UGALLERY BLOG

Since Guinevere de la Mare, Senior Community Manager of Chronicle Books, has joined us on our “Be Art Guest” Pinterest board for Word Week, we decided to show some love to our Bay Area publishing neighbor. Here are our top 5 Art Tomes from Chronicle Books:

1. The Visual Arts: A History by John Fleming and Hugh Honour

“In this Revised Seventh Edition, contemporary art historian Michael Archer has brought the account of contemporary art up to date, reflecting the latest developments that continue to shape out cultural history.” —Chronicle Books

2. Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

“In this interactive coloring and activity book, Marion Deuchars takes the broad canvas of art and fills it with drawings and activities that engage with what art can be, how it can be made, what it can mean for you and what it has meant for people through the ages.” —Chronicle Books

3. Art Made From Books editied by Laura Heyenga

“Artists around the world have lately been turning to their bookshelves for more than just a good read, opting to cut, paint, carve, stitch or otherwise transform the printed page into whole new beautiful, thought-provoking works of art.” —Chronicle Books

4. Andy Warhol Pop Box by The Andy Warhol Foundation

“Andy Warhol has been called the pope of twentieth-century pop culture-a one-man show who dazzled with his innovative influence not only on modern art, but also on film, music, fashion, and even the idea of celebrity. This box offers a unique peek at this modern legends vibrant, chaotic life, with exact reproductions of fascinating ephemera from the Factory years and beyond.” —Chronicle Books

5. Frida Kahlo by Martha Zamora

“Mexican author Martha Zamora captures the essence of one of Mexico’s most prolific and talented painters in a single comprehensive volume.” —Chronicle Books

Which of these is your favorite? Like Chronicle Books, we believe the intersection of literature and art is crucial to define our current cultural moment.

To kick off UGallery’s Word Week, we’ve invited Guinevere de la Mare to guest pin for “Be Art Guest.” Guinevere understands the intersection of art and literature better than anyone. Her blog, Paper is Poetry, is a wellspring of all things art, poetry, and inspiration. She is also the Senior Community Manager at Chronicle Books (our favorite Bay Area book publisher…shhhh).  If her CV doesn’t get you excited to see her pins, check out the image below that we pulled from her blog. It’s book art from Su Blackwell. Now that’s an wordy piece of artwork. Be sure to check out the rest of Guinevere’s pins here.

Happy Pinning, Guinevere!

Whether your father prefers spending his free time dining in the finest restaurants or surfing on the open ocean, we have photography for him. We’ve picked four photographs from our Father’s Day Art Collection to describe four different types of dads. Which best describes your dad?

Mystery Man

Woman & Dog by Peter Diggs

If your dad is the quiet, subtle type, then this colorful and crisp photograph will be right up his alley. Steer Father’s Day down the right road with this automobile gem.

For the Chef and/or Fine Diner

Restaurant in Oxford Street by Ernest Zhanaev

Does Dad know all the best eats in town? Does dad grow a garden so that his meals are always the freshest they can be? Serve this photograph to dads that like to cook, eat, and dine.

For the History Buff

Iwo Jima by Ansen Seale

Ansen Seale’s historic photograph of a soldier in war is perfect for a classic father that enjoys reading long nonfiction stories about war. Have a history buff on your hands? Claim this photograph for dad’s den.

For the Surfer and/or Nature Lover

Does your dad watch endless hours of Planet Earth or National Geographic? Etienne Roudaut’s La Vague is the perfect gift for him. Whether Dad prefers to enjoy nature in the comfort of his own home or out in the waves, this photograph captures all the beauty that enthralls

We hope your dad is one of these four! Maybe he is a little bit of all these dads (in which case you can get more than one!) Visit the Father’s Day Collection for more selections and ideas.

Father’s Day is just around the corner and since Dads are on the brain, we thought it would be interesting to look into Dadaism. What is DADA? Is it art made by dads? Nope. It’s a little more complex than that. Read on to find out exactly what DADAISM is and you’ll have a little bit of history to share this Father’s Day.

Dadaism is an art movement that began in Europe during the 20th century. It stems from the avant-garde. Many speculate that the true origin of Dadaism is Zurich, Switzerland in the beginning of World War I. It was seen as a protest against the upper-class bourgeois. Many Dadaists blamed the rich nationalists for the war.  There are three prominent figures in the Dada Art Movement: Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray.

Marcel Duchamp was famous for creating his “readymades.” In 1917, he submitted one of his most famous works (and the symbol of Dadaism) the Fountain (pictured below). By mixing satire with the mundane, Dadaists made political statements that resonated in the war wrought world arena. Dadaism laid the roots for another art movement: Surrealism.

