"I Saw The Rain", Ishi Glinsky
Art can really make a house a home, and a simple swap of a few pieces can change the vibe entirely. A neutral room with vibrant artwork can feel energetic and sophisticated. A tonal space with textural art can feel calm and inviting.
I am always on the hunt for amazing art/artists for my client's homes (and my own as well), and today we wanted to feature 6 Native American artists who's work really resonated with us.
As I've mentioned before, I believe that creative work is a higher-level merging of soul and spirit, imagination and experience, surroundings and environment. When something resonates with you, I believe it's all that energy and inspiration coming through, speaking to you on another level. Today's pieces do that for us, and we hope they do the same for you.
Alanah Jewell is a mixed first nations artist out of Oneida. We discovered her on Instagram and fell in love with her graphic, color-blocked animal images. I especially love the wolf on the right, comprised of a face and several other animals - a nod to the reality that we are all connected.
My son saw these over my shoulder and is begging for one for his room, so you'd better get there before I do! For purchase info, shoot her a DM on Instagram.
Kevin Red Star grew up on the Crow reservation in southern Montana. "His art is honored throughout Native America for its authenticity. It presents a shining vision of centuries-old Crow (Apsaalooka) culture through the eyes of a thoroughly contemporary consciousness."
I love the muted, earthy colors, the 2/3rds, 1/3rd compositions, and of course the subject matter.
Stanley Boydston, a member of the Cherokee Nation, did his first oil painting at 2 years old. His work is colorful and vibrant, graphic and bold. I love how the lines are almost straight, yet slightly imperfect. The washed-out areas and paint splatter add to the visual interest. These paintings could chameleon perfectly into any style of home.
Mccoy's work feels very pop-artesque - a mix of comic books and punk rock that is graphic, colorful, and forever interesting. The piece above is one of my favorites! I love its edgy style and that only a portion of the image has color.
I LOVE Smith's work. I find myself incredibly drawn to all her pieces, be it the color palettes, the use of line weights, or the subject matter. From her bio: "Smith has been creating complex abstract paintings and prints since the 1970s. Combining appropriated imagery from commercial slogans and signage, art history and personal narratives, she forges an intimate visual language to convey her insistent socio-political commentary with astounding clout." These pieces would be incredibly compelling in a neutral room with expansive wall space designed to celebrate them.
"Ishi Glinsky is a sculptor, painter and installation artist, who works and resides in Los Angeles, California...As a primarily self-taught artist, Glinsky investigates traditional techniques of his tribe, the Tohono O’odham Nation, as well as other Nations to create contemporary homages to sacred events and practices."
I love the textural detail, the color balance, and almost luminescent quality of Glinsky's paintings. This one reminds me of a snake, nuanced and elegant in its design.
We hope these artists have inspired you as much as they have us. If you are a Native American artist or know one worth checking out, tag us on Instagram @KLHHomeStaging and @TheFreshmakerDesign so we can get to know each other!
- Stacey Martin (AKA The Freshmaker) is the Interior Design Lead
at KLH Home Staging. Visit her @TheFreshmakerDesign