the art of michele bosak

When I went to the Renegade Craft Fair last month I saw a lot of great stuff, but was immediately drawn to a few certain things, one of them being the wonderful artwork of Michele Bosak. Michele, who told me she was just finishing up her MFA in Drawing at NIU, splits her time between northern Illinois and Michigan. Her collection has charming childhood themes, greatly effective negative space and a thoughtful vintage feel to it. The soft color selections draw me in and envelop me like a favorite childhood blanket once did.

I appreciate Michele’s use of many types of media, like graphite, ink, watercolor and acrylic paint. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite in her collection but since I bought this piece, I think I like her wax and oil paint encaustic paintings best.

See more from Michele on her website, blog and Etsy shop.

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ravenswood art walk, part 2

More highlights of the Ravenswood Art Walk this past weekend:

great porcelain wall art and tabletop accessories from soda by amy

photography from phil marty

mixed media works from caroline anderson

jewelry from aphonia studios

postcard prints from bricolagelife

encaustic paintings from april nomellini

abstract paintings from armando pedroso

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the art of angela petsis

today i have a terrible internet connection, but am loving the soothing tones and soft layers on this mixed media work from dynamic artist angela petsis. these acrylic and collage pieces represent only a fraction of angela’s formidable work– she also has strong beeswax, polaroid transfer and altered book page collections. i am enjoying the cohesive motifs of so many mysterious tales and romantic, melancholic, even tragic stories, which unfold in front of my eyes the longer i look.

see more of angela’s fabulous work on her website and flickr stream, and purchase select works at her etsy shop.

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michele maule mixed media: miniview

i think i have mentioned before that my father in law has this awesome collection of old typewriters? they’re all black, which is perfect and fine of course, but just a tad heavy to be filling my eyes and mind, what with all the summery things that are pouring into my head at warp speed right now. the old brightly colored ones are perfect in a different way, a seasonal way, a now way, which is why i am sooo attracted to the most excellent artwork of michele maule. i love her free-spirited interpretation of these utilitarian objects, with their foxy colors and soft curves. there is some big love behind these pieces, you can just tell. and her other work, which includes original encaustic paintings, illustrations and screenprints, is a nice crusty contrast to those colorful jammy typewriters. that’s right, i said jammy. the point is, there’s all different kinds of plenty for people to enjoy in her prolific collection, and with all that said, wouldn’t you like to know just a little more about the brains behind the operation? me too!

q: where do you live and where do you make your collection?
a: i live in pontiac, michigan, a forgotten suburb of detroit. i mostly work in my house. i recently converted my living room into a work space, and there is also a small space in my bedroom where i work.

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i find inspiration in everyday objects. i love seeing the personalities that things like chairs, typewriters, spools of thread, and sewing machines take on. every time i draw one of these objects, it seems to take on a life of its own. each one has their own character, and i really enjoy seeing that.

i also find a lot of inspiration in nature, and in illustrated science books. things like the anatomy of flowers and our skeletal system really interest me.

q: what did you think you would grow up to be when you were a little kid?
a: well, i remember the first thing/person i wanted to be when i grew up was wonder woman. i thought she was rad. i even wore these blue rubber bands on my wrists for weeks and weeks. later, i knew that i wanted to do something that would let me be creative. i didn’t know what exactly, and i don’t think i really figured that out until my junior year of college!

q: can we go anywhere to see your work in person?
a: yes you can!! i currently have work in the following galleries and boutiques: fact and fancy in brooklyn, 323 east gallery in royal oak, mi and the ddp gallery in fayetteville, ar.

see more of michele’s terrific artwork on her website, check out her flickr stream, purchase these pieces at her etsy shop, and be sure to stop by and say hi on her blog too!

thank you michele!

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heli hietala crayons

finnish designer heli hietala has created an extraordinary set of crayons to enhance our coloring pleasure. heli says the colours can be used for drawing, and each piece (which is in the shape of a small human) can be used as a tool for a variety of communication styles we find in out daily lives — soft, stimulating, balanced or dirty. it all depends of the character you choose. there are about 100 crayons and they come in boxes of ten pieces each (ten different color collections to choose from).

an extraordinary gift or conversation piece for your own home, made even more interesting as the “bodies” are worn down.

see more intriguing designs and contact heli right here.

via designboom

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authentics bravit candle

look at this cool bravit candle from christophe van bömmel for germany’s authentics. the arrangement of the wicks in the center of this paraffin candle forms a design that is visible through the wax. as the candle evolves through the various phases of burning, the design is traced by the burning wicks. depending on the pattern and size you select, you’ll see up to five different flames burning dramatically and transforming the original shape and size of the candle.

if you like spacing out while staring at candles, these pretty patterns might provide hours of entertainment.

purchase the bravits collection online at authentics. you can also find select pieces over at made in design and moss.

via cribcandy

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transportation friday: plane

n.b. this is the last day in a week long series on methods of transport and how we feel about them, created by a dear friend.

of course i have to start out by saying that all week long i felt like i was a day behind and had planned to catch up with my transportation post challenge. well that certainly did not happen, due to that taxing thing called life. too much work and too many obligations! so i’m a day late with this last one. i do need to say that i have enjoyed peppering this space with a little bit of personal anecdotal stuff, and i had a ton of fun dreaming up these posts. maybe someday i will make that a more permanent thing. the question is just how much personal voice is too much personal voice in the blogosphere? curious…

planes. well, i find traveling on them to be exciting and exhausting at the same time. i always try to slather a moisturizing mask on my face that doesn’t make me look like the hulk to the other passengers, because it is so drying up there in the sky. usually if i am flying somewhere it’s pretty far away and hence the excitement. but that frequently means that the flight is a long one and that is the exhausting part. i am brand loyal, and typically save my miles up from my shorter trips to purchase upgrades for longer flights. i don’t like the air quality. one time i was flying in a puddle jumper and for the ventilation they said to open the tiny little windows by the seats. that was so bizarre to me. but refreshing.

caudalie and fresh moisturizing masks

oil and mixed media paintings by rachel austin at her etsy shop

hand silkscreened pillows from charm school design’s etsy shop

flight home original photo from blair fethers‘ etsy shop

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