Monday, July 30, 2012

Follow that blog


I stole her logo for this post only

I love to read blogs about art, and their content ranges from gallery reviews to social issues to artist interviews. I can happily waste hours checking out art and art commentary. However I do have one favourite art blog, and that is the Artsy Forager.

Lesley Frenz curates this delightful blog, and her premise is a simple one: she loves to discover new artists and introduce them to art lovers. I have found many new artists to admire on her blog and I have also had the honour of being featured on her blog. Lesley chooses her favourites from your artwork, and then writes an eloquent essay on the work as well. Being on her blog got my work noticed by other bloggers and art websites, and yet Lesley does so much without any monetary return. Her blog has no ads or popups, it’s fuelled only by a passion for art.

Everyone has their own taste in art, and I’ll never love every pick someone else makes, but what I do respect about Lesley is that she really delves into her task and finds different artists from everywhere. Some of them don’t even have websites, but use Tumblr or Flickr, and yet she’s dug them up. While I've noticed that some art bloggers endlessly reblog each other’s favs, Lesley searches for unique artwork that excites her. 

If you’ve ever been cornered at a party by some boring person who tells you their entire life story, you know that a little mystery makes a person much more interesting. What I enjoy about Lesley’s writing is that while she writes about art, she inserts something of herself into the essay, to explain better why the art appeals to her. She has mentioned bits of her own history, hinting at a love story that has taken her right across the United States, as well as having to uproot her home every few months. I enjoy those personal glimpses as much as the artwork.

This week is the perfect time to begin following the Artsy Forager blog, if you haven’t already. Lesley and artist Christina Baker have organized a turnabout, where artists get to interview Lesley! I am one of the artists, but having seen the gorgeous art of everyone involved, I’m sure it will be a meeting of creative minds. So please check out the Artsy Forager  and also tell me your favourite art blog and I'll check it out.

4 comments:

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    1. It's always fun to do interviews, less work and the writing takes unexpected turns.

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  2. Catching up on your blog this morning and this post completely made my day!! Thank you thank you for your kind words, I am humbled. And while there is a plan in the works to include ads/sponsors on Artsy Forager, I promise it will be done quietly, tastefully and in keeping with the AF mission. ;-)

    Thank you for being one of my sources of inspiration!

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    1. As a former advertising exec, I can see tons of helpful sponsor opportunities you could integrate. And I think you have every right to do this.
      As for the personal side, I'm so happy you enjoyed this post, every word is heartfelt and true, you do write my favourite art blog and I thank you daily for that!

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