David Bromley: of birds and butterflies, pirates and playthings

September 19, 2023September 16, 2023 ~ jama ~ 7 Comments

*Australian painter and sculptor David Bromley.*

David Bromley, whose unique style is instantly recognizable, is one of Australia’s most prolific and innovative artists. There’s no mistaking his bold black outlines, daring colors, and striking textures and layers, all executed on a large scale with graphic intention.

I first ran across his paintings of children, which harken back to vintage picture books and magazines. The world of toys, teddies, rabbits, sailboats, paper hats, rocking horses, scooters, and red mary janes is pretty much where I live, and I appreciated the nostalgic fix without the sentimentality.

You can see why I had to learn more about this self taught artist, who was actually born in Sheffield, England (1960), but grew up in Australia after his family immigrated there when he was three.

In addition to his children’s series, he’s most well known for his butterflies & birds and female nude portraits. Bromley is also an accomplished sculptor, working in bronze and resin. Many of these pieces also explore the childhood themes of innocence lost and found (whimsical elephants, kids playing leapfrog).

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loving elizabeth price’s whimsical ceramic sculptures

May 26, 2020May 23, 2020 ~ jama ~ 20 Comments

Why, hello!

Look who’s relaxing up there on that shelf. She seems to be enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. As long as no one reaches for the sugar, she’s all set. 🙂

I was instantly smitten when I first saw Elizabeth Price’s charming ceramic figures. People standing, bending, stretching, sitting, posing — alone or with others — a state of mind, a moment in a narrative, a three dimensional snapshot that arouses curiosity and makes the viewer smile, ponder, or reflect.

Her pieces are brilliantly emotive; much is conveyed by stance and gestures — some as small as the tilt of the head or a certain set of the shoulders. I also love the soft colors and patterns of the garments! Wouldn’t you enjoy the lovely surprise of finding a small person lounging in your garden, posed on your bathroom sink, perched on your bookshelf?

Elizabeth is (you guessed it) British. She initially trained as an art teacher but early on ran her own restaurant in Manchester. It wasn’t until she was in her forties that she pursued formal art training and set up a home studio.

She’d always enjoyed working with clay, and after making many cakes with marzipan, she was reminded of just how much. 🙂

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creativiTEA: loving amy flynn’s fabulous fobots!

May 15, 2014May 14, 2014 ~ jama ~ 13 Comments

amy — Raleigh, NC artist Amy Flynn is passionate about shopping and making things.

Fantastic, funky, fine, futuristic, flamboyant, fetching, fierce, fanciful, quirky and wonky.

Amy Flynn’s amazing FOBOTS (Found Object Robots) are just plain fun! She scours the world for cool junk to create her one-of-a-kind sculptures, fascinating characters who go by such whimsical, punny names as “Biscotty,” “Boobarella,” “Dan Sedan,” “Robot Robama,” and “Scubi Dude.”

A freelance illustrator for 25+ years (greeting cards, children’s books, giftware), Amy shifted her focus to fobots when the economy tanked in 2008. She admits to always having a weird fixation for robots and loving flea markets, so why not exercise her creative muscle by doing something that truly makes her happy?

She lives in a 1920’s house and her first fobot was made from an original doorknob as well as other junk she found in her basement. Now, in addition to flea markets and scrapyards, Amy finds spare parts via internet auctions. She solders and bolts the pieces together and includes a numbered copper plate on the back of each sculpture. If the fobot opens, there’s a metal heart inside, just like the tin man.

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creativiTEA: stacy polson’s wild and wooly teapots

February 19, 2014February 23, 2014 ~ jama ~ 18 Comments

Today’s spot of creativiTEA is brought to you by San Francisco-based artist Stacy Polson.

She created these needle-felted teapot sculptures for an exhibition at the Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, MA. She chose “If Ducks Ran the Circus” as her theme for these beautiful and whimsical pieces.

She initially got into needle felting while trying to re-create 17th century Japanese woodcuts in wool. I love the gorgeous colors and quirky details of her wool paintings. Isn’t it simply amazing what can be done with a needle, some wool, “a little determination,” and lots of imagination?

“Three Sisters” is available for purchase via RiverSea Gallery (click for info).

Stacy is self-taught and tells me she’ll be making more teapots, which makes me very happy indeed. 🙂

Peruse her website gallery and flickr photostream for more of her stunning work. Truly a feast for the eyes!

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Indie Artist Spotlight: Patty of Dedalos Art Dolls

April 1, 2013March 31, 2013 ~ jama ~ 6 Comments

hanna doll — Hanna the Writer Doll on a Bed of Roses

I first saw Patty’s lovely dolls several weeks ago when Etsy posted her enchanting stop motion video, “A Doll Making Story.” Instantly charmed, I was curious to find out more about the artist who was able to transform pieces of paper clay and scraps of vintage fabric into beautiful dolls with heart. All her pieces are handmade without the use of molds and are one of a kind.

The mysterious Patty, who chooses not to divulge her surname or reveal her likeness in a photo, lives in Florence, Italy, surely one of the most beautiful cities in the world, known for its rich history, culture, art, architecture, and high fashion. Who would not be inspired to create some form of art when living in the birthplace of the Renaissance? I still sigh and swoon whenever I recall standing in the Uffizi Gallery gazing at Botticelli’s “Primavera.”

I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting Patty, who, in addition to English, speaks Italian, Spanish, French, and a bit of Russian. She named her shop “Dedalos” (“maze”), after Daedalus, the first artist and artisan in Greek mythology who built the famous Labyrinth for King Minos in Crete. I’m always fascinated by how an artist can make a doll actually resemble a famous person yet still emanate her own trademark style.

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