Oh. My. I love this so much. The work of Brooklyn based artist Lourdes Sanchez {who I just wrote about a few weeks ago}, hand-in-hand with the best-selling book, “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is the creative brainchild of art director Helen Yentus {fyi – she has designed so many beautiful books, including the now very famous cover for Eat, Pray, Love}. For this project Helen dug through Lourdes’ extensive painting archives and chose 250 pieces. She then made 250 totally unique covers for “Big Magic”. Sigh. Magical, indeed. Lourdes emailed to tell me about this fantastic collaboration, but instead of blowing her own horn, she wrote this:

“I just want to really stress that it was Helen Yentus’ vision – then rolling up her sleeves and figuring out how to make it happen – that brought this to life. My artwork being on the covers was one section of a much larger circle, {it was all work that I had done over the years, that Helen dug up from my archives} and I feel the star of  this particular story is Helen. But, it’s also interesting to me that the work of three people: a writer, an art director, and a painter – who have all been honing their craft for awhile – came together for a moment in time.“

Wonderful. On every level. These special one-of-a-kind pieces can be found here.

Bachelor of Fine Arts – The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Bachelor of Science – Eastern Michigan University; Master of Arts – The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Dept. of Art as Applied to Medicine; Doctor of Philosophy – Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Yep. All of that is hanging on the wall of Michigan based artist Megan Foldenauer. She draws all sorts of things {portraits, bio-medical illustrations, songs that she makes into quizzes}, but it was her very simple and very sweet series, titled “Morsels” that got me. Nostalgic, delicious, and beautifully drawn. Thank you Dr.Foldenauer… now I want coke bottle gummies, with a side of chocolate peanut butter cups, and one little candy-cane to help kick off the holiday season! Yum.

Now these are some serious landscapes that I would happily get lost in. These mixed media pieces, that celebrate every season so beautifully, are the work of American artist Sophia Heymans. I love them, and here’s why… first of all, they’re BIG {most are at least 5 or 6 feet if not bigger}; secondly these landscapes truly incorporate the landscape. Her materials list reads as follows: acrylic, moss, paper mâché, string, twine, prairie grass seeds, dried dill, oil on canvas. What? Amazing! And finally, perhaps the biggest feat of all… those crisp, snowy scenes are actually making me not dread the Canadian winter ahead.

ps. “Prairie Burn” is my favorite… love ♥

I have loved the work of American artist Jessica Brilli for years. I’ve written about her a few times, and I’m sure there are many more posts to come. She has a love of all things vintage, as do I. The other thing we have in common… curating. Yep, we’re going to talk about a very exciting show {that kinda makes me want to cry} which will open later this month, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Ok, you can listen right up there under that lovely couple, or you can subscribe on iTunes. First up, a few pieces from her “Static” series, the work I posted about way back in 2012:

So good. But alas, she “got tired of painting typewriters”, and so she turned her attention to vintage, suburban landscapes. I follow her on Facebook, and she often posts work in progress. I find it fascinating to watch her work develop that way. Here is one of my favorite progressions:

She is also concerned with the topic of health care and care for the elderly, this is an acute issue for many families and professional medical care for elderly relatives is an important social issue.

Ah! A peek behind the painted curtain. That piece is one of the images that was inspired by the set of slides she bought at a garage sale {such a cool story!}. Here are a few more from that “Slide Show” series:

… and those are the slides! I also asked for a tiny peek at her studio, and look, a vintage radio… surprise, surprise! Of course, I had to ask her about her motel paintings. The image below is one of my favorite pieces of hers. It whisks me right back to family road trips:

Love. Speaking of love… “Jealously Curated | East Coast Edition”. What!? Yes, Jess and a bunch of other artists have put this beautiful show together, that opens November 23rd in Cambridge MA. The theme… everyone in the show has been written about on my site! How crazy amazing is that? And yes, I got a little teary-eyed when they emailed to ask me if I’d be ok with it. Ok with it? Um, YES. Here is a peek at the fantastic artists whose work will be included:

Gah! So, so good! I wish I could go to the par-tay {Jess said the opening party was in November, but it’s actually on December 3rd}. If you can go, please do… and then send me photos! Alright, that’s that. There was a quick mention of a Big Salad with the Seinfeld crew in the speed round, and then we said goodbye. Thanks so much to Jessica, for EVERYTHING, and thank you so much to you for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

{Links to artists above: Anna Jensen / Jenny Brown / Airco Caravan / Erin Fitzpatrick / Jeremy Miranda / Leah Giberson / Taliah Lempert / Zin Helena Song / Jessica Brilli}

Can you imagine a place like this? Well you don’t have to, because it’s real:

Every three years, three hundred square miles of land in northwestern Japan are transformed into the most ambitious and largest-scale art installation in the world: the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. One hundred sixty of the world’s best-known landscape artists, sculptors, and architects create artworks in two hundred villages that dot the mountains and terraced rice fields of the Japanese countryside, with the intent of rediscovering relationships between nature, art, and humanity, forging collaborations between global artists and local communities, and connecting people to each other and the land.