If you think your Dad may enjoy some Dadaist art, he may just enjoy this painting by UGallery artist Chevis Ordonez:

Drunken Monkey Bar and Grill by Chevis Ordonez

Father & Son by Gregor Hochmuth

For this Father’s Day, UGallery whipped together a collection of our best photography. Sleek and sophisticated, photography is a hassle-free and meaningful gift for any dad (whether he is gadget-guru or not). Capture and remember this Father’s Day with a meaningful gift from UGallery’s photography Father’s Day Collection.

After releasing UGallery’s summer catalog focused on our artists, we caught up with a few of our favorite photographers and painters to ask them a little bit more about their art. Throughout the week, tune in to hear from them. For our first artist, we caught up with Gregor Hochmuth (He is also taking over our Instagram account for a week! Check out which photographs of his we pick daily!) Read on below to find out more about him.

1. What is your favorite subject to photograph?

I love photographing everyday scenes that become unrecognizable in a specific framing or angle. People will often ask me, “What’s that?!” and when I tell them, they’re so surprised because they probably walked past a similar object or place recently but didn’t take note of it. It’s a nudge towards more curiosity in our world. Speaking less abstractly, I also love photographing shop windows, or reflections more broadly, in which I can twist the perception of what’s up or down, what’s mirrored, reflected, or “real”.

2. Do you have a favorite photograph that you’ve ever taken?

Oh! So hard to say! And I hope it changes often. I know that I’ve taken my most favorite collection of photos at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 - it was just such a stunning visual environment. But if I had to pick a single photograph of all, it’d be this timeless favorite, taken in Berlin:

Father & Son by Gregor Hochmuth
 
3. Has working at Instagram changed the way you take photographs?

Unlike any other medium for photography, Instagram rewards you with such instant feedback & appreciation from around the world. When taking photos outside of Instagram, it might take me weeks or months before anyone else would really see them and tell me what they think — with Instagram, someone from somewhere in the world will like a photo within seconds of me posting it. Moreover, it’s so easy to follow an infinite number of amazingly inspiring photographers through Instagram — I’m learning from their perspectives every day.

We just launched our Summer Catalog. This season, we are focusing on our artists, so we have pages and pages of our artist’s portfolios. You can flip through our catalog here.

Alex Andreev. St. Petersburg, Russia.

Evening Wine Tasting

Glenn Quist is like Edward Hopper in his choice of subject matter and in Modigliani style. Glenn derives images from memory and imagination and imbues them with highly stylized colors and shapes. Rather than tell a story directly, Glenn invites his view to derive their own meaning from his work. His paintings are mystical portraits of the subconscious and are “somewhere between dreams and reality.”

Danielle Tibedo. Yucca Valley, California.

Sunshine in the City

Living in Joshua Tree, California has its perks. For Danielle Tibedo, living in the desert offers her endless inspiration. Her passion for nature and love of pure expression are the pillars of her work. With wild abandon and a unabashed style, she turns painting into a spiritual quest to discover beauty.

We just love the work of designer Christopher Patrick of Christopher Patrick Interiors! That’s why we’ve brought him on to the blog to share some of his favorite art interiors with us! Check out his picks below.

As an interior designer I’m often asked to select artwork for my clients.  It’s a tough task considering that artwork can be so personal; but a challenge I’m willing to undertake.  I’m a firm believer in pairing works of art that you love with interiors that you love.  Not everything has to be matchy matchy.  Whether its traditional or contemporary, abstract or realism, photography or oil on canvas, artwork can make a space more engaging and dynamic.  I’ve chosen a few examples that explore different ways designers have added artwork to their spaces to create a cohesive look.

Victoria Hagan uses an over-scale photograph in sepia tones to compliment her tailored interior.  Anchored by a large velvet sofa, this piece of art becomes like a portal into a different world.

Jamie Drake has never been one to shy away from color, and this project is no different.  Using a collection of Gene Davis paintings to add even more color to an already bold entry hall, Drake has managed to turn an otherwise feature color into a “neutral” background color to set off the artwork.  I love the way he’s gathered this collection into two groups of three with a third group of four at the top; one more way to add drama to the space

Frank Roop added artwork in this space that compliments the interior’s overall color scheme.  The nature inspired color palette is only further enhanced by photographs of landscapes.   On such a graphic focal wall, Roop has paired out of focus photography to balance the crisp horizontal stripes.  In white frames and white matting these works of art are set apart from the colors on the wall.  It’s a perfect combination.

