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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chris applehans art prints

i am thoroughly enjoying the tales, style, color palettes and everything else in these richly emotional prints from los angeles-based artist chris applehans.

see chris’ portfolio and contact him on his website. purchase these prints and more at nucleus.

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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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noferin artworks

oh man i am running around like a freak today so this may be the only thing i dash off to you, stupid stupid me clicked private draft on this and it never got published yesterday! so sorry! but i (still) think it’s a good one! behold the lush and magical artwork of australia’s noferin! these richly detailed works come from the minds and imaginations of candy and nicho. they seek to tell us of the colorful tales of carrara island and the pecanpals, some very lovable-looking and bulbous-headed characters who inhabit the mythical island.

boy, am i tempted to pack a suitcase and move to carrara island now…

see candy and nicho’s work in person for a limited time beginning june 20th at gallery 1988 in san francisco, say hello to them on their blog, view their flickr stream and head over to their website to see more and purchase delightful things.

via notcot and drawn!

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decisions, decisions print by jamie wieck

this limited edition giclee print by london-based graphic designer jamie wieck is an obsessive riot. the idea was borne of jamie’s outrage over the rules restaurants impose on their patrons. questions turned into more questions and the end result is this amazing, repeating if-then flow chart pattern.

purchase the print and see more of jamie’s work (i love danté’s tea break!) right here.

via the robot walrus

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prince print by plasticgod

has everyone here seen this print which permanently chronicles the fabulous fashions of prince, by los angeles artist (and “your 20th century warhol”) plasticgod?

i didn’t think so.

i think my favorite is the when doves cry suit. 1984. good times.

purchase this print at gallery 1998 and see more celebrity work by plasticgod right here.

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brigette barrager art print(s)

UPDATE: hurrah! brigette has loaded her shop up with many more fun prints and some original works too!

right now there is only one print available in los angeles artist brigette barrager’s etsy shop, which shows us a kinder, gentler scene of urban living i wish i could jump into for a little while. actually i can and i do, now that i have found it! among other things, i’m enjoying brigette’s cats and lace curtains in the windows, her lighthearted stylings and soft color combinations in this piece, created from her original gouache painting.

while we wait and hope to see more of brigette’s whimsical prints soon in her shop, let’s say hi to her on her blog and view her portfolio here.

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fun zodiac art by the primped paperie

i like the stylings of these whimsical zodiac prints from calgary’s amanda spicer that she makes for her primped paperie. and not just because my birthday is in less than a week either. amanda has thoughtfully portrayed each of these astrological signs just perfectly.

if these aren’t a terrific gift for a girlfriend, i don’t know what is!

see more cuteness at the amanda’s etsy shop, mintd shop and blog.

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little critters exhibition at uppercase

thanks to her great eye, janine from uppercase gallery in calgary has given us lots of fun and funny things to stare at in the gallery’s current show, little critters:

digital igor beaver print from renata liwska

jason blower’s wooden elephant 7″h x 6″w x 6″l

fox digital print by mike kerr

local singers print from julie mclaughlin

this colorful (and very affordable!) show runs through the end of april. you can view all the pieces and purchase them online at the gallery right here.

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spring print collection at tiny showcase

jon buonaccorsi and shea’la finch, aka those clever folks with the great eye for beauty over at the tiny showcase have revealed their spring print collection. i have having a hard time 1) deciding which one i like best and 2) showing some restraint and not buying ALL of them! check them out below and decide for yourself:

weaving by josh keyes

he knew that he had to leave by jack long

mississippi by jennifer davis

the town spring found by nigel peake

bonus: they are using highly renewable hahnemühle bamboo printmaking paper for these prints, which is less harmful to the environment.

these prints are an open edition until the season changes and a new set is presented; at that time they will become unavailable. in addition to the seasonal set, jon and shea’la release new artwork to the public every tuesday. you can sign up for their mailing list and peruse other quality work on the tiny showcase website. have fun!

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poppytalk handmade market (shopping)

jan at poppytalk is back at it with an eco-themed market this month, chock full of lovely adornments for home and body. let’s have a look at some of the highlights now:

fun hand and digital collage prints from layla renzi for her dollface design

steel linked necklace from megan auman

gocco printed notes and stationery on recycled stock from sarah parrott

vintage car bank from blue bell bazaar

recycled cotton totes from jen harris for her black sheep heap

now is the perfect to do some spring shopping, so hop on over there and choose your personal favorites!

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daisy print by christina muraczewski

oh.

oh my.

i think i love this limited edition print, made from a painting by california artist christina muraczewski. and not just because of that faux bois, but because it’s so orderly.

there is motivation behind it all, according to christina:

when i go to the store i plan to buy five things or in groups of five so i remember what i was supposed to get. i organize and categorize by a number of different systems. i make lists of activities and items and place already “checked off” activities or items on the list to get a head start. never is there room for the diagonal. a rectangle functions better as a square. a crack in a wall must be repaired. the order of natural elements must be left to its integrity. everything must match.

by employing minimal characteristics, i create formal and informal relationships that are usually subtly depicted to mimic a kind of ethereal experience desired by the minimalists, one that is disrupted purposefully by a foreign element: humor. humor in the form of obsessiveness, senselessness, or sarcasm defines the absurd to serve as a balance to the mundane. the attempt is to fashion a new hybrid: minimalism as the backbone and idiosyncrasy as the fuel. this hybrid is meant to sit in the “in-between”, the balance of abstraction and representation, the literal and the conceptual, sincerity and superficiality.

oh.

oh my.

find this print in all its glory at 20×200.

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