Half a million people make the annual pilgrimage to witness this unique art project. Art Place Japan offers an exhaustive full-color catalog of the eight hundred artworks created during the past fifteen years. For those lucky enough to visit, this book, the first in English on the subject, also offers detailed information on how to visit the often-remote sites, with travel information and a newly commissioned map that locates the projects throughout the Niigata Prefecture.

So there you have it! And if you can’t get yourself there, this lovely new book – Art Place Japan: The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Vision to Reconnect Art and Nature by Fram Kitagawa – can help you at least pretend!

{1. Harumi Yukutake (Japan), Restructure, 2006-ongoing; Image credit: Masanori Ikeda  / 2. Kyota Takahashi (Japan), Gift for Frozen Village, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 ; Image credit: Osamu Nakamura / 3. Antje Gummels (Germany/Japan),
 Traveling Inside, 2009
; Image credit: Isamu Murai   / 4. Chiyoko Todaka (Japan),
 Yamanaka Zutsumi Spiral Works, 2006; Image credit: Hisao Ogose}

Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / PAPress / IndieBound

Oil paint on glass… and a few on canvas… but mainly on glass. This is the stunning/sultry work of Beirut born, London based artist Ilona Szalay. I already thought these pieces were gorgeous, and then I found these exhibition photos which made me truly realize how beautiful paintings on glass can be {some are even lit from behind with lights}:

Oh my. Love.

Delicate yet strong. This is the “Pod Series” by Australian ceramicist Karen Millar. She explores “the relationship between growth and decay, loss and hope, soft and hard, vulnerable and defensive, light and dark, interior and exterior… There is inherent beauty in the cycle of decay and death, growth and renewal.” Beautiful. I think that final pod, a poppy pod, is my favorite, especially today… lest we forget.

Oil paintings… tiny oil paintings on glass slides, acetate, and scotch tape! Add a little sticky tack, and voila, special little pieces that I can’t stop looking at. This is the work of UK born, Amsterdam based artist Claire Harvey, and there is oh so much more where this came from! Check out her site to see all of her tiny people living on their transparent surfaces. Love.

{Thanks to Carolina for sending me a link to Claire’s work}

Oh! I have just found my new happy place… the Instagram feed of Düsseldorf based artist Sabine Timm. I wrote about her teeny tiny work back in 2012, but someone just pointed me to her magical world on Instagram and I’m even more in love than before. I’ll apologize now for all of the time you’re about to spend there… little faces made from bits ‘n pieces, tiny scenes that tell some pretty weird stories. Sigh… so happy, so lovely, so tiny. Happy Monday.

Cactus people, tree people, folding chairs, and a bit of podcast anxiety. Even though LA based artist Ashley Mistriel was nervous to talk to me, she did it anyway! And I’m so glad because we had a great conversation about all sorts of things. One of my favorite stories was about Christian Clayton making her fill a whole ream of paper with drawings… now there’s a way to let “perfection” go! Anyway, you can listen to us chat right up there under that little cactus clan, or you can subscribe on iTunes. Here are Ashley’s “tree people” – the work that got her into the MFA program at Cal State Northridge {CSUN}:

The tree people have now led to the cactus people:

Sigh… I love those cactus people. Next, I noticed that her portfolio was not only filled with cactus people, but there were also a lot of chairs, so clearly I had to ask about that:

Lovely. Up next, a tiny peek at the thread installation that she did with a friend, artist Kristen Dikio:

So, she’s a painter, an installation collaborator, and a curator! Yep, she and another artist, Theresa Knopf, are putting together a show of collages at Good Eye Gallery in LA {November 28th 3-6pm, 4538 Eagle Rock}.

And just to call it out, this is the gorgeous piece that Ashley recently sent to me. I was so surprised and beyond thrilled… look how gorgeous it is:

Love. So much love! Up next, this is the piece she was talking about that got into American Illustration very early on in her grad school experience:

… and finally, this special piece, titled “Stanwood Drive”. Yep, it’s amazing what an afternoon out with your grandfather can inspire:

There. Just like that, it’s over. Nothing to be nervous about! Thanks to Ashley for not saying no to me, and thank you so much to you for listening! Hoping to have more art for your ear next weekend…. Bye!

Other Links/Info: 

Ashley’s Instagram feed

Good Eye Gallery show – November 28th 3-6pm, address in Eagle Rock

A few of the teachers she mentioned: Mark Todd, Esther Pearl Watson, Martha Rich, Samantha Fields