Sara Story has combined a graphic piece of art to compliment the bold nature of her interior.  The warm tones in the brick are repeated in the artwork which becomes a focal point over the sofa.

Don’t forget your kitchen!  I love adding artwork to kitchens, it makes them feel more like a living-room and less like a utilitarian-space.  Its a way of visually softening the space without adding tactile objects that can be ruined by the goings on in a kitchen.  Magdalena Keck has created a wonderful collage that does exactly that.  Using a monochromatic scheme as her backdrop, she softens the harshness of the space by adding visual interest in dramatic photography.

Be creative.  Jonathan Adler uses a multitude of mediums to add art to his space (and in a creative way to boot)!  Porcelain sculpture lamps add visual interest to the end tables.  Graphic pillows create a collage of color and pattern on the sofa.  Vintage glass bottles add color to an otherwise neutral space.  And the unusual placement of the paintings (in front of windows) add an unexpected twist to this space that becomes a foil to the traditionalism of the symmetrical space planning.

These rooms are incredible! Thanks for joining us today, Christopher!

There’s no better way to discover amazing interior designers than in The New York Times Home Section. When we stumbled upon UGallery art in a DUMBO residence designed by Tilton Fenwick in the paper, we fell instantly in love. As a thank you to Tilton Fenwick for using Autumn Rose in their project, we invited the Curators of Chic to curate their very own UGallery art collection. Below are three of my favorites from the collection. You can view the rest of their collection here.

Three Women by Jee Young Choi

Rock and Roll by Valerie Chiang

Molten by Alaina Sullivan

If you like what Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick selected, you are not alone. The art in this collection is creating quite the buzz in the twittersphere. Don’t let another design-savvy collector snatch the art before you!

UGallery releases new art and welcomes new artists to our community every week. We love seeing what each new week will bring. Last week’s new artists were Lucy Bangiyeva, Katherine Gendreau, Lana Greben, and Richard Powell! Read on below to learn a little bit more about their work.

Lucy Bangiyeva. New York, New York.

The Adriatic Waves

The intersection of travel and photography has been explored by countless photographers. Lucy Bangiyeva joins the intrepid class of artists and travels to document her own life experiences while traveling the world. Lucy says, “Photography is a way for me to capture the moments that are most memorable in my life and relive my experiences of exploring the world.”

Katherine Gendreau. Ogunquit, Maine.

Study in Blue

Katherine Gendreau received a BA in Studio Art and English from Wheaton College, where she learned to imbue her art with a literary meaning. For Katherine, fine art photography combines emotion with technique and “is an expression of the artist’s sentiment.” Whether Katherine is attempting to capture the “unseen” or record time with long exposures, she creates photographs that depict a dreamy and sensual snapshot of her life.

Lana Greben. St. Marc-de-Figuery, Quebec.

Metamorphosis

By organizing a variety of visual elements onto a single piece of art, Lana Greben is able to focus on the representing images as well as how they are perceived. She approaches art from a didactic and dynamic stance to question the individual and the collective subconscious. Lana says, “To create an image with extended emotional and psychedelic range, and to generate a meaningful viewing experience, I intersect lines, colours and textures in simple yet complex interactions.”

Richard Powell. Lakeway, Texas.

Serenity Point

Richard Powell is an avid art collector and painter. He surrounds himself with the things that will inspire his work and does whatever will help him work harder and better. Richard says his images “can arrive full blown or like cookie crumbs spread out on a path before me. I consider each one a gift to materialize to the best of my abilities. If I’ve faithfully transmitted that vision to the viewer, then I consider it a success.” He received a graduate art degree from California State University, Northridge.

If you’re loving these artists, let them know by leaving a comment on their UGallery profile page. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

Did you get a chance to read the wedding tips from Wedding Window? Last week, we brought the experts at Wedding Window onto the UGallery blog to advise us on branding a wedding in an artful manner. This week, we’ve invited them back to give us some visual clues on what makes a great wedding. Wedding Window will be pinning pins of gowns, invitations, venues and more onto UGallery’s “Artful Weddings” board. This guest board, an incarnation of the “Be Art Guest” board, is exclusively for wonderful wedding inspiration, so it’s only fitting that Wedding Window would hop on. Without further ado, I pronounce Wedding Window this week’s guest pinner.

Happy Pinning!

UGallery releases new art and welcomes new artists to our community every week. We love seeing what each new week will bring. This week’s newest artist are Michael O’Day and Kevin Perlic! Read on below to learn a little bit more about their work.

Michael O’Day. Taylor, Pennsylvania.

