Now THIS is how you kick off a Monday morning! Oh my word, this is the absolutely stunning paper-cut work of UK based artist Pippa Dyrlaga {aka @bearfollowscat on Instagram}. And yes, if the two ladies in the first piece look like they’re apart while together, they are:

The Age of the Introverts: A response to the social distancing advice during the recent Coronavirus pandemic and a reflection that although we are not physically present, we can still communicate, collaborate and share ideas. {Hand cut 36gsm Awagami Factory Kitakata washi paper, hand painted.}

ART FOR YOUR EAR, the quarantine episode. Yep, my son Charlie and my husband/producer of the podcast, Greg, are going to be my guests today… whether they like it or not! Where else do they have to be? Literally NOWHERE. Yep, we’re all sequestered away in our house together, so I figured I’d cram all three of us into the podcast pillow fort. I’m gonna quiz my boys on some art trivia, get their thoughts on one of my favorite collages from art history, and then finish things up with “The Not-So-Speedy-Speed-Round”… x TWO. You can listen right up there under the 2007 Krysa Kiss ™, or you can subscribe to the podcast right here.

First up, I’ve gathered all of the bits of art history we discussed… including Michelangelo’s mallet-smashed nose {who knew?}:

Wow. That’s it. The podcast is over an hour, but this was a very short post! Oh well, it still does the trick. Thanks so much to Greg and Charlie for taking time out of their busy quarantine lives to do this with me; thanks to Artist/Mother Podcast for supporting the episode {and listen to my interview with them on Monday – it will be right here}; and as always, thanks to YOU for listening. Stay home, wash your hands, and make art. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Artist/Mother : Crit Group Sign Up {April 1 DEADLINE}
2. Face distorting Photo Booth App
3. Art Trivia Quiz
4. #30DayArtQuarantine on Instagram
5. Info on the Richard Hamilton collage via the Tate
6. CJ Hendry, Artist {episode no.140}
7. Melissa Meier, Artist
8. Wes Anderson Movies: Fantastic Mr.Fox ; Grand Budapest Hotel ; French Dispatch – out in July
9. Taika Waititi Movies: Jojo Rabbit ; Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Sigh. This is the lovely, domestic inspired work of LA based painter Hilary Pecis… quite appropriate at the moment, no? Chess, crosswords, books and coffee. Works for me. Unfortunately, Hilary has a solo show happening right now at Rachel Uffner Gallery in New York that I would normally tell you to go see! Check out the work online, and reach out to the gallery right here. “Come Along With Me” runs until April 26, 2020. Happy Friday. Stay home. Save a life.

Gasp! This is the stunning work of Brazilian-born, US based artist Melissa Meier. All of these wearable sculptures {!?} are from her series, titled “Skins”. Here is the description from her site:

In her current series “SKINS”, Meier has created sculptural clothing hybrids, utilizing natural materials such as leaves, stones, fur, eggshells, wheat, rice, crystals, scales, sticks, feathers, pinecones and shells.

Inspired by Brazilian Carnival and Native American skin-walkers, her wearable constructions blend female empowerment with a self-created mythology, developed around the idea of ancient cultures of female warriors, exemplifying strength, beauty and unity of life lived in harmony with the elements. Her warrior women are breathtakingly sensual, while radiating a searing combination of purity and power.

Meier states, “At first I was inspired by the legends of indigenous people and how they used the skins of animals to transform into them, creating a bridge between the human and animal worlds. But as my work matured, I became equally interested in the future of fashion as an extreme form of kinetic sculpture.”

The costumes are developed into moveable, wearable sculptures that are brought to Life as performance art works, serve as independent sculptures and in their final documented form as archival fine art photographs.

This is where the work creates a bridge to the present and allows us to connect with and find ourselves reflected in her images of hidden, treasured cultures, heroines and spirit guides, imagined and real.

Beautiful. {Also, I want the crystal headpiece.}

We all love paper, yes? Well how about giant paper – filled with creases, wrinkles and rips – that isn’t paper at all. These sculptures {mixed media on sculpted aluminum!} are the work of Montreal based artist Sébastien Gaudette. Here are his words about this series:

“The ‘Crumpled Papers’ series  painstakingly  represents crumpled sheets of paper. My work mainly comes down to the representation of paper, in its simplest form. Obviously I do not consider paper as a two-dimensional surface, but rather as a material that can be molded and whose spatial possibilities must be explored.”

