The first three words that pop into my mind – strange, childhood, dreamy/nightmarey. Ok, that was technically four words, but I couldn’t just leave it at dreamy… these scare me just a tiny bit. And I like it.  This is the beautifully bizarre work of Montreal based artist Dominique Fortin. Ok, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… a finished face, and an unfinished everything else is pure magic to me… and don’t even get me started on those fire breathing dogs on paint brush stilts. M.A.G.I.C.

{ps. I featured more of Dominique’s work in my ART GOES HERE post, that just went up today, over at sfgirlbybay}

Oooooh! New work by Vancouver artist Aaron Moran. I wrote about his salvaged-wood sculptures a couple of years ago {which I still love more than I can say!}, but when I saw this series, titled Section 1, I had to share it. Boy oh boy, it’s pretty amazing what he can do with bits of wood and a tiny amount of perfectly chosen house paint. Love.

Oh, Beth Hoeckel. Every time I visit her site there is something new. Something great. Something that makes me want to find images, cut them up, and glue them onto something else. These first three pieces are similar to the other pieces I’ve written about before, but these pieces have their own feel…

… and yep, I love these too! Oh, Beth Hoeckel.

I couldn’t resist! A few bunnies for you, by Japanese artist/illustrator Aiko Fukawa, on Easter! Have a lovely long weekend … I’ll be back tomorrow … full of chocolate.

A leisurely breakfast, a trip to the circus, and then a little research on how to make my garden grow! Ah yes, that’s what my weekend would be like if I lived in the illustrations of Tokyo based artist Yuki Kitazumi. I spotted her Encyclopedia of Roses on Pinterest a few nights ago, and boy oh boy, I love where it lead me! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m suddenly in the mood for a little bread n’ honey. Happy weekend to you!

So, I just discovered Aesthetica, a gorgeous “Art & Culture Magazine” from the UK. It was this stunning story, in Issue 51, about American photographer Garry Winogrand {1928-1984} that got me! He spent the 1960’s capturing beautiful moments in everyday American life  - from the rich and famous, to the average stranger on the street {… if you’re as captivated by these images as I am, you can see this work in person at SFMOMA until June 2, 2013}. Now, as fantastic as these spreads are, Aesthetica is not just about black and white vintage retrospectives, oh no! It’s also full of glossy, contemporary pages as well…

Yes! Enter the work of Montreal based fashion/editorial photographers, MarquisMontes, aka Jose Enrique Montes Hernandez and Valérie Boulet, partners in work and in life. Quite a contrast to the work of Garry Winogrand, but it all finds a perfect home in this issue. Gor.Ge. Ous.

So, by now you probably all know how I feel about beautifully mundane subject matter, right? So when I find a project description that reads as follows: “This work is about finding the beauty in things that perhaps one might over-look” … yep, I’m in! All of these plate clusters are from a series, titled Altered Perspectives, by Little Owl Design – aka Bruce Wayland and Marcello de Simone. They are collaborating artists from the Netherlands with “interests are in Art History, Fine Arts, Fashion, Design, Culinary World, Horticulture & Travel.” Well, that couldn’t be more clear!

Ahhhh, fresh-cut flowers in simple glass jars. If you love having flowers from the garden in your house every day, then you’re in luck – these are all from a very lovely “painting-a-day series” by Lisa Daria {most of them are 6″x6″ and only $100!} Oh boy, I think I might need a house full of these lovely bouquets… it is officially Spring, right?!

{via Artsy Forager on Pinterest}

Yes. It’s true. Almost exactly one year later, and I am still jealous of American painter Michael Carson… but here’s a new twist… I’m also very jealous of my friend Charlotte, because she just bought this Michael Carson original:

Sigh… excellent choice, Charlotte.

Yarn-bombing… mushroom style! American artist Leigh Martin makes these little wooly fungi, and places them in nature. I wish she left them there for awhile, but I suppose that wouldn’t be very eco-friendly. It sure would be cool to unexpectedly see her work while out for a leisurely walk in the woods! And with that, I wish you a happy weekend filled with outdoor {and artsy} adventure!