Forms and Shapes IV

Reality is the foundation of Michael O’Day’s art. He mimics the geometric shapes and shadows that dance in the real world with charcoal to form a direct representation of his inner reality. Michael says, “I use the reality we see as a kind of armature on which to build an alternate reality.” He pulls direct inspiration from George Inness, Robert Kipniss, Thomas Hart Benton, and Diego Rivera.

Kevin Perlic. Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Peacock

Kevin Perlic found photography to be a means of capturing the world around him. Kevin seeks the beautiful in nature and life by peering through the lens of his camera. With a snap of the shutter and his own artistic manipulations, Kevin captures the true essence of the environment. While he loves to take photos in and around the Mid-West, he also document the travels he embarks on with his wife. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Cleveland State University.

If you’re loving these artists, let them know by leaving a comment on their UGallery profile page. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

We are so excited to have Wedding Window join us to give us the tips needed to make our weddings artful! Read on below for inspiration on making your big day truly one to remember.

Hi!  We’re Wedding Window and we’re so happy to be visiting the UGallery blog today to share some wedding branding tips with you!  Creating a wedding brand allows you to create a sense of consistency and anticipation for your guests. Similar to the way companies create custom brands to represent their business, creating a personalized wedding brand will enable you to introduce your wedding theme and your style as a couple well ahead of the event. Not to mention, if you build a wedding brand, it allows your guests to get a sense of what they have to look forward to from the point they receive your save the date.

When creating your wedding brand, you’ll want to start by selecting specific design elements that show your style and personality as a couple but also reflect your wedding theme. Since the initial piece you send your guests sets the tone for the rest of the event, you’ll want to think through your choices carefully before you send it out. Whether you focus on a particular color palette, pattern or theme… you’ll want to make sure that the concept of your brand flows throughout your wedding design from beginning to end.

Your wedding brand should be apparent to your guests right from the very start and today we’re here to tell you how.  At Wedding Window, we offer the perfect way to introduce your guests to your brand with our customizable wedding websites.  We have some very sweet free website themes, but for a website with ultimate customization options, you can also upgrade to one of our premium themes which include a host of possibilities, including custom color schemes, custom photo options, music and more!  You can even include your UGallery Art Wedding Registry on your website.  

To make it easier for you to carry your brand from your wedding website into the rest of your wedding details, we recently partnered up with Simply to Impress to provide our couples with matching paperie for your wedding website!  With our themes Stitch, Darkroom and Favori there are options for matching Save the Dates, Engagement Party Invites, Bridal Shower Invites and Wedding Announcements. 

Thanks so much, Wedding Window. I guess it’s time to get married!

We are thrilled to invite Rashi Birla of the design blog, Bucket of Squash, to UGallery’s “Be Art Guest” Pinterest board. Think of Bucket of Squashas virtual potpourri. It’s a hand-crafted mix of wonderful things. Rashi is a blogger meets graphic designer who culls her favorite designs and visuals from the blog-o-sphere and beyond to present true beauty to her readers. Since spring is in full bloom, Rashi plans to pin all the things that make her think of this wonderful season. The very first board on her Pinterest is dedicated to Flowers & Foliage, so I know this will be a ton of fun. Check out the pin below from that very board.

Sweet, right? If you want to see more like it, jump right on board to UGallery’s “Be Art Guest” board to see more of her floral and springtime finds.

Happy Pinning, Rashi!

UGallery releases new art and welcomes new artists to our community every week. We love seeing what each new week will bring. This week’s newest artist are Debbie Angell, Claudia Davis, Karin Johanneson, Ziling Wang and Ying Zheng! Read on below to learn a little bit more about her work.

Debbie Angell. Battle Creek, Michigan.

Neon Fresco II
Debbie Angell began her artistic career as a graphic artist living and working in a host of places from Germany to the Pacific Northwest. Debbie culls inspiration from her travels as well as the cultural institutions she frequents. Debbie currently resides in Western Michigan with her 16-year-old dog loyally by her side.

Claudia Davis. Granbury, Texas.

Sailing on Flat Head Lake

Claudia Davis is passionate about Montana’s landscapes. With oils in hand, Claudia paints en plain air to capture the true essence of the environment. She is inspired by Katherine Stats and Jill Carver.

Karin Johanneson. Waterloo, Ontario.

Irises

Karin Johanneson is a self-taught artist from Ontario who specializes in contemporary watercolor paintings. Karin enjoys expanding the conventions of this traditional medium with her use of vibrant colors and spontaneous brushstrokes. While she enjoys to paint flowers most, she is expanding her art to encompass the alluring portrait.

Ziling Wang. London, United Kingdom.

