natasha newton paintings and illustration

i like the clean lines in these pretty little ink drawings and acrylic paintings from uk artist natasha newton. there is a lot of depth, texture and good positive energy swirling around here now that i’m looking at them.

see more in natasha’s etsy shop and website, and say hello on her blog too.

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leanne pendleton’s needlefelted birds

i got one of these teeny needlefelted birds as a birthday present last month, and i LOVE it! they’re made with love by ohio artist leanne pendleton, aka etsy seller gotcrowcreations. you have seen them already, right? look again then please. oh how i love their fuzzy goodness.

see leanne’s full selection at her etsy shop.

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alicia mordenti pottery

it is so cold and gloomy out the window right now so i am really happy to have found these glossy little 4″ earthenware birdie plates from connecticut artist alicia mordenti.

i think these are too cute to cover up with a sloppy cooking spoon — put them on the wall instead!

see more samplings from alicia at her etsy shop.

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susan graham sculpture: miniview

i thoroughly enjoy the thoughtful construction and loose style of these metal animal sculptures from new york artist susan graham. her handmade menagerie is created from the idea of a three dimensional drawing, with a single continuous strand of steel or copper wire used for as long as possible for stability. special attention is addressed toward the character, gestures and expression of each animal, which makes it difficult to choose a favorite! ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked susan three quick questions…

q: how did you get into making these sculptures?
a: i made a wire animal a long time ago as an art assignment. a teacher brought in a live rooster in a cage (this was in ohio, where i’m from) and asked us to use wire as a medium and capture the character of the rooster.

q: do you have an art background?
a: i do have an art background. i had started school in chemistry at ohio state university and then switched to art-sculpture and photography - because that’s what i had always wanted to do. i moved to new york city and started a degree at the school of visual arts, but did not finish. i was afraid of getting too much in debt and not being able to afford an art studio here. i have a whole other art career besides the wire animals - i show at a gallery in chelsea called schroeder romero.

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i am not sure what prompts my desire to create, but it is constant - a basic need. i do my art, i sew clothes sometimes, i make the wire pieces, i like to make cakes. it just seems to be built in.

susan will be exhibiting in future tense: reshaping the landscape at the neuberger museum from may 11th - july 20th, 2008. be sure to see her etsy shop for her wonderful collection (or to commission your favorite animal), and go here to see some of her photographs from a recent exhibition she had at the philip morris branch of the whitney.

thank you susan!

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acme animal fun metal art

i think these funny tabletop sculptures and clocks from the canadian team of don gidley and sue parke are so much fun! i love the scratchy texture on all their handmade pieces and all the bright colors they use. you can really tell they enjoy making their delightfully whimsical collection.

find a wonderful assortment of don and sue’s work at uncommon goods, the human arts gallery, conversation pieces and maddi’s gallery.

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little critters exhibition at uppercase

thanks to her great eye, janine from uppercase gallery in calgary has given us lots of fun and funny things to stare at in the gallery’s current show, little critters:

digital igor beaver print from renata liwska

jason blower’s wooden elephant 7″h x 6″w x 6″l

fox digital print by mike kerr

local singers print from julie mclaughlin

this colorful (and very affordable!) show runs through the end of april. you can view all the pieces and purchase them online at the gallery right here.

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tamar mogendorff textile art

i am a sucker for beautifully sewn cuteness, so look at these exquisitely crafted (and photographed) pieces from brooklyn textile artist tamar mogendorff. they’re made from linen, vintage buttons and fabric, wool, ribbon and other materials.

purchase select pieces at enfant terrible and see the full collection on tamar’s website.

via poppytalk

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gypsy and twink collage art: miniview

pssst. let me take you into my imagination for a moment today if you will: a dappled candy forest filled with dark chocolate trees and gumdrop leaves, a rambling dulce de leche river, cotton candy clouds and tiny meringue mushrooms that the sprites regularly whip up into a tasty risotto. if such a place existed i do believe it would be populated by the charming birds, little ladies and other creatures crafted by kirsty macintosh, aka etsy seller gypsyandtwink. equally fitting on a shelf in a child’s room or a family room, these enchanting three dimensional collage pieces, with their vivid colors and patterns, just make my imagination go cuckoo. ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked a few quick questions…

q: where do you live and what is your inspiration for these happy creatures?
a: i am a scottish lass living in the north of england. as far as inspiration goes - its everywhere isn’t it? i just love colour and pattern and shape in and amongst all that these things seem to pop up. i want to make nice things that put a smile on your face.

