This week’s featured art is Iceflake I by Maureen Grey

I love to be surprised, and I love having the opportunity to feature the art of people that I know. I did a search in the Imagekind marketplace for “Christmas” because this week marks the first of four weeks that I will be featuring holiday-themed art. I wasn’t looking for a particular artist, I was looking for a piece of art that jumped out at me and said, “Hey! Talk about me!” This one did, and I was surprised and thrilled that it turned out to be a piece by my friend, Maureen Grey.

Iceflake I by Maureen Grey — View Larger

The attention to detail is fantastic. I like the frost patterns quite a lot, even if they are symmetrical across the piece. I’m a big fan of symmetry. The water drops that can be seen toward the middle are a nice addition, giving the piece a touch of dimension and realism. The color choices are quite appropriate for a winter-themed piece.

The choice of frame and mat here are great. A lighter shade on the mat would risk washing out the art, and the frame, being basic, is just what the piece needs. The frame and mat combo here really augments the stained glass effect.

Prices for Iceflake I begin at $19.10, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

Randall Klopping

Few artists have produced an entire body of work that I find as fascinating as Randall Klopping’s. It is my sincere pleasure to launch this new Artist Profiles feature by presenting samples of Randall’s work.

the Thurian Nebula View Larger	Wormhole Exit -11152007 View Larger	Wormhole Storm -07232007 View Larger	Spacial Rift -11052007 View Larger
Weaving a Star -11072007 View Larger	Birth of a New Star -11042007 View Larger	Gates of Hell -10272007 View Larger	Chain Rifts of J Luu -10092007 View Larger

Although Randall is a man of physical and mental disabilities, his work is nothing short of brilliant. His pieces are highly detailed with fantastic use of color, light and shading.

Never one to slack, Randall has created some timely holiday-themed pieces that can be found in his his Christmas-Specials gallery.

These are samples from but one of Randall’s galleries: SciFi-2. I heartily recommend clicking into his profile to view the rest of his work. There are very few pieces that I would not give my highest commendations to.

This week’s featured art is chickengray5 by Heidi Panelli

When I was growing up, I had a friend whose mother decorated the entire kitchen, and much of the rest of the house, with chicken art and nicknacks. This piece reminds me so much of that time it’s unreal.

chickengray5 by Heidi Panelli — View Larger

The simplicity of this piece is quite engaging. I like that the color has been all but removed, save for the crown.

I met Heidi in late 2006 at Affiliate Summit in Orlando. She was as friendly and personable as her art is open and inviting. I’m thrilled to be able to feature one of her works here.

The choice of frame and the mat are perfect for this piece. A bright white mat would blend into the art in a way I’d not like, and the basic black frame compliments the easygoing nature of the art.

Be sure to check out Heidi’s other galleries at Imagekind as well!

Prices for chickengray5 begin at $9.93, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is Gerbera Daisy II by JGoode

My friend Jen - JGoode - is the first artist to be featured twice here at Artistic Opinions thanks to this fantastic modern floral art.

I said in a previous opinion that I don’t often do florals. An artist needs to do more than just take a picture of a pretty flower to make it work as a piece of art. This works.

Gerbera Daisy II by JGoode — View Larger

I love the contrast between soft and sharp here, and the use of color is great. While many artists might have left out the flower’s shadow, I think it’s an important element, and perfectly executed.

Compositionally, the image is flawless. The eye is drawn to the flower, framed by the dark green and set against the lighter background. The bands of green on the left help ease the viewer to the right. Excellent. The wall texture in the background sets off the entire piece and gives it another element of realism. I like how the vase is screened back, but not so far back as to be invisible.

As far as modern floral art goes, there is nothing to complain about here. Wonderful!

The frame and mat work perfectly, but they can be customized (or removed altogether) by the buyer prior to purchase.

Prices for Gerbera Daisy II begin at $16.98, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is Vida Azul by AristiEstes

When I saw this piece I was immediately drawn to the fantastic use of color. I’m actually in the process of redecorating my home and these colors are extremely close to what I’m using! Richness of color and detail are what I love in any work of art, and Vida Azul has both in spades. There is a great flow here as well - the eye is not drawn to one side or another, but rather right down the middle, which helps to give this jungle a sense of depth.

Vida Azul by AristiEstes — View Larger

For a piece like this, I’m quite happy to see it displayed without a mat. Not all art works well with a mat, and this is a great example of that. The frame is great, adding some dimension while letting the art really take center stage. A larger (or differently colored) frame could easily be overbearing. Like all art at Imagekind though, the frame can be customized by the buyer, and a mat can be added if desired.

Prices for Vida Azul begin at $33.96, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.