ART BLOG JUNKIE

Painting's That Make You Smile

2010-07-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

12"x16" acrylics on canvas

These beauties are from the artist Alina Vidulescu, who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Alina started painting as a hobby in 2004 and when she quit her day job in finance in 2008 she was able to dedicate herself to her passion of painting. Her "style is impressionistic, she loves to paint landscapes and still life, but tries different subjects and styles. Alina uses high quality acrylics."

You can find Alina's work at her Etsy store ACVART and at her blog ACVART Alina's Acrylic Paintings. Check them to see paintings that will definitely make you smile ~:-}

Happy Poppies

24"x48" acrylics on deep canvas

The Calanques

11"x14" acrylics on deep canvas

Not Just Pushing Pencils

2010-04-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Aurora Detail

These incredible Pencil Sculptures are from Artist Jennifer Maestre . Jennifer has taken the "common object" the pencil and turned them in to incredible "structures". This incredible art came from the inspiration of "Sea Urchins", with their beautiful appearance and the paradox of how they are not to be touched due to the dangerous outcome.

Asteridae

Ms. Maestre has studied art all over the US, and you can even find her work available in her Etsy Store.She also creates incredible beads from pencils. I love how Jennifer Followed her muse to find her own style and material to work with. You can read much more at her website.

More hilarity with Color Pencil Pendant

Habitats Galore

2010-04-09T15:30:00.001-07:00

Habitats, originally uploaded by PurpleSkyArt.

I found this mosaic creation at PurpleSkyArt's flickr~ Go to the Flickr Upload and you can follow the links to the individual artist.. Great inspiration~

Frank Gardner Pushing Colors in Mexico

2010-03-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Frank Gardner

Santuario

Santuario" 18x14" oil, Frank Gardner © 2010
$1,430. Framed. Available at M Gallery of Fine Art
Sarasota, FL

I found Artist Frank Gardner's blog My Paint Box today while blog hopping~ I love oil paintings, probably because of growing up around my grandmother who worked mostly with oils. I have always loved the way the paints layer, and how the paintings themselves go through a metamorphosis where each stage is a piece of work of its own.

$1,050. Framed, Available at Addison Art Gallery

Frank Gardner works and lives in Mexico painting on location and out of his studio. In his bio he describes his painting as "representational. At times influenced by the impressionists in that he wants to capture light effects and color and sometimes sacrifice detail. A controlled chaos or loose spontaneity is his favored look, although each color and stroke is well thought out and carefully placed."

Not only is Frank Gardner's work beautiful, I love his blog for opening up his process of creativity for us all to enjoy~

Put Your Money Where Your Mouths Are

2010-03-27T07:10:00.001-07:00

color bookmarks, originally uploaded by catriley.

I found a link to Catriley's Flickr today in my emails from Yahoo ATC Artist Trading Cards swap Group and had to share not only her beautiful art but the Loving Kindness in her project. Each of her pieces in her gallery "Put Your Money Where Your Mouths Are" are up for donations that will be in turn given to her local food bank. May we all be inspired~

The Art of Wonder Wanda

2010-03-26T07:32:00.001-07:00

triple cupcake sm, originally uploaded by wme133.

This beauty is from Wanda Edwards a Paper, Watercolor, and Jewelry Artist. Wanda has a website
where you can find more of her beautiful work. You can also find her available art at her Etsy store W.D Designs Fanciful Things for your Fanciful Life and follow her Artful Journey at her Blog Wonder Wanda.

Koi II

Wanda has a background of teaching school children art and her playfulness definitely comes out in her art, and was also trained in botanical illustration which is visible in her own detail. I had so much fun visiting Wanda's flickr photostream where she has an exhibit of all her different talents.

Swirls

This is from Wanda's polymer clay designs.

Visions of Shoes

This one shows the pure fun that is in Wanda's art. I just love this! I'm a huge fan, and can't wait to see more :-)

Heart Art

2010-03-24T04:06:00.001-07:00

Laurel True

Even though It's no long Valentines day/month I don't think Hearts ever go out of season. I was inspired to share some "Heart Art" today because of a "Postcrossing" Friend in China who is also crazy about Heart Art.

Sigute Ach

Traci Higginbotham

Mairi Stephen

Discovering the Guards of the Art World

2010-03-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

Swipe Magazine
This illustration, used on the cover of Sw!pe Magazine, is a pen and ink by Jack Laughner.

Today while listening to NPR's Morning Edition there was a great story about a group of Guards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art . They have published a magazine displaying their own art. They stand around all day and night protecting some of the most important valuable art in the world, meanwhile being surrounded by the people observing the art. In turn they are the observers of the observing. As you learn about The Guards you discover that each of them has their own purpose for working as guards surrounded by art and got their in their own unique way.

Phil Padwe

Poe by Phil Padwe, watercolor and ink wash

Even though each of the Guards have distinctively different backgrounds, they have the desire to be creative in common. They cover the spectrum of Genre of both the visual and literary word, while showcasing different methods from surrealism to contemporary photography with many places between. Their stories are as interesting as their art. While some of the guards came to the Met with Artistic backgrounds some where inspired by the art itself and found their talents while there.

I love how they are in these "regular" jobs while being in a "big" place while working on their own passions. That's one of the reason's I can't wait to get back to selling furniture. It's a really creative place for me..Even though there was hours of standing around "waiting" I did seem to be at my most creative. So, hanging out in our "regular" jobs can be used to help keep us impassioned.

Meredith Iszlai'

"Buffalo Skull 1" colored pencil and graphite.

You can find a great article at the New York Times and also find the podcast to NPR's Morning Edition or read the transcript.

Barry Steely

2 Swimmers alkyd and oil

These are just a couple of many awesome pieces of work. Be sure to check out the many contributors to the Swipe Magazine and get a copy for yourself.

Graffiti Art In Motion In THE RoOm by Rinpa Eshidan

2010-03-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Face Room

This amazing group of artists bring the whole process of creativity together in a video showing how they go from white walls to places in their imaginations. They not only work well as a team, but they also create their art with the purpose of bringing others together.

"The Rinpa Eshidan core team is made up of Noiz-Davi, Daisuke Yamamoto, D.H.Rosen, Akari Sasai and XOLA . The group's main activities are performing in live-art events and creating videos of art in action. Instead of focusing on the finished project, they believe the process of creation itself is where art comes to life and their videos aim to engage their audience in that process."

Img Noiz

Not only do they have awesome videos you can visit their gallery at their website where there are tons of pieces for the Graffiti Art Appreciator to enjoy~

Check out this great MSN Video: Graffiti Room Undergoes Transformation

Venice Carnival is Full of Art

2010-03-16T10:52:00.001-07:00

untitled-34.jpg, originally uploaded by fudino.

These Photos are all from Fundinos Flickr Photostream. They are an amazing collection that is well worth the visit.

Venice Carnival 133

Venice Carnival 57

Venice Carnival 72

In 2010, the Carnival in Venice Ran from Saturday 6th February to Tuesday 16th February. The Creativity that goes into the costumes is amazing. If you are a color and texture junkie like I am the eye candy will fill your senses with inspiration and wonderment.

