Gah! So fantastical, and so weird! This is the work of New Jersey based artist Shamona Stokes. I’m going to let her describe it because Shannon’s words are just as dreamy as her sculptures:

“My work is inspired by the imaginary worlds of the liminal state. These are the soft spaces before waking up from a long dream or resting within a deep meditation. In these states things can be askew, colors seem brighter, imaginary friends may say hello. Using ceramics as my primary medium, I create iconic figures: nature spirits, muses, and shadow-things who might live within these realms.”

Sigh. Beautiful. Shamona has a show in Fort Worth, Texas right this very second. “Horn of Plenty” can be seen at Fort Worth Community Arts Center until September 26, 2019.

What on earth are these gorgeous circles that seem to emit some kind of magic? I’m not sure to be totally honest, but the person responsible, French artist Lyès, refers to his work as “celestial wall sculpture”. LOVE! Speaking of love, the message behind his work is a fine blend of “The Energy of Life is in You / Love Will Conquer”. Beautiful! Now, as far as materials go? I believe we’re looking at C-Prints, plexi face-mounted on aluminum panels… with a dash of light-filled magic. Obviously.

Okay, you know how they say ‘love can be scary’… yeah, that’s how I feel about the wonderfully weird work of Pennsylvania based artist Rebecca Reeves. Here is part of her artist statement:

“In her current body of work, Reeves considers herself, the “Collector, Protector and the Keeper” of numerous family heirlooms.  Similar to the meticulously detailed Victorian human hair wreaths which represented the family tree; She obsessively cocoons the miniatures in thread in order to contain and preserve. Nearly, suffocating them in the process.” 

Suffocating cocoons. Terrifyingly poetic. She has a show opening in Seattle on Thursday September 12th (5pm) at Ghost Gallery. How perfect is that? 

{Rebecca’s most recent work, and works in progress, can be found on Instagram.}

“Sometimes the king is a woman” … YES. That’s the title of the first painting in this post, and I could not love it more. This is the most recent work of American painter Amy Sherald and if you’re in New York, I know what you’re doing tonight! Amy’s latest show opens TONIGHT, September 10th / 6pm, at Hauser & Wirth. I  have loved Amy’s work for years, and have written about her several times {including having her on the podcast, and oh yes, when she painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama}, and she just keeps getting more amazing. Case in point, here’s why she does what she does:

“I look at America’s heart — people, landscapes, and cityscapes — and I see it as an opportunity to add to an American art narrative… I paint because I am looking for versions of  myself in art history and in the world.”—Amy Sherald

The show runs until October 26th, 2019. GO!

{Bio photo by Melanie Dunea}

Gah! What happens next!? I feel like these paintings, in this order, could be a really good Netflix show. This is the work of American artist Mark Tennant, and I can only assume that he works from random found photographs … but boy oh boy, do these disjointed, yet harmonious, images paint a captivating story of Americana. White picket fence and, well, what might be going on behind that white picket fence! {Can you tell that I’m already planning on binge watching this non-existent show?}

Self-portraiture is almost always a vulnerable endeavor, and that is definitely the case when it comes to the most recent work of Vancouver based painter Sára Molčan. Sára has taken late-night selfies off of the phone, and onto the canvas. Here’s why:

“[She] captures the universal desire to be liked through her large-scale paintings. Using herself as a vessel, Molčan’s work speaks to the careful curation of our own displays of emotions, our imperfect existence, and the ambivalence towards romantic partners in an effort to seem like you don’t care … Drawing inspiration from user interfaces, sexting, and identity play, her larger-than-life selfies demand to be removed from context and placed back in the digital world.”

Her paintings are beautiful, vulnerable, and very candid … and I just chose the tame ones! ps. Don’t drink and text. Happy weekend.

