Art for Art’s Sake
And now for something completely different…
No, this is not a post on Monty Python. Nor is it a nostalgic reflection on the hits of 10CC
Every now and again I might get a little commercial, for a blog. I am not above good causes, or supporting a fellow blogger with one, such as launching her own book.
So readers take note, I am not so high-and-mighty that I can’t pimp out my own blog for you or something important. OK? ~ Just write your request down on the back of a $20 bill, send it to me and I’ll give it my best shot.
So…do you like art? Do you like looking at art?
I was behind my computer the other night looking at my favorite artist’s website, Steve Jordan. I was looking for ideas on how to fill some walls of our new abode, since it is a bit larger than our last house. I am not really an art lover but I just love Mr. Jordan’s work.
When I first moved out of my house after high school, I moved to Myrtle Beach, SC. Here is where I became familiar with Steve Jordan. It was not unusual to see some of his work hanging in hotel lobbies or doctor’s waiting rooms.
Steve does water color scenes of coastal areas. I had no idea Steve was a local artist when I bought my first print. I noticed he did a scene depicting every beach from Charleston, SC to Myrtle Beach in my early years. He currently resides in Mt. Pleasant, SC. If you are interested in a better introduction you could click here.
Now I am not an art critic, so don’t hold me to this, but what I enjoy about his work is his use of the primary colors to make bright scenes, his ability to use shadows or lines, as well as his personality in choosing the idea for his work. It is not unusual for him to create a humorous scene to keep things light.
Here is an ‘editorial’ of Steve’s view of the Hurricane Floyd evacuation in 1999 and how unprepared our infrastructure was for it. We ALL felt this!
His water colors are then processed into prints, for the most part, and distributed across the south east in many art stores.
I was getting ready to move away from Myrtle Beach when I bought my first Steve Jordan print. I wanted something to summarize my years spent there. I had my eye on one that I thought captured my experience to a T, “Laid Back”.
I bought it at a frame shop, had everyone that I worked or lived with sign it and I moved on to try to grow up, away from the beach.
I grew up (that’s right, I said it), got married, and fortunately, he is one artist or art genre that my wife and I both can agree on. We bought a few other beach prints to color our walls like Dog Days of Summer for our dog.
If you have ever taken a dog to the beach you gotta love this….
as well as a Cool Cat, for an identical image of our kitty resting under a chair that Steve actually signed for us.
We also have the Floor Show, a southern porch and rocking chairs scene,
Here are a few other of my favorites or his most popular ones.
I think this “End of Summer“, with the 96.1 Wave towel on the back of the one lounge chair, is still my favorite one (that we don’t have yet)
and would be a great belated Father’s Day or ‘pimp my blog’ gift if you have your own cause I could advertise to the dozen or so people that read 3D. It is very Laid Back as well.
Ocean Spray is one of his most popular ones that you see around town…
and After The Race is a popular one as well. Steve has several of these colorful catamaran themes:
Another one of Steve’s popular ones you see around the native beach bars is his Sand and Suds, which capitalizes on the popular beach dance, ‘the Shag’ which was born and raised in these Carolinas.
And so, always going with a proven winner, here appears to be Steve’s newest version, Sun and Moon, in keeping up with the latest tastes. Of course the Sand Dollar does it for me:
One final sample that I could also see hanging on the walls of our living room, in keeping with our coastal theme is Palm…
I know nothing about art other than if it doesn’t make you think, its not art. Palm makes me think of walking the streets of Charleston at dusk on a summery night. To me, he captured it!
If any of these pictures speak to you, let me know, we’ll have you checked or you just enjoy looking at art for art’s sake, take an Art Walk over to Steve’s web site.
Steve is a down to earth guy that would love to hear from you. You can buy the affordable prints you see from his web site and he can mail them to you, probably signed. So please check him out if you have a few minutes.
Steve? If you see this post, I still really have my eye on that one, End of Summer print. Can we talk about it?
Have a great beachy weekend everyone!
ALL the paintings illustrated in this post are the work of Steve Jordan. They are his creations. All rights and privileges belong to Steve.
PS: while I still don’t own End of Summer (yet) the girls don’t have anything for their rooms either.
I’m just saying…..
I am glad you like them like I do Ms. Beautiful. They do brighten up a room. Thanks for dropping by! Have a bright great weekend…
I agree, they’re lovely pictures, cheerful, bright, evocative – all the things I like on my walls.
Yes the one with the penguins is cute. In that one he is having fun with a local military college called the Citadel. He is taking a poke at the uniforms the cadets need to where that somehow makes them all look similar I guess. Thanks for dropping by and commenting Doris. I enjoy your work as well!
For me if art does not make me feel and think is not art, but then again what is art, it can mean so much.
I went to his page and love it, and he made me feel and think ;), love the one with the snails that is my favorite and the penguins (in his page), i see he captures moments and in others he wants us to react to his art, very good post like his work.
I love the colors of the beach themes. Good luck with your decorating. And thanks for dropping by!
Beautiful! This summer, I plan of decorating one of our bedrooms with a beach theme. Your post is so timely:-)
If you have a chance checkout his web site. he has some really nice paintings under ‘Charleston’ as well. They are ‘fun’ pictures as well as bright and coastal. How many canI put you down for? Hope you and yours are doing well Luanne! Have a great weekend!
He really captures that beachy feel in these! Love the chair, the cat, the snails, all of it.
I am so glad you liked this! I felt like I was stepping out of bounds a bit offering some art. Yes I love his work too and would own half of it if I had the room and funds. If you went to his web site you see he will mail them to you and they are fairly affordable for the quality of the art work I think. ~ Have a great weekend ! I hope it is beachy 🙂
Oh! They are so nice! I love beach themes and his work is great. Thank you for introducing him to us. I don’t live near the ocean (maybe 1.5 hrs away) and so every summer I change up my living room decor to a beach theme. I change the curtains to a white sheer drape, change the sofa cushions to turquoise blue and accentuate the rest of the room with shells, blues, etc. I love feeling like I am at the beach. One of these prints would complete my look and feel. 🙂