Michael Reagan's Art Helps Us To Never Forget

2010-02-19T07:31:00.001-08:00

The Portrait Artist Michael G. Reagan started drawing over 40 years ago when he had broken his arm from playing football and was trying to occupy his time. He quickly realized how much he enjoyed drawing and soon found out how good he was by the reaction of others. He later served in the Vietnam war where he continued his portrait drawing. Often these Portraits where the last images of the fallen. Michael went on to pursue an art career where he crossed paths with many celebrities and was commissioned to draw their portraits. As he has continued his drawing of over 10,000 portraits he has shared his enthusiasm through his motivational speeches as well as through his many heart warming pieces of art that he has drawn for charity. Michael has most recently been working on his Fallen Heroes Project where he offers his service to create a portrait for the families of fallen soldiers.

Matt Maupin

"Our mission is to honor the American Fallen Heroes for their ultimate sacrifice during the war against terrorism. The foundation will provide the resources to produce and distribute to each family a hand-drawn portrait of their Fallen Hero, created by artist Michael G. Reagan, free of charge. Each portrait is intended to show our Love and Respect for these Heroes and their families."

Christopher Michael Dana

RR"Reagan views his art as much more than work, he feels called to share his talent for larger purposes. While he is sought out to draw many commissioned portraits, even some as high profile as President and Mrs. Bush, he feels called to bring healing to difficult situations through his art. “After reading in the paper about a terrible car accident involving a drunk driver that had killed two daughters, I felt compelled to provide a memory of the girls through a portrait for the parents,” he describes. “When I met the family to present the portrait, the grandfather told me I had brought life back into the family. I can’t eliminate anyone’s grief, but I can provide some comfort and healing.” This is just one of many such examples of Reagan sharing his gift to bring healing to a family after loss."

Amanda Pinson

You can find a video by MSNBC and a audio slide show at BBC..There is also a presentation of the drawings at Arlington Cemetery.

Street Art's Creative Movement

2010-02-09T12:07:00.001-08:00

PCM - Hope Street Art / Day 1, originally uploaded by Claire_Sambrook.

I am a huge fan of Street Art aka Graffiti~ This is a Creative Movement Project in the United Kingdom where
Street Artists are working with Portsmouth City Council, Sifer Design and the Portsmouth Creative Movement. This is the "starting of their painting / spraying of Hope Street Hoardings in Portsmouth. Work will continue throughout the month" This was posted by Clair Sambrook at her Flickr Photostream. Follow the links to see more of their artwork.. So COoL!

Artists for A Heart For Haiti

2010-02-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

I found this on a blog today while visiting Amusing Muses. Kathy is organizing an art auction to benefit Haiti. Check out her blog for details, I'm sure you will be inspired to participate. The Auction is to be held in June via the web.

Crafty or Artsy? Or Just Bringing Out Your Inner child?

2010-01-22T06:35:00.001-08:00

Snow fun, originally uploaded by my dog sighs.

This is from "my dog sighs" one of my favorite "creative genius" on Flickr! He created these snow stack people, aren't they awesome!
I thought this picture sets up for my topic for the day..
"Out growing" childlike art.. Hummmm
While I was clicking through Flickr and was looking at some of my "contacts" new uploads I came across some synchronicity in action, which is always CoOL~
this is how it went...

This what I read...

"I got fired up about a letter to the editor that I read in the recent issue of Somerset Studio. So I wrote a letter to respond to that letter that got me all riled up.

Then I folded it up, put it in an envelope, and Zen-ed myself by decorating the envelope."

then Me..

no way.. Ok, so about an hour ago I was flipping through my "somerset studio" that I bought today, (It's been like a year since I splurged and bought myself a copy) and I was reading the Jenny Doh letters.. then I chill out clicking through Flickr.. And here I find this "beautiful cover" ..Your letter "vibes" were so strong I felt them all the way here in Florida!

Basically what the "Letter to the Editor" writer is saying is.. Hey, Loved your magazine, but I've outgrown you, cause now that I've retired from teaching elementary kids "visual arts" I'm a "Real Artist" and have outgrown you, your childish art and your readers.. and what do they think they are anyway.. "craftspeople" or "fine artists"? ...(little c and little fa) and besides.. someone else gave me this subscription anyway. Ouch..

Then me..

If you are referring to the letter from "S R W" ..OMG! I just hope she didn't infect too many children with her "opinion". The truth is that most of us stop learning art in our county in Elementary school due to our wonderful "educational system" that she was a part of.
I will also point out that some "Artists" with a capital A are "holier than thou" so she's just tapping into that. But the majority of artist's (that I've met anyway) would laugh at her comment. Following the Muse is what's important to most us, and I wouldn't be surprised if she shuts her Muse off!
as far as "do most of your readers consider themselves "craftspeople" or "fine artist".. Most of us play with our "art" not to define ourselves but to set ourselves free from "labels". I for one may not have much "talent" but at no other time am I happier than when I'm "playing" with art. As for the Artist's that are schooled and educated as "Fine Artists", they are like our "Professors" and they deserve our respect but by no means do most of us consider "art" only for the "Elite" that's like saying that the only people that should write are the people who write books.. UGH

Amazing

2010-01-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

I was sent this in an email from a good friend of mine. This is absolutely amazing!
"This video shows the winner of "Ukraine’s Got Talent", Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch.

The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about $130,000.00

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.

It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.

She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.

Kseniya Simonova says:
"I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment."

In Pursuit of Daily Inspiration in the New Year

2010-01-12T11:34:00.001-08:00

write {13/365}, originally uploaded by Kim Klassen {mondo beyondo ...baby}.

I have an affection for Artist's and their journals, and really enjoyed finding Artist Kim Klassens journal embellished with her art! This is from Kim's Flickr Photostream.
Kim has a beautiful Blog at Kim Klassen Cafe where you will find some of her beautiful creations as well as many of the things that help to inspire her. Also check out Kim's Etsy store where she has some of photography and other designs. Kim is "ga ga over words" and that's probably one of the reason's I am so drawn to her "Art"!

Kim's "one little word" For 2010

I especially love Kim's "one Little word" for the year; "Soar". Kim credits this idea coming from Ali Edwards

from her blog "One Little Word" where Ali's words were Peace (2007), Vitality (2008) , Nurture (2009)and for 2010 it's Story.

"Essentially the idea is to choose a word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life".
Go to Kim's blog to find out about the word of the week etc. I love themes and the "word" tradition really helps get the inspiration flowing. Now I have to find my word~

Small Pieces of Wonder

2009-12-08T21:19:00.001-08:00

the stones from Winnipeg, originally uploaded by knitalatte11.

Every once in a while I come across an artist's work that brings me to tears. I'm not sure if it's because of the time and love that the artist puts into it, or if it's just the creativity itself that moves me, but Margaret is one of those artists! Once I learned that this beautiful artist is in fact a "family physician in a small rual community, who even makes house calls and end of life care" it all made sense :-)
Margaret has an Etsy Store where you can find her many prints available to purchase, and her blog Resurrection fern is full of creative playfulness. Right now you can even find a long list of where to find tutorials for handmade gifts.

Luna the Giant Pink Sea Snail

Orbiting with Laura Rogers and Her Encaustic Wax Painting

2009-12-01T19:26:00.001-08:00

Encaustic Wax Painting 'Brown Bird with Pattern', originally uploaded by dontorbitme.

