Stilllife : Absolute heaven to me

It's been a random and mostly awesome weekend. I caught up with friends for a chai in the sun, saw Inglourious Basterds, trecked through the markets, discovered a most excellent crocodile-patterned old suitcase (for $15... will post pics soon), had a father's day picnic on the central coast and to finish it all off gave myself food poisoning. Brilliant!

Speaking of randomly awesome... I'm crazy about these here kitchy cool 70s style prints and iron-on transfers. They're by Mandy in Adelaide: she can be found at her withwallpaper madeit shop (check out the cool gift tags and calendars), etsy store, flickr stream and blog. Buseee! Here is the lovely lady with the inside info...


Has drawing always been a hobby?
A hobby, a compulsion and a vocation. I used to entertain the idea of other occupations, but when I finished high school the idea of just drawing and painting all day was absolute heaven to me. I went to art school and then studied graphic design at university, so I guess it was never going to be anything else.


In what other ways are you creative?
I like to have a nice environment around me at home and you definitely need to be creative on an artist's income. I also try to be creative in my cooking (with mixed results).


What are your fave blogs?
I look at lots of different blogs and websites on a regular basis like theselby & sfgirlbybay. I absolutely love ffffound for inspiration.

What else are you reading?
I like reading autobiographies more than anything else (real life is so much more interesting than fiction!), but lately I have been reading novels set in the 1930s by writers like Evelyn Waugh & Nancy Mitford -I think they are quite semi-biographical anyway.

More: withwallpaper.etsy.com

Silverlining : Colour me happy

There's a beautiful quote by author and artist Kahlil Gibran... Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Like most peeps, I don't like being around anything to do with pain, it's so so hard to experience it or see it in a friend.

When I was retrenched in April, I didn't see the silver lining for a little while. But now I'm living the dream... exceptionally happy writing from home. I can shop on eBay, write my blog, walk my dog, make a smoothie any time I want. So long as I meet my deadlines, I'm free to make my own schedule and that's just the way I like it. Pain is temporary, knowledge is forever.

Now here's a happy artist with a great story to tell... meet Melissa Moss...


The story...
I used to take the slow lane into work. I didn’t care if I was inhaling the fumes of a semi if it meant I would get to work later. Each day my soul seemed a little heavier.

In 2002, my amazing husband helped me realize that not only was I miserable at work, I was miserable just thinking about going back. So after a few freak outs, I left the publishing world to study color psychology and during my course work, discovered my true passion…painting.

Color is my primary artistic element. I’ve studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones and use this knowledge to convey the mood of each painting.


Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by so many artists and by nature but mostly I'm inspired by my 2 year old son. He just makes it easy (most of the time) to get up in the morning.

How do you indulge?
I love to go to movies by myself. So when I'm feeling like escaping that's what I do. But I've also been reading the Twilight books. Definitely a guilty pleasure.


Favourite blogs?
I usually just look at my friends blogs...Cathy Nichols, Marisa Haedike (Creative Thursday) and Outi Harma. That's about all I have time for.

More more more: melissamoss.etsy.com
Pics from top down: too happy, nice to me, the arrival & baby mine.

Layerlove : A beautiful mix

Happy is a Monday afternoon full of dandelion tea, Hershey's Kisses and winning eBay bids. Cue satisfied sigh. Speaking of winning, how ace are these mixed media prints? Super lovely Mindy Wilson from Montana cleverly throws together her pics, textiles, illos and digital influences to create these goodies. Cute and sweet and rustic and fabulously original...


Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by my friends and family and all creative people, really. I love when others share what they make with me, point me to their blog or bring something to show me. When someone is making, making, making I'm inspired to do the same. I'm also inspired by nature though that's not really a 'who' unless I'd said Mother Nature.


Birds, beautiful and funny looking, sound pretty and simply crazy little creatures, I love that I can draw them in so many different styles and they still get the chance to be called birds. Corny little birds like this one are most normal for my illustration style. I really haven't shared many images with this style of these on Etsy.
Fave blogs?
I love finding blogs with step by step images of various project that artists are working on. I love to find a beautiful mix of family images and projects too. Here is one example: Anna Maria Horner

I love this artist's creations... Feltcafe... the felting is amazing. I don't felt but, I am totally engrossed in her projects. Like these.

The Small Object is another fave.

The Farm Chicks (I was a vendor at one of their shows this spring) I'd also found a K I L L E R chocolate cake recipe in February and I think it made me gain 20 pounds, which I am just beginning to shed. whew.



Pics from top down: Morphee, Largo Nice Rack Distressed Large Lion Print, Striking Large Morphans, Jelly Bean Soup Funky Print and Vintage Wallpaper Inspiration Print.