Damn, I’m a week late on this one. All of these gorgeous oil paintings were part of a show at Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne, titled “Comfort Kills“, by Australian artist Chelsea Gustafsson. Afghans, succulents, pool noodles, and oh so many fabulous chairs!  The show just came down at the end of August, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy these beautifully painted, very cozy, works right now! Here is a small part of the essay from the catalogue that gets into the why behind all of those chairs:

“… For Gustafsson, the chair possesses a warm familiarity, a playfulness and vibrancy that makes them a powerful motif, implicit in the domestic experience. Be it Dad’s favourite armchair, the kitchen stool guests gravitate toward or the plastic chair offered at a friendly backyard BBQ, they each recall social interactions, economic circumstances, daily rhythms, and self expression … they also call to mind frivolous time wasting.” ~ excerpt from essay, written by Phe Luxford.

{Found via Create Magazine’s Instagram}

ps. This is an older painting of Chelsea’s – not included in this show- but I just love it so much I had to include it:

An art show AND an art challenge all rolled into one? Yep! California based artist Clare Szydlowski Odom stepped up to that challenge by creating 50 artworks in 50 days. I’ve written about Clare’s 2D silkscreens before, but these lovely, beautifully composed houses bring a whole new dimension to her work {see what I did there?}. Not only is there actual folded dimension, but she’s also constantly on the look out for even more than that:

“For the past three years I have been photographing the shadows in my suburban neighborhood in Burlingame where my husband and I rent an in-law unit. This Spring, we adopted a baby boy and on our walks I have continued this practice. The forms of these shadows are visually intriguing, but more interesting to me is the simultaneous sense of presence and absence they project, appearing at once substantial and insubstantial. I am also drawn to the way they mark the passage of time shifting across lawns, sidewalks and on the sides of houses. These shadows have become ghosts of my desires to own a home, to be able to freeze the precious moments of my son’s babyhood and to make the passing of time feel more substantial, something I can hold on to. Collecting these shadows has become a practice in understanding these desires, but also appreciating where I am in the present moment.”

Collecting shadows… sigh… beautiful. Clare’s shadow-covered houses are currently floating on the wall at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica,CA as part of their annual 50/50 Show. The show, featuring 50 pieces by over 60 artists*, runs until September 22, 2019. *Art math… that’s over 3000 pieces!

Crisp geometrics and organic subject matter living harmoniously in the work {acrylic on canvas} of German-born, US based artist Joerg Dressler. Sigh. Those canvas shapes, his palette choices, beautifully balanced compositions… I could not love these more. Now, while I oooh and aaaah over all of that, you can read an excerpt from his artist statement which gets to the root of what he does:

“While remaining uniquely his own visual communication, the vocabulary for his work is drawn from a cross-section of art history: Romanticism, Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, graphic design and photography. ‘Joerg evokes sublime depictions of our confrontation with nature, especially the contrary effects of nature on the human psyche,’ writes Christopher Busa in Provincetown Arts. ‘He places tranquility side by side with violence, light clashing with the dark, fragility beside boldness—surprising forces seemingly summoned on a whim, with involuntary energy.’ Recurring themes in Joerg’s work include the passage of time, impermanence, frailty, and perception.”

Yes! Romanticism and pop art… of course that’s the love affair behind these paintings!

{Found via Artists Only}

September means one very important thing to me… sweater weather {oh, how I’ve missed you}. Yes, I am very Canadian, as is artist Michelle MacKinnon and, from what I can tell, we also share an affinity for all things knitted. These detailed, elegant, purposely partly finished drawings {pencil on paper} are part of her ongoing series, titled “not quite perfect”:

“not quite perfect” stems from MacKinnon’s time in Newfoundland. During that time, she purchased and was given many handmade knit items: sweaters, socks, hats, mittens, scarves, etc. These pieces, with their handmade imperfections, have a heart-warming sense of charm within them. The subsequent drawings … were done in attempt to spend intimate time connecting with the pieces and recreating herself within them.”

Lovely. Happy Monday.