This beauty if from Laura at her Etsy store Don't Orbit Me Encaustics . Laura lives and creates in Markham, Ontario. Her medium of choice is painting with beeswax. Laura shares with us her inspirations as well as her artistic process at her Flickr Photostream and Etsy store. I love that it's "Perfectly imperfect in nature". You'll find all kinds of goodies available to purchase at her Etsy store..

A Night of Lights (Carousel)

Urban Decay Window

Remembering Charles Seliger

2009-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

Painter Charles Seliger passed away six weeks ago at the age of 83 from a massive stroke. I just finished reading the Artist Addison Parks' blog Artdeal Magazine and loved what he had to say about his friend Mr. Seliger ; "He was an artist. Artist as poet, explorer, gardener, astronomer, composer, and botanist. Artist as painter." make sure you go to Addison's blog to read his whole post. I was weepy when I was done.

We always hear how anything worthwhile takes time, and you only get out of things what you put into them. These are the lessons that I am now reminded of. Patience to walk through life and take its turns one at a time. Not rushing through it to end up at a dead end. At the end of his life Charles Seliger had gone through his journey participating in it all, giving it his all. We are lucky that he was such a man, that he left his legacy in his art for us to enjoy for generations to come.

Untitled

Cellular Mansion

1945 Oil on Canvas

at Artnet

Ways of Nature 10

2007

crylic, colored pencil, matte gel, and beeswax varnish on gessoed Masonite.

read more at the Brooklyn Rail

Redefining Abstract Expressionism

Book available at Amazon

Don Quixote 1944

found this at the blog A Journey Round My Skull

The Art and Beauty of Lesley Dill's Language

2009-11-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Small Poem Dress

Lithograph on newspaper

Can be found at Artnet

Corolla
found at the Hunter Museum Of American Art

On exhibit at Museum of Fine Arts at St. Pete, Florida

See a Virtual tour on Youtube courtesy of the Hunter Museum

I was listening to my favorite talk radio at WMNF's show Art In Your Ear this afternoon when the guest on the program was Lesley Dill. (you can hear the podcast here). Lesley is an extraordinary mulit-media artist who uses everything from foil, newspaper to photographs with all types of materials and textures in between.
"An English major before she became an artist, Dill found her artistic vision when her mother gave her a book of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Dickinson’s words resonated with Dill, sparking images that the artist says she just could not ignore." She's a visionary artist bringing her love of words to her artwork. Her artwork is known for it's spiritual and sensual nature.
Lesley Dill has traveled and lived in India and currently lives in New York. Her most recent exhibition
I Heard A Voice is of her large scale theatrical art work and is currently being shown in St. Pete's MFA.

Shadows, Reflections and A Photoshop Tutorial

2009-11-14T20:01:00.001-08:00

Shadows and Reflections, originally uploaded by roddh.
Rod who currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts USA as a Software Developer has an amazing Flickr Photostream and is as much an artist as he is a photographer and software developer. He uses texture and color to it's fullest. I especially love the wine glasses in this image. He has a tutorial at his flickr and show's us how he makes these incredible images. He's talented and a great teacher! Thanks Rod~

find here

Rockers and Their Art

2009-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Rock Art Show

Bob Masse

A Man Called John

Marty Balin

Thanks to Artist Geree McDermott for turning me onto the website Rock Art Show. This site has "hundreds of cool rock art pieces in every price range for every music and art fan.Their site is a visual history of Rock from the Rat Pack to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.....from Aerosmith to ZZ Top and everything in between!" The Rock Art Show travels throughout the United States, you can find their tour dates here, and are sponsored by local radio stations.Portions of the proceeds then goes to local charities. The Rock Art Show blog has fun stuff too, some behind the scenes events, such as the artists with their fans and where the art is now~

Barnyard View

Jerry Garcia

Tony Bennett

Brotherhood

You Make Me Feel So Young
Frank Sinatra

Dream of the Perfect Studio

2009-10-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

My Studio!, originally uploaded by *Heather Bailey*.

This beautiful Fancy Shmancy Studio is the incredible space of Heather Bailey, the fabric, paper, pattern designer. This is from her flickr Photostream.
She has one of the best eyes for color and texture ever! Her website Hello my name is Heather is a fantasy in itself for any creative junkie!

Heather Bailey's Designs are so incredible Check out her website Hello My Name is Heather, for a real Treat!

Art in Progress

2009-10-27T20:04:00.001-07:00

Il mio disordine..., originally uploaded by ladycupcake80.

Artist Space maybe the most sacred space of all. Check out Lady Cupcake's studio space that she works on her adorable creations. I'm sure most of us would agree that there is many projects and just not enough space or time! Creative energy is about to pop out of the picture. I love It!

These creations are the artwork of Silvia in Italy and can be found at her flickr photostream. She has an adorable blog Rainbow in the Dark.

Painting in Combinations of Paint and Passion

2009-10-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

A small clear idea
5 x 7 inches
oil on canvas board

These beautiful paintings are the creations of Halima Washington. Halima is an artist who lives in Atlanta, Georgia and paints with a combination of a palette knife and a brush. She "loves using the impasto technique because she wants the viewer to be aware of the paint and her passion for it and wants people to see everyday ordinary objects and surroundings as extraordinary". Halima has a beautiful blog SMALL WORKS
Simple and thoughtful daily paintings by Impasto painter and art instructor, Halima Washington.Her blog is full of her magnificent pieces of work. If you're lucky enough to live in Atlanta Halima teaches at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and has her work available at the Anne Irwin Fine Art Gallery. You can also find out more at Halima's website.

Ruby Center
8 x 8 inches
oil on canvas

Layers of Green and Gold
8 x 8 inches
oil on linen canvas board

Red, White, Blue and a cupcake too!
8 x 8 inches
oil on canvas

Precious Pastels from TomCat

2009-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

These beautiful Little critters are the work of Matouenpeluche (Plush TomCat) Samantha Battersby a Sydney based artist in Australia. She has her pieces for sale at Made It the Handmade Market out of Australia.You can also find fun stuff at Samantha's blog and her Etsy Store.

Samantha works with Pastels and has been producing original drawings, cards, posters, prints and badges. She has "been drawing and making things enthusiastically since before she can remember.Her favourite thing is to spend the day drawing - preferably lovely looking girls - drinking cups of tea and listening to music."

Chalked up to Reality

2009-10-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

Julian Beever by David Shankbone

Julian Beever is an English, Belgium- based Chalk artist who has been making pavement drawings for over ten years. He creates drawings known as "Anamorphic Illusions which are a special distortions made in order to create an impression of 3 dimensions when seen from one particular viewpoint". You may have seen the email that went viral were many of his incredible pieces were shown off. Check out his website where you can see more of his incredible art.

Deb Company Wants us all to live an Artful Life

2009-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

These are the creations of Deborah Company of Debco Art and she is amazing! Not only did she follow her muse and gut and head out on her own to create her art she has also made it her goal to "become a well-known personality on YouTube with thousands of subscribers and lots of art sales." Deb is a self taught artist and she is also a self taught Art Video Guru and uses her exsperience to help others to learn the ropes of self marketing through YouTube. DebCo Art has produced over 85 videos on her YouTube Channel. She offers a wide range of art workshops at her Mixed Media Workshops, and of course she has an Etsy store full of fantastic finds.

You can also find a full list of Deb's adventures at her website. Oh ,The Fun we will have.....

