re jin lee art and ceramics

i saw this simple and handpainted porcelain and dish set on cribcandy the other day and decided to investigate. such beautiful minimal design! turns out, new york-based artist re jin lee, or rj, is not just a ceramic artist but also a wonderful illustrator. and her strong linework is less minimal and more robust to me. a very fine combination if there ever was one.

see rj at her website or at her etsy and dawanda shops.

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heli sengezer paintings and mini art

say yes to cuteness. the warmer weather will be coming and as a reminder if i had my way, i would line a whole hallway with these fun summer dress acrylic and embroidery paintings from finland born, istanbul-based artist heli sengezer. i love her choice of colors and patterns and the carefree breezy feeling i get when i look at them.

of course i am assuming you have seen her other funny handicrafts like this jewelry and mini wall art, right? i have seen them around, but i had not seen her paintings.

you can go say hello to heli on her blog. purchase the accessories at her etsy shop, view more work on her flickr stream and purchase these works at her dawanda shop.

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marieke auer prints

i think these prints offered in multiples from austrian artist marieke auer are terrific — to be specific, her color palette with selective pops of grey and all the lavish white space she leaves for us really floats my boat.

the prints are available in sizes ranging from 4″ x 4″ to 20″ x 20″. you can purchase these pieces shown and see more samplings at marieke’s dawanda shop, and contact her on her website.

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frank baumgartner art

look at this gorgeous work from swiss ceramist frank baumgartner. he fuses paper and porcelain together to make a type of lightweight paste that can be molded into lovely bowls and vessels. the pieces are finished with interior or exterior color (engobe or slip), and then fired them at 1255°C. frank currently teaches ceramics at the pegmatite pottery school in lausanne. his work is inspired by the mystery and transformation of his medium. experimentation fuels his passion for his craft, and instead of the execution of a formed idea, he lets the piece guide him to the finish instead, fully revealing all its secrets.

i love how ragged and elegant it all is. and i love the juxtaposition of paper, a material that so delicate and easily torn against porcelain, one of the strongest materials around. so delicate and restrained and light like a feather too.

just delicious i tell you!

see the school and find frank’s portfolio here, and purchase these beautiful works in his dawanda shop.

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fun advent calendars (round up)

when i was a kid (do i sound like an old lady?) i enjoyed the anticipation of christmas as much as the holiday itself. having all those little doors to open on a festively colored advent calendar tacked to the window or wall was a wonderful tradition in my house, and is something i associate with the spirit of the season, good will, and the warmth of moments spent with friends and family; in other words, the essence of the holiday. please enjoy this selection of traditional, contemporary and just plain creative interpretations of this annual holiday item.

traditional german paper with glitter from strictly christmas

embroidered cotton from german artist morningflower’s dawanda shop

vintage sewn fabric from the uk artist rowsewcreative’s etsy shop

wood and mirrored tabletop from target

felt with applique and embroidery from the land of nod

painted wood from stonewall kitchen

embroidered felt from chicago artist bedside banner’s etsy shop

vintage pants and denim from german artist ebiko’s etsy shop

contemporary paper by sarah curedale at boston’s mfa shop

handmade chocolate truffles from portland’s moonstruck chocolates

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transportation thursday: train

n.b. this is a week long series on methods of transport and how we feel about them, created by a dear friend.

i enjoy elevated, commuter, tgv and other trains for the most part, except maybe when someone unsavory is sitting too close to me. the first long train trip i took was to california, when i was a kid, for summer vacation. i remember we had a sleeper car and the bathroom was tiny and the porter was very helpful. and you never think that you’re going so fast on the high speed trains in europe until another train whizzes by you on the neighboring track, and you nearly get whiplash trying to follow it. good times. i always think of it as an adventure, even on the brown line here in the city.

florence transit map necklace, from le photique’s etsy shop

vintage acme thunderer whistle for sale on ebay

give leather train case at fred segal beauty

bridget davies embroidered silk passport case at her dawanda shop

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knit scarves from victoria jackman

i love the sculptural quality of the knit work from uk textile artist victoria jackman. it truly is an inspired tactile reminder of the textures and colors in the scottish highlands, with both traditional and handmade flair.

vikki uses a combination of hand techniques on a machine. her carefully chosen wool, silk and cotton yarns complement her natural, uniquely personal themes.

see more styles and purchase them here and there.

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light cubes from david henrichs

looks at these cool light cubes from german designer david henrichs. david is inspired by nature and landscape art, and his goal is to create energy efficient, sustainable high quality work.

steel sheets are cut by laser and then folded to craft his light boxes. once completed, they are lacquered, signed and numbered. an energy saving light bulb and acrylic diffusers are included with each piece. some custom finishes and surfaces may be offered.

i find the juxtaposition of those industrial materials and his organic influences very interesting.

check ‘em out for yourself at david’s dawanda shop.

via cribcandy

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