“Take something; do something to it; then do something else to it.” – Jasper Johns

I think I may have just found my new art credo. Ok, American painter Trey Speegle was using it first, but I’m jumping on the band wagon. In this case, the something he’s taken are vintage paint-by-numbers sets, and then what he’s done to it is add words and phrases to add meaning to these usually meaningless images. I’ve shown only 4 of them here, but this collection has over 2500 pieces. Now that’s inspiring.

{Fashion designer Stella McCartney commissioned Trey to do the runway backdrop for the launch of her Spring collection in Paris this past October. I’ve included this amazing piece in my most recent show, Fashion Show.}

Two words: Jack. Pot.

A whole bunch of other words: Gorgeous colour, rich textures, unique style, bizarre narratives, beautiful illustration.

I really need to get paid for this somehow because I really want to buy pretty much everything that I show. These glazed ceramics, by American artist Amanda Smith, are definitely on my wish list… hint, hint.

Vintage family photos are one of my favourite things. I love the relaxed/familiar body language, the stories you can’t help but inject, and the little peek you get into other people’s lives. These paintings (oil and charcoal mixed lovingly together) are by Spanish/Swedish painter Miquel Wert. I’ve seen a lot of work that references old family albums, but these are definitely unique. All of his pieces have a very ghostly quality, with most of his subjects being faceless. To me, it feels like memories that are slowly fading away. A bit sad, but beautiful none-the-less.

Maybe it’s because today was the first time I’ve had to scrape frost off of my car since last winter that I feel the need to share these warm, beachy, end of summer photographs. I love the feeling that American photographer Alicia Bock has managed to capture, well, perfectly. You can almost smell them… fresh air, salt water, and just a hint of Hawaiian Tropic.

{You’ve also got to see her I love Paris in the Springtime series. Be warned though ~ you may want to pack a bag and head for the ‘City of Lights’ almost immediately.}

There are way too many amazing projects in Lauren DiCioccio’s portfolio to choose from… that’s why I’m jealous again. Last time I wrote about Lauren I showed her organza shopping bags, and today I went with my other fav, her color codification dot drawings. These are so beautiful and so labor intensive. Here’s Lauren’s secret behind them: ‘I lay a sheet of frosted mylar over a magazine page. I assign a color to every letter (numbers are shades of greyscale) and apply tiny dots of paint over every character on the page according to my color-code.’

I wonder which seven colours spell ‘jealous’?

Holly Farrell, Solo Show

December 2nd – December 31, Chase Gallery ~ Boston

Holly Farrell has been featured on The Jealous Curator more than any other artist I think, and now with a new solo show opening in Boston tomorrow night, how can I not write about her again? It’s a combination of her subject matter and her amazing technical skill that gets me every time. I saw some of her work in person this past summer and it’s even better up close. And, if you go to the opening tomorrow, you might even be lucky enough to meet her. She’s just like her work… oh so lovely.