Kingfisher

Ziling Wang completed her MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London) and had great success in the art and design world. She participated in Alexander McQueen’s 2011 global retail collection. She says, “My watercolor drawings give the traditional Chinese watercolor paintings a contemporary edge by adding a textile and flat graphical element to the feathers and branches. It also incorporates subtle color changes which provides a more artistic, rather than realistic, interpretation.”

Ying Zheng. Bellingham, Washington

Lotus Pond No. 1

Ying Zheng is inspired by poetry and prose and references the beauty of the written word  in her powerful abstract paintings. She organizes color and shape to create a melody and rhythm similar to music. Her play with harmonic colors and literary thoughts results in stunning paintings.

If you’re loving these artists, let them know by leaving a comment on their UGallery profile page. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

In honor of our Bedroom Makeover Giveaway with Crane & Canopy, we pulled together three of our favorite bedroom makeovers from expert interior designers and homeowners just like you. With these rooms as inspiration and our $500 bedding and art giveaway (which you can enter for a chance to win here), you’ll be one step closer to making your dream bedroom a reality.

Put a Frame On It

DesignSponge featured this bedroom makeover from interior designer Shannon Kaye. There are a lot of DIY touches that look absolutely stunning (interior designer-approved). Beyond the new wall color and fancy bedding, we love the bold photographs (framed perfectly) hanging on the wall.

Happy in the Hamptons

Photo Credit: Trevor Tondro of Housebeautiful

Housebeautiful editor Frances Schultz worked on her East Hampton home renovations one room at a time. It’s pretty darn cool to turn an arched wall into a vanity, but what really catches the eye is the art. Look at that gorgeous gallery wall.

Paintings and Pillows

Don’t have a mirror that you can perfectly fit into the enclaves of your room? You can make a difference in your bedroom without grand gestures. Simply adding colorful throw pillows and a beautiful painting above your headboard can make your bedroom a whole new space. This bedroom makeover was featured in the wonderful Apartment Therapy.

Are you inspired yet? Enter our giveaway and you’ll earn $250 to Crane & Canopy as well as $250 to UGallery. It’s a perfect place to start. Have fun and get to makeover-ing: http://www.ugallery.com/giveaway.aspx

We’ve partnered with the amazing Crane & Canopy to bring a lucky winner a $500 Bedroom Makeover. The winner will receive $250 to Crane & Canopy and $250 to UGallery. Enter for a chance to win here: http://www.ugallery.com/giveaway.aspx

UGallery releases new art and welcomes new artists to our community every week. We love seeing what each new week will bring. This week’s newest artist are Amna Mehmood, Mike Kaplan, Tricia May and Karen Darling! Read on below to learn a little bit more about her work.

Amna Mehmood. San Jose, California.

Time

Amna Mehmood creates stories of fictional characters living in fictional worlds. Her photographs tell tales that go beyond the models and the settings she shoots. Amna hopes to create secret worlds and stories for people to enjoy. She says, “one can just sit, staring at a photograph, lost in the worlds that exist inside it.

Mike Kaplan. Sedgefield, Western Cape.

Winter Morning at Saunder’s Rocks

Mike Kaplan developed his eye for landscapes while studying graphic design in London. His fascination with William Turner’s ability to capture the movement of water motivated him to take his design eye to rivers and oceans with a camera in hand. By snapping long-exposure shots at sunrise and sunset, Mike Kaplan develops his own mastery of the flowing quality of a seascape.

Tricia May. Boise, Idaho.

Another Day in Yachats

Tricia May looks to the philosophy of yin and yang to drive her balanced compositions. With Mother Nature as a guiding force for her art, Tricia takes oil to canvas to depict the play of warm and cool colors found in landscapes, flowers, and the sky. Tricia May founded the Plein Air Painters of Idaho and is a member of Oil Painters of America.

Karen Darling. Brampton, Canada

Black Dress

Trained as an illustrator, Karen Darling has learned to capture the human form in all its essence. Her female forms seem to dance across the canvas. Despite a love for abstractions, Karen keeps enough of her understanding of the body to develop a clear and stylistic approach to the figure.

If you’re loving these artists, let them know by leaving a comment on their UGallery profile page. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

After a run of wedding pinners, we’re excited to invite an expert interior designer as UGallery’s next guest pinner. Tina Ramchandani of Life in Sketch reminds us that making our homes beautiful is equally as important as making our weddings memorable. Tina will be hopping on board to pin an array of sketches on UGallery’s “Be Art Guest” board. In true Life in Sketch fashion, Tina will deliver the most beautiful designs that she comes across on her day-to-day. So if you need a little inspiration to make your home just a smidge more artful, look no further. Tina will give you just what you need.