The earrings, no, the matches… I even love that old bandaid. Ok, there is no possible way for me to choose a favorite. They are all so quiet. So simple. So, so good. This is the work of Mollie Douthit, an American artist who studied {MFA Burren College of Art}, and now lives, in Ireland. I wish I was going to be here in January because she has a show opening at Ashford gallery space at the RHA, Dublin. If you’re in Dublin, please go and then tell me all about it!

ps. So crazy. I wrote this post before I came to Ireland (I’m super organized like that), and last night I was in a little pub in Dublin to meet up with the amazing team from Saatchi Art that are here for Web Summit as well. I was telling them about Mollie and this lovely work, and they said… “Oh, that’s her right there!” What?! Yes. We sat and had a drink together, and it’s safe to say that she’s just as lovely as her work! … what a crazy small world.

Oh, I am very excited about this! I LOVE Lola Donoghue’s large-scale abstract paintings, and because I’m in Ireland this week I get to meet her! I wish there was time to visit her inspiring, airy, sunlit-filled studio that overlooks the lovely Irish countryside, but a coffee in a cute cafe will have to do… just happy to meet her in person! Do you think I could sneak one of her giant paintings home in my suitcase? Oh, you better believe I’m gonna try!

ps. I have several of Lola’s pieces available as large-scale prints in my online gallery… 36″x36″ and 30″x40″ priced at $200

Gasp! Bronze, glass, LEDs… the simple but elegant ingredients that go into these stunning sculptures, that happen to double as lighting! I’m kicking off my week in Dublin by featuring the breathtaking work of Dublin based sculptor/light designer Niamh Barry {great start, yes?}… this is her description of what goes into creating these works of art:

“With as many as twenty individual pieces of bronze to create just one ring section of a final piece and without moulds, I begin the time consuming process of hand joining each piece together using methods developed and perfected over twenty years. Slow and precise work, this is when we see the three dimensional form of the final piece emerge from the two dimensional material.

With the making process completed, which can sometimes involve as many as three thousand hand cut, hand polished pieces of glass and hundreds of hours of craftsmanship working with and finishing the bronze, the work is completed. Each piece is authenticated by a signature plate and dated.”

Gasp… again.

The only thing better than a pile of weird images & random bits of pretty paper is gathering up those little scraps, popping them in an envelope, and mailing them to another artist that you’ve never met! Oh, this is so fun… I’m totally going to do it, and you should too! Sara from the illustration blog, Brown Paper Bag has teamed up with Papirmass to put on this very clever & creative art contest… here’s how it works:

1.  Sign up to participate in the Col­lage Scrap Exchange until November 15 (click Sign up to sign up!)

2. After Novem­ber 15, they’ll match up col­lage partners

3. You’ll pack­age your scraps and mail ‘em via snail mail to your partner (this is a world wide project!)

4. Once you receive your partner’s package, make a col­lage (or collages) using both of your scraps! Theme: New Landscapes

5. Turn in your fin­ished art­work before the Feb­ru­ary 15, 2015 deadline

You can win a prize package worth over $250! {$125 cash prize // 2 free subscriptions for Papir­mass // Get your work published in an issue of Papirmass}

So many fabulous people are participating, including one of my favorite collage artists, Anthony Zinonos, so sign up today… I just did {those are some of my scraps above!} Oh, and if you have any questions please email the organizers at info@papirmass.com to find out more. Thanks!

If bizarre animal heads and sexy legs don’t say Happy Hallowe’en, well then I just don’t know what does! These weird ‘n sassy watercolors are the work of Tokyo based artist Akiko Kobayakawa. Those intense colors and sultry poses mixed with the innocence of the animals’ faces… yowza. Love! Ok people, grab your horse masks & red high heels … Hallowe’en night awaits!

{via spoon tamago}

How would you spend a day with your childhood self? Baguettes in Paris? Hopping a train to Spain? Building slushy snowmen in Japan? Well, for Tokyo born, London based photographer Chino Otsuka the answer is “all of the above”! She has placed her grown-up self into old photographs with her little self… flawlessly {look at those shadows!}. The series is titled “Imagine Finding Me”, and it is fantastic! Yeah, this gives #tbt a run for it’s money.

{via Designbooom … and thank you to Beatrice for sending me the link!}

Because Wednesday is clearly the perfect day to write about donuts, and ice cream, and pastries… perfectly painted donuts, and ice cream, and pastries! These are acrylic paintings by Canadian artist Ian Bodnaryk and they are oh so decadent in every sense of the word! Stunning.

{Found via Art Interiors}

Given the number of upsetting news headlines recently, I find these collages very, very, very comforting. Sigh. Flowers for guns… yep, that would make our world an incredibly different place. You’ve probably already seen these collages, by French artist “Mister Blick”, but I love them and just had to show them too. Here’s to a world where delicate tulips take the place of deadly weapons.

{via My Modern Met and Honestly WTF}

How’s that for a really weird & wonderful start to your week? I’m not sure that I’ll even need coffee … ok, that’s just crazy talk! See what these paintings by Chicago based artist/illustrator Laura Berger are doing to me!? They are crazy, wonderful, weird, and they make me so happy! Ok. Now it’s time for coffee. Happy Monday, everyone!

{ps. Laura has new paintings, and her new calendar, on display at Hazel in Chicago until October 31… pop in and see them in person if you can}

I’m hosting a collage workshop at Collage Collage {such a creative space!} in Vancouver tonight, and so it seemed fitting to show some fantastic collages! Enter American artist Beth Hoeckel. I have written about Beth a zillion times {and she’s in my book, ‘COLLAGE’} but I have never written about her ongoing series, Chroma. So many perfectly hand-cut, color coordinated odd bits & pieces oh so beautifully composed! And yes, you guessed it, the light pink piece is my favorite… roses, cake, ballet legs, and whatever that weird spread on white bread happens to be! LOVE ♥