Artist Sarah-Mace Dennis Teaching us In Her Time

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Untitled #1 from the series Nothing Will Have Taken Place

(2004) explores absence, desire and the spaces in between

Monkey Hill

From National Association For the Visual Arts LTD.

Swimming Animistic, a temporary public video work commissioned by Artworkers Alliance and Portside Wharf (Brisbane) launched and was exhibited for six weeks outside the Dendy cinemas from mid November 2008.

Sarah-Mace Dennis 2003. Tracing the Trail of the Dead: Asylum Bathing Area #2. Lambda print. 100cm x 150cm

Image From Text Journal

The Lady in Red shoes, is a postcard that I received from Larissa in Australia through the Postcrossing Project. It is an artist Card that artist's often use to promote their work. These are of course one of my favorite types of postcards.

Sarah-Mace Dennis is an interdisciplinary artist who works with photo media, film, sound, installation, performance, interactive environments and critical and creative writing. Her work "takes interest in the known, the unknown and the traces of presence that linger somewhere between these states." In particular she is interested in "the affect that histories-be they personal or collective- have on the construction of subjectivity, and in turn, our understanding of time, space and our place within it."

Sarah is the type of artist that helps to document how things "really are". People will look back on our "crazy" time period and wonder why we did what we did, and Sarah's art will be part of the process of understanding it. This is just another reason why art is so important. The artist tries to make sense of it all through the art process that comes from the subconscious and the discipline that they spend their lives perfecting. It is a science all into itself.

I look forward to learning from Sarah's perspective that she shares through her writing as well as her art. Be sure to check out her work, You'll be glad you did~

The Art Of Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen

2009-09-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

London's Alexander McQueen is known for "both the emotional power and raw energy of the shows as well as the romantic but determinedly contemporary nature of the collections. Integral to the McQueen culture is the juxtaposition between contrasting elements: fragility and strength, tradition and modernity and fluidity and severity. An openly emotional and even passionate viewpoint is realised with a profound respect and influence for the arts and crafts tradition."
At McQueen's Website be sure to check out the runway archives, they are incredible. He has more creativity in his little finger than most of us have in our entire being~

Carole Bayer Sager's Blooming Art

2009-09-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

"Allie"

Oil on Canvas

40"x30"

“The Clicker (Bob Daly, my husband)”
Charcoal on Paper
48” x 36”
2009

"Abstract For Claude"

Oil on Canvas

36" x 48"

2009

These are from Carole Bayer Sager, the multi talented songwriter, who wrote "That's What Friends Are For", "Don't Cry Out Loud" just to name a couple, has taken the Artist's journey following her muse to develop her painting. She has a post on Huffington post today and has a website showing off her latest pieces of work.

I enjoyed reading about her progress, how she sends pic.s of her work to her mentors for their help, and how she has taken on the challenge to spend the time to follow her late blooming passion.

Carole writes, "To me it only reinforced what I have always believed. If you want to do something enough, do it. If you can dream it, you will be entirely surprised at what may happen."
It's awesome when we follow the fun in life, and the rest of us get to enjoy the fruit of the labor.

Wearable Art

2009-09-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

I first found some of these beautiful designs at Bored Stop.
These amazing Wristlets and Jewels are created by the Polymer clay Artist Kathleen Dustin. Kathleen is simply amazing. She has been working as artist for 30 years. She works with her intuitive side and lets nature drive her.

She is "often also asked, "Why purses? Why don´t you make figurines or sculptures?" The reason is because a figurine or sculpture just sits there collecting dust. You aren't supposed to touch it. But because these purses are functional, you are supposed to touch them, caress them and examine them. Your life is enhanced because it´s wonderful to carry beautiful things around with you and use them. And that is what I want my creations to do."
Check out her Website where her incredible creations are available to purchase.and She even has a blog :-}

The Artful Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Senators boat "Mya"

This one was given to then senator "Obama"
the inscription says
"To Barack -- I love your audacity. With great respect and warmest wishes."

"Hyannis Port Compound"
The Cape Cod home of the Kennedy family

In honor of the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy I wanted to enjoy some of this art. He will be deeply missed by many people. He loved life and did his best. He let us all see what it's like to survive horrible heartache, commit sins and repent of them. He taught us what it was to be human in a unforgiving world. I've cried so hard these past four days that my eyes hurt! He loved our country so much, and I don't know if anyone else is strong enough to carry on his fight.

Driftwood Horses

2009-08-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

These incredible driftwood sculptures are by the artist Heather Jansch. I was sent an "traveling email" from a dear friend of a selection of Ms. Hanschs work. Heather lives and creates at her Sedgewood Coach House near Plymouth England. She has a beautiful website that shows the incredible countryside where she works, and her adventures of collecting wood. She has her Book, Heather Jansch's Diary...A Life In The Year Of By Heather Jansch, available at her website. I found a great review by Richard Marcus at his blog Leap In The Dark. It sounds like a great book for the Artist and the non artist alike, delving into the artistic process while living a day to day life.

Heather Jansch's sculptures bring together her material of choice, wood and her passion for creatures especially horses and gives them a spirit of their own. Visiting her website is such a treat. Now I'm in the process of finding postcards of her work, to add to my collection.

The Puppet Master

2009-08-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have to show off my cousin Lisa (and her boyfriend Neil) and her incredible Puppet stage and Puppets.
Lisa is one of the most creative people I have ever known. These pictures where taken this past summer at our Grandmothers summer cottage on Lake Michigan. I unfortuntely didn't get to go this year and see the show, bummer for me!

The Art of Hydrant Hysteria

2009-08-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

This colorful Mosaic is the creative work of Karen at Nittany Inspirations. It was a photo from one of her Mosaic Monday's. She took these pictures where she works in Harrisburg, PA where the local artists had been painting the fire hydrants. The City of Harrisburg have been handing out maps and ballots, for the locals to vote on the 58 fire hydrants. What fun that must be.. I did find a Flickr!photostream by Jason Tromm with more hydrant photos..
I remember as a kid when I moved to the States at the age of 9 in 1977, at how amazed I was at the Colorful fire hydrants, totally American, I still think they are so cool. I'm going to start my own collection of hydrant photos, I'll just add it to my list...

Tons of Talent from Lemon Tree Tales

2009-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sunfire Mermaid

Tami made Sunfire from an online class given by Anela Jarecki Hosted by Doll Street Dreamers

Tami made this quilt as part of the Four Seasons Quilt Swap

Tami's Version of one of Mimi Kerchners Creations

One of Tami's Dotee Dolls

One of Tami's many Flat Paper Dolls

These Delicious pieces of work are from Tami at Lemon Tree Tales . Tami Levin lives and works in Sunnyvale California and is inspired by her own muse a fairy named Lemondrop. She has a blog, 101 Fairy Lane , a website Lemon Tree Tales. and even an Etsy Store .Oh, so much fun..
Tami specializes in Cloth doll making, quilting and sewing and seems to have an endless supply of creative desire to discover more. Lemon Tree Tales is full of art and inspiration, while tami shares her artistic process and creative energy and fills every spare moment of her time making what she loves. Go visit Lemondrop and Tami at Lemon Tree Tales. You'll be so glad you did~

Relaxing In The Sun

2009-08-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

These adorable creations are from Kristin W Haynes blog

Kristin is a "fun in the sun" Artist who lives and works in the Caribbean. Her Artwork is of the real stuff that the rest of us just dream about. Her quirky and fun Lolitta Lizard and her Caribbean beach houses are so adorable. They remind me of a trip I enjoyed to Barbados many years ago where I fell in love with the island life. Kristin's work is available at Zazzle.

