Wow. This striking installation, titled The Woods, is the work of American artist Keith Lemley. His portfolio is full of beautiful pieces that use light and nature in really interesting ways… but it was these graphic, clean, glowing axes paired with rough, old stumps of wood that took my breath away. Here’s a snippet from his artist statement:

“My work is about seeing the unseen – the invisible presence which exists in our minds and surrounds all objects, experiences, and memories. Working in my studio in rural Appalachia, I have developed a keen interest in being part of and observing natural systems, time and the process of life and death, and an aesthetic sensibility synthesizing the organic and the machine.”

ps. This work is in a show that opens tomorrow, October 10th at Exhibit A in Corning, NY

{via Yellowtrace}

Tiny, delicate faces staring back while you have your coffee, tea, or … cigarette. Yes, those little men are ashtrays! But if you don’t smoke, may I suggest using them as eggcups ; ) This is the work of London based ceramicist, Kinska, and every single piece makes me very happy. I think I need that candle holder head at the very top of the post. You can find/buy her work from her online shop.

{via art is a way}

Oh. Those colors. Those brushstrokes… not to mention those birds, flowers and knitted bits! This is the absolutely stunning work of Philadelphia based artist Meghan Howland. I wrote about her in early 2014 and was thrilled when I went back to take a look at her work since then. I loved Meghan’s paintings then, and I love them even more now! I said stunning, right?

Oooh! Big, bold and colorful… this is the work of Chilean artist Santiago Salvador. I wish I knew the meaning behind some of these pieces… that sea full of people for example. I hope they’re at the beach having fun, not waving for help! Speaking of waving, how amazing is that first piece? Love.

{Thanks to Joey Harrison for sending me a link to Santiago’s work}

Oh. Pink hair, flowers and foxes… love. These oil paintings are the exquisite work of Japan-born, Toronto-based painter Keita Morimoto. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because I featured one of his pieces… on Friday. Yes, just this past Friday. I was writing about the “Art with Heart” auction and discovered one of the pieces he donated {“Self Portrait with a Cat”}. So, so good. Anyway, that led me to his portfolio, which immediately led to today’s gorgeous post. Oh, that pink hair.

Here we are, the first Saturday in October… project 10 of 12. {If you missed the other projects, no problem, you can catch up right here.} This project is from American artist Jesse Draxler. I’ve wanted to try this one for ages… ps. I added my own extra little twist at the end:

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#creativeunblock // october // by jesse draxler, pg.155

“Find some objects you have around your apartment, home, studio, etc. (the more unique the better) and organize them in different ways. Stack them, rest them upon each other, arrange them in a pattern, etc. I find this to be a great exercise in composition – something that is integral in all art forms.

Secondly, photograph the compositions- several shots from several angles to capture things that normally would not be taken note of; the make up of the arrangement, the structure, the physics of why the arrangement is working.”

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Love this… and here’s what I want to add. So, once you’ve photographed your compositions, you can stop right there, OR,  you can use those photographs as the inspiration for a painting, drawing, collage, short story… or all of the above! If you’d like to share what you make, just put it up on Instagram or Twitter and hashtag it #creativeUNblock. Have fun!

Horses on couches, bears swinging from chandeliers, and drawings that might not be exactly appropriate for children’s books … I’m in! Today on the podcast I’m talking to LA based artist Kelly Puissegur {apparently pronounced “Persegue”}. Anyway, we talked all about the process behind her crazy narrative paintings while we enjoyed an evening, nerve-debunking cocktail. Listen right up there, or subscribe on iTunes. As you’re listening, take a look at the things we talked about in the order that we talked about them. First up, a few pieces from the first post I ever wrote about Kelly. These paintings are from her etsy shop:

Oh. Those pugs. So good! Next, we took some time to talk about three pieces specifically. They are titled: no 1. The After Party / no 2. This Will Make You Smile / no 3. Almost Happy. Oh, and one little tidbit she threw out was that she actually plans all of her crazy paintings with collages first! Clearly, I had to see those and she was kind enough to let us peek behind the curtain! There are a few below:

Aren’t those planning collages cool!? I’m so glad she let me show them! I love that she gets inspired by found vintage photos, like this horse on the couch. Yes, she found a photo of a horse on a couch?! Next, she mentioned her friend who had a big “APPLAUSE” sign in his house. That very cool sign inspired these very cool pieces:

Love! Now, I think Kelly should illustrate a book, don’t you? She said she’d love to… but we agreed that there are a few pieces that might not be quite right for kids’ books. Here’s a little inappropriate sampling:

Yeah. Maybe not exactly right for a sweet bedtime story. So, during the speed round I found out that her favorite animals to paint are horses. I agree… her horses are so good:

Ha! So so good. Now, we didn’t talk about this, but I think it’s a great way to sign off…

Sigh… don’t you wish that you could hang out inside one of her paintings? Me too… and I can guarantee there wouldn’t be any parking on the dance floor! Thanks so much to Kelly for working up the nerve to do this with me {and I promise to live up to our deal at the very end}, thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode, and to you for looking ‘n listening! There’ll be more art for you ear next weekend.

Other links:

~ We talked about Jennifer Davis’ work

~ Kelly’s originals on Saatchi Art, and prints in her Etsy shop

If you’re in Toronto you should absolutely check out Art With Heart. It’s an art auction, now in its 22nd year, put on by Toronto’s Casey House, an organization that cares for people suffering from HIV. This fundraising auction is filled with absolutely gorgeous work {a few of my favorites shown here}, that “will benefit a number of Casey House’s initiatives including sending skilled teams of registered nurses and workers into clients’ homes, providing rehabilitative care and recreation therapy at the hospice, and bringing specialized HIV nursing care via partner clinics to marginalized people who lack access to treatment. Donor generosity enables additional services at Casey House to address the complex health needs and isolation that many clients experience.”

THE AUCTION

The Carlu / Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Reception 5:30 pm / Live Auction 7:00 pm

TICKETS … $175 {buy now}

{Artists shown above: Sarah Letovsky / Janet Morton / Megan Ellen MacDonald / Kim Dorland / Kris Knight / Keita Morimoto}

I wrote about American collage artist Adrienne Slane way back in 2012 {she’s also one of the artists in my book, “Collage”}. Anywho, I just found some of her latest work and thought to myself, “Oh, I guess she’s working digitally now.” Nope. These are hand cut collages. Hand. Cut. Insane.

These are paintings.

This is the latest work from Toronto based artist Holly Farrell. Holly’s work always takes my breath away, but when I saw that Cat in the Hat stack, well, I just shook my head. Damn, she’s good. She’s packing these beauties up and shipping them out for a show titled, you guessed it, “Books”. It runs October 6th through November 2 at Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA. Seeing her work in person is such a treat, so go if you can!

These are paintings.