… and the winner is… REBECCA POTTS! Thank you so much to everyone who entered for a chance to win a copy of this gorgeous children’s book. “A Life Made by Hand – The Story of Ruth Asawa” by Andrea D’Aquino will be on shelves on September 3rd, 2019 so be sure to pick up a copy!

Love, love, looooooove! An artist I love, telling the story of another artist I love… could Monday get any better?  This is the latest book by New York based mixed media artist/illustrator Andrea D’Aquino. It’s titled “A LIFE MADE BY HAND. THE STORY OF RUTH ASAWA” and it is so, so, so lovely! This beautifully illustrated, very sweet storybook about an important Japanese American artist will be on shelves this September, but you can preorder it right this very minute. You could also leave a comment below because I’m GIVING AWAY ONE COPY of this beauty to one of you beauties! I’ll draw one name this Friday August 23rd and, yes, everyone from everywhere is eligible because that’s how I roll. Happy Monday.

Mountains of bone-like ceramic tangles … if this work, by California based artist Laura Cooper, doesn’t  make you want to spend the weekend in the desert, well, I don’t what will. How’s that for a segue into the fact that these pieces will be part of the inaugural show at HeyThere Projects in Joshua Tree, California this Saturday, May 25 from 5-9 pm. A road trip to Joshua Tree + work by a whole bunch of amazing artists? You’re welcome. {Other artists in the show: Rob Clayton, Alejandra Fernandez and Carlos Ramirez}

HeyThere Projects is located near the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, and was initiated by intrepid artists and old friends Mark Todd and Aaron Smith … both of whom have been on my podcast! Their gorgeous new gallery showcases emerging and established artists in a setting surrounded by vast natural splendor. 

{Laura’s bio photo by Molly Haas}

Oh. My. God, indeed! All of these fashionable ladies are part of an ongoing series, titled “Girls”, by London based artist / illustrator Frida Wannerberger. Ah, so beautiful and bizarre … one of my favorite combos. Also, that fabulous Jurassic Park outfit? YES.

Those vases… I mean, COME ON! I’ve written about her ceramic sharks, but today is all about American artist Lorien Stern‘s ghosts! I love everything Lorien makes and, if you happen to be in San Francisco, you can see her newest show / pop-up shop … it opens THIS FRIDAY November 9th at Rare Device. Sharks? Ghosts? Rainbows? Cheetahs? Snakes? I dunno know, but I  know it’s gonna be good!

Join Lorien and the Rare Device staff on Friday evening, November 9th at Rare Device Flagship at 600 Divisadero Street from 6-9 p.m. for the opening reception. The show and pop-up shop will be up from Friday, November 9, 2018 to Monday, January 14, 2019… hello, holiday shopping!

Vote. For the love of all that is good, VOTE. This is the work of Portland based artist Lisa Congdon. Lisa does all sorts of things {I’m not actually sure when she sleeps}, but one thing she does particularly well is THIS: she uses her artwork to share her views, spread love, and motivate action. I am Canadian, so while I’d love to vote in the US midterms today, alas, I just have to sit up here biting my nails. Please, please, please exercise your right to make change… the world is counting on you.

There’s no time to be shy … that’s for sure! It’s also the mantra that has made Montreal based, Kazakhstan born artist Ola Volo a full time artist. Now, we’ve known each other for a while as friends, but honestly I don’t know all of her behind-the-scenes stories. Thank goodness I have a podcast to take my friendships to new levels! You can listen right up there under Ola in her spray paint mask, or subscribe on iTunes.

Let’s start with a key ingredient in all of Ola’s work… her love of cultural patterns and icons:

So gorgeous! Ola has totally embraced all of the cultures she grew up with – Russian, Polish, Kazakh and Canadian – to create her own visual language… a language that allows her to tell all sorts of stories!

So, how did she become a mural artist? This was the very first one. The project that made her google “what is mural”:

Um, I think she figured it out! This was the wall at Hootsuite in Vancouver that started the crazy mural ball rolling for her. Well, that and Ola’s fake it till ya make it attitude.

Oooh, and here’s the Starbucks in New York that basically got transformed into “Ola’s World”:

How cool is that? If you happen to be in New York pop in … 21st & 5th Ave. Yep, 5th Avenue, baby!

Oh yes, and also cool… a collaboration with Louis Vuitton:

So great, right!? Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of that fabulous LV party she went to in Toronto, but we can use our imaginations.

Next up, her solo show that just happened in Vancouver, titled “King Queen Lovers Fool”. This time she was working mainly on canvas, not just walls:

Okay, she had to get one wall in there. Fair enough!

