michelle “milo” white paintings

i’m in a michelle mood today. with two els. i think i may be doing focused posts based on people’s names again in the future, because it’s fun! anyway, let’s circle back to the brilliant talents of san francisco artist michelle “milo” white for a moment. i am wild about milo’s unique illustration style and at the time i wrote about her i don’t think she was selling her work, so i am so glad to see that she’s sharing some of her wonderful paintings with all of us now!

i am really stoked to know that i can buy one of these 3 x 5″ originals, framed, for just $100. viva milo!

purchase these pieces and see much more at her website, and be sure to check out her blog too.

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pia baastrup ceramics

please bear with me while i take my time being completely enchanted by pretty things! i love these delicate yet sturdy porcelain pieces from the paperboat collection of danish ceramic artist pia baastrup. she makes the models in paper first, then rolls out the porcelain and crafts the collection, offered in white and pale turquoise, by hand. i really love the soft details on the folded edges and the demure please-touch shapes.

pia, who is inspired by silence, the sea, light and shells, is slightly elusive — i cannot find a personal website or here anywhere! but our european friends can purchase these gorgeous pieces on the craft2eu website. lucky them.

via more ways to waste time

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carrie pollard photography: miniview

there is so much strength in simplicity, and that is why i love the poetic composition in these terrific photographs from california artist carrie pollard. carrie’s pieces look like they’re full of stories and feel effortless and satisfying, like taking a walk with your best friend in the park on a spring day. ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i decided to ask a few questions…

q: how did you get into photography?
a: my love of photography started in high school — roughly 10-12 years ago. at first, it started as a way to get out of class (lol) but then i really really started getting into it. i’ve taken many many classes on photography since then, and have done lots of portraits. i still love doing nature shots more than anything though.

i plan on being a full time photographer within three years.

q: what inspires your creativity?
a: blank walls! haha.

i would have to say that my creativity is inspired by nature. i love the outdoors and if i am inside you will find me looking outside. when i see a pretty scene, i want to share it with everyone!

see more of carrie’s collection here and purchase prints at her etsy shop.

thank you carrie!

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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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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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john zoller art

i must admit i’m slightly stupefied by this artwork from miami artist john zoller. this is john’s united states color and learn series of paintings and drawings, a collection that he started several years ago and has been adding to regularly. they’re based on traditional american educational coloring books that were used to teach our culture’s history to children. these oversized, bright and playful presentations pay homage to traditional pop art style, and are the first reasons that compel you to look. the painting style is a familiar reflection of mid-century illustration techniques. each piece, soft and glistening with color, glitter, plastic eyeballs and pompoms, is a “typical” example of the pioneering spirit of our iconic forefathers and of average everyday youth at work and play. the longer you look, though, the quicker all that style falls to the wayside. the glitter turns cold, and those plastic eyes are more static and soulless than cute. imagine a seamless transport to a place where levels of high indoctrination, historical inaccuracies and modern tragedy meet a hungry longing for utopian youth, with nostalgia and dark humor as its vehicle, and walk the line into this collection.

i want to speak to the versatility here. this is jarring social commentary wrapped in a bright and pretty package, but people can choose not to derive the deep meaning either, and can simply enjoy the images and historical narrative. of course i think the artwork is so much richer when looking at the complete picture. it’s edgy, political and eerily haunting. the artist himself describes the content of his series “like a time released drug with a long list of bad side effects.” how apropos.

to me, john’s painting technique and style is like a fabulous party, and the impact of these works is like the smoke that rolls into the room at the event. you might not notice it at first. when you do, it might make you uncomfortable, and when you leave, it lingers with you, just as the the events of the evening do in your mind. intertwined, integrated, affecting. the mark of a highly successful and satisfying experience.

thanks for the info, john!

john is currently participating in the happy days exhibit, curated by dorian gray, at john jones in london through november 30th (hurry!).

see his diverse portfolio on his website, and check out his cafepress shop too!

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diana stith brennan

i love these quiet and powerful photographs from rhode island artist diana stith brennan. diana’s keen awareness and love of nature, the environment and all of its details converge into striking, understated imagery.

she has isolated her subjects but the energy coming off them doesn’t feel lonely to me. just calm.

find diana’s pieces in her etsy shop, read up about her latest doings on her blog and see her larger portfolio on her website!

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