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Contemporary Art Online: Artsia

November 2, 2012

Hey you guys! Today I have a little surprise for you. Today we are going to explore the world of Artsia – a contemporary art site dedicated to promote independent artists from around the world. As you know, I am a absolute lover of online marketplaces and affordable art, so when Lindsey – one of the editors – contacted me, I couldn’t resist to ask for an interview!

So, here it is. An intimate talk with Lindsey and a peek into the creative world of Artsia:

TAD: What does a typical day at Artsia look like?

We are based in so many locations all around the world so most of what we do is done online, via email and skype. Our founder Colin is now in Vancouver, from where we coordinate our marketing, PR and web development.

The curatorial process is managed online with Catherine in London and Emily in Vancouver, plus various friends and curators around the world who find new artists and help us to grow the network.

I work as editor in New York, writing articles for the site, as well as coordinating new articles from artists and writers around the world. I get to interview a new artist in our community every month and send out newsletters full of featured works. We just published an article about the Melbourne art scene, and recent articles have focused on a range of international art topics, including the language of art, the Asian art market and the life of art critic Robert Hughes.

TAD: Who are some of your favorite artists from the site?

All of the members of the Artsia team have their favorites, and we really try to find artists who have something special, with a unique and distinct style.

Our favourites also keep changing, a new piece will be uploaded to the site and suddenly we have new ones! Some of the artists we can all agree on who come to mind are (though there are many!):Margaret Zox Brown, Jesus Leguizamo, Karina Knight, Aixa Oliveras, David L. Smith, Henrik Aarrestad Uldalen and Jonathan Alibone.

TAD: What’s your advice for first time art buyers?

Our advice is really simple – buy what you love! Too often buying art is often confused with an ‘investment’ and that is not what art is about. Yes contemporary art can increase in value, but much more than, buying a piece of art is something you will enjoy every day. So it is all about the connection that you feel with a piece, which is a deeply personal thing and so it should be driven by your feeling you get from the piece, and don’t let a gallery owner tell you otherwise!

Some crucial steps are to look around – there are literally thousands of artists who’s art is investible at the moment, and so you should find one who’s work you feel you could look at every day, and still feel that warmth and that special something whenever you look at it. It’s a bit like finding your life partner, you need to think “is this the piece of art I could wake up to every morning?”

And who wouldn’t like to wake up to this cute cow every morning!?

Thanks so much Lindsey and team for sharing your answers here on the blog and thanks desperados for tagging along. Hope you have a great weekend filled of creativity!

IMAGES: Artsia.com

Please note this is NOT a sponsored post of any kind. If you would like to see your work featured on the blog, just drop me a line and let’s talk :)

color me rad vancouver GIVEAWAY

August 3, 2012

Remember I posted about Color Me Rad 5K not long ago? Well, I have a surprise for you!

I got 2 – yes two – FREE registrations for the Vancouver race! Which combined are worth $100 Canadian shells. You don’t have to be a professional runner (I am definitely not) or a crazy fitness guru – all you need is a burning desire to have some good ol’ summer fun, help your community (benefits from the race go to Keep a Breast Canada) and be eager to get bombed with color – lots of it!

Did that image motive you or what? Ok so here’s how you can WIN one of the free registrations.

Option 1: Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite color is. Include your email or twitter handle so I can get in touch with you.

Option 2: Subscribe to the blog by entering your email address on the banner provided at the top of the page. Easy!

Option 3: Take a rad photo on Instagram and tag me in it @artfuldesperado . Anything goes!

You can combine all 3 options to increase your luck. Winners will be chosen randomly from the list of entries and I’ll announce them here on the blog next Friday August 10th. The race takes place on August 18th at the Thunderbird Stadium in UBC. For more info about the race click here.

Participate and get ready to join the most outrageously colorful party this summer. Art and sports together yo! Good luck everyone :)

PS – just in case you were wondering, the colorful powder is a non-toxic, non-rash-inducing, Kroger branded, colored corn-starch. Say that 3 times, fast!

6 instagramers on the watchlist

August 1, 2012

By now you may know about my Instagram obsession, right? The city walks, the workshops – even my side banners are instagram photos! Well, I must admit that if there was a support group for this app, I’d be in it.

I know there’s a lot of debate out there about “is Instagram killing photography?, is it all fake?” and to that I say – NO IT AIN’T and get over it. Instagram lets people share amazing images that otherwise we would not be able to see. It opens a little window to everyone’s creativity, how bad can that be? Plus, it’s all about the people! The app is just a tool.

Lately I’ve been following the feeds of a few peeps, you know, I do my daily check ups on their account and I always find something beautiful. Today I’ll share with you some of my latest favorites! (which was kinda hard to choose cuz I got so many) If you’re into art, design and photography, then you should definitely follow these fine fellas. Give it up for the 6 instagramers on the watchlist!

