polly becker illustration and assemblages

look here at these wonderful assemblages and woodcut style detailed pen and ink drawings from boston-based artist polly becker. i love this great vintage feel and carefully selected ephemera so precisely and perfectly put together.

see much more on polly’s website.

via mintunz

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irena sophia art prints

i need neutral today. i need to see simple fleshy color palettes and soft lines, serene scenes and quiet, so i am connecting so nicely with the work of new york artist irena sophia at this exact moment.

purchase these pieces and see more at irena’s etsy shop, and say hello to irena on her blog too.

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asg letterpress art - new pieces

amy rowan’s asg letterpress series is continuing along, chock full of humorous, affordable and colorful artwork. check out the most recent pieces that have been made available to us:

the decision by ann moffett

john vogl’s a family portrait

mr. rx by nako okubo

purchase these signed and numbered, limited edition pieces at the art school girl website.

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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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laura ferrara graphite drawings: miniview

too much noise isn’t good for the soul. sometimes i try to go to my zen place when i am driving by myself, because it’s practically the only time i am by myself. it doesn’t always work, and i certainly can’t go to that deep place of contemplation in my car when the guy behind me is honking and pushing me along. no, those moments, which we should incorporate into our daily routines, are better actualized in other scenarios, like looking at these pensive illustrations from laura ferrara, aka etsy seller emersonbookcase. laura’s graphite sketches, with their soft lines and dreamy, fluid energy, are simultaneously delicate and strong. the non-linear subject matter and unusual combinations of real world objects in her triple series collection contrast so nicely against the washy graph sheets, and there’s just enough amounts of light and shadow on the paper to encourage you to slow it down, stare it down, and allow your mind to come up to the surface for a while. i needed to know more about the author of these visual chronicles, so…

q: where do you live and where do you create your drawings? i am picturing, well, ralph waldo emerson’s study?
a: i live in lovely silver spring, maryland, a suburb of dc. my drawing/painting space is in my bedroom and takes up the whole west wall. it is not nearly as contemplative as emerson’s study or thoreau’s cabin for that matter, but i do spend some of the best moments of my day there.

q: what inspires you to draw and paint?
a: i am inspired by the odd overheard phrase of a conversation i am not a part of, the way an old man walks in the heat, or the glimpse, out of the corner of my eye, while putting away the groceries, of a moth desperately trying to become a part of the porch light. the little things, you know, the exquisite moments when i feel completely awake and notice everything, taking nothing for granted.

q: where did the idea of the triple series come from?
a: the idea of the triple series came one day while sitting at work. i was thinking about the world and its place in the universe. how really impossible it seems that we exist at all, given the hostile conditions off the planet. if you think about it, i mean really think, we are so vulnerable and fragile floating around in space. we really need each other, not just other humans, but the whole unbelievable variety evolution has so generously given us. the trees, the insects, the animals. we all need to be here in order to continue to thrive. so i wanted to illustrate the amazing diversity of living things and our mutual dependence, in a very simple way. the composition of three images seemed the most direct.

see laura’s full collection and contact her at her etsy shop.

thank you laura!

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illustrations by koyori

there is a talented and mysterious person in japan named koyori, who makes beautiful illustrations. i love the beautiful delicate style and strokes and the perspective in the scenes. and i can’t say much else due to the language barrier.

see more goodness and mystery right here.

via mint-unz

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dan mccarthy art

i love the dark blue hues in these very cool prints, drawings and paintings from multi-talented boston area artist dan mccarthy.

dan creates work in many other colors besides blue of course, and even has a print club you can join, so you can receive several signed and limited edition prints a year. check out the details of the club and see a lot more work on his website.

via design crush

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michelle moode mixed media art

my thoughts today are light, sprinkled and not particularly struggling to be organized (case in point: that last post was supposed to go live yesterday, but somehow i clicked private and it never went), so these mixed media works by california artist michelle moode are a perfect fit. michelle says her work is non-linear and that the repetitive processes she uses — like piece or scrap undoing and redoing, tea staining and stitching — help to create a record of her personal thoughts. very nicely put if i say so myself.

softly colored, abstract and free-formed in the mind — what’s not to like?

say hi to michelle on her blog and purchase her work right here.