Visit Kristin's blog to see more of her artwork, You'll be glad you did~

Shepard Fairey At Work

2009-08-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

As the creator of the Iconic Obama Hope Poster, he is oh so talented. Check out this really cool video. I found it while blog hopping. It's from the blog Random Abstract. (to turn off the music on this blog ..go all the way to the bottom of the blog)

Enjoy..I know I did~

Shepard Fairey from Arkitip on Vimeo.

Fun In the Sun Artz Ware

2009-08-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

These adorable creations are by Artist Nicole Englom. You can find more fun stuff at her

Etsy store, her website at Artzfolk Contemporary Folk Art, Nicole has tons to keep you busy for a while.

Things are Larger Than They Seem

2009-08-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

World Globe

Common Clouds

Finger Print from Cassette Tape

These amazing pictures are from the Artist/Photographer Kevin Van Aeist. I discovered the apple globe while blog hopping and then found his really cool web site. His images "aim to examine the distance between the big picture and the little things in life." He seems to be a bit of science geek and brings that into his super creative art. Check out his website, there's even a fingerprint made out of Cheetos..How fun is that!

The Sweetness in Creativity

2009-08-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

I just had to show off these super creative cakes made by Miss Muffins Cakes! I love all the creativity that is displayed in her gorgeous cakes. They are all homemade out of her kitchen in Southern New York. Can you believe she's only been at this for a couple of years. It's awesome when the dreams are followed... Check out her awesome blog, You'll be glad you did~

Its All In The Can

2009-08-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

These amazing pictures are from the website Inhabitant and is for the Annual International CANstruction competition that will be held this year in New Jersey. It is part of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) were architects, engineers, designers, and students design and build gigantic structures made entirely from full cans of food." The best part is it all goes to support the Community foodbank of New Jersey. How's that for some creative working functional art ? Awesome~

Tango and Tourists

2009-08-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

These beautiful Pieces of Art are created by the Artist Anette Kraemer, who lives in Miland, Lombardia, Italy, which is in the North part of Italy and bordered by Switzerland.
All of these paintings are all from her blog Nuovi Quadri - New Paintings. I love the different interpretations of the same themes. I think it is so interesting when artists follow their creative process and experiment with different techniques and stretch their own boundaries. Anette has tons of different perspectives and styles. One of my favorite is the Leopard, but you'll have to go to her blog Nuovi Quadri to see for yourself. You'll be glad you did~

The Art of Wackystuff

2009-08-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

You know when you're walking along the beach for shells (I'm a huge beach enthusiast) and you come across the mother load of shells and you're put in to total bliss. Well, that is how I felt coming across

Stuff by Wackystuff. When I came across this collection of incredibly creative stuff on this awesome blog my ADHD went into overdrive. All the Visual Candy was like a creative shock to my brain and I had to just share it with all my creative junkie friends.

Mr. Wackystuff is a self described "Recovering Collector" and has a huge collection of Ephemera from his earlier life living and working in San Francisco, which is only added to his many other adventures.

There is so much to discover at Wachystuff's blogs and his Flickr photostream, there's also a list of places to check out listed under Wacky Links.

Check out all the Wackiness at Stuff by Wackystuff, You'll be glad you did~

Thanks to ItKuPilli

2009-08-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Once again the fantastic blog of ItKuPilli is pouring out freebies and Information with Tutorials. There is so much fun stuff of her blog that you may stay for hours!!Not to mention all the creative candy at her Etsy store and at her Blogger shop.Be sure to check out this awesome blog, You'll be glad you did~

All Buttoned Up

2009-08-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

This beautiful piece is from the blog Rose Blossom Cottage where you will find all kinds of creative treasures.

Fairy From Portugal

2009-08-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

This beautiful painting is by Artist Susana Tavares. She has a beautiful display on her
Flickr Photstream and her artwork is available on DeWanda-Products of Love. Be Sure to Check out her art work, You'll be glad you did~

Fairy and FLowers

2009-07-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful Postcard off of todays Postcrossing wall.

Go Here For More Inspiration

2009-07-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

This Cool Liquid Photo is from Linden Gledhill Photography.
If you haven't checked out Yay!everyday You don't know what you're missing.. You'll be glad you did.

Photos To Drive Your Senses Crazy

2009-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

These are from the website Staudinger + Franke. They are like the best Photography studio in the world so there's not much more I can say. Give yourself a treat and visit their website, especially the Stills. Wow, is all I can say! Take a visit, You'll be glad you did~

Pins and Flowers

2009-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

This Pins and Thread design is from the blog of Philippa Johnson.

This blog has all kinds of flower patterns which are on windows, Philippas sketch pads, and fabric color splashing. Philippas blog is out of London, and she seems to have done quite a bit of traveling , so there's some interesting photos too.

Be sure to check out this very creative blog, You'll be glad you did~

Fasinating Journey Through The Artists Bungalow

2009-07-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is from the incredible blog The Home Life Series and is the creative talent of Artist Mary Dibasio. I am forever amazed at the talent and creativity that I discover just hopping the blogosphere. This blog is simply amazing. This picture is part of Marys bungalow series and they are all simply fascinating to look at. Mary is a master at collage and assemblage art. (an artistic process in which a three dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects.wikipedia)

Marys bungalow project is made up of her "taking pictures of tabletops that she combines with pictures of windows that are taken from the inside of a house. They are collaged with other photographs she takes from the inside..to build little bungalows".(expressmilwaukee)

Marys started her creative journey with her "first love of the process of Printmaking and is really interested in a lot of mediums".You can find her blog with some of her printmaking at Bodies Upon Bodies .On the Home Life Series blog there is also a series of Monsters that are also developed using the contrast of black.

Please Check out this incredible blog, You'll be glad you did~

The Artist Shows Us Distance and Form

2009-07-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

These two pictures are from the blog Distance and Form by the Artist Ignacio Michaud who currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Ignacio is a provocative artist who knows how to use color and isn't afraid to show emotion through his art.

Be Sure to check out Ignacios Artist Blog, You'll be glad you did~

The Art Is In The Shoes

2009-07-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

These beautiful sandles are the creation of Luciene Vitta who lives in Brazil. They are from her blog Art In Jewelry. There are many other pieces of her artwork. Remember if you're using the Google Translator change it from Portuguese.
Be sure to check out Lucienes blog, You'll be glad you did~

Beautiful Pottery From Estela in Argentina

2009-07-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from the blog Sculpture and Around. These beautiful creations are from the talent of Estela Cecilia Cafaro who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are many more where these came from. The blog is in Spanish so don't forget to use the Google translator if you need it.

Check out Estelas blog, You'll be glad you did~

Random Arts Of Kindness in Postcard Art

2009-07-23T19:23:00.001-07:00

For my love of Postcards and Art together this is from the blog PostSecret. It "is an ongoing community ArT PrOjEcT where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard." This looks like a fun .. Check out all the cool PostCards theyv'e received and all the fun and heart warming stuff people have written on them, and maybe you'll even want to send your own. and oh yea, they even have books you can buy..Oh the Fun..
Check out this blog, You'll be glad you did~

Smiling Happy People Floating Through Time

2009-07-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is just a follow up on my post from yesterday. Vincent Levy at his blog Caraquet 2009 posted some more pictures from his installation at the art symposium. It's great going through the whole creative process with him on his blog.

