Glass Jewels

Stained Glass Panel in

Frank Lloyd Wright

Style at

Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix.

Frank Lloyd Wright

always liked to create an entire environment in his buildings and homes. He designed furniture, rugs, light fixtures, stained glass, pottery, fabrics - whatever a home would need. His student

Albert McArthur

, who collaborated with Wright on the design, included a glass panel typical of his teacher's style that now serves as a beautiful focal point at the entrance.

Stacked Blocks by Design

Vintage Postcard of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel

The hotel opened in 1929 and was the first resort complex in the Phoenix area. Two brothers from Chicago named McArthur, asked their brother Albert McArthur, who had studied with Frank Lloyd Wright to design the hotel complex. McArthur and Wright collaborated on the design and it's detials and McArther used Wright's "textile block" design to create the "Biltmore Block" from which the buildings are constructed.


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On the Water


Although the title seems to indicate that this work was done in Venice, Italy, it tongue-in-cheek, because it was actually done in Suffolk England, the city of Walberswick, to be exact. Mackintosh who was working primarily as an architect, took-up watercolor (an earlier pursuit) when commissions slowed.


More Strawberries


Wallpaper design with Strawberries by C.F.A. Voysey, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

This is another Victorian design for wallpaper by the architect and designer Charles Voysey. His work was influenced by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain, and also by the Art Nouveau movement. World War I interfered with his commissions for building homes and decorating them, but in 1931, a retrospective of his work held at the Batsford Gallery, brought recognition for his work.


We're Shocked Too


Yesterday, a version of this iconic artwork broke all auction records when it sold for $119.9 million dollars making it the highest amount a work of art has ever sold for. It is actually not surprising, as The Scream has become one of the most recognized art works in the world along with the Mona Lisa and American Gothic.

Classic Beauty

Daybreak

by

Maxfield Parrish

, 1922, Private Collection.

Parrish's

father was an artist and he was encouraged by his family to pursue a career as an artist. He had a good deal of success as an artist, but also as an

illustrator

who added life and color to many books. This is one of his most famous pieces and is still available as a print today, also still very popular.

There is a retrospective of Parrish's work through September 2, 2012 at The National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, RI.

The Bold Five

I Saw the Figure Five in Gold by Charles Demuth, 1928, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The subject of this painting is the poet William Carlos Williams whose poem The Red Wheelbarrow is a favorite among literature students because it is short and sweet. Demuth created a series of abstract portraits of friends including Williams which he called Poster Portraits.

Art Done Outside

Matthew Airent's Angel by Reverend Howard Finster, 1987, Private Collection.

Reverend Howard Finster is categorized as an "Outsider Artist," which means that he was basically self-taught and that he created his art out of a inherent need to express himself. His art took many forms including his home Paradise Gardens, located in Summerville, GA. The city hosts a festival every year in his honor (it is May 5 & 6 this year).

The First Male Supermodel


A project called Corsi: The World's First Male Supermodel a documentary by Jake Gorst that tells the story of the actor and model who worked with important late 19th and early 20th century artists and whose face and figure can be found in paintings and statues all over the world.

 Corsi posed for this series by British Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones

The Hand Refrains, Pygmalion II by Edward Burne-Jones, 1875-78, Birmingham City Museums & Art Gallery


Gorst is looking for funding via Kickstarter his project deadline is April 20th.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet


Sadly, this plan which would make travel easier along the I-80 corridor and offer an alternative to cars, has been shelved in OH, but continues to gain footing in MI and IL. Then OH will have to play catch-up instead of being ahead of the game. The poster is the thing that caught my eye. It recalls the WPA travel posters of the past. Could not find a credit for who designed it, does anyone know?

Beadspread as Wall Hanging



Portrait of the Artist's Wife by Louis Grell, 1922 available at Aspire Auctions

Louis Grell was born in Council Bluffs, IA he studied art in Europe and eventually ended-up making his home in Chicago where he lived and worked at the famous Tree Studios building. He is best known as a muralist. This painting is being offered for sale at Aspire Auctions as part of their February 2012 sale.

Auctions without Boarders


Some of you may know that I am an adjunct art history instructor, but I have recently begun working at an online auction house based here in Cleveland called Aspire Auctions. I was looking for something part-time to do in those months between teaching assignments (and paychecks) and I have always been a collector and interested in antiques, so this seems to be the answer. The company runs the auctions online, so their clients are all over the world.

Worth the wait and the $1.99

Having been a fan of Post Secret for years I was excited to see what the app would be like. It is addictive and different from the website, in that each post made shows up immediately. You can view geographically or by time posted. It is not curated like the website. Maybe a spell check feature will come in the future. It is a paid app and available for the Android or iPhone. Here is a link. This is an unpaid and unsolicited endorsement, from a fan of the Post Secret Project.

Abstract Meaning


Elegy to the Spanish Revolution, 70, by Robert Motherwell, 1961, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, © Dedalus Foundation, Inc./Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Motherwell was both a painter and an art historian. He is responsible for explaining the his work and the work of his fellow Abstract Expressionists to the world. A task that is still daunting, even today, sixty some years later. Motherwell combined his travel experience with his style of Action Painting to create bold works that were always poignantly titled.