Plaything : Ordinary absurdities

I think I've learned to accept Stuff. Like how many greys I have at such a young(ish) age. Or that my dog favours my hubby. It's true. (Perhaps I need to move on from 'acceptance girl' to 'crazy lady with pockets full of liver treats'). And how I can cook just about anything in the world... except rice. That I can't carry off bright clothes. Like perhaps my singing voice isn't as magical as it was when I was 20. (Ok it seems there needs to be a bit more work on this Issue). But I really, honestly have come to embrace winter. See, there are two kinds of people I know. The cold-weather peeps who would rather camp in July and hibernate in January, and the sun-worshippers who complain at the first drop of rain, are fully stocked with fake-tan (in case it gets banned or other such disaster) and are generally better off ignoring from early May to mid Sep. I have always been a sun bunny and would watch in horror as my husband (yes, kiwi-born snow bunny) revelled in the thought of roasts and crisp mornings.


But this year was different. Cold was fun. Maybe it's the early greys turning my brain fudgy. And don't worry, I'll still be loving summers forever... but check out these pics. Aren't they mid-winter perfection? Glass of red anyone?

They're by Sydney-based photographer Linda Kruger. Must be why I feel so at home and snuggly when I look at them. I'm in awe of Linda's techniques - the extra painting and layering - that's still subtle enough to let the original snapshot shine through. Here's some interesting stuff about Linda...


What inspires you?
Inspiration usually takes me by surprise, and I often think it's as much to do with being in a mood to be receptive. When I'm in the right mind-set, almost everything is inspiring. I also go through stages where I don't feel inspired at all (and consequently get no work done). Artist friends of mine have said it's the same for them too, but we all agree that those times are usually followed by more energetic productive periods. It's almost like the down time is an important part of the process, where the ideas are percolating away in the background. Having said all that, I'm really enjoying the work of Arthur Dove at the moment.


What makes you laugh?
I think there's so much to laugh about. The funniest things are just to do with the ordinary absurdities of life. Dogs are always good for a laugh. But not clowns.

What music are you listening to?
I don't listen to music much while I work, because I get distracted by it. I prefer to just listen to the sounds of my neighbourhood. When I'm not working, my current winter playlist includes Mike Andrews, The High Llamas, Kurt Vile, Hank Williams, Modern Lovers, Meg Baird, Muslimgauze.

Pics from top down: fresco 1, Collector Bird, Autumn and Lindisfarne.
More pics, interesting info about the pics and curious things: elfine.etsy.com & olivedear.com

Funpark : Get giddy with it

Giddy: Frivolous and lighthearted; flighty.



Fun: A source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure. Playful, often noisy, activity.



Free: Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion. Liberal or lavish. Given, made, or done of one's own accord; voluntary or spontaneous.



Soar: To rise, fly, or glide high and with little apparent effort.



Merriment: High-spirited fun and enjoyment; hilarity.



Live as though you're at a fun park. Be free, soar, smile, laugh. Let the wind dive through your hair and your cheeks turn pink; eat fairy floss with abandonment; see others as a source of joy and companionship. In short, live as though the world will support any and every one of your dreams in full.

The whimsical, gorgeous prints above are by Washington, DC-based Linda Plaisted, Many Muses Studio. Each piece of artwork she creates is layered by hand with images she has captured in her photographs, drawings, paintings and collected ephemera to create collage pieces with depth and detail.

What do you love about mixed media? As a painter and photographer and lover of all things art supply, I enjoy the pure play of different media and juxtaposition of interesting textures, layers and forms.

What's your favourite subject to photograph? Nature, hands down.

What makes you laugh? My exquisitely wonderful children, ages 2 and 5. They're magic.

Pics from top down: Roulette, Carousel, Up Up, Luna Park, Send in the Clowns and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. All from the Luna Park series.

lindaplaisted.com

Screenprincess : Take it with you

Cute. Seriously cute. I love me some cuteness. I love these colours! The randomness really appeals to me - the gun, key and bike seem, like many designs I've found, to come from nowhere. While the tree, tour eiffel and birdie branch are just clever and lovely and homey. I'm not a gun fan, could never have them in my home in any shape or form, but something about this one makes me smile. Like a bad Western on a Sunday afternoon.

Meet Sissy, creator of Two Poodle Press. She's created these marvellous prints from sunny San Diego, California... a place I'd love to visit again. Soon. Here she is...

I first started in design in high school, laying out the school paper and designing zines and stuff.
Travel is the number-one source of inspiration for me, I get so many ideas when I see new places!



How incredible is this quote (from the movie It's A Wonderful Life). Too true.