Signs of Passing Time In Art

2009-07-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

These fascinating pictures are from Vincent Levy's blogs.
I first visited his blog Caraquet 2009 with the help of the Google Translator, as Vincent is from Paris and all his blogs are in French. This particular blog is for an Art Residence that he is participating in that is in Caraquet, New Brunswick, Quebec, Canada.

The Caraquet 2009 is a symposium where ten artists are brought together to produce an art installation based on this years theme "Space Cathedral" for a public setting.

The participating visual artists are from Acadia Maritime, Quebec, Vancover and France.

Vincent Levy has worked in the field of Video and film and his primary focus has been using "time" as his subject. He takes pictures of people and uses these images to present the trace of time and memory. He does this both with digital film and video. In the Symposium his installation "Ghosts" is made up of pictures he has taken "on the spot" and displays the ceramic printed with pictures. "Each of these pictures represents a person encountered during his passage, and the Phantom installation archives the history of Acadia. These ceramics are designed to be suspended under a tree that will be installed in the exhibition".

I'm always interested in the creative process and appreciate it when artist such as Vincent let us in to the process and see "behind the scenes".

Be sure to check out these Fascinating blogs. You will be glad you did~

Quilting at the BuddyPatch

2009-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

These two pictures are from the blog BUDDYPATCH. This blogger lives in Surrey, England where I spent some of my childhood. There is a beautiful collection of bird Images as well as nifty assorted quilting on bags. Buddypatch has a set of links that are great for the quilting enthusiast.

Check out this creative blog. You will be glad you did~

Inspiration and Creation In the Visual World

2009-07-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

These two beautiful pictures are from the blog Sonalida.
This is a treasure trove of goodies to explore that is full of flowers, food, and relaxing music.

Sonalida lives in California and collects vintage tea cups and loves to visit tea rooms. Her blog was inspired by her Mother Sonia who loved to grow Roses, and her Grandmother Lida whom She will always remember her sewing and drinking Tea. Sonalidas blog has only been around since June of this year and all I can say is WOW!!!

It's like visiting a tea party in the middle of the most beautiful rose garden. It brings back memories for me of my childhood in England, where my American grandparents had a beautiful rose garden that I would play in. Then there was the rose garden at the local pub where my mom worked that I would pick roses with the little girl who lived there, and we would make "rose petal potions".

It has been such a treat to discover this delightful blog and I can't wait to visit again. Be sure to visit Sonalida, You will be glad you did~

Art from Buenos Aires, Argentina

2009-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

I found these on the blog Cuenteando. And what is way cool is that I used the Google Translator and now can read the blogs in other languages. So, I know maybe everybody has been doing this already.. But I hadn't.. can you feel my excitement.
So anyway, this is from Gaby's blog Cuenteando. These two pictures are from the Patio del Hospital de Arle's. The painting is a Vincent Van Gogh . This is the hospital where he stayed after the "ear" incident. Gaby writes on her blog about the "twisted" sense of these things.

These little Voodoo guys seem to be a challenge that Gaby was given from a friend. They are
made of "felt, cloth lenci, embroidery thread and have a pin with perlite in the heart".

Check out Gaby's blog..Even use the goggle translator. You will be glad you did~

Sparking Your Imagination in the Whimsical

2009-07-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

I found this creative art blog from discovering some fun pictures on Flickr. This blog is the art work of Debrina who is a whimsical extraordinaire. She professes to live in the

"Whimsical World of Fairies" which she does a great job in sharing with the rest of us. Her store on Etsy , Ebay, and Earth Angle Toys at Debrina Pratt-Fairyland store is a treat worth sampling. For those of us that have a love of altered art Debrina is a delightful inspiration. Debrinas blog is full of Freebie art collages, fun links, and so much more.

Make sure to check out this adorable blog. You will be glad you did~

Beads Galore

2009-07-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

This cool picture is from the blog of Flemming Bindslev

Flemming is a book editor in Denmark. He likes drawing , photography and making music all of which you can enjoy on his blog. He gets to travel with his job and for fun, so his pictures are really fun to look at.

Check out his blog, you'll be glad you did~

Cup Cakes Of Art

2009-07-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

I found these edible delights on the masmerah cupcakes! blog. I am a sucker for sweet art. This seems to be a new blog and I look forward to checking back in to see what other delightful treats they come up with.

The Art of What Love Gives

2009-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

These two beautiful Paintings are the work of Jude Maceren and are from her blog Paintings By Jude Maceren Judes blog is full of her beautiful art work which is available on many different items at Zazzle

Where you can put her art work on anything from a t-shirt, to a coffee mug and all kinds of other stuff. I'm favoring the postcards because of the postcrossing project that I need post cards for.

Jude lives in Piscataway, New Jersey and is "An artist who loves to paint what LOVE gives." Her motivation is a belief that "There is a relationship of love in all created things." Her inner beauty is poured in to her incredible artwork.

You can also find her Art at Etsy, where you will totally be taken away by the pure talent of this blessing of an artist. Check out her blog, you will be glad you did~

Art Made Just So

2009-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

This Piece of Art is from the blog of "make it so" where the artist "2 0 1 3" showcases her expressive work and quirky remarks. This blog is combination Art blog and fun banter.

This talented young artist started her blog only a few months ago and already has a growing collection of art work to check out. I look forward to Visiting with Miss 2 0 1 3 again.
Check out her blog, you'll be glad you did~

Wonders in the World of Miniatures

2009-07-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

SQUIRE SQUIRREL

This adorable little guy is from the blog of Artist Melody Lamb , Original Miniature And (ACEO's) of Melody Lea Lamb. Melody "specializes in Miniature paintings and drawings also known as ACEO's"(Art card, editions and originals). Her tools of choice are "mainly colored pencil, India ink, and acrylic". Her blog profile explains her love of miniatures as an "intense sense of Intimacy that is experienced when you hold a piece in your hand".

One of my favorite things about her blog is the WIP(Work in progress) pictures she has showing the process she goes through with her pieces. There is also the fun of reading the inspiration behind the paintings as well as the stories about her subjects. It's all very fun to see all the creative pieces put together.

There is nothing miniature about the incredible realism and beauty that jumps off the screen as you get lost in Melody's world of her wildlife art. As well as her incredible talent she obviously has a huge heart. Her art work is often featured on Art for Critters the blog that is designated to raising money for worthy animal charities through the sale of Animal Art. Melody is also part of a blog The Art Of Rescue ,wich is another animal blog devoted to "Lending a Voice to those who have no choice" where they "join animal lovers together to creatively find ways to offer support and to make a better world for all our treasured best friends."

Melody Lamb has all kinds of goodies on her blog and website. Be sure to check them out. You will be glad you did.

Susi Galloway Finding the Beauty in the Storm

2009-07-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

I found Susi Galloway's blog (Susi Galloway Fine Art Illustration Design) today while checking out some of her art. I'm instantly attracted to her artwork because of my love of the beach, clouds, and sunsets. She lives in Clearwater which is the closest beach to where I live here in Plant City, Florida. This particular picture was inspired while she was in Juno which is on the East Coast of Florida which is also a beautiful place to be.