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alice evans illustrations

i enjoy all the illustration work i’ve seen from uk student and artist alice evans, but i think this handmade, one-off book called the book for bad days is extra sweet.

see more from alice on her blog and portfolio, and purchase this special seven page piece in her shop (she has a few other fun books in the shop as well).

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michele maule mixed media: miniview

i think i have mentioned before that my father in law has this awesome collection of old typewriters? they’re all black, which is perfect and fine of course, but just a tad heavy to be filling my eyes and mind, what with all the summery things that are pouring into my head at warp speed right now. the old brightly colored ones are perfect in a different way, a seasonal way, a now way, which is why i am sooo attracted to the most excellent artwork of michele maule. i love her free-spirited interpretation of these utilitarian objects, with their foxy colors and soft curves. there is some big love behind these pieces, you can just tell. and her other work, which includes original encaustic paintings, illustrations and screenprints, is a nice crusty contrast to those colorful jammy typewriters. that’s right, i said jammy. the point is, there’s all different kinds of plenty for people to enjoy in her prolific collection, and with all that said, wouldn’t you like to know just a little more about the brains behind the operation? me too!

q: where do you live and where do you make your collection?
a: i live in pontiac, michigan, a forgotten suburb of detroit. i mostly work in my house. i recently converted my living room into a work space, and there is also a small space in my bedroom where i work.

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i find inspiration in everyday objects. i love seeing the personalities that things like chairs, typewriters, spools of thread, and sewing machines take on. every time i draw one of these objects, it seems to take on a life of its own. each one has their own character, and i really enjoy seeing that.

i also find a lot of inspiration in nature, and in illustrated science books. things like the anatomy of flowers and our skeletal system really interest me.

q: what did you think you would grow up to be when you were a little kid?
a: well, i remember the first thing/person i wanted to be when i grew up was wonder woman. i thought she was rad. i even wore these blue rubber bands on my wrists for weeks and weeks. later, i knew that i wanted to do something that would let me be creative. i didn’t know what exactly, and i don’t think i really figured that out until my junior year of college!

q: can we go anywhere to see your work in person?
a: yes you can!! i currently have work in the following galleries and boutiques: fact and fancy in brooklyn, 323 east gallery in royal oak, mi and the ddp gallery in fayetteville, ar.

see more of michele’s terrific artwork on her website, check out her flickr stream, purchase these pieces at her etsy shop, and be sure to stop by and say hi on her blog too!

thank you michele!

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gastón liberto art

i stumbled across the wonderfully surreal work of argentina born, barcelona-based artist gastón liberto, after reading about the duduá shop at bloesem. gastón is inspired by circus and carnival imagery, as well as the people, culture and chaos of the post modern society surrounding him. i love the weird and innocent energy the pieces give off.

see more of gastón’s work on his flickr stream, purchase his available print (top photo) at duduá and say hello to him (in spanish!) on his blog.

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christopher ryan david digital prints

i have been saying for awhile now that i am going to tell you some select tidbits about myself since i’ve been tagged four times, but frankly i am not sure that i am interesting enough to write down five tidbits in a row! it’s a process as i am sure you can relate to. i just thought of one thing about me that you might not know, though. i am a contributing writer of art and craft posts at technabob, which is my husband’s blog. and today, as i perused and wrote up the comical command print series by brooklyn graphic designer christopher ryan david over there, i frankly found myself enchanted with most everything he is offering for sale in his shop, my little underground. i especially like his leafy mysteries series.

these 11″ x 17″ pieces are very affordable at $20 each, and i love the peaceful easy feeling i get when i look at them.

see more charming things at his website and purchase these pieces right here. fyi, christopher has some other lovely pieces for sale exclusively at little paper planes.

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