Yes, they must! Love.

Well, this artwork seems ridiculously appropriate today. These beautifully bizarre textile masks are the work of an Ireland based artist who goes by the name ‘Threadstories’. See? An Irish artist on St.Patrick’s Day, featuring masks… and yes, that final piece was completed a couple of days ago, and is hashtagged: #stayhome #staycalm. Yep. Happy St.Paddy’s Day… drink your green beer at home. xo

ps. Go check out her Instagram feed as she posts gorgeous videos of her work in action!

Yessssssss. These drawings {colored pencil on paper!?} are the work of Seattle based artist Amanda Manitach. Beautifully executed, empowering, AND funny? Well that’s a win win win, if you ask me. Now, go make some chocolate cake with lemons. Happy Monday.

{found via Create Magazine on IG}

As promised, I finally have a new episode for you … and it’s another old school edition! In fact, it’s super duper old school because we’re both children of the 70s and 80s, and I don’t think we left one retro stone unturned. I just wrote about New York based artist Tara Lewis a few of weeks ago, and I loved her work so much that I just had to reach out and see if she’d come talk to me. Luckily, she said HELL YES! Listen right up there under that “TROPHY WIFE”, or you can subscribe to the podcast right here.

First up, a whole bunch of Tara’s gorgeous portraits, most of which we talked about specifically … starting with the Lone Ranger:

… and finishing with “PREP SCHOOL”. ps. This is the painting Ashley Longshore bought!

Next, the installation Tara was talking about at her most recent show in New York {Lyons Wier Gallery}:

Text wallpaper! And, I absolutely LOVE that she included these artifacts from her studio as part of the show. Socks, ping pong paddles, pageant banners and, of course, TROPHIES! Yes, it’s true… Tara loves trophies, and always has apparently {she won her school’s Spelling Bee year after year only because she really liked how the trophy looked!}. Look at these beauties:

HELL YES, indeed.

Speaking of which…

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tara Lewis (@taralewisstudio) on Sep 9, 2018 at 9:39am PDT

Tara’s art walking down Michelle Smith‘s runway! Definitely a “pinch me” moment.

Ooh, I had to include a few of these Instagram shots of Tara’s models showing up to stand beside themselves on the gallery wall:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tara Lewis (@taralewisstudio) on Jul 2, 2019 at 7:19am PDT

Um, what? Yes, that is Brooke Shields – posing/blowing the best bubblegum bubbles ever – in Tara’s studio. Here’s the first of at least eight or nine paintings of Brooke that will be in an upcoming show:

So cool… especially for those of us who grew up in the 80’s and most likely had these magazine pages on our bedroom walls:

See, she was a top-notch bubble blower back then, too! Also, how dreamy was Christopher Atkins in Blue Lagoon? Sigh.

And finally, Tara and I, official “Rainbow Girls” forever:

Hahahahaha! I had to. Seriously, it was physically impossible for me not to put this in the post. Thank you so much to Tara for coming on the podcast, and huge thanks to you for listening … and while I’m saying thank you … great BIG thanks to all of the health care workers out there who are putting themselves in front of this virus every day in order to help other people. Help them do their jobs. Stay home if you feel sick, and wash your hands like someone’s life depends on it.

Other links:

1. Tara on Instagram
2. Phillips Exeter Academy (where Tara teaches)
3. Lyons Wier Gallery, NYC
4. Michelle Smith, Fashion Designer
5. Brooke Shields
6. Stephanie Vovas Photography
7. Will Cotton, Painter / Katy Perry album cover

Oh. My. Goodness. This is the bold, jaw-dropping work of Japanese-Brazilian artist Asuka Anastacia Ogawa. She studied in London, and is now based between LA and New York. I looked all over the interweb for a description of explanation behind her striking work, but according to this article from Artnet, “she seems comfortable letting viewers come up with their own interpretations of the evocative narratives in her work.” I’m on it! Happy Friday.

Lovely woodland scenes… with perhaps just a bit of something not quite right just under the surface. This is the strange/lovely narrative work of London based painter Eleanor Moreton. A little bit folk art-ish, perhaps a nod to a disturbing old nursery rhyme, and just a touch of family dysfunction… perfect.

{These paintings, and more, are available via Arusha Gallery}