There's also the West Coast of America represented in Susi's "City of Angels" painting and many from Arizona, and other fun places which instantly transport you there. There's also whimsical paintings and portraits full of expression and incredible color.

Susi's blog is great for the fan as well as the art enthusiast. I always think its cool seeing the artists inspiration and time line of the projects they're working on. The Youtube video that is on her blog has a large sample of her art work and is fun to watch.

Give yourself a treat and check out Susi Galloway's blog you'll be glad you did.

Dreamland Girls

2009-07-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

There are some beautiful pictures on this blog. They are all in a dreamy mode, photoshop at its best. This blog Mi Uruguasha is foreign to me, so unfortunately I can't really say any more than, check it out, you'll be glad you did.

Ms. Taylor Webb The Ancient Speaker

2009-07-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ms. Taylor Webb's Thought Blog is full of original art and thought provoking descriptions of each piece of work. Ms. Webb is in the midst of naming 300 paintings as she expresses "Creativity is so fulfilling and so hard at times." As any one in the creative process knows all too well.
Each piece of art work is brought to life by Ms. Webb's detailed journey of what the painting represents. You will not only enjoy her free spirited style of Art but will enjoy her spirited context of each beautiful piece of writing.

Bringing the Art and Voice together is something I personally enjoy. I appreciated Ms. Webb's self description as a "true polymath". Thanks to Wikipedia I now know that it means "Having learned much, A person whose knowledge is not restricted to one subject area" , and through this Ms. Webb shows us how to use both sides of our brains.
I feel not only inspired by her art by educated by her writings.

Lambsworld In a Paper Crafting World

2009-06-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Linda, who lives in Washington has the awesome blog Lambsworld. Linda is into all the fun stuff, paper crafts, ATC's, mixed media art, jewelry making and shopping for all the fun stuff to make her beautiful creations with.

Linda's blog has all sorts of fun art to check out.

This piece is shown on the blog with what Linda had to start with. It is pure fun. Be sure to check it out.

Mixed Media Diva Show's us her Latest Soldering Sensation

2009-06-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Studio Suzanne is the blog of Suzanne Melvin. Suzanne Lives in Germantown Tennessee and designs, manufactures and markets her own line of unique rubber stamps.

Suzanne works in collage and mixed media where her favorite elements for her own pieces of art are vintage papers, pressed flowers, fabric and buttons.

Today on Suzanne's blog she has a post on Soldering Practice which highlights a twilight piece that she made for one of her own Twilight crazed daughters.

I was just this morning looking through the book Collage Lost and Found at the soldering techniques. This is enough to make me finally give it a try.

Monique Verbeek Little Miss Muffet
Be sure to check out Suzanne's line of all sorts of fun stuff at oxford impressions and whatever you do, Don't miss checking out her gallery.
Oh the fun you'll have :-)

Altered Art Trash to Treasure Cigar King

2009-06-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I love altered art and this blog just adds to my creative heaven. The Blog is Trash to Treasure and the artist extraordinaire is Lynn Stevens. Lynn lives in Luna, Idaho and is an all around talented artist. It has been a life long adventure for her where she has created wildlife paintings, wood sculptures, murals, and works with faux finishing. "She also designs Historical signs for Idaho for sightseeing

Places along the roadside". She seems to me to be a stamping and altered art genius who is over flowing with talent and a desire to share with the art enthusiast.

This beautiful cigar with wings is one from her bountiful stash. She credits the stamps to ibrakeforstamps and the crowns to oxforddimpressions.

I hope you have as much fun discovering her blog as I have!

2009-06-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

This beautiful Piece of Art is found on the blog of Lisa McShane at 100 Paintings She's an oil painter in Bellingham Washington and is drawn to the landscape of the intermountain west.She loves the light, the fields of wheat, the big skies and the ribbons of road cutting through the land, as show in the Painting above. Lisa also has a website Lisa McShane Paintings.

Enjoying the World We Live in One Post Card At A Time

2009-06-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

This adventurous blog: Travel Postcard, belongs to Lay Hoon, who lives in Kajang, Malaysia. She has done a great job making this a gorgeous blog full of exotic pictures from postcards showcasing all four corners of the earth. It's great to enjoy not only the fronts of the postcards but also the stamps and the backs of the postcards.
I have previously written about my love of post cards in post cards in postcrossing project, so this has been an exceptionally good find. Yesterday I sent out my first five post cards to China, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Brazil. I'm looking forward to having my own PostCard Wall.

Today on Lay Hoon's blog she had this cool postcard from Poland with a link to
A F e s i t i v a l o f P o s t c a r d s

It was interesting to come across UNESCO again. (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

Show and Tell the whole year long

2009-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Jill McDonald Designs
Luck would have it that I would today discover the designer Jill McDonnalds blog
Show and Tell
Pure magic I tell you. For starters I just put a really cool Pink flower on as my newest screensaver, and was talking about how I "love" flower designs on everything. Then , today I am sunshined (that's the only word that explains it) by this new picture on Jill's blog. Not to mention that all the other really cool designs on her blog will make you smile.
Then theres the Jill McDonald Canvas Reproductions by Oopsy daisy at baby oliver.com. that will make you look forward to all the babyshowers that you will be invited to.

Saved in the Fire?

2009-06-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

This one's a little weird, I think? There was a fire? There's trains, a munny, chia pets, and Caring. My Blog Hop today is starting out on the wild side. I am always amazed by our different styles of art. This one sure has a mind of its own. Check out the funky art at Carolines blog at CARE.

Oh the Fun you will have

2009-06-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

This cute picture sloanetanen is from the blog of Kraftykym. Oh where do I start? Kym's blog is nothing but fun and ahh. All it takes is a creative enthusiast to open up more of our incredibly art filled world and the smiles can't help but hurt your face.

Kym is an art director in Minnesota and is overflowing with her creative juices. She has a really cute line of baby onesies and boys T's with ties on etsy at Kraftykym. Also on Kyms blog are some really neat fashion art pictures.

Sloan Tanen artist and photographer Stefan Hagen have the cutest book series I can't wait to see more.

Travel Blogs have the best pictures

2009-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

This adorable picture is from the vacation pictures from Krista and Toby at Sadie's Folks blog. I love travel blogs they always have the best stories and pictures. The church pictures are great architecture works of art that really amazing.
I've also noticed lately many blogs mentioning the loss of their pets which is always so sad. It is warming to to read about these sweet creatures that enhance our Mere mortal lives.

Remembering The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

2009-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

While on my blog hopping adventures, I came across Dolce, a new blogger with a creative spirit. I loved reading about il dolce far niente, an italian saying, the "sweetness of doing nothing". Dolce is on summer vacation from their job in the school system and has started a summer of fun of making things and doing things, and saving some time to do nothing. May we all remember to do this.
Today my journey is to learn more about il dolce far niente.

2009-06-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

While visiting Karyl Dokos blog I found this great piece of art by Jacob Hashimoto. His work is so beautiful that I had to learn about him. He is a Japanese American living and working in LA, who uses many traditional time staking techniques. He is apparently most known for his Authentic kite making and creates huge sculpture forms out of thousands of hand made kites. Check out more of his art work you will be glad you did.

Artists taught by Wabi Sabi

2009-06-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

As found on the blog of Karyl Dokos these pictures show part of her journey of exploring the different venues of creation and art. The essence of creativity. The lessons of the Wabi Sabi were beauty comes from raw forms is comforting in the development of art.

