objects from our past, can have an immense impact on us as people, and I enjoy elevating these objects into the realm of "art" where otherwise they may not be considered as such. 


This series of LEGO works was actually inspired by one particular item, which was the first drawing in this collection the Black Sea Barracuda pirate ship. 

(SOLD) Black Sea Barracuda, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 31.5"x37.5"


From there, a wider idea for a whole series of works emerged, namely one of drawing and turning into art, other significant lego pieces from my childhood, pieces that my son now plays with, and pieces that were uniquely significant to him as he has grown up. I wanted to relay that story of growing up across generations (me growing up and my son growing up) through the pieces I included in this show. Undoutedly and hopefully, some of these themes and memories can also resonate with people who come see the show, and hopefully this can hold true for viewers across generations - both young and old!


Top:
Choo Choo Train, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 15"x25"
Bottom:
Left: Motorcycle Guy, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 11"x14"
Right: Tow Truck, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 11"x14"


This is also where the name "Never Grow Up" came from for the show. The phrase speaks to the general suggestion to everyone to stay young at heart, but is also a very personal message to my own son (and probably for other parents who have young kids) and that is one of not wanting to see him grow up and lose his innocence - of course, seeing him grow up is great and we enjoy seeing him develop and get older, but at the same time it is kind of sad to know that once the younger years are gone, we will never have them again. 



Crocodile, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 19"x25"


Is there a personal connection to the pirate LEGO set?

The first drawing or piece I did in this collection, the Black Sea Barracuda, was actually a set that had always elluded me growing up, and some 30 years later, was a set that still held and holds a mythical place in my heart. For some reason it resonated strongly with me as a child, and still does to this day, and I can't really explain why. Where the set was so hard to obtain and where I had essentially written it off as unattainable due to its rarity and price, I decided to turn it into a piece of art, almost like a relic from my own personal time. I had many other lego pirate sets from that period, but the ship was one I never owned and there was never even a prospect of being able to own it, it was my white whale! 


Crew of the Black Sea Barracuda - available as drawings
Collage of four individual drawings 
Top: "Port Broadside","First Mate Rummy"
Bottom: "Captain Redbeard","Lady Anne Anchor"
(All coloured pencil on watercolour paper, 16"x20", all four sold seperately)


What made you decide to use Coloured Pencils as your medium?
 
I personally like coloured pencil as my medium of choice because of how much time each piece takes to create. I think it adds more importance and relevance to the work. I have to be much more thoughtful and careful with what I choose to draw, and for me it has to have some reason to be made into "art" or I generally won't do it. I can't afford to spend weeks or months on a piece where halfway through I end up not being in love with the subject matter that the piece is representing.

 Snow Speeder, Coloured Pencil on Watercolour Paper, 19"x25"

I think the medium is also one that many people can relate to or understand; I enjoy the fact that there is very little room for error when using the medium - I can't simply erase it or paint over it. So that basically sums it up - the finality of the medium and the length of time the work takes really speak to me. 


Rocket Man, 4"x5" Coloured Pencil on Paper


What motivates you to create art?

Positively impacting the viewer is ultimately what motivates me to create. I hope that my work evokes memories and feelings of nostalgia in the viewer. I also aim to have the viewer think a little deeper when looking at the work and ask themselves why I may have chosen a particular subject matter to draw, or why a series of works is such. I always have many layers of story and reason behind why I choose to draw certain things, and even why I choose to have a series contain the pieces that it does, beyond just what each piece looks like or how cool it may be to see. I hope to make the viewer curious in that regard, and perhaps try to figure this out themselves when looking at the pieces on the wall!


After a great first week of the show Dusan's lovely parents stopped by the gallery to visit and see! We heard wonderful things from them about Dusan's keen interest in art from an early age. 

Dusan's parents posed in front of his work.

"He was better with coloured pencils than a spoon" - Dusan's mom on her son's artistic interests as since early childhood 

Thank you for reading this blog about Dusan's show and artistic inspiration! 

