robert berguson illustrations

when i look at these scribbly color pencil graphic illustrations from louisiana artist robert berguson, i am taken away to an odd place where alien life forms are solving complex math problems. either that, or they are sending me a calligraphic invitation to some fabulous martian party. my eyes want to follow the lines to conclude something from all the loose perfection, to complete an equation or rsvp, but nothing computes. either way, it’s more than fine by me.

see more at the cole pratt gallery.

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anna higgie illustration: let’s chat!

i am straight up crazy about these illustrations from anna higgie. when i browse through her portfolio i feel like there’s something for everyone here: contemporary and vintage influences, notable technical skills and just the right combination of sensuality and emotion that make me want to scan the whole piece of paper with terminator-like precision, just to make sure i don’t miss any detail. there is grace, youth and style, bold graphic abstraction and honest curves on edges of eyes, shoulders and faces that celebrate the human form. let’s have a chat with anna and find out more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your art?
a: i was born in australia, but currently i live in bristol, in the south west of england. at the moment I make my work at home. i draw on a small scale (A4 and A3), so using my house as a studio is not a problem. i am thinking of renting a bigger space soon though, so i can make bigger things and make more mess.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i grew up travelling around with my family. my father was a diplomat so we we would go back and forth between australia and europe. most of my memories from childhood are from living in vienna, where we spent four years. when i finished school i decided to go to study art at the national art school in sydney, australia. i spent three and a half years there studying painting, drawing and art history, and then moved to london with my family and studied design there for about a year.

q: can you tell us a little about the techniques you use?
a: i work from photos a lot. i had some incredible drawing teachers at art school that really tightened up my technique. of course it was all life drawing at school, no photos. four hours a week every week for three years. i learnt that drawing is more a state of mind than a technique though. it is about seeing more than anything else, and about being highly critical and objective.

at the moment i love to use a pacer, which is one of those pencils that you click lead through. i haven’t used a pencil sharpener for years. i also love pantone ink pens, and i have to have nice paper, with a good thickness, and not too white.

q: do you think your work has transformed since you started making art?
a: i still have my sketchbooks from when i first started really getting into drawing when i was about thirteen years old. i hope there has been a lot of development since then, but i know that fundamentally a few things have never really changed. i have always had a preoccupation with feminine beauty, and in a certain type of clean technique and use of materials. i think i have gained confidence and learnt a few tricks since then though.

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: i sell drawings for 200 - 300 pounds and giclee prints for 60 - 80 pounds. i do commissions at varying rates. it depends how much the project interests me.

q: what is the inspiration behind your collection?
a: my inspiration is the possibility that i might one day make something truly beautiful.

q: do you have a favorite piece you have created or a favorite theme to work with?
a: my favourite theme: poetic beauty vs. hard edge graphics. here are two of my faves…

q: i find many of the images in your portfolio provocative, and even when your subjects are at rest there is still a very powerful feeling that comes through - something dynamic and alive. is there a specific message you are trying to send through these pieces?
a: i am not trying to send a message at all. i choose my subjects because of something intangible that speaks to me in a face or a gesture. i suppose it could be called beauty, but i think it is a melancholic sort of beauty.

q: where can we go to see your collection in person, and is there anything else meaningful you would like to include here?
a: i am trying to find the perfect time and place for a show right now. if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, i would love to hear them.

select pieces of anna’s work are available for purchase at nucleus. see anna’s website to view her complete collection, purchase other original works and contact her.

thank you anna!

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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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cool and clever chocolate-pencils

look at these terrific chocolate pencils used for enhancing desserts. they were a creative collaboration between renowned boutique patissier tsujiguchi hironobu and architect oki sako for his company nendo. the set includes chocolate of varying intensity and comes with a special “sharpener” to put as little or as many shavings you like on your sweet treat!

someone clever needs to make a (tuile cookie or meringue) dessert that looks like “crumpled” pieces of “paper” that is sitting in a (cookie cup) “trash can” with the shavings sitting on the very top of the pile.

or you could just sharpen in onto your cake. whatever works best.

sadly, this special item is only available in japan right now. the best place to find it is in one of tsujiguchi’s shops in tokyo.

via cool hunting

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suck uk drumstick pencils

i just need to share that i am bleary-eyed this morning. i think i mentioned that my husband’s birthday was at the end of january? i gave him the rock band video game for his gift, thinking it would be fun for him to play with his friends, but now i think i’m obsessed. gah! seriously, this thing is SO MUCH FUN. but i digress. check these clever pencils out from our friends at suck uk, for the musician in your life.

purchase them at suck uk in sets of two for £0.00 (us $0.00). whee! just kidding - apparently they’re not in stock yet so there is no price. i know i will definitely be tapping out nirvana’s in bloom on my desk as soon as i can buy these myself (even though i like being the singer in the band)!

via inspire me, now!

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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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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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gene ploss illustrations

i wish to tell you about the color of the sky here, and i think i can describe it best by pointing out the colors in this beautiful face series of giclee prints from new york fine artist gene ploss. this is absolutely gorgeous line work, shadowing and detail.

find these pieces in gene’s etsy shop or on his ebay auctions, and be sure to see his blog too!

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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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wings across the world

that bird’s wing dish really set my mind off about what other things there were in the world that are inspired by the “arms” of our fine feathered friends and other things found in nature. here are a few of them:

graphite sculptural “pencil” from agelio batle, available at zipper

wing study 10 print from swirlygirl’s etsy shop

oxidized sterling silver necklace by nathalie uhl, from auto

dragon wings original photograph in sarah smith’s etsy shop

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lilly piri illustrations

look at these beautiful colored pencil works by australian artist lilly piri. they are soft and gorgeous, surreal and familiar. some of the people in these victorian feeling floaty portraits can’t even look you in the eye.

lilly has a show coming up at the thinkspace gallery in los angeles from december 7th - december 23rd. you can purchase her original works on her website, and prints at thumbtack press. oh - and she writes a nifty blog too!

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(fantastic) michelle white illustrations

i am really nuts about this brilliant work from california (by way of florida) artist michelle white. michelle graduated from the ringling college of art & design. she has been creating her illustrations and paintings and residing in san francisco for the last ten years. she’s recently become a full time freelance artist, after working as an editorial artist for a variety of traditional and online publications. her pieces are made with pen and ink or graphite pencil on textured paper, their colors then subtly enhanced digitally. other pieces are made with color and graphite washes and are created on wood.

to me, there is a noteworthy amount of tension and contrast in this collection. i feel like i’m staring into the eyes of a real person, there is that much rare and melancholy depth of emotion here. and i could stare for quite a long time. the cracked up faces that look like chiseled stained glass, the mostly somber color palettes and the consistent, expressive nature and themes of love, dreams, childhood innocence and broken promises are so affecting.

isn’t it fantastic?

michelle will be showing a doll in the upcoming kokeshi doll show at subtext in san diego, which opens november 3rd.

she does not currently sell prints of her work, but she does make her paintings available for sale.

see michelle’s portfolio here. her blog is also an excellent place to see her terrific work and of course to contact her!

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