q: do you have an art background?
a: yes my background is art, i have a masters of fine art, and for the last 10 years or so i have worked in art education, community art and public art. i like to help other people bring their ideas to life. now i’m having a go at making my living through the things i make…the “art” world as such scares me a bit so i guess making the things i do. i like their simplicity, they don’t need to be “understood” because they just are… does that make sense?

q: who are gypsy and twink? are they the owl and the elephant in your shop?
a: gypsy & twink were actually my two siamese cats i had when i was growing up… their names go together so well in my head.

purchase these pieces and see kirsty’s complete collection over at her etsy shop.

thank you kirsty!

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spin designs mobiles

please enjoy these gorrrrrrrgeous mobiles from portland’s spin designs. these pieces are made from laser cut museum mat board, taken from original illustrations.

hang one in a dark corner with one of those inexpensive floor uplights from the depot and i bet you’ll see some fabulous shadows.

you need to go look at their etsy shop and website to see more cool stuff, including their awesome jewelry. seriously.

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mark orr found object sculptures

i appreciate seeing recycled elements in art, don’t you? talented michigan artist mark orr definitely does. he uses interesting found objects and salvaged architectural pieces to create these wonderful wooden sculptures. ravens are very intelligent birds who (like me) are attracted to shiny things to decorate their nests. for mark, they represent the scavenger of found goods from his past.

i love the inviting energy they give, and love seeing all the unexpected objects that are incorporated into his collection.

purchase these and other pieces through mark’s website. he is also available for custom work.

via bb-blog

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wisteria clear glass bird lamp

sometimes i see super contemporary home items and love them (you know i do!), but have a hard time picturing them in my house, or anyone else’s, because some pieces have too limited an application. this is why i love the aesthetic of the wisteria catalog. their products are modern but have both a global and vintagey feel too, which makes for a pretty vesatile resource no matter what style of home you have. among the many things i covet in their collection is this graceful clear glass bird lamp. it’s so pretty and i imagine it gives off a nice amount of light because of the clear shade. in the catalog they compare it to philippe starck’s ghost chair, but the transparency is the only similarity to me. this seems softer and sweeter to me.

when we reopen our cottage up in michigan this spring i will take you on a photo tour, and then you’ll know exactly where i would like to put one (or two) of these!

$169 at wisteria.

via betterlivingthroughdesign and notcot

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mayuko fujino paper art - let’s chat!

look at the beautiful, delicate work of japanese artist mayuko fujino! these are not illustrations but paper cutouts with additional collage work. i love the organic themes and joyful compositions. her techniques are precise and eye for color admirable. i think you could just dive right into some of these and land on a fluffy cloud. let’s have a chat with mayuko and find out more!

q: where do you live?
a: tokyo, japan

q: what inspires your artwork?
a: i think what inspires me most are the challenging technical restrictions of paper cutout. sometimes when i have an idea it does not fall within the conventional rules for my method… and when i see something then the rules decide 1) if i can actually craft it or not and 2) how to go about making it. it’s fun for me to see how far i can go within the limitations. to do that, i always have to make the best use of inventiveness, and sometimes unexpected ideas occur. sometimes i think it almost acts like a guide for me to understand the world. and of course music (like moondog) and literature inspire me a lot. a sound body with storing of memory in five senses.

q: can you tell me a little about your technique?
a: they are paper cutouts and i color them with magazine pages, papers and collage. i use a special cutting tool (not scissors) to make the special cut shapes.

q: how large are these finished pieces and are they for sale?
a: they range in size from 10cm x 10cm to 79.0cm x 54.5cm (about 4″ x 4″ up to 31″ x 21.5″). i am preparing to sell them.

q: are you currently in any shows, and is there anything else special you would like to mention?
a: i will have an exhibition from february 6 through february 10th at fall gallery in tokyo, and on february 9th i am going to perform a new shadow show titled “mr. and mr.mysteries” there. i sometimes act as the “georama” or shadow play unit. also, our short film is available at myspace here.

be sure to look at mayuko’s flickr stream for more gorgeous work.

thank you mayuko!

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