Follow this LINK to see the full  "NEVER GROW UP" show and follow this LINK to see Dusan's entire album of artworks available through the gallery. 




Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Celebrate CAT-urday with Purrrfect Art!

 All art begins somewhere! 

Artist Lillian Crump just shared with us this blast from her past...

Newspaper clipping of  Lillian painting Oscar the cat in 1988

Its great to see some loves never die and Lillian is still pouring her wonderful creative talents into delightful cat inspired artworks! 

Check out these collections of cat-tastic 8.5"x8.5" ART PRINTS by Lillian available at the gallery!

Secret Obsession Series
(From left to right)
Top: The Walk, In a Cafe, Reflection
Bottom: The Kiss, Support Buddies, At the Gallery

(From left to right)
Top: Cezannes not so still art, Girl with Cat and Pearl, How Many Fish Did Matisse Have
Middle: Van Gogh Cat with Irises, A Day, Van Gogh's Cat at the Cafe Terrace
Bottom: Van Goghs Bedroom, American Gothic Study Piece, Van Gogh's Cat with Sunflowers

All prints are sold seperately... but they sure do look nice as a set!

Want to see more from Lillian? Follow this link HERE to see her full album of available works at the gallery!

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Argyle Fine Art- ART SCAVENGER FUN!

 Let's have some fun to coincide with our latest shows by DUSAN POSTOLOVIC and ZACHARY STEINMAN. 

Here are your ART SCAVENGER HUNT HINTS! 

EMAIL us your ANSWERS to : gallery@argylefa.com 

 Correctly Answer at least 5 of these questions and we'll enter you in our draw to 

WIN a LEGO Mini Figure! 

LAST DATE TO SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS IS FRIDAY, July 19th! 

WINNERS will be announced on Saturday, July 20th!

 

FIND ALL ANSWERS BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE , this blog page and our ARTIST PAGES on the website-  Follow links highlighted in the questions to make it a bit easier too! 

 

Happy ART HUNTING!  While you're there, take a look at lots of other amazing local art online!


 

1.  How many Skull Flags are flying on the coloured pencil drawing of the Black Sea Barracuda Pirate Ship by Dusan Postolovic

2.  What type of popular pasta is referenced in a title of one of Zachary Steinman's LEGO cubes?

3.  What month and year did Argyle Fine Art open it's doors? (answer found on our website)

4. Artist Emily Krueckl is a felt artist. Find a piece by her called MAXWELL and tell us what it is of?

5. Name two Argyle Fine Art artists that we showcase that love to paint BIG SKIES!

6. Artist YOKO WHITE makes art using what technique?

7. What artist's are hosting WORKSHOPS with us this Summer?  (answer found on this blog and our website)

8. Tell us a name of an artist that paints fruit? (there are a few artists that do this..just name one you find on our website?)

9. How many HOUSES do you see in the painting by Patrizia Berdkan called  "Better Days Ahead"? 

10. Argyle Fine Art is hosting a INSTA DOG DAYS OF SUMMER? What date is that happening? (answer on our website) 




 

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Take a Gander with Matthew Mongraw

New art is landing in the gallery all the time! 

This lovely painting of Geese at Sullivan's Pond by Matthew Mongraw flew in last week and we've been loving it's sweet serene energy... but it wasn't all sweet sereneness getting it here! Read below what artist Matthew had to say about his adventures snapping pics of the geese in the name of art!

Matthew Mongraw, Geese at Sullivan's Pond, Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36"

 "I was inspired to paint these geese one day while walking by Sullivan's Pond. It was late afternoon and I noticed how the sun was glowing through the gees' feathers, so I stopped to take some reference photos. I obviously got carried away following them around onto land and got too close. One of them was fed up and after staring me down for a moment started charging at me. Luckily I was smart enough to leave before getting attacked, but only after I stayed just long enough to get a close up shot of the attempt!"

 

photo set from Matthew of the grumpy geese quickly losing

 Its not always sunshine and roses making art happen! Make sure you thank your local artists for the hard work they put into making your favourite works of art happen!