Stunning photographs, no? NO, because THEY’RE OIL PAINTINGS! I’ve written about the hyper-real work of Australian painter Victoria Reichelt before, but these new pieces are very timely both figuratively and literally… the subject matter, of course – from “Takeaway Horror” to “Corrugated Horror”- speaks to current eco issues, AND all four of these pieces happen to be hanging at Art Basel Hong Kong right now, through this weekend. If you’re there, look for This Is No Fantasy,  the Australian gallery that represents Victoria’s work.

Oh. My. God, indeed! All of these fashionable ladies are part of an ongoing series, titled “Girls”, by London based artist / illustrator Frida Wannerberger. Ah, so beautiful and bizarre … one of my favorite combos. Also, that fabulous Jurassic Park outfit? YES.

Plants on EVERYTHING! This is the bold and beautiful work of Swedish artist Linnéa Andersson. Clearly, she has found her creative voice, from subject matter to color palette. Also clear… I’m quite sure there’s not a surface in the world she would shy away from! Gorgeous.

These “one-minute-nudes” are the work of Hudson, New York based artist Gretchen Kelly. Now, anyone who’s ever taken a life drawing class will know about these quick exercises… the model changing positions every 60 seconds so you have to work fast and make decisions on the fly. I did hundreds of these in art school. Um, NONE of them looked like this! Elegant lines, washy wonderfulness, and a fabulous celebration of – not only the female form – but also the creative process. Beautiful and confident.

ps. These lovely (affordable) pieces are available  in Gretchen’s shop.

Oh my word… she’s looking into my soul. This is the beautiful and surreal work of Parisian born, New York based artist Patrick Pietropoli. His latest show, titled ‘Coincidences’ , opens this Saturday March 23 at Hugo Galerie in New York. Here are their words about Patrick and his work:

“Pietropoli was a teacher of political studies for several years before becoming a professional artist. Trained as both a painter and a sculptor, his oil paintings on linen have both an antique feel and a very contemporary freeness. Drawing inspiration from the style of old masters such as Titian and Velasquez, Pietropoli creates grand figural compositions and cityscapes. With small amounts of paint and restricted palette, he brings an intimate texture and space to his paintings. His nudes capture a moment in time where he defines the relationship between form and freedom.”

The show runs until April 21, 2019.

Be still my crystal-loving heart! I have written about American artist Chad Wys a bunch of times over the years, but how on earth did I miss these rock-covered beauties from 2014? All of this work is from Chad’s ongoing “ready made” series in which he adds his own contemporary touch to relics from the past … and the thrift shop. LOVE!

Gasp! I love everything about this… lips on legs and play-dough like shapes on a grand scale? Yes, yes, YES. I wrote about the fabulous work of Japanese born, San Francisco based artist Masako Miki way back in 2013 and in 2011, but my goodness, the evolution of her work is astounding! If you happen to be in the Bay Area, she has a gorgeous show installed at BAMPFA – Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive – right now (install shot above). Here are a few words about “MATRIX 273”:

 “Her current work is “inspired by the idea of animism from the Shinto belief of yaoyorozu no kami [eight million gods] who are both good and evil with a wide range of personalities.” In defining this world of shifting boundaries, Miki creates larger-than-life-size, felt-covered forms drawn from the Japanese folk belief in yokai [shape-shifters] who can disguise themselves in any number of different forms. Miki creates the semi-abstract, sculptural forms utilizing brilliant colors and sets them into a magical environment suggesting another reality. The installation moves from the three-dimensional forms to abstract images on the floor and walls, conveying a sense of expanding boundaries.”

The show will be open until April 28, 2019. Happy Monday.

“Uncommon Thread” is my latest curatorial endeavor, and I could not be more proud! Soft sculpture made with thread, embroidered thread, paintings with thread, paintings of thread, and knitted thread… just kidding, that’s knitted GLASS. I mean, come on! Here’s my curatorial statement:

Thread – an everyday, utilitarian, domestic material – until you put it into the skillful hands of these artists. Winding, tying, twisting and stitching its way through the work of all seven featured artists, this is in fact the common thread that ties their work together. However, there is nothing common about the way these women manipulate their materials of choice, and their reasons behind the work itself. Paint, glass, ink and – yes – actual thread will be on display, resulting in a very uncommon group show. UNCOMMON THREAD features artists from Seattle to New York, Los Angeles to small town Canada.

The show is now open at bG Gallery in Santa Monica, but the opening reception is this coming Saturday March 16th 6 – 9pm. Go, be amazed, buy art. Thank you to bG for inviting me to do this, and thanks to these seven wonderful artists for participating : {the order above} Natalie Baxter, Sarah Detweiler, Nike Schroeder, Lindsay Arnold, Ellen Schinderman, Michelle Kingdom, and Carol Milne.

“Thursday’s Drawing Class Had Run Its Course”, and, “Roger Worried That His Hair Style Was Out of Fashion”… So. Good! I always love whatever LA based artist Kelly Puissegur does, but these two? Oh, YES. Kelly created these for a curated collection on Saatchi Art, titled “Refuse To Be The Muse”, in honor of International Women’s Day. Nailed it. 🔥

psst… Kelly happens to be one of the 75 female artists featured in my book, “A BIG IMPORTANT ART BOOK – Now With Women” , which is also very appropriate for today!

I always wondered what was in those old, falling down buildings… famous works of art! This is the beautifully painted / brilliant work of Scottish born, London based painter Andrew McIntosh. All of these gorgeous paintings are part of his latest show, titled ‘I Saw This Coming’, that opens this Thursday. And, as artists, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the description: