permafrost design studio

let’s have a look at some of the terrific designs from norway’s permafrost design studio. i like the retro freshness and playfulness of the whole collection, which to me looks sturdy and substantial as well.

i am especially enjoying the fun and aptly named john deere and silence rugs.

see much more on the permafrost website, and find the rugs at generate.

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elfine photographic art: miniview

oh! what a terrific way to start out the week here. the fabulous australian artist linda kruger of yellow monday has opened a brand new shop called elfine, which features work quite different from the whimsical prints in her other beloved shop. linda is taking original photographs and enhancing them manually and digitally to create a beautiful new series of giclee prints. these new pieces have a more organic, worn feel to them — so welcoming and familiar even when seeing it for the first time. those qualities, coupled with a contemplative color palette and very affordable ($20-$60!) price range, makes each piece highly stare-worthy and collectible. ever curious to know more, i decided to ask a few questions…

q: have you always been into photography? how did you decide to put all the elements together for the collection?
a: i have always loved photography. i studied it at university as part of my film studies course, and loved shooting with film and using the darkroom. i mostly use my digital camera at the moment, but am interested in photography from older cameras. a while ago i stumbled upon some images taken with a diana camera - a cheap plastic camera made in hong kong in the 60’s. the diana is quite unpredictable with her results - random light flashes, soft focus, super saturated colours - and the effects are fabulous! so i was partly inspired by this. i also have a background in printmaking (etching) but had stopped doing it about six years ago due to space issues. anyway these photos reminded me about the work i was doing back then - abstract landscapes and details of buildings, with very coarse textures, and simple designs. so i guess these two things came together and i ended up with something new. i really wanted to get a particular look in the photos which was a combination of rough textures and a gentle softness, so i ended up working in layers (like in etching) but with paint, and pencil, and also with photoshop.

q: now that you have opened the elfine shop, what is in store for yellow monday? will you continue to work on both?
a: oh yes. i will continue to work on both shops. i like the fact that they are very different, and that i can engage with the different styles according to my mood, or whatever is inspiring me. but i have loved doing the elfine images, and feel like i am getting back on track with a side of my work that i’d taken leave from for a while.

q: do you have a favorite piece in elfine?
a: i don’t really have a particular fave - they all have very personal associations for me, and each is from a place which has had some meaning for me. i feel like i layer each image with colour and texture and also something of myself as well. if i had to pick, i might choose the warrumbungles tree series.

purchase all the pieces shown here at elfine, see linda’s other work at yellow monday and be sure to drop by her blog to say hi and see what else she is up to!

thanks linda!

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marc hatfield impasto oil paintings

strolling through the narrow streets of the french quarter this last weekend, i happened across these magnificent paintings of arkansas artist marc hatfield. marc, who describes his style as representational expressionism, uses oil and a palette knife to create these thickly layered impasto works. his carefully selected scenes and subjects, things we pass everyday, are filled with rich, exaggerated action that leaps off the canvas as you look.

the style and technique that he uses has also been adopted by more than one artist selling their collections in the quarter, but i think marc does it best.

see more on marc’s website and if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in the crescent city, view them in person at the sterling gallery. i can assure you they are even more gorgeous in person (especially that piece in the top photo, which is an impressive 48″ x 48″ and truly, truly splendid)!

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madieke fleuren ceramics

look at these extraordinary ceramics from dutch artist madieke fleuren. madieke’s collection is a reinterpretation of different textures, like leather and yarn, as seen below:

gorgeous. gorgeous. gorgeous!

see more beautiful things and contact madieke on her website.

via bloesem

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sian alexander raku ceramic animals

do you know this about me already? i’ve got a thing for birds. my friends called me the crow in high school, since i was (and still am) attracted to shiny things. i am a secret city birdwatcher now, everyday. and when i am in michigan the neighbors must think i’m nuts, because the bitchin’ binoculars that my husband gave me for my birthday last year seem to be permanently attached to my face on the weekends we are there. now, imagine my delight to find these beautiful hand built raku-fired ceramic birds from portland artist sian alexander’s platykoalabird shop!

i love the brilliant colors she has used against the rough textured, oxidized look of the raku. very cool.

yes, the last photo had turtles. but they call me the turtle on the tennis court, so they’re in like flynn.

purchase them all right here and be sure to see the multitalented sian’s blog too. it looks like she makes a mean pastry as well.

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