Prints in top pic, clockwise from top left: Vintage Bicycle, Vintage Key Welcome Sign, Bang Bang Vintage Pistol, Vintage Inspired Mod-Bird and Flowers, Vintage Paris Eiffel Tower and Peachy.
Pic above: Inspirational Vintage Film Quote in Greige.

twopoodlepress.etsy.com

Kidsplay : A rush of colour

You've caught me in a good mood. I have a new laptop (my first mac, so excitement), the sun is out, Madeleine Peyroux is singing sweetly (through the speakers of said new laptop, of course), I've just devoured a pack of peanut butter m&m's and the art prints I've found for today's post are so brilliantly citrus-bright and fun... there really is nothing else to feel but delight.

The lovely Helen (aka zukzuk, originally from NZ, currently residing in Canada), has an etsy shop full of beautiful children's prints that would brighten up any home. I especially love the masked bear above, it reminds me of the look my dog gives me when trying to sneak off somewhere she shouldn't. Anyhoo, here's a bit about Helen...

What and who inspires your designs?
I keep my eyes open and when I see something I like I try to make a mental note. I have ideas coming to me when I'm lying in bed and I enjoy checking out blogs and being inspired by artists who are way more accomplished than I am. I love being surrounded by nature - this time of year (spring in Canada) is a wondrous and very inspirational season. The uncontrolled vitality of life rushing forth is mesmerizing.

What makes you laugh?
Lately, Flight of the Conchords.

What are you reading?
Heidegger's "Being and Time." I'm just kidding, I can't remember the title, it's "101 nature activities for your child" or something like that.

What are you listening to as you create?
I have been enjoying revisiting the Sesame Street classics! I have a 4 year old son... so that means... 5 grey hairs per year x 4 years = 20 grey hairs, at least!!

Check out zukzuk.etsy.com for the whole shop. Want to win stuff? Helen's giving away goodies right here: hellozukzuk.blogspot.com

Pics above: (clockwise from top left) Birdabies, Masked Bear, Sugardrop Baby and Love Train

Dreamweaver : Novel ideas

From a small town in Norway comes these stunning and fragile mini works of art. They're original mixed media illustrations using acrylic paint, ink and marker drawing on a vintage book pages from 1892, by the lovely Annette. Here's a bit about her:

How did you become an artist?
I've been drawing and painting all my life. I loved my colouring books when I was a little girl and I started my Art education when I was 16, I went to Art school for 7 years.
Art is my life really, it's like therapy . A way to get my feelings out . People that know me can tell from my work what kind of mood I am in.

When I was 18 I went to Tasmania, Australia for 6 months and took art classes and life drawing classes at Adult education, Hobart. At the age of 19 I was accepted into a private Art school for Fine Art, Sculpture and Photography in Stavanger, Norway. I graduated 2 years later and have been a freelance designer and illustrator since then. I've also worked in an Art gallery.
In 2007 I started to sell my art online at carambatack.etsy.com.

Whats been the highlight of your career?
All the positive and wonderful feedback from customers, bloggers, friends and others when I started to sell my art online. That gives me such joy and makes me want to create more art.

What are your favourite creative website?
Flickr.com - so much creativity and inspiration in one place....WOW. I love flickr and have been posting photos of my work and life since 2006. My flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/carambatack

Pictured top (clockwise from top left): Fantasy tree, Girl on Swing, Red Bird, My red umbrella, Under my wing and Red dress. Below: Peacock in blue and red, inspired by Norwegian retro paper cut from the 70`s.

Birdinhand : Tears of joy

I get excited easily about lamb roasts, good wine, funny friends, warm autumn days, really nice tea, vanity fair arriving in the mail and impromptu dinners in newtown. I also get really excited about art and I never knew how fun it could be to blog about it. I love finding pieces with common threads that are - at a glance at least - so incredibly different. Like the works above, they appear worlds apart to everything else I've found, but they have so much in common. Hello birds! Hello originality! Hello gorgeousness!

The uber-talented and sweet Madeleine Stamer - creator of Little Circus Design - has a new exhibition in Melbourne beginning May 2nd that I'm really excited about. Here's a bit about her:

When do you feel most creative?

With a very active two and a half year old and an 18 week old baby it’s more like ‘when can I be creative!’ and the answer to that is when I should be sleeping… Like most artists I have sporadic bursts of creativity during unusual moments such as in the deep of the night, while I’m feeding baby, driving the car and I’m constantly daydreaming about what I could be making but I have trained myself to resist the urge and wait until the coast is clear of little tackers. When the little girls are sleeping during the day that’s when I knuckle down and get busy with my art.

What is it about birds?

Since I can remember I have always been fond of feathered creatures.

