Gasp! This is the dreamy abstract work of Vancouver based artist Vanessa Lam. She paints and collages, each medium clearly influencing the other. Also… her palette!? LOVE. Here is part of Vanessa’s artist statement:

“… She refers to Abstract Expressionism in her work through the use of gesture and automatic painting. It is an action-oriented process that involves a balance between chance and control. Although her mark-making may appear incidental, Lam loosely directs paint through the immediacy of brushwork and use of non-traditional painting tools.”

Ok, now I want to know what all of those tools are! Vanessa currently has a show in New York, the result of being last year’s grand prize winner of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, a creative partnership between Bombay Sapphire and Artsy {psst… I’m one of the judges this year}, and the deadline is coming up one month from today: JULY 11, 2018! It’s FREE to enter, and open to all artists in North America who are 25 years and older. Good luck… but in the meantime, go and see Vanessa’s work in person, because jpgs don’t do it justice :  “There is Another Sky” /  Openhouse Gallery  168 Bowery / June 7 – June 17  / 11am-7pm

{images via Vanessa’s Instagram / Artsy’s Instagram}

THIS IS A DRAWING. Yes, “paint” drawn with colored pencils. For real. After listening to – and loving – both of her TEDx talks (2014 / 2018), I am so thrilled to be chatting with Australian-born, New York based artist CJ Hendry. A few fun facts: CJ stands for Catherine Jenna, she sold her entire wardrobe to buy drawing supplies, her favorite color is white, and she swears like a sailor… obviously I loved her immediately. Listen to episode no.140, the final episode of Season No.2, right up there under that perfect pink “paint”, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Big, beautiful objects of desire:

She doesn’t love the word “AMAZING”, so don’t tell her I said this … AMAZING! She’s got a lot of footwear in her portfolio, but I’m pretty sure those Aussie boots were the big first sale she mentioned.

Next … food! This is the first series of CJ’s I ever saw (2015). Clearly I had to write a post immediately when I saw these yummy morsels:

Um, yeah… my pen doesn’t do that.

Now, we didn’t talk about this next series, but I just found it (on her Instagram feed), and had to show you. An alphabet of metallic balloons, each letter drawn in a location that started with that particular letter:

… and of course, there are many more! I was quite proud of my self-control in only posting two of them.

Oh my word, and now her paint series. This might be my fave (simply because I personally have a thing for big juicy strokes of paint in my own work). Brace yourself:

Pick jaw up off floor. Continue reading:

And finally… “Monochrome”:

I absolutely will not say AMAZING (but I might be thinking it). I wish I’d been in New York when this show was open… I would have jumped in that bin of pink teddy bears for sure.

And lastly, I thought this photo was a perfect way to wrap things up … CJ in New York, drawing, while wearing all white:

Livin’ the dream. I’m quite sure she can afford all of the petrol, rent and snacks her heart desires at this point! Thank you so much to CJ for doing this with me – I had such a great time, and I feel like this conversation was a great way to finish season two! Thanks to Saatchi Art and Create Magazine for supporting the episode (and don’t forget to check out The Other Art Fair … London, Chicago, Los Angeles and Brooklyn are this fall, so deadlines are coming up). And finally, high fives to you for always showing up to listen – I appreciate it more than I can explain in words. I’m going to spend the summer recharging, getting ready for my fall book tour, and recording a whole bunch of new episodes for SEASON THREE … see you in September! ps. In the meantime, feel free to pop over to iTunes to give Art For Your Ear a little love ♥

Other links:

1. CJ on Instagram
2. TEDx 2014
3. TEDx 2018
4. Monochrome
5. The Other Art Fair via Saatchi Art

How much do I love these drunk cats on matchboxes? [   T H I S  M U C H  ! ! !  ] These hilarious little block prints are a collaboration between Ravi Zupa & Arna Miller. Some of them are showing at Arna’s current show at Abstract Denver. You can also buy them online right here or here. Happy Friday!

Hearts, hands, antlers and balloon-like boobs. This is just one of many fantastic series by American artist Jen Dwyer. All of her work has a beautiful feminine power to it, but there was something about these delicate body parts, piled up with animal bits, that grabbed me instantly. Here are Jen’s words about this work:

“This series of porcelain pieces addresses the ephemeral quality of the human condition and nature – their correlation and disconnection. In the age of the Anthropocene I analyze the amount of agency we, as humans, give ourselves in regards to other species.” 

Love.

If there were hipsters during the Baroque era … I’m pretty sure we’re looking at them! These gorgeous / hilarious paintings are the work of Hungarian artist Naomi Devil. An absolutely beautifully painted blend of past and present. Also, I am that bird. FRIES!