1: @michaelnewsted – Michael has quite the feed with over 1,700 photos – all of them documenting precious moments with friends

2: @kaketeiruhoshi – I know little about this iger – what I do know is that her feed is a visual feast

3: @monbraee – Erica has a great eye for soft-mood photos and pretty vignettes

4: @thecuisinerd – Shazam! Lots of pretty food on this one. Kristin – aka The Cuisinerd – will make you lick your phone screen – that good!

5: @artchang – Startup founder / photographer / software engineer. Uh. Wow.

6: @hitchdesign – Megan’s graphic design skills and good eye for styling can be spotted throughout her feed. Just look at the picture above!

Got any other great Instagramers we should follow? Tell us about it on the comments below! Even better, leave your instagram handle so we can find you.

announcing the artists of Gather

July 23, 2012

Hello friends, how’s it going?

I have exciting news! You know I love art and creativity, right? (you might have gotten the hint from all the posts in here, hehe) for the longest time I’ve been wanting to curate art for a public space with lots of color and artists that are really something else. Well, thanks to Gather I am now able to do it! Woop. Gather is a pop-up up that’s set to open its doors this coming Friday the 27th and my friend Cariann is one of the gals organizing it, she asked me a few weeks ago if I’d like to curate the art on the walls and my answer was “FUCK YES!!!”

I am so stoked to finally get to do something like this! I hope this is the beginning of many other curated shows. So, you wanna discover who the artists of gather are?

Drum roll please!

First off – Jessica Bell:

I love the simplicity of her work and the way she uses pops of color here and there. She created brand new pieces for this show and I can’t wait to see them on the wall. Next stop: Sarah Gee

Remember I said “lots of color” – well here you go. Sarah’s work is incredible, all of those circles are paper cut outs! The precision is just stunning and the way she puts them together, hypnotizing. Now, you know I couldn’t leave collages out of the equation, right? Cue, Danielle Krysa, a.k.a. The Jealous Curator

Hot babes and mixed media – a total winning combo. Danielle created this series titled Blush to depict her experiences as a teenager and her discovery of sexuality. Did I mention those are actual scratch n’ sniff stickers? Yep. This is going to be interactive! Last but not least is Jose Rivas

Another bang of color! Jose’s work is full of bold brush strokes and bright hues, what’s not to like? He’ll have 4 different pieces for show at Gather which will definitely compliment the rest of the collection.

Wait, there’s one more surprise. I invited Troy Moth from the Mammoth Collection to join the group and he will have a wonderful selection of art prints from his site. What else do you need? Seriously, lots of talent under one roof. Can’t wait for it!

If you are in Vancouver, then you should definitely come to Gather to give some love to our local artists (and say hello!). If you’re not in the area, you can follow the action on instagram and twitter. See you there friends :)

5 art and design pinners you should follow

June 20, 2012

Hello fellas!

It goes without saying – Pinterest is a social juggernaut that’s here to stay. As an artist you should definitely take advantage of it, and as you’ll see in a bit some people are mastering the art of pinning. Today I bring you some of the finest pinners on the block . These artsy gals have so much eye candy you’ll get visual cavities – if such thing exists.

First in line: Capree Kimball – an absolute design power house! This crazy pinner (yes, she must be crazy, otherwise how can she pin so many great finds on a daily basis?!) is a freelance blogger and contributor for design sites like Curbly and Wantist. Oh,did I also mention she’s the Managing Editor for Dog Milk? – yah, I’m a bit jealous (the good kind of course).

Next stop: Kate Singleton – founder of Buy Some Damn Art and Art Hound (both are part of my list of favorite sites). If you guessed her pinterest account is filled with an arsenal of color and inspiration – then you guessed correctly. She also uses her expertise to curate other great boards; fashion, interior design and tattoos are all included.

My 3rd featured pinner is Cariann Burger – aside from being an awesome friend and all round rad girl – she’s also the right side of the brain in Cargoh and one of the organizers of Gather. Her interior design experience and love for all things creative has made her a pinning machine – seriously, like the Robocop of Pinterest – only that she’s from Reno…and she doesn’t wear batteries.

Now it’s Norah Guignon‘s turn. Does the site Curate 1K ring any bells? Of course it does! Ok, for those of you who haven’t heard any ringing in your head yet – Norah’s site is all about affordable art, every week she brings a new collection that never exceeds the $1000 mark. Her pinterest account is just as smart – so wonderfully curated.

Last but not least – Lena of Konfetti, a Scandinavian blog that’s so stylish it hurts. I think it’s the water over there because seriously, I have yet to see a blogger on that region of the world that’s not design savvy. I bet you their 1st baby word is “ma-ma-minimal”. Lena has an extensive collection of beautiful pins that range from DIY to graphic design and more. Enjoy!

Alrighty – that is it for today! I know, it’s addicting. If you have any good pinners you want to suggest or if you want to connect with others, leave a comment below! Happy humpday all :)

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