It goes right back to associating sights and sounds of birds with a particular experience or a pleasant memory. More often than not these memories are fond recollections of the past. I recall precious moments walking with my dad in magical bushland listening with him to the dreamy call of the bellbirds.

My dad taught me how to listen properly to the different bird calls and to appreciate the different breeds and all their little idiosyncrasies. When I was young I watched birds, I drew birds, I pretended to be them and I listened to them, I could distinguish a warning from a pleasant morning greeting. We were blessed to live in a special pocket of town. We had a natural creek flowing at the end of our street with beautiful native plants and sweet smelling gums. It attracted many breeds of native birds. For many years my best friend was my pet duck Fergus who often ventured down to the creek with me waddling by my side with our two loyal dogs always on the look out for cats who were ready to pounce.

Who’s your favourite artist?

Such a hard question to answer… Here are my top 10 influences: Children’s author Dick Bruna, Gaudi, Chagall, Lady Pink, Mirka Mora, José Guadalupe Posada, Hieronymus Bosch, Vaughn Bode, Stig Lindberg and Niki de Saint Phalle.

Talentcomp : Life's like that

I think happiness can only ever exist when you're in this moment. You can be surrounded by all your friends on a Mauritian beach, but still not be happy because you're wondering when it will end or why your hair's so curly. But on the other hand, you can catch yourself laughing in the middle of a storm, stopped in traffic on a Monday. Life's funny like that.

I guess that's why I love art so much, in all its guises. It stops me in my tracks and brings me back to the present. It makes me think, makes me appreciate and makes me happy.

Fields of Green, above, is by Charlene, a US-based artist who's been painting for over 30 years. It's such a sweet digital collage that reminds me of what bliss looks like.

Talentcomp : An ideal world

I'm no bunny whisperer, nor am I gifted with any kind of special understanding of the animal kingdom, but I'm pretty sure foxes and bunnies shouldn't be together in the same box. It's like inviting an Italian friend to a French restaurant, or wearing white velour trackies around your emo friends. It's dangerous. You just don't do it.

Estonian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Kristiana Pärn may come close to artistic carnage - innocently painting floppy ears and red pointy tails with the same brush - but thankfully she never puts them in the same frame. The understated and gorgeous prints above (clockwise from top left: Skinny-Dipping, Solitude, Where Are You Fox and Follow Your Heart) are all made from original acrylic illustrations. Kristiana made the originals to "study different techniques for making an impression of light and air," she says. "The background was created by applying colored pigment on damp board, then objects were drawn with sharp outlines and bright colors to create depth of field." Just beautiful.

Shopfind : Rockin' robin

Last year I stumbled across these divine collages by Bird Nerd on Etsy. I was so in love with Chelsea's designs that I bought a set of her Sakura Collection to use as thank-you cards. Six months has passed and no-one has received a Bird Nerd card from me because they're just so beautiful. I can't bear to give them away. Sorry peeps. (Get your own).

"My collages aren't traditional, I call them painting with paper," says Chelsea. "I paint the majority of my background with acrylic paint, then cut out paper leaves individually to create foliage. I then compose a bird from carefully trimmed layers of paper and accent it with ink and paint details. I like using paper in my work for many reasons: it adds texture and depth, I like vibrant pattern and crisp edges, and often papers have small flaws which add character to a piece." Nice!

If flaws add character, I must be one heck of a bird.

Chelsea also makes and sells glass pendants, pins, stickers, ornaments, tea towels and prints (above). Clockwise from top left: Swallow Nouveau, Fat Chat, Escape III and Mod Nuthatch

Snapshot : The quiet american

I've just had the most serene weekend away in the country with friends: lashings of good conversation, delish food and fresh air; no mobile phones, computers or stress allowed. Back in the city, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. The sun seems harsher, traffic is hideous and the neighbours have started yelling at each other. The strangest bit? I don't have any music on.

Today's post, therefore, is a quiet one. The lovely Valeria from Florida, a 21 year old design student and photographer, has some super sweet pics on her Etsy and Flickr pages that I love. She prints on lustre paper (in between matte and glossy), chooses simple scenes and uses sunlight to light each photo. They couldn't suit my mood any better. Sigh.

Clockwise from top left: Dress in Water, White, Flowers and Glass Cup.

Sloganjoy : Sir laughalot

I'm naturally quite a funny person. Sometimes it comes out a pinch too sarcastic, other times it's so straight it flies over everyone's heads, but most of the time it's in-yo-face funny. Can't help it.

Still, I like to be reminded to laugh. And most of all, I like it when the reminders are cute and clever and creative. Like these screenprints by Nick from London, aka Linocutboy. They're hilarious in a hand-crafted subtle way. Love it.

Bring it: linocutboy.etsy.com