This Painting is by artist Dennis Hollingsworth. He uses massive texture which is one of the explorations of Karyls blog.

This picture of the tree bark is just one of the examples from Karyls blog in where she explores the intricacies of texture and form. Check out her blog for more inspiring and thought provoking art.

Post Card Wall and 43things

2009-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

While checking out Postcrossing I checked out Todd Schoonovers Post card wall. He is the reining champ of Post cards sent and received, over 1100 each way. Very impressive to say the least. While checking out his many cool post cards I came across his link to 43things.com , which is a goal setting web site. It's a community of Goal setters that inspire and cheer each other on. How cool is that!!

Post Cards in PostCrossing Project Blog

2009-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have always loved postcards. From as far back as I can remember I was excited at the presence of one in the mailbox. I grew to collect them from antique stores and the such. I hopped onto this fun blog at Postcrossing-Postcards all over the world.

Lisan from the Netherlands has been participating in the Postcrossing Project since March 2009. Lisans Blog has many of her postcards that she has received. Along with the pictures of the Post cards its fun to read about the history that goes along with it. This reminds me of when I was a young girl not long living in the U.S. and had many friends back home in England that I used to write back and forth with, not to mention the stamp collection I had.

With all our technology and the Internet it is easy to understand how we lost a favorite past time of writing letters. Post cards are fun and non committal and don't take up a large amount of time. I'm sure I'm not the only one that gets overwhelmed by the thought of sitting down and writing a letter. I have a hard enough time writing emails. This Postcard project however seems like it could be a lot of fun. Thanks to Lisans Blog I have signed up and will be sending out my first postcard tomorrow in the mail:-)

******************Glitter and Shimmer Galore in the Paper Crafting World

2009-06-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Brandi at Sparkle Shimmer and Twinkle has a cute blog for the Paper Crafter. Cute Pixies and puppies and so much more :-)

**********Spangled Stars

2009-06-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

As I was leaving for work yesterday I noticed that there were flags out in front of our sub-sub division and wondered why they were there, then I forgot about it. As coincidence would have it, Suzy at Prickly Pear Scrapbook blog had an answer for me. It was flag day yesterday. June 14th is the day that commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

Back to Suzy's blog, this is a great scrapbooking blog in which she not only shows you her beautiful creations but tells you how she made them as well as what supplies and techniques she uses. She uses products from the ShabbyShoppe were I learned that my own personal favorite method of altered art is now called hybrid scrapping.

Be sure to check out Suzys blog, I know I will be checking out all the delightful designs.

****************The world of Orienteering

2009-06-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is an Orienteering map from the blog Sherpes Trail. I find maps fascinating in many ways. The swirls, the lines, the circles are a work of art in themselves. Not to mention I have a very modest but very cool collection of maps that I use as Ephemera for Collage Altered Art. I have always thought that maps are beautiful, let alone the adventure of map making and map following a very cool hobby. I never new what Orienteering was until coming across this blog. My grandfather worked on trails and mapped them out many years ago in our summer cottage community in Michigan. He mapped out miles and miles of trails through the gorgeous vegetation in which we are given hours and hours of fun in nature, which is a welcome reprieve from our loud and busy lives.

Apparently Orienteering is the sport of following maps and having a determined amount of time in which to get to a designated point on the map. It is used as a training exercise in land navigation for the military. I enjoyed reading about the adventure on Sherpes Trail which is in western Pennsylvania. My husband just drove through Pennsylvania this past weekend on his way up to Cooperstown from Florida. He mentioned how crazy the driving was. The road construction and the weather was some of the worst he had ever driven through. It's funny to think that off those roads were some beautiful adventurous trails to get away from it all.

***********Button Embellishments Galore

2009-06-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Button Floozies is one of my favorite recent finds.I would be safe in saying that all Embellishment enthusiasts have a love affair with buttons. We see them as candy for our art work and play things. This beautiful Art blog seems to be a cooperative blog with many different collaborators.

Pockets of Lockets and so much more

2009-06-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

This blog is adorable for sure as seen at http://dudadaze.blogspot.com/

. Diane Duda has her beautiful art at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5719038 where you will find her one of a kind lockets. THEY ARE AWESOME!!!

Diane is one creative lady. Check out yet another one of her blogs at http://www.olivebites.blogspot.com/

Not only does she come up with beautiful designs she is respectful of the materials she chooses to use, with them being either recycled or environmentally friendly in their construction. WOW..definitely "AWE" worthy!!!

Scrapbook Krokodille Fun

2009-06-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

This scrapbook layout is one of the cutiest that I've ever seen with all the detail. I found this at

http://mishapsinthemaking.blogspot.com/

which is a great blog by Julie Allain full of different scrap artists. (She has a couple of really great blogs). Back to this scrapbook page, it was created by hanna in Norway. Check out her art at

http://hannapannasscrappeblog.blogspot.com/

so much fun, not enough time.

Male Crafter Extraordinaire

2009-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Next I was on to http://mishapsinthemaking.blogspot.com/

which is "Ramblings of a clumsy male crafter!" Calv who lives in the UK has a great blog with some very interesting art. The "Fairy Doors" are adorable as well as the card art and Rotty who seems to be an adventurous little rat. Calv does have a "copyright" notice on his site so I'm afraid you'll just have to take the leap and check it out for yourself.

Doddle Bug Miniature House

2009-06-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

When I was about to hop on over to another blog I came across this adorable miniature "Doddle Bug House". I love miniature houses and the like. The imagination soars on the clouds that swirl around this precious tiny abode.
http://madimaginations.blogspot.com/

More Card Making Maddness

2009-06-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

From Victoria Mays Cottage I linked to http://madimaginations.blogspot.com/ from Maddy Hill in England. This is another card making blog which is also adorable. All the eye candy on this blog is therapy for the tired soul.

Early Morning Riser. What kind of bird is this?

2009-06-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

This cute little guy is from http://victoriamaycottage.blogspot.com/

Tricia has a cute blog with card making and stamping. I also found the cutest widget on her blog. The kitty cat.

As for the cards and such, they are "awe" worthy for which I wish I had the patience to make. I had fun just looking at them and hope you will too.

Happy Mothers Day Cake

2009-05-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Yum.. This cake says it all

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

This cake is for the blog of Brandon and

Meredith. They also have some great garden photos on their blog.

http://thelifeandtimesofthemarshalls.blogspot.com/

Check out interesting pictures

2009-05-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

These amazing works of art are from

Sergio Canadé Pérez
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain

Check out his incredible blog at

http://sitiosenelcorazon.blogspot.com/

Amazing Art

2009-05-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

This blog is a must see for the Art Lover..

http://hyperrealism-hiperrealismo.blogspot.com/

Piggy Kissing

2009-05-06T20:10:00.001-07:00

Normally Kissing a pig is just adorable, but right now I just don't feel it. But, this picture is Piggy Perfect for sure!!

from the blog

http://blogresumido.blogspot.com/

Sneakers Art Wolverine style

2009-05-06T19:51:00.001-07:00

This blog has all kinds of cool sneakers for the sneaker lover in your life. My 12 old son for one is a shoe nut and goes as far as searching the web daily for cool new shoes. He then prints them out and puts them on the fridge.

http://www.sneakersasart.com/