Zatista The premiere source for original art online

They say that art is a reflection, a cross-section, or sometimes an interpretation, of life. If that’s the case, then in any collection of art, especially one as big as Zatista, a day of life on our planet should be fairly well represented. The question is, how to test that theory?

As humans the one thing that we can all agree on is that we’re all different. So it would be pretty hard to say “this is life” or “this is a typical day.” The one thing that is relatively constant is the sun. Most mornings it greets us with a blaze of color, shines bright at noon, and then treats us to another light show at dusk.

So I started looking at these various times of day here on Zatista, and what I found was delightful and diverse. In this and my next two posts, I’ll share my findings with you, or I guess I should say I’ll share various artists’ interpretations of the hours of our common days.

Suffolk Dawn by Simon Fairless on Zatista.com

Dawn, as always, is a great way to start. This abstract by British painter Simon Fairless led the way. He also had some images of the New York skyline, so it’s hard to say if this is Suffolk in the UK or Suffolk County, New York — but that’s the beauty of an abstract, it’s open to interpretation.

Chilly Dawn #6 by Klau Rossler on Zatista.com

Ever wonder what dawn looks like on a winter morning in Canada? Here Klau Rossler, a photographer from Ontario renders it beautifully. And just in case you had any doubt, it’s apparently a bit “chilly.”

Oku 10010 (Dawn Southern Egypt) by Lana Bernberg on Zatista.com

From frozen Canada, Zatista then took me to Egypt. Not much to say about this one — mostly because I’d have to lift my jaw up from the keyboard to do it. Beautiful!

Early Dawn by Jean Lurssen on Zatista.com

Talk about universality! Despite the fact that Jean Lurssen lives in Sausalito, CA, I could swear that I drove past this field on the way to school every morning in New England. The misty, muted light unfortunately carries with it the underpinnings of “soccer practice,” but that’s just my experience talking.

Stay tuned for the next installment of 24 Hours on Zatista: Noon.

"To Market" by Bonnie Jones on Zatista.com

Yesterday I arrived at my local farmer’s market to find one of my favorite young farmers calling out like a carnival barker. “This is it people! It’s go time! Get it while it’s good!” he shouted, smiling over the fruits (and veggies) of his labor.

"Hot Tomato" by Ann Painter on Zatista.com

I looked around and realized he was speaking the truth (ever earnest, he’s hardly one to spin a yarn). Everywhere I looked crates were stacked high with perfect vegetables, all color and gleam at high noon. Here in Maine where I live the growing season is mercilessly short–June to October more or less–and that means that by mid-August we’re in full harvest mode.

"Radishes" by Konnie Kim on Zatista.com

How could it be? How could the few short weeks of blushing tomatoes and luscious summer melons be upon us already? It’s a stark realization every year, but this year I have a new tactic.

"Peppers" by Tony Dunphy on Zatista.com

Sure, I’m going to stack my freezer high and gear up for some canning, but I’m also going to load up on some harvest art for the “less accommodating” months ahead. That way, at least my eyes can feast on some fresh local veggies when I get the trucked-in-from-California-or-grown-indoors blues. The color will do my place good, too, and remind me that once upon a time I drank iced coffee and wore shorts and worked up a sweat walking bags of fresh produce home in the hot summer sun.

They say you can tell a lot about a super hero from his mask, and as I browsed around Zatista recently it occurred to me that the same might be true for artists. Now, there probably aren’t that many artists out there hanging out in costumes, so what I’m getting at is that maybe you can tell something about an artist (or at least about his or her work) but the masks/costumes/disguises that catch their eyes and imaginations.

Seriously, type “mask” into the search field above. You’ll find an amazing diversity in the results, which makes it fun to speculate on the details of each artist’s life and work.

"Valeria" by Armano De'ath on Zatista.com

Valeria’s visor here is très modern–futuristic even–with a touch of sci-fi and a bit of other worldliness.

"Mask" by Thurston Howes on Zatista.com

Contrast that against this feathery disguise that caught photographer Thurston Howe’s attention. It says Mardi Gras to me, but then again the leopard print top makes me inclined to leave it wide open to interpretation.

