One New Orleans artist that's still kicking

Artist Frances Swigart is a New Orleans die hard and master printmaker. Working from her atelier in New Orleans, she produces many fascinating images that range from primitive to modern abstraction.

The above is a fascinating landscape that gives a real feel for the environment of Louisiana. Both modern and old-fashioned, the atmosphere achieved is remarkable.

The Fairytale Life

Victoria Usova's artwork opens up a unique world that transports you directly to the best parts of Wonderland. Born in Ukraine and moving to the U.S. at the age of 16, Usovas art is full of imagery influenced by folk and fairytales.

Tea with Mice (above) is a light-hearted image of surprising depth. The two figures of Usova and her husband partake in the ritual of teatime at the table of Life. It is a time for companionship where bonds are strengthened and grievances aired. The green teapot is a symbol of their union, a gift between lovers, and the house hat the husband wears reiterates the symbolism of union. The mice symbolize life's little problems, invited here to join the ritual. It is a remarkable thing to invite problems to the table instead of rejecting them.

Usova's art is truly charming, and I invite you all to look through some more of it at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5376404

Tragic Revelation

How many plans have been crushed by a careless remark? This new monotype print documents the tragic moment when the secret plan of the mysterious horned beetles fell to pieces.

The ants were surely laughing up their sleeves.

Hanging by a Thread

Nicole Margaretten has had many adventures in art and foreign countries, but it has also been a life touched by illness. The marks are not always visible, but her encounters will illness have made themselves known through her artwork.

This piece, Civilization I (Without Medication), was done in hospital and the pure white background recalls the clinical purity of the examination room. A strange city grows on the surface like a mold or, more likely, a colony of bacteria. In the foreground a diseased buffalo hangs uncertainly. The colony continues its growth without malice, and the bison does not seem to connect it's suffering with it.

Although they were drawn without reference, the buffalo is remarkably reminiscent of prehistoric bison such as the Two Bison fromthe cave at Le Tuc d'Audoubert, France. Like bulls, bison can be seen as symbolic of strength and courage, prowess on the field. Margaretten's bison, however, hangs suspended. Removed from its power base and subjected to forces beyond it's control. The heaviness of his hooves emphasize the absence of earth.

Despite the signs of decay, it has a certain solidity of perseverance. One has the impression that this bison will not be swallowed by the forces at work.

Margaretten is currently working on a series of paintings about microbes and a mixed media installation designed to immerse viewers with sound, image and colored lighting. Her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions including the Tufts University Art Gallery, the Boston Conservatory, Resonance FM, broadcasting from London, England, and the Fort Point Artist Community Gallery. December 2005 she exhibited the sculpture Recollecting Zeena at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston which allowed listeners to intimately hear testimonials regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The above article title contains a link to Nicole's website, so take a look and enjoy.