erin smith mixed media art

i love the rich and humorous mixed media collection from georgia artist erin smith. these printed giclee collages are crafted from a combination of acrylic, watercolor, inks, paper, found objects and digital media. the folks in the vintage photographs are her relatives, and the witty prose of course is her own.

this may come as a surprise to some of you but the feeling of being on edge comes quite naturally to me. i think these pieces are an almost perfect reflection of some of my innermost thoughts. do they reflect your thoughts too?

find erin’s collection at uncommon goods and mud and metal, and be sure to visit erin at her website too.

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bill frederick watercolor and graphite art

oh my word. if you haven’t thought about your summer travel plans yet, get ready to plan a road trip immediately after looking at these terrific watercolor, ink and graphite works on paper from the fabulously talented bill frederick.

i’ve got the car gassed up — who is with me?

bill is currently exhibiting these pieces and many others in his lovely in the distance solo show at the zg gallery, now through may 31st, 2008. get there online or in person if you can!

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iris schwarz illustrations: miniview

look at these enchanting and slightly surreal digital collage pieces, from swiss artist iris schwarz. there is something familiar about these delicate works which draws me to them, like i’ve seen them in a museum or maybe while i was daydreaming. iris uses ink, pencil and acrylic, and also draws upon a variety of vintage influences and imagery to complete her intriguing collection. even her shop name, which is called paulette edition, was inspired from her love of things old fashioned and very french! ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked a few quick questions…

q: how did you get into creating these lovely illustrations?
a: after my graduation in graphic design and illustration i’m now self-employed for about ten years. graphic design always was more of a job, but illustration/drawing/painting is my real passion. i started with editorial illustration for several magazines and newspapers, today i work more as a freelancer, selling my art and illustrations online or direct to my audience.

q: what inspires you to make art?
a: art – contemporary, but even more the old schools (italian renaissance, the dutch school – i adore this accurate work), fairy tales, craft – i’m impressed by certain skills people have, victorian illustration. almost everything old… illustrated books, textiles, furniture (antique shops or flea markets are my obsession, especially in paris!), nature is very important to me, sometimes a conversation, beauty.

q: do you have a favorite medium to work in?
a: a pencil, a brush and paper. but, i must admit my iMac (photoshop) and me became really good friends too!

see the conplete collection, purchase these pieces and contact iris at her etsy shop.

thank you iris!

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carambatack illustrations

(ed.note: hey, everybody! 500th post!)

i could get swept away in these illustrations from norwegian artist annette mangseth. i love the colors she uses and the serene tone she sets with her dreamy images.

she has a combination of original pieces, little one of a kind art cards and prints available. everything is clean lined and orderly, which makes it much easier to get lost in imagination, don’t you think?

purchase annette’s work at her etsy shop and see her flickr stream too for more lovely things.

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print of the month club at indiefixx

i love the idea of a piece of art being delivered to my house every month. do you? if you do then why not buy the art print of the month series as a gift for an art lover or even for yourself? each month the folks at indiefixx will select one print, festively wrap it and mail it off to you. you never know what you’ll receive ahead of time, which is part of the fun!

i say two thumbs up!

subscriptions start at $64. purchase them and lots of other fun things right here.

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dillon designs acrylic jewelry

i love these shrinky dink rings with cool patterns on them from new york artists (and mother and daughter team!) linda and jen ackerman of dillon designs. they are made of acrylic and are stamped with water proof ink.

fun and very affordable ($7.50 each!).

see the full selection at their etsy shop.

via black white bliss

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martha rich mixed media paintings

i just saw these fantastic paintings on the sfgirlbybay blog and had to write about them immediately. they’re part of the painting a day exercise california artist martha rich has just wrapped up, called freedomwig. martha has created a collection of acrylic, collage, ink and pencil pieces that have consistent underlying themes of insecurity, the trends people follow to achieve acceptance and the ultimate disappointment that occurs once they realize how absurd it all is. according to martha, the series is inspired by “all the ads we see during our lives informing us of the bad smells we make, our lack of prettiness, that we are too fat, and all our flaws that will cause others to like us less.” wow.

as a child, martha worked as a television and print ad model. the rediscovery one of her old j.c. penney shoots lead to her obsession with vintage department store catalogs from the 60’s and 70’s, as well as her signature style: an imperfect interpretation of all those stiff model poses, undergarments and beauty products found in the pages of those wishbooks from days gone by.

i love these works. i simply love them. the naive style, the stylish motifs that salute previous eras, the layers and expression, the sweet feminine palettes that belie a message that a lot of people don’t want to see or hear. these are strong statements to stand up and make in a world where superficiality, quick fixes and the next best thing abounds. but the hook is here and holds you because martha isn’t preachy about what she is trying to get across. the positive, affirming message of seeing the value in just being yourself comes through loud and clear. and that is music to my ears.

these pieces are in an exhibit which has been extended over at the la luz de jesus gallery in los angeles through january 27 (hurry!). check out what is still available here, read the rest of the sf girl’s blog post here and while we’re at it let’s not leave martha’s main website or freedomwig site out either!

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rainy prints art

i love these positive feeling, hand pulled prints from taiwanese born, michigan-based artist yu-hsuan (sherry) lin. she uses a linocut technique and makes her fun prints in limited editions.

i am pleased to say i have a few of these happy guys in my house, and i never get tired of looking at them (never)!

find her work on her etsy shop and see what else she’s doing on her blog too!

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suzi blu art

i like this girly heavily textured art from new jersey artist suzi blu. she’s using a combination of acrylic paint, mica powder, colored pencil, ink and beeswax to create these folksy outsider compositions.

i like the scratchy surfaces, bright colors and positive messages she conveys.

see her blog to find out what she is up to, and check out her flickr stream, video log, ebay or print shops to see much much more!

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a trip to kup kup land and beyond

look at the happy, magical pincushions, brooches and more that have flown out of the mind of talented spanish artist kima and into her kup kup land. the vignettes are a wee 19 cm x 14 cm (7.5″ x 5.5″).

i frequently daydream about being a fairy or a gnome and living under a tall flower in the forest, and this is one of those times…

wait - hold on a minute - i’m snapping out of it to show you her slightly melancholic and disturbing acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations!

well, now i don’t know where i’m at in my head. this is all really great art.

check out this etsy shop to go to kup kup land, that etsy shop to see the lil’ butcher girl illustrations, and afterwards her blog too!

via craft via plush you

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stirring illustrations by monsieur paloma

look at these mysterious illustrations that french artist monsieur paloma has done.

i love the depth and shadow, his skillful technique and imagination and this strange, sad feeling i get from looking at any of them.

more intrigue on his flickr stream, and also on his blog — but not much info about monsieur. drat.

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yellow monday prints

please enjoy these prints from linda at australia’s yellow monday (named for a cicada exclusive to australia).

the stolen moments that can be captured from a moment on video serve as linda’s inspiration, due in part to her production experience. space constraints have diminished her ability to create etchings, but the printing process she currently uses still emphasizes extensive layering and reworking. she works in paint, colored pencil, ink, and digital.

linda likes cats, order, recycled things and cups of tea.

i like her emotional color palette, strong lines and composed portrait style.

browse, admire and purchase in her etsy shop.

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