roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

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lupe grainne photography

i’m enjoying the soft global poetry in this photography from sonoma-based artist lupe grainne.

see more beauty on lupe’s website, etsy shop, blog and flickr stream!

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new work from rachel horrocks

you may remember the wonderfully tactile, inspired wall decor from uk designer rachel horrocks that i wrote about a while ago. rachel has continued to develop the concept of fun felty artwork with this new series called decoflora. still crafted from 100% wool felt like her basic baroque pieces, the decoflora series presents a more feminine style and attaches with a simple removable hook and loop on the wall, allowing you to place myriad unique patterns on your walls.

4 lovely colors of flowers are available in sets of 5, 10 or 20 pieces. prices start at £38. see more and contact rachel on her website.

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eveline tarunadjaja illustration

This richly detailed, feminine styled and themed illustration work by Australian-based artist Eveline Tarunadjaja is making me dizzy. I want to trace all the lines in some of these pieces back to a single genesis and get lost trying to do it. It is simply lovely.

You can see more work from Eveline on her blog and website. Her shop is closed for a few weeks (until November 23rd, 2008), but if you need to purchase right away, you can pick up some of her prints at modamuse.

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blue ribbon design letterpress

Look at these oh-so-elegant letterpress greetings and stationery from Brooklyn designer Kimberly Dreissen for her company, Blue Ribbon Design. I love the crisp color combinations and pretty patterns she includes on her cards, journals and custom wedding invitations.

See more and find a shop near you on their website, and say hi to Kimberly on her blog.

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melissa peck paintings

Beloved readers, may I present to you this filled-to-the-brim-with-beauty collection of paintings from Utah artist Melissa Peck? I am really enjoying it. There is something about the people and the places they are in that appeals to me so strongly. At first glance it feels like haunted vision of humanity, tempered with soft notes. Something Victorian feeling, something inviting, and also somewhat plaintive. I am intrigued by the serious expressions of the subjects, which are offset by the carefully placed punches of high energy color. It’s mysterious, and yes indeedy, I am enjoying it a lot.

I also love the use of little bits of paper Melissa incorporates into her work from the homework and correspondence of her daughters.

See much more at Melissa’s website and roll along on her painting odyssey on her very intimate feeling blog. You can also see select works in person at Bonner David and Coda galleries in Scottsdale and Park City, respectively.

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jenny flanders photography: miniview

what you see is what you get, or wysiwyg. have you ever heard that phrase before? i usually think of it with regards to lotus spreadsheets. i also think that it applies to good food that is essentially naked and perfectly seasoned, which requires talent and effort to achieve. now, i also think it applies to the beautiful work of photographer jenny flanders. jenny is able to capture the essence of her subjects in a very intimate, authentic way. her macro shots are so inviting, and her abstract shots compel me to look a little bit longer and think about how she shot them, and how she brings out the best in them using this wysiwyg style. no primping or preening at all. just purity, plain and simple. i wanted to know a little more, so i asked…

q: where do you live and where do you create your work?
a: i live in seattle, washington, and i create much of my work just walking around my neighborhood. (i try to stick to what i can reach from the sidewalk rather than trespassing in my neighbors’ gardens.) i also spend quite a bit of time in central washington state, which is orchard and wine country. and of course i always take my camera on vacation!

 

q: what sold you on photography? what do you think makes it stand out from other art mediums?
a: i haven’t figured out another way to make art that satisfies me enough that i’d display it in my own home. photography stands out from many other mediums in that it’s more accessible. it’s relatively easy to acquire a camera, and it’s more portable than an easel, a sewing machine or a pottery wheel. photography can also be more “concrete” than other art forms, and i think that gives it great power to help people see the world differently.

q: you’ve got two shops on etsy: one with your nature images, and the other with your abstract collection. do you have a favorite motif?
a: i’m going to have to go with “natural abstracts.” 🙂 there are other things that catch my eye, but a lot of them just don’t fit with my nature photos. hence, my rather neglected second shop.

 

q: your images are largely if not exclusively unadorned (and by that i mean unenhanced digitally). what made you make that decision, and what do you think is the main benefit of this style?
a: well, i’ve moved from not knowing how to digitally enhance my photos to having some idea but still thinking they look pretty good without it. beyond removing a stray speck of dirt, how can i improve on nature? time is definitely a factor, but editing really isn’t the fun part for me. maybe i’ll develop that interest someday and open a third shop!

 

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be? and why?
a: the first place that comes to mind is hawaii, or anywhere lush, tropical and exotic. brazil’s atlantic forest is known for its biodiversity — 20,000 plant species ought to keep me busy for a while! i also need to pay my brother a visit in brooklyn, since the botanic garden there is considered among the best in the world. the why is probably pretty evident when you look at my “main” shop, but i’m truly fascinated by the details nature has to offer.

see more of jenny’s work at her two etsy shops.

thank you jenny!

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the art of veronika nagy

i don’t think i have mentioned this before, but i have been diligently building a fabulous etsy bunny collection. now that you know, looky here what just came in the mail from talented california artist veronika nagy:

isn’t it clever? veronika’s work is not exclusively limited to rabbits either. she enjoys experimenting with different traditional and digital techniques, which is reflected in her eclectic collection filled with paintings, etchings and mixed media drawings. strong childhood narratives and a certain positive, dreamy energy run through her pieces too, which serves to link all the different mediums used very cohesively.

purchase these pieces and see more in veronika’s etsy shop, and see what she’s up to on her blog right here.

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pussy willow earrings by stephanie simek

talented portland multimedia artist stephanie simek has added these absolutely lovely pussy willow earrings to her jewelry collection and i think they are fabulous. i love how graceful and delicate they are, and i especially love that they are made with actual plant matter. the earrings themselves are made of oxidized sterling silver.

i’ve got a thing for pussy willows. that really does not sound right, but i said it anyway. my pussy willow standard won a prize several years ago at the chicago flower and garden show. it has since passed on into the next plant life, so i am happy to see stephanie’s much longer-lived interpretation.

purchase the earring and see much more right here. and if you want to know more about stephanie click here for an interview i did with her recently.

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