identity tank decorative ceramic tiles

You did not think I was finished writing about artists in Brooklyn on Etsy, did you? One more: cool decorative ceramic tiles with hand drawn details from the creative hands of Identity Tank.

See more here.

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tabitha bianca brown: miniview

Are you in a groovy, cool vintage-feeling mood right now? I am. I feel like curling my feet up under me in a Barcelona chair, grabbing a cold one and putting some old Chaka Khan tunes on my headphones right now, because I’ve been looking at the stylish artwork of Tabitha Bianca Brown. I like Tabitha’s style. It’s loose but orderly. Soft, with a little bit of urban edge. It has dimension due to its layers of assorted materials - chalk, acrylic, graphite - and the earthy color palettes appeal to my organic side. I wanted to know some more, so…

Q: Where do you live and where do you create your artwork?
A: I live in a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois. Most of my art is created while I sitting in front of a window. I like using natural lighting.

Q: In your collection, I see you have mixed media pieces, paintings and illustrations too. Do you have a favorite technique or medium?
A: I enjoy enjoy mixing and matching different techniques. So, I don’t have a favorite. But, I will say that the staple of my pieces is my 2H pencil. The little guy creates the framework of all of my pieces, no matter what the final medium will be.

Q: What is it about the 60’s and 70’s eras that appeals to you the most? If you could pick one element of that period to incorporate into the age we are in today, what would it be?
A: I grew up surrounded by records from the 70s. While visiting my Grandma (that’s where the huge record collection lived), my aunt would play these records for us. It’s mainly the nostalgia that appeals to me. I think the music was wonderful, particularly the soul, funk, and jazz. Those genres had so many layers; smooth, gritty, airy, heavy. These opposing layers were perfectly blended into harmony. I would like to carry those layers into the modern day. The complexity and simpleness of everyday life.

You can see much more of Tabitha’s work at her Etsy shop and website, and say hello on her blog.

Thank you Tabitha!

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eric holubow photography

i don’t know about you, but i get a little anxious about entering abandoned buildings by myself. that’s why i am thoroughly enjoying the spectacular light and composition in this haunting series of decaying interiors from intrepid local artist eric holubow. having grown up in an urban environment, eric says that he’s always been attracted to modern architectural ruins like these, and can see rich beauty in unraveling and disintegration. once you see the stories told in these pieces, you wouldn’t even consider arguing the point.

see more of eric’s collection on his flickr stream and website.

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paul pardue photography: miniview

if you are a regular visitor here you know i like to talk about “falling into” the details of some of the artwork i feature. i liken it to walking around with peripheral vision and then finding something that you can focus on sharply as you stumble along your daily path. this is how i felt when i saw the work of paul pardue. the consistency within his collection is noteworthy. each photograph has a powerful combination of great framing, incredible lighting and compelling subject matter. i really enjoy his work, so i decided to investigate further…

q: where do you live, and where do you create your artwork?
a: i live in sacramento, california which is where the bulk of my work is created, though if circumstances allow i do try and get out and shoot. most recently i went on a three day camping trip and visited two state parks and two federal parks. since i currently shoot digitally i do almost all my “processing” at home on the computer though i do have a laptop that i can take with me as a portable darkroom. i generally spend a lot of time on my photos, i may take a hundred photos and only work on a few. it really depends on the shoot.

q: what is it about photography that you enjoy the most?
a: i love that in photography you have control over your final image, but at the same time you have zero control over it. it’s a balance where you’re forced to take what is in front of you and make it your image. being able to control your environment to suit your needs is a really cool thought, in some ways it’s like how a painter takes their scene in front of them and paints in as they see. the difference of course is that the painter is open to their interpretation and style whereas i am forced to the constraints of what i can capture through the lens and later, through the processing and printing.

q: did you think when you were a little kid that you would grow up to be a photographer?
a: i remember as a little kid playing with my mom’s polaroid camera, even if there was no film in it. there is always something magical about photography, i really got in to it in high school and the thrill of watching a print develop in front of your eyes in the dark room is something that very few people get to experience. but, it wasn’t till high school that i really thought of photography as anything. as a kid, i’m sure i wanted to grow up to be an astronaut like all other kids.

