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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vintage doll portraits by gigi on flickr

i want to invite you guys to have a look at the ongoing series of vintage doll and figurine portraits i’m currently working on. i photograph the dolls in their “natural habitat” at thrift and antique shops and do not pose them. sometimes the results are more surprising than i think they’ll be.

i am having a really good time with this collection, and perhaps i should mention that this post is sort of a hint about my big creative endeavor? more details to come, soon…

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jake arin photography

i am thoroughly enjoying the strong compositions in this terrific photograph collection from local photographer jake arin right now. when doing portrait work, jake prefers to shoot when his subject isn’t necessarily aware of what he is doing. his goal is to capture those pure undetected moments in time that otherwise slide by us in life. whether with people or places, it is during those moments that authentic emotion and beauty come through. truly magical indeed.

see a large sampling of jake’s portfolio on his website and purchase select prints at his etsy shop.

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r. gene barbera paintings

i’m enjoying my art fix and hope you are too. tomorrow’s posts will be different (i promise), but in the meantime look at these charming naive-outsiderish acrylic works from connecticut artist r. gene barbera. i like these pieces for breaking from traditional formal portrait style. i enjoy the rough simplicity, and variety of brush strokes and bright tones of color too, and the strange feeling of humor i get from them.

and i like the big heads.

the link to gene’s website appears to be broken right now, but you can see more and purchase gene’s work (at intensely affordable prices!) right here.

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sleepy urbanite photos by yvonne doll

look at these awesome nap snaps of folks snoozing on the local trains, from chicago artist and musician yvonne doll. to achieve her goals of creating impromptu art and capturing beauty in everyday moments, she sneaks discreet photos with her cell phone camera of people sleeping on the public transportation in the city and has compiled them all on her website, the sleepy urbanite. it’s a tranquil, poetic and peaceful collection of portraits with a ubiquitous theme - the brief and luxurious, drowsy, torpid moments of blissful slumber.

since being in close proximity to each subject is a requirement, i admire how she can connect with her subject, even as a sort of clandestine “undercover” artist. i enjoy the harsh artificial overhead light and natural light combinations, which give a very authentic taste of what it’s like to ride around the windy city on the el (frequently jarring and noisy but oh-so-quiet in these portraits). i also find it amusing that in many of these photos, other folks surrounding the sleeper succumb to the sweet idea of catching a quick cat nap too. i wonder if the ones that choose to stay awake are a little jealous.

see all the photos on yvonne’s website, and read her blog too, for one person’s unique glimpse of the residents of chicago.

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chris poulin photography

i love this abandoned ghost town series by chicago (by way of texas) photographer and graphic designer chris poulin. as is the pattern with other photographers i’ve featured in this space (what is up with that?), chris first started taking pictures at the tender age of nine, with a camera from his grandfather. he hasn’t stopped since then. with extensive background, knowledge and skills in architecture, photography and graphic design, he currently works as a well-rounded graphic designer, who has the natural ability to see the big picture and execute projects with careful attention to scope and scale.

this particular collection is foreboding and slightly sad, but it sure does have some soul.

see more cool images and find more info about chris on his website.

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