And finally, proof that Ola is doing exactly what she’s supposed to be doing:

Love. Thank you so much to Ola for this amazing, warm, and super fun chat; Thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode, and thank YOU for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Thrive {ps. they’re accepting new members}
2. Emily Carr University of Art + Design
3. Bitch Magazine
4. Skylight Books {my book event in LA on Oct 27th}

Sparkly stars, rainbows, mermaids, and a land full o’ fairies! Today I’m talking to California based artist, teacher, and restorer of all things magical … well, at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, anyway! Shannon D. Taylor is a very busy woman, but that doesn’t stop her from adding a little bit of magic to pretty much everything she does. Listen right up there under “Southern Star”, or subscribe on iTunes.

Alright, first things first, a few of Shannon’s pieces that I’ve written about before:

See? Too good not to show again!

Next … ping pong paddles and saws, because when you do an art residency in a giant warehouse filled with thrifted goods, this is the kind of thing that can happen:

Oh, those tigers. And do you see what I mean about her sparkly starry skies? So dreamy!

Now not only is Shannon a talented painter, she’s also REALLY good at finding vintage frames to house her gorgeous work. Look at this:

Gasp! They’re all so fabulous, each one filled to the brim with Shannon’s weird & wonderful worlds. Also, I really need to go thrift shopping with her. A lot.

So, when Shannon isn’t making her own work, she’s teaching at the California College of the Arts … and I desperately want to be in her six hour sketchbook class! Here is a tiny peek into her sketchbook:

Ha! And a lovely self-portrait too! You is beautiful, Shannon.

Alright … and when she’s not making her own work, or teaching, she’s restoring the magical bits and pieces at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland! This is the super fun event at Fairyland we were talking about:

… and that’s the piece I made for it! 10″x10″ wood panel, complete with chunky gold glitter paint because when you make something for Fairyland, YOU ADD GLITTER. If you can go to this party, GO! Artists making art in front of your eyes that then sells for $40/piece? Yeah, GO!

And finally, you thought her work was magic… wait until you see her studio:

Ah-mazing! I wonder if any gnomes or fairies share that crazy-cozy space with her!?  And yes, that’s Shannon’s latest self-portrait… kickass kimono included. Thanks so much to Shannon for fitting me into her crazy schedule; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and of course, thank YOU for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. California College of the Arts
2. Children’s Fairyland, Oakland California
3. Tickets for “Drawn Together” : Friday September 28th, 2018  6-9pm
4. Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek CA
5. Shannon on Instagram, aka magicmakerdreamweaver 
6. Discount Universe {home of that awesome kimono}

First, if you have a kimono like that, yes, drop everything and paint a self-portrait! Second, in reference to that block ‘o butter: “Yep, that’s a stick of butter. I make no apologies.” Hahaha! That’s a direct quote from the Instagram feed of California based artist Shannon D. Taylor. I love everything in Shannon’s weird and whimsical portfolio … is it any surprise that she also spends some of her time as the Director of Art and Restoration at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland? No, not at all. {ps. she also happens to be a professor in the Illustration Program at the California College of the Arts. Renaissance woman!} 

ps. Speaking of Fairyland, on Sept 28th {6 – 9pm} “Drawn Together” will be happening for the sixth year in a row! Tickets are now available for this magical evening of art, food, drink… and fairies! All of the ins and outs can be found right here.

There is so much to love about this! These pieces are the work of Milan based artist and illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli … not only do I love her style, her color choices, and of course, spaghetti… it’s her reason for creating these images of women so thoroughly owning their pasta-eating experience. This is the show description via Galleria Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea:

The show “How To Eat Spaghetti Like A Lady” overturns the series of photographs of the same name taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, published in the American magazine Time Life in 1924, which is presented as a tutorial made of eight close-ups portraying a charming model in the act of composedly consuming a plate of spaghetti.

Olimpia, who in her illustrations favors the representation of soft, amused and colorful women, gives us a brilliant interpretation of the meaning of “like a lady”, thus drawing a series of portraits of girls who are tasting their plate of spaghetti in a completely singular and authentic way. Distant from established rules of conduct, from unnecessary poses or conventions, the women reveal their creativity and an unexpected and personal attitude.

With her works, Olimpia Zagnoli opens a window through which we can glimpse a fragment of the moment when, in their domestic intimacy, women voluntary forget the precepts of their education. And it is exactly at the same time that “they do what shouldn’t be done, they create new paths and new languages. There will be the woman who eats her spaghetti in bed, the one who eats them upside-down, the one who weaves them with her own hair, and so on”, says Olimpia.

Bravo!

Ahhh, so dreamy. South African artist/illustrator Kirsten Sims paints all sorts of things {for personal shows and for commercial clients}, but it’s her dusk-meets-nighttime work that takes my breath away. Don’t you want to go on a vacation now? Warm African nights, starry skies, and deep navy blue in every direction. Happy Friday.

ps. I wrote about Kirsten in 2013, and as you can see from that post, I loved her nighttime paintings back then too! The heart wants what the heart wants.