Masterpieces from Paper

I am bowled-over by these paper sculptures by Helen Musselwhite.

Paper art is something I have been exploring lately in several projects,

and if ever there was inspiration, here it is...

Exquisite beauty from such a humble medium.

til next time..

A Simple Way to Bring Your Favourite Art Home

Way back I did a post about Kathe Fraga.

She is a wonderfully talented painter who "lives and paints in a 100-year-old stone house by the sea"

and creates beautifully rich Chinoiserie panels that resemble aged frescos -

 they are layered with vibrant color.

Well, although an original won't be in the budget anytime soon, 

I have just ordered a set of her greeting cards

and am going to frame them for the green room.

Aren't they pretty? I've never been much of a floral girl, but the color is so lush, I adore these.

A large grouping will have some of the effect of a large painting..

can't wait for them to arrive!

If you'd like a set, visit here.

To read more about Kathe, visit her blog - 

she is a rather creative writer, 

and her posts always add a bit of happy to my day.

til next time..

Etsy: Charming Prints from the Suspect Shoppe

If you need some art for a children's space, or simply something whimsical and fun..

the Suspect Shoppe has it.

fun pieces that don't take themselves too seriously..

this felines name is Serge :)

adorable on in a grouping on wooden blocks..

or hung a simply as this..

I would love this one for the kids bath..

Been busy painting and sorting out all my goodies into the new office/craft room,

we've named it the green room -

here's why..

will show you the rest when it's looking pretty :)

What have you all been up to?

Two days without a computer, I'm behind on all the news!

off to read all your blogs now.. 

til next time...

This Artist is an Inspiration

You've never seen pictures of my son's room,

and there's a reason for that :)

We've ended up with an entire matching ikea set - remember the robin series?

We bought him the bookshelves at our last house,

then my brother offered us his son's desk (same series)

then D's sis offered us her son's bed and nightstand.

Crazy.

Although it's functional,

the sizing is becoming a little small for him,

and it's a bit matchy-matchy for me.

A plan is slowly forming,

and yesterday I was cruising around looking for pics of reclaimed wood accent walls,

and found the most inspiring, amazing blog.

It's called Brooklyn to West,

written by Ariele, a builder/sculpter/furniture maker living in Brooklyn.

Sounds interesting already, right?

Ariele drove acroos the country with her business partner and friend

collecting wood and antique chairs,

where she spent five months designing and building

a restaurant from reclaimed and salvaged materials.

She is truly passionate about her work, 

and her phenomenal photography perfectly captures the beauty of her designs.

If you ever wanted to read about an artist living their dream,

go over.

Some of the magic...

Thank you, Ariele,

for re-igniting the artist in me.

x

Fantastical Walls: Mushaboom Design

It's supposed to be a grey post, 

but today is the first sunny day in a string of rainy ones,

and so I feel like a little happy - with me?!

I've found the most fantastical wallcoverings....

Two incredible nature inspired collections from Mushaboom Designs.

The first, a tribute to to Taylor Head, a park in Nova Scotia.

The second, "Victoria", was inspired by public gardens in Halifax.

The patterns in both collections are available in custom colors and effects,

but the Victoria patterns are offered in pre-selected color options that are already rich and varied,

with three groups of colorways available - shine, gloss, and patina.

 this one is my fave, my own dining room walls NEED this, truly :)

The artist behind Mushaboom, Barry Roode, shares his creative process,

from inspiration to final design.

"Wave"

the finished product, in the "sunshine" colorway....

Pretty spectacular, non?

I have taken today off to get caught up around here,

it's been madness!

Is it just me or did this week fly by?

will be taking pics of Miss N's room this weekend and sharing next week -

hope you'll pop by :)

Happy weekend - x

Artist Profile: Andrew Bick

Loving the work of Artist Andrew Bick.

As I continue to search for an affordable piece for over the fireplace,

I will drool over these and keep saving :)

Many of his works are created on wood, layers of various mediums built up:

acrylic, watercolour, oil, marker, wax, pencil, plexiglass...

Hesitation

OGB (badge)

My favourite! So beautiful.

Variant (south west) 3 part invention, double spider

His work explores the relationships between materials, and how these can be transformed.

I love the movement of the metamorphosis how he looks at hesitation and revision.

Andrew Bick lives in London and does not have a website, but you can find more of his work displayed on various gallery sites across the web..

What do your think?

What do you have hanging over your mantle?

The Sketchbook Project

So here is something really innovative for unknown artists from the Art House Co-op.

 The Sketchbook Project 

Have you heard about this?

It's been around for a few years now, with great success.

For a $25 fee, you purchase a sketchbook, 

which comes with a random theme or you can choose one from the list available.

I like: adhere to me, revenge, and the greatest story ever told.

Then you sketch!

There are few limitations, other than a request for no hazardous materials ;)

Once your book is finished, you return it to the Sketchbook Project

where it is scanned and entered into the exhibition.

The exhibition goes on tour, 

hitting eight cities before it becomes part of a permanent exhibition at the Brooklyn Art Library.

Kate Castelli

The exhibition is going to be able to be viewed in real-time online - 

so artists that can't make the show at each stop can see who is looking at their work, 

and the response it gets.

Ken McCarthy

Outstanding, isn't it? Such innovation..

 great opportunity for artists to get heir name out there.

artist

For anyone who uses one, you know how personal a sketchbook can be. 

It's a visual diary, of sorts, so being able to wander through these artists minds will be so interesting.

Do any of you ladies sketch?

It's the first place I go when trying to work through a dilemma - 

 very therapeutic and more accessible than a weekend trip to the Bahamas :)

til next time..

Etsy Artist: Yellena James Bringing Pen and Ink To Life

I love Japanese art..

"The Great Wave of Kanagawa" by Hokusai

is one of my favourite pieces of art - ever.

I actually have a print of this work and four others waiting to be framed for my living room..

There's something enchanting about his style, such movement and emotion captured so delicately.

So when I found Yellena James work on Etsy I was instantly taken in..

After reading her profile I discovered she has produced works for Anthropologie - of course!

She works with pen and ink and marker.. such simple tools to create these richly detailed drawings.

These hard-edged geometrics worked in are unusual in her pieces -

 they add a more surreal vibe, don't they? 

At the moment she is having a print sale, 

so mosey on over to her Etsy shop and splurge!

Your walls will thank you :)

I had a few minutes yesterday to peruse Etsy and found some outstanding fall clothing -

 try to share this weekend..

Off to back to back bbq's this weekend - trying to squeeze out every last drop of summer.

What are you all up to?

til next time..

Dawn LeBlanc: Unmasking Beauty through Photography

I'm not really even sure how to describe these images.

A bit speechless - which is very unusual for me :)

My Aunt used to press flowers and make her own stationary.

Every occasion a handmade card would come in the mail, 

the beauty of the most common flowers and foilage was exposed there... 

 forever preserved within.

I cherished them, tucking those bits of paper away...

Thats what these images remind me of.

Photographer Dawn LeBlanc is documenting nature's exquisite radiance for all of us - 

a reminder that we don't always have to create new visual treats,

 we just have to be mindful of the ones we are overlooking.

Lizanthus in Space

Broken

The Sprite

Dahlietta in White

Leaves I - this was the image that led me to Dawn's work..

and finally.. Red Sunflower, can't you feel it's pride in a job well done?

Stunning. Open-mouthed gaping.. so wonderful.

Tomorrow the extended family arrives for a beach day and overnight visit - 

catch you on the flipside :)

til next time...