Terrifyingly beautiful! How have I just discovered the work of Ireland based, um, “ThreadStories”. Ok, so her real name is a bit of a mystery, which is probably the point. Anyone who specializes in making weird and wonderful knitted masks has to love a good secret. Now I just have to play matchmaker between her and Erik Mark Sandberg… THAT would be a gorgeous, creepy, mysterious, ah-mazing collaboration!

ps. all of her work is on her Instagram feed. Careful, you might lose track of time over there.

Yes, those are carpets melting and pouring onto the floor. This is the mind-bending work of Azerbaijan born artist Faig Ahmed. I wrote about him five years ago, which was clearly way too long ago! He continues to beautifully blur the line between art and craft, which happens to be one of my favorite lines to blur. All of  the pieces shown here are part of his “Liquid” series… obviously.

Whoa. This is “Cityfold”, a new series by German (LA based) artist Nike Schroeder. I’ve had her on the podcast and she’s in my new book that focuses on female artists – past, present and future! Paint, thread, linen, and love. Sigh. I can’t wait to see what she does next … wait for it…

ps. Nike is currently working on a solo show, titled BACKSPACE/DELETE, opening in Los Angeles at Walter Maciel Gallery on November 4th. The show grew from the Cityfolds series and is a deeper exploration of materials and urban experience. It’s even more painterly with collage elements of concrete, different cloths and canvases, rope and of course thread. If you’re in LA, go!

A self-described “maker of unusual things” … um, yep! Cute meets creepy as little ceramic faces are housed inside felted creatures / mushrooms. This is the whimsical and weird work of UK based artist Lizzie Pearce. I’d love to pick a favorite, but that feels totally impossible. Clearly I need all of them. Happy September!

ps. Some of her work is available in her shop.

Do I desperately want to see all of the pieces in this crazy grouping of embroidered eyes? Yes, yes I do. Well, these were the only three I could find enlarged, so for now I’ll have to be satisfied with Prince, Lincoln, and Tom Waits. This embroidery in found frames series is titled “Genius Eyes”, and is the work of New Orleans based artist Chris Roberts-Antieau. Her portfolio is overflowing with work created using fabric, thread, and brilliance. Speaking of brilliance, I have to attach the letter she has posted to her ‘about’ page:

Amen  ♥

Small textiles, big rugs, and elaborate pattern as far as the eye can see! How, I ask you, have I not learned about Norwegian artist Sissel Blystad until now? She was born in Oslo in 1944, and she’s been making work since 1972! I love this chunk of text from her site… it’s been translated from Norwegian so it might be a bit off, but her honesty and humor certainly isn’t:

“Here is my self-made website with works ranging from 1972 to 2015. It may look like I’ve taken everything I’ve done, but I have not deleted. I think it’s important and show also older stuff, which I do not necessarily are equally happy with today, but that is also part of my oeuvre.
I feel like I’ve gotten done very much when I look back, and that’s because I’ve had this as the first priority in all years. And I must, with hand on heart, say that I have never made anything just to sell, but only to meet and challenge myself. By type, I’m curious, and do not give up so easily. And why have I managed to claw me stuck in this job. Like many other artists also I had to take other jobs beside at times, but usually with great reluctance.”

The. Best.

ps. An installation view from a 2016 show at Hester NY, and a photo of Sissel in her studio from 2011:

Yep, 2008… isn’t it a little more than insane that all of these absolutely fantastic skirt & sweater sets apply perfectly TODAY. This is the work of LA based artist Lisa Anne Auerbach. She continues to use knitting and text to put her messages into the world, but when I stumbled across these pieces I didn’t realize they weren’t brand new work until I saw that final piece above. She created them just before Barack Obama was elected, way back in 2008. Remember that? Ah, good times.

via Little Paper Planes blog

“A contemporary take on chinoiserie wallpapers, producing unique and luxurious embroideries that transform walls into works of art.” Exactly! Oh my word, this is the gorgeous work of London based artist Claire Coles. Could you imagine having your walls covered in this kind of art? Exotic birds, flowers in full bloom, and elegant embroidery living in perfect harmony! Here is a little blurb about her process, materials etc:

“Claire designs and handcrafts couture wallpaper murals and appliqué artworks. Papers, silks and leathers are collaged and freehand embroidered to create a range of decorative surface patterns inspired by flora and fauna. Claire uses the sewing machine as others would use a pen or a pencil in a loose and fluid way, intricately stitching her motifs together. All designs are handmade in her London studio.”

Sigh. Lovely.

“Confessions” is a fibre-based series by American artist Hannah Ruth Hughes. I loved the type and textures immediately, and when I dug a little deeper I discovered this:

“Each piece represents a confession from an acquaintance. We each shared a confession with each other. Their confession has been scrambled by alphabetization. The now illegible text creates a barrier between the person’s secret and the viewer.”

I WANT TO KNOW ALL OF  THE SECRETS!

So many of my favorite artists in one spot, all working toward the same goal. Yep, in honor of International Women’s Day, Uprise Art and the artists featured {just a few shown here} are donating 100% of proceeds from this online exhibition, titled “For the Greater Good”, to Planned Parenthood. Brilliant, beautiful. #Resist

See all of the available originals in this show right here… 100% of proceeds!? Amazing.