WHAT? Oh my word, I have just come across the work of Melbourne based artist Louise Meuwissen and I am now officially madly in love. Beads, sequins, shells, glass … a whole bunch of other stuff! Her objects are intricate, precious treasures but can we talk about the piece suspended from a gallery ceiling? STUN. NING. That piece is showing at Rubicon Gallery {Melbourne} until June 9th. If you go, TAKE PICTURES!

ps. The painting behind Louise’s work is by Ebony Gulliver.

Sigh… she’s done it again. This is the latest work from Portland based painter Lisa Golightly. Dreamy, sun-filled memories of beachy days gone by. I can smell the lake from here. Lisa has a show opening in Seattle at Lisa Hodges Gallery {316 1st Ave S}… so Seattle, I guess you know what you’re doing this Thursday from 6 – 8pm!

Doesn’t this look like one of those “artists in their studio” photos that you’d find in an art history book … well, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly where this photo is headed. Today I’m interviewing TWO talented ‘n successful artists at the same time… two talented ‘n successful artists who also happen to be a married couple. Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson live together, make art together, have a daughter together, teach together, and yes, they even show their work together! In fact, they’ve got a show opening next Thursday, June 7th, at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles (Culver City). I’ve been lucky enough to get to know this hilarious, insightful, talented couple over the past few years, but this episode gave me a chance to ask ALL of my very important questions… like who made the first move!? Listen right up there under that super cute photo of Esther & Mark from 2002, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, a zine. Now if I’d had this ahead of time, I wouldn’t have had to ask Mark about his childhood in Las Vegas:

Ok, now I have more questions.

Speaking of zines, I give you the BUTT BOOK:

Hilarious! This is one of many collaborative creative projects these two do when they get together with all of their amazing friends. Butts as a zine theme … pure gold.

So, I’ve interviewed Esther before – both on the podcast (Ep.28), and also for my new book about women artists. Her “memory” paintings are a beautiful, funny (and sometimes sad-ish) nod to her childhood:

Gah! I love them so much! She doesn’t have any sculpture in this upcoming show, but I couldn’t control myself … I had to put that tornado in.

Next … Mark’s records! Paintings, ceramics, googly eyes, and Lionel Richie:

Seriously … SO FUN!

I got to hang out in their home studio last time I was in LA, and it really is filled to the brim with fantastic stuff. Here’s a tiny peek:

Love! AND, that final piece above is finished and ready to hang in the new show… it’s the FOOL MOON painting Esther was talking about. Yet another serendipitous moment ♥

Ah yes, and here’s one more moment (brace yourself if you’re afraid of heights):

A post shared by Mark Todd (@mark_todd) on Nov 29, 2017 at 6:39pm PST

No. Just NO.

Almost finished, but clearly I have to show you Esther’s bulldog cowboy boots:

… and since Mark doesn’t have boots that are this cool, here he is with a dinosaur. Thanks so much to Mark & Esther for doing this with me! I’m counting down to hanging out with them when I’m in LA this fall! Speaking at Art Center, eating mac ‘n cheese, and hopefully painting a butt on something. Thank you to Saatchi Art and Thrive for supporting this episode, and of course, big thanks to you for listening. The final episode of season two will be up next weekend.

Other links:

1. Esther, Episode no.28
2. Esther on Instagram / Mark on Instagram / Lili on Instagram!
3. Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
4. Aaron Smith, Episode no.90
5. Martha Rich, Episode no.1 & Episode no.72
6. Fun Chicken (their online shop!)
7. Kolaj Fest, New Orleans
8. JUNE 7, 2018 … Their show at Vielmetter Gallery, Culver City CA

Seriously, I don’t think that final image, titled “Tesla” could be more appropriate! American painter Scott Listfield has a new show opening this Saturday, June 2nd at Spoke in San Francisco {816 Sutter St}. The show is titled “ALGORITHM”, and here’s what it’s all about:

The new series continues the saga of Listfield’s central protagonist, a lone astronaut navigating the post-apocalyptic landscape of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. His latest oil paintings are set in a world populated by drones, self-driving vehicles, and robots. The work presents a derelict aftermath, inviting the view to consider a cityscape overrun by technology and devoid of human life. The work is critical of the ways in which we interface with an ever-changing technological landscape. Examining this pivotal moment in time, Listfield ponders:

“Just because we can do something, does that mean we should? What is technology without the human component? And what kind of problems are we solving?”

Excellent questions, Scott … excellent questions.

These are paintings… absolutely gorgeous, black and white, super tricky paintings! This is the work of Rhode Island based painter Rebecca Adams. Is it just me or does it seem like she must really love a good puzzle!? Of course there’s the dark shadowy settings, but then she throws in geometric laser beams and mirror reflections. Clearly, Rebecca is a woman who loves a challenge.