"The Rivals" by Kevin Berlin on Zatista.com

Now this image is raw, stylistic, and those masks couldn’t be more noir. There’s some intrigue happening here, and I’m not sure what’s going on with these three party goers/accomplices, but it smacks of a stick up.

"Venetian Mask" by Tony Dunphy on Zatista.com

And then to do one more complete 180, there’s this classic Carnevale disguise. The vibrant colors betray the unhindered anonymity and freedom it might afford its owner.

Of course, the point here is not the masks themselves but rather each individual artist’s rendering of an arbitrary item we’re all familiar with. Whether it’s a cathedral, a car, a pear or a pitchfork, sometimes the focus of a composition says more about an artist than you might initially think. Style manifests itself in myriad ways both consciously and subconsciously; sometimes it’s just a matter of seeing similar images all at once to form an appreciation for the differences.

"No Cargo" by Tracy Mewmaw on Zatista.com

Wow, the summer is really getting away from us here and it looks like there may be no hope of getting away before the New Year. I can’t say I feel alone in that predicament though, pretty much everyone I know is forgoing vacations to save a little money or just get ahead on a few projects around the house.

"Early Morning at Portland Head Light" by David Cleaveland on Zatista.com

The good news is that there is a close second to actually going places: buying really, really good photos of those places. I’m a pretty bad photographer, so my vacation shots would be all “fingers over the lens” and “long arm goofball self-portraits” anyway.

"Old Deerfield Barns" by Diane Gray on Zatista.com

Plus, think about how easy it is to spend a couple thousand dollars just on hotels and food (and the odd bungee jump at a random state fair)! By comparison, buying an outstanding photo of a beautiful destination is a great deal. Just fix yourself a cold beverage, hang your new piece on the wall, point the fan in your direction and kick back – the environment will thank you, too.

"Chaco Canyon" by Arthur Davis on Zatista.com

After taking in some barns and lighthouses in the Northeast, it only makes sense to stop off in the Southwest. Green chili salsa and margaritas anyone?

"Johnboat" by Tracy Mewmaw on Zatista.com

This one is even shot point-of-view – nothing like a swim on a hot summer day!

"Muir Beach 2" by Rachel Hutchins on Zatista.com

Maybe make a stop just north of San Francisco to take in some redwoods and a nice deserted beach.

"Mt. Hood Sunrise" by Elizabeth Wade on Zatista.com

And then swing by the Pacific Northwest for some salmon and a microbrew or two. Ahh, what a trip!

"Quail Bird" by Elizabeth Graeber on Zatista.com

You know that person in your life who you really love but they also kind of irk you because they’re so good at everything they do? They pick up juggling in a day and then turn around and whip up Bananas Foster like it ain’t no thing? Well, in the art world, illustrators are kind of like that.

Sure, a good illustrator can make a book come to life, but as I have learned lately, they are also the ultimate Jacks and Jills of all trades. For one reason or another I’ve come across a number of talented folks this summer who have distinguished themselves in one area of the art world–graphic designers, rock show poster artists, fashion designers, exhibiting artists–and yet identify themselves ultimately as illustrators.

"Yellow-Billed Cuckoo" by Elizabeth Graeber on Zatista.com

Here on Zatista we have a great example of the walking bundle of versatility that is an illustrator: Elizabeth Graeber. Her drawings of birds are quirky and stylized, but don’t allow yourself to be lulled into thinking of them as simple. Sure, she uses basic tools–pens, ink, watercolor–but if you look at her methods, especially the way she reproduces prints (screen printing), you see an artist wielding simplicity with savvy. In a very disarming way Elizabeth makes the most of the inconsistencies of the human hand and imperfections in the artistic process. It somehow says “favorite children’s book + favorite t-shirt + favorite album cover = would look great in your place or on a gallery wall.”

"Screech Owl" by Elizabeth Graeber on Zatista.com

If you’re looking for some outrageously affordable, lighthearted art for your home that has personality to burn, look for Elizabeth’s work or seek out other illustrators here on Zatista.