visual art

Gary Bunt: the joy of simple pleasures

~ jama ~ 15 Comments
“Life is But a Dream” by Gary Bunt.

Today, a little sampler of quintessential British charm with paintings + poems by beloved artist Gary Bunt.

You may remember my featuring his work a couple of years ago, when I mentioned that he usually includes a short poem on the back of his paintings. His ‘old man with dog’ pictures have made his work instantly recognizable and highly accessible.

His scenes of country life are comforting and reassuring, just what the doctor ordered in these troubling times. There’s just something so endearing about hearing the little dog’s point of view. 

See if these pictures + short poems — by the sea, on the farm, and in the garden — don’t tug at your heartstrings. All were created in 2021-2022.

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THE SEA WALL

Down by the beach
By the sea wall
Across the sea
The east wind whips
But I don’t care
I am just happy to share
My Master’s fish and chips

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DOGGY PADDLE

I’m having a paddle
With my Master
But it’s hard to concentrate
I’m trying to be good
Like I know that I should
But there are biscuits over
There on that plate
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Michael Sowa: Master of Comic Surrealism

~ jama ~ 14 Comments

My ongoing search for bear images online often leads to the discovery of some pretty amazing artists. 

Michael Sowa

Take German surrealist Michael Sowa, for example. Years ago, I ran across his painting of a teddy bear sitting alone at a table with a slice of bread and a glass of milk. When I saw that same bear hanging by his ears from a clothesline, that was it – I became a forever fan.

Little did I realize that the paintings were part of a book called A Bear Called Sunday, written by Axel Hacke (Bloomsbury, 2004).  Sowa has also illustrated two other children’s books: Esterhazy: The Rabbit Prince, by Irene Dische and Hans Magnus Enzensberger (Creative Co., 2000), and The Little King December, another title by Axel Hacke (Bloomsbury, 2002). 

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Sarah Bowman: In and out of the Window

~ jama ~ 3 Comments

A cup of tea, a sweet treat, and a lovely view: who could ask for more?

British artist Sarah Bowman is known for her ‘though the window’ paintings, which impart a soothing sense of peace, calm and serenity. 

Sarah in her home studio.

This unique hybrid of a still life in the foreground with a landscape beyond invites the viewer to enjoy a dual narrative, with the chosen objects and the space around them telling one story and the outdoor scene another.

Bowman has said that her landscapes are derived from memory; they’re an amalgamation of places she’s visited such as Cornwall, Devon, the Scilly Isles, and Andalucia.

She actually lives in Ashburton, Devon, where she works at home in an attic studio. She and her husband own the White Space Art Gallery in nearby Totnes, a market town with a thriving arts community. 

Sarah works in oil on board or canvas, using a gentle, muted palette. A harmonious blend of subdued greens, blues and greys with pops of pinks, yellows, oranges and purples speak of idyllic coastlines, stone quays, fishing villages, patchwork fields, quaint cottages and rolling hills dotted with sheep.

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