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
a: i’d love to travel and do more of the landscapes and visit the state and federal parks, and even leave the country, but until that day comes i’ll continue to shoot locally. i guess above anything else it depends on what i want to shoot, where i end up shooting. if i continue with the landscapes and such i can inevitably end up anywhere in the world or even all over the world on some world trip of photography. maybe once things pick up in the sales department i can consider planning a trip.

see what’s available for sale at paul’s etsy shop. if you enjoy the human form, he also does fine art nudes, and that shop is here. view his full portfolio on his website and while you are at it, say hello to him on his blog.

thank you paul!

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bill fantini photography: miniview

i am always on the lookout for beautiful sepia toned imagery and so when i saw these pieces from bill fantini, aka etsy seller houseofsixcats, i thought the mothership had landed. the lighting, texture and composition is so lovely in each and every photo. fortunately for us, bill’s skills are not exclusive to the sepia style. as i dug deeper, i found his shop to be a virtual treasure trove of through the viewfinder, sepia, black and white, still and urban photography. it is inspiring and impressive to see such a breadth of work in just one shop, which really got the old hamster wheel in my mind running, so i thought i would ask just a few questions…

q: where do you live and where do you create your artwork?
a: well, presently i live in ossining, ny. that is in westchester county, about 45 minutes north of the city. but i have lived on both coasts and we are planning on moving back to portland, oregon in october.

i don’t have any one particular place i create my art, i shoot in many different locations. i guess the one constant is that i use adobe lightroom and photoshop to help make the shots i took into images of art.

q: how did you get into photography?
a: i got my first 35mm SLR, a Minolta X700, for my 16th birthday, and have been hooked ever since!

q: browsing through your collection, it is clear that you have a broad mastery of several different styles. do you have a favorite piece of equipment, a location or technique you like to use?
a: thank you for the wonderful compliment! i really like shooting ttv, through the viewfinder, it’s great fun using the old argus 75 to compose the shot.

i have to say my favorite shot is rusted gear (below), and it is also from my most unique location, an abandoned power station.

q: what inspires your creativity?
a: that is the most difficult question. i really don’t have any one thing that inspires me. what i love to do is walk around a location and look for unusual angles or ways to shoot what i find interesting.

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
a: the first place that comes to mind is japan, i love the asian culture, and from what i have seen that country looks fascinating. another photo journey i would love to take is to explore more abandoned buildings here and in europe!

q: are any of the six cats in the house photographers too?
a: when i started my shop we had six cats, and i wanted a unique name that people would hopefully remember. since then two have passed, but i think it is a nice homage to their memory.

see more of bill’s broad portfolio of work on his flickr stream, and purchase these prints and more at his etsy shop.

thank you bill!

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brad jamieson photography

some intriguing urban (and not-so-urban) compositions and great lighting here from brooklyn-based photographer brad jamieson. brad says he takes his pictures “for proof.”

see more work and contact brad on his website.

via notcot

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eduardo cervantes photography

this color and black and white imagery from california artist eduardo cervantes, aka etsy seller eddyizm, are lavish with light; so lavish, in fact, that i feel guilty and indulgent while looking at them.

purchase these prints here, see more on eduardo’s website and say hi to him on his blog.

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michele pred mixed media sculpture

california artist michele pred creates three dimensional sculpture work out of confiscated items she has collected over the last five years from airport security checkpoints at the san francisco international airport. she collected these items to express the disruption we have felt in our everyday lives since the 9/11 attacks in a visual way. the works are open to interpretation of course, and to michele they represent the “arbitrary intrusion of disorder and all that is now lost and unrecoverable.”

what do they symbolize to you?

michele will be exhibiting her work in a solo chow at the john michael kohler arts center from june 15th - october 12th, 2008. if you can’t get there in person you can see her most excellent collection on her website.

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