Archive for the ‘Art’ Category
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
When I think of hearts, I think of them as being frilly, sappy, seasonal and occassionally cliche– and believe me, I am anything but frilly. Sarah and Bendrix, a shop based in England, have changed my mind. Their art uses hearts as rich and beautiful texture. I find myself actually wanting to hang one of these in my house, year round. Shh, don’t tell, you’ll ruin my rep.
You can buy these pieces on the Sarah and Bendrix Etsy shop here.
All images property of Sarah and Bendrix.
via Decor8.
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
You have all gotten the dreaded spam emails, telling you buy repl1ka watches, or send money to a Nigerian prince. Artist Linzie Hunter has taken this normal nuisance and turned it into fun, letterform illustrations.
Visit Linzie’s website here.
Buy her book on Amazon.
All images are property of Linzie Hunter.
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
You see them posted in newspapers, on Craigslist… Those missed connection notes, that say “I saw you in the grocery store, and you were too beautiful for me to say hello.” I’d be lying if I didn’t have a secret fantasy of stumbling upon one of these notes and realizing that it was me that they were talking about.
Illustrator, Sophie Blackall, has taken these missed connection listings and turned them into art. Some are thoughtful, and like in real life, some are just awkward.
Visit the illustrator’s blog at missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com
Visit her Etsy shop to purchase prints at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SophieBlackall
All artwork is the property of Sophie Blackall.
Friday, December 11th, 2009
I have been doing a lot of research lately on creativity. Why some people have it, why certain people think they don’t, and what activities we can participate in to foster the creative mind.
One name that keeps coming to me over and over again is Keri Smith. You may remember her from when I mentioned the book, How to be an Explorer of the World. I recently picked up Smith’s book Living Out Loud, and turned each page with sheer excitement. This book, much like How to be an Explorer of the World, offers exercises in creativity. These are not exercises meant to make you a better drawer, or painter, but to get you to pay attention, see the world from a different perspective, and conjure fresh ideas.
After visiting Keri Smith’s website, I have to admit, I have a little professional crush. Her ideas are fantastic and witty, and I only wish that I thought of them first! Take a trip to her site, and make sure you take a look at the Artist’s Survival Kit.
All images are property of Keri Smith.
Monday, December 7th, 2009
CouCou by ImagineStudio.
Birds of a Feather by ImagineStudio.
These beautiful photo fusion images don’t need much commentary by me. Sit back and take them in.
Prints are available on the ImagineStudio Etsy site.
All images are the property of Imagine Studio.
Monday, November 16th, 2009
What a great weekend! I spent half of Saturday walking through the Twist Fair in Northampton with a good friend of mine. This isn’t your grandma’s craft fair. Another friend most fittingly said, “There isn’t a doily to be found!” Which is oh, so true.
As put by the people of Twist:
“Twist is an exciting event showcasing original handmade goods and art, held twice a year (May and November) in Northampton, MA. The show features a multitude of talented and unique vendors, a live DJ, entertainment, and refreshments in a fun and lively festival atmosphere.”
So time to dish on my finds! No one can make their way through a see of sensory overload without a few purchases.
My first purchase was this lovely pair of earrings from Windfall Designs. They are so delicate, and remind me of birch trees. If at all possible, they seems natural and modern, all in the same breath.
Next we move on to a perennial favorite, Happy Owl Glassworks. This may be my fifth purchase from creator, Tracy Bull. By going to a live event, I was able to get my hands on a piece that isn’t available through any of her online outlets- an olive green recycled glass pendant with a tiny white pine tree.
Because Tracy’s work is so great, I have to post an image, so I’ll go ahead and give you a peek at the runner up. If the tree lost, this pendant totally would have won the race. It is still available online, so I guess there’s still an opportunity!
Next is an artist who has been on the top of my Etsy favorite list for a while, Nervous System. All of her jewelry, created from Stainless Steel and Gold is modeled after pieces of the human nervous system. These are beautiful objects on their own, but with added understanding, they are brought to a whole new level. Who knew science could be so wonderful?
My new earrings:
Last, but certainly not least, is Sharp Shirter. I am a total sucker for a well designed screen tee, and Sharp Shirter did not disappoint. It took every ounce of restraint I have to leave with one shirt and not five.
This is my little beauty:
And these are the rest that caught my eye.
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Category Art, Design | Tags: Tags: Center for the Arts, clothing, crafts, Design, fair, handmade, jewelry, MA, necklace, Northampton, tshirt, Twist,
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Most of my friends know me well enough to know that once the Borders coupons come around, it’s difficult, if not down right impossible for me not to buy new books– whether I need them or not. So I know that no one is surprised to know that when my Borders coupons arrived in my inbox this morning, I was buying books this afternoon.
Today I picked up How to be an Explorer of the World, a book I’ve been meaning to pick up for quite some time, and now that I have it, I’m pretty excited about it. It’s filled with endless exercises in creativity. Not art projects, but projects designed to make us mindful. Most of creativity, after all, is paying attention.
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Twice a year, Paradise City comes to Northamton, MA. Paradise City is an arts festival held on the Three County Fairgrounds. A giant tent, and two barns filled with artists and artisans, featuring everything from paintings and sculpture, to pottery and furniture.
I thought I’d share some of my favorites from the show.
The first is collage artist Sarah Ahearn, from Northampton, MA. To demonstrate what a small world it is, we’re actually taking the same online photography course. There are people in the course from all across the globe, and here we bump right into each other! Sarah has prints available on her Etsy page.
The next is sculpture artist, Steven Fleury. He creates these intricate mazes, from metal and wood. This booth attracted huge crowds, and an exceptional number of children, all to watch the ball make its way through the maze over and over and over again. This artist demonstrates how art and mathematics can work side by side, and often times there is a great deal of precision required in art. There are freestanding sculpture, as well as ones for the wall, both found at his site, www.stevenfleury.com.
I saved my favorite booth for last, photographer Christos J. Palios. His panoramic photographs play with your head, like a fun house mirror. You get to look at all angles of a location at once, which makes a once closed in space seem very open. I encourage you to check out his portfolio at www.giantcolorfulrevolution.com.
All work is copyright of its respective artist.
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
We live in a time of great abundance. As much as we may focus on the things that we don’t have, and fear and fret on losing things, or worry about not having enough, our standard of living is better than it has been in history. We have things that just 100 years ago were never even imagined. We use these items everyday, and most likely take their whole existence for granted. I’m not just talking Ipods and Tivo– think refrigeration and indoor plumbing. There is a cost for this abundance though. We don’t often think of this fact; when we have more, we discard more.
At the Daniel Pink lecture last night, I was introduced to an artist named Chris Jordan. With his photography, he has put this notion of waste into a form anyone can comprehend. His photos give us an unsettling view of just how much we waste. How many cell phones get tossed when the next best thing comes along. How many cars make it to the junkyard when we trade them in for the newest model. We have all heard the numbers before, and not even batted an eye. After viewing these images, no one can argue the gravity of the situation. This is the power of visual art.
Cell Phones- copyright Chris Jordan.
Oil Filters- copyright Chris Jordan.
Crushed Cars- copyright Chris Jordan.
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Today I learned that Daniel Pink, the author of A Whole New Mind, How Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, will be speaking (for free!) at Westfield State College on October 5th. Color me intrigued.
From the publisher:
“Lawyers. Accountants. Radiologists. Software engineers. That’s what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities — inventiveness, empathy, meaning — predominate. That’s the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.”
I am looking forward to this- as a creative and a businessperson. According to the book, I may be living in the best of both worlds.
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Category Art, Books, Business, Musings | Tags: Tags: book, Business, creativity, Dan Pink, empathy, innovation, problem solving,
