“Let’s Play War!” … big crocheted army men with a message. LOVE! This is the work of Los Angeles based artist Nathan Vincent. I wrote about Nathan’s manly doily series in 2013, and I’m happy to report that his already fantastic work has evolved into this! Here’s a little more about this project:

Commissioned by the Bellevue Arts Museum in 2015, “Let’s Play War!” is a dynamic installation-based exhibition springing from the “Boy Toy” series.  The installation includes sixteen individual child sized sculptures that change position each day and “play”- echoing the activities of our youth and referencing the ways in which we teach children to associate violence and aggression with play and fun. 

Brilliant.

Are you thinking, “Hold on – is this BUBBLEGUM?!”… yes, yes it is. These sculptures – from high heels to crocs {the animal, not the shoe} – are the work of Italian artist Maurizio Savini. Here’s a bit of info, found via Fremin Gallery in New York, answering a few questions I’m guessing you might have … 1. Does he chew all of this gum? 2. Um, is bubblegum archival?  3. Why so much pink?:

No.1 : With a process as unique as his aesthetic, Maurizio and his two assistants unwrap then apply heat to thousands of half white, half bright pink bubble gum squares without chewing a single piece, so they can easily be manipulated, cut with a knife, and applied to plaster mold like traditional clay. Maurizio notes, “The mold is crucial” – without it, his tacky sculptures would be far too unstable. After molding the chewing gum into his desired shapes, Maurizio fixes and preserves his sculptures with a mixture of formaldehyde and antibiotics, so his works will be in tact for generations of Romans to come. This labor-intensive process at times calls for nearly 3,000 individual pieces of bubble gum per sculpture.

No. 2: Telling the story of his very first show, Maurizio admits, “The first exhibition I had went really well, there was only one problem which was actually quite funny. The works I sold completely fell apart after three months as the high sugar content in the bubble gum had destroyed the foundation beneath – they were all sent back to the galleries! I had to give the money back, but I had already spent it!” At the age of 44, Maurizio now has nearly fifteen years of experience with the sticky substance, and has appeared in over 100 group and 50 solo exhibitions all over the word

No. 3: Maurizio’s fascination with the ultra pink chromatic began long before his chewy sculptures came to play; to him, “pink represents artificiality – when you see it, you associate it with a fake world.” 

Happy Monday.

“…a balancing act of both planned and un-planned”… yes, yes, YES! Oh my word, I love these so much. These explosions of color are the large-scale work of Australian artist Michael Gromm. I can’t decide if they make me want a whole bunch of fruit-flavored candy, or zillions of new paintbrushes! Okay, fine… I want both. Happy Friday.

{Install image – to show scale – from Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne}

Gorgeous palettes, perfect lines, and huge fields of negative space that take my breath away. This is the work of American artist Mark Bradley-Shoup. I have loved Mark’s work for years… he was one of the first artists I ever wrote about {way back in 2009}, I curated a show in Chattanooga which included his work, and he was episode no.12 on the podcast! Oh, and if you’re not already, you should go follow Mark on Instagram because the “work in progress” he posts is beautiful too:

Told ya.

Um, so these are actual cakes. I had to do a double take when I discovered @banana_haruki on Instagram… were these sculptures? Perfect Paintings? Turns out, they’re art… you can eat! Don’t they look like Wayne Thiebaud paintings come to life? Finally, a chance to actually taste all of those creamy and colorful layers! If you happen to find yourself in Seoul Korea, please visit the Banana Haruki bakery/cafe and then tell me allllllll about it. Happy Wednesday.

Large-scale acrylic paintings. PAINTINGS. Okay, there is no way I possess this kind of patience, but thankfully Austin based painter Sarah C. Ferguson does. Here is part of her beautiful artist statement that explains her love of both color and geometric perfection:

“… Color exploration is pure freedom for me. To follow any particular system would create barriers within my process, and I would lose interest. I remain utterly in awe of the power of color, and I admire those who pursue its study formally.

Geometric shapes are equally influential in my work, but they serve as a psychological opposite. While my exploration of color invites freedom, geometry invites control. The two components balance one another perfectly, harmonizing my creative process. I have a methodic ritual that I follow each and every time. While my process is regimented and seemingly straightforward, the end result of each painting is always a bit different than expected.

In a poetic sense, my artistic process is reflective of life’s pattern, an invitation to both the sublime and the applied.”

Poetic, indeed. As you can see from the first image above {aka proof that these are actually paintings}, Sarah has a show, titled “Cynosures”, at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin Texas until September 29th, 2019.

Ahhh, Manet’s flowers and Gauguin’s Polynesia … but with a twist. These “book” oil paintings on canvas are the beautiful work of UK based painter Lara Davies. Here is her artist statement:

“Lara’s work explores the notion of painting as a method of re-portrayal, where layers of removal from the source subject transform it into something with a different, often playful new life as a painting. The environment of the studio is a constant in Lara’s work, and her paintings come from the objects that inhabit the studio alongside her.

Recently Lara has been making paintings of reproductions of other artists’ work from the books that live in her studio. As painters, inevitably we learn from and are influenced by the canon of work which has come before our own, and by making paintings of these paintings, Lara is unapologetically acknowledging these influences.”

Love.

*Install image above is from Art Athina over the weekend. Edinburgh’s Arusha Gallery was showing Lara’s work along side the work of Eleanor McCullough.

In early March 2019, I announced my plans to turn our 100 year-old {quite creepy} basement into a fully-functioning home studio. We’ve been in this house for almost seven years, and the “creepy basement” has only ever been used for storage / a home for spiders. I needed more space to work – as my pieces were going from small paper to larger panel – and this seemed like the smartest, most cost-effective way to make that happen. NOTE: I picked the cheapest paneling for the wall and ceiling that I could source! I also did all of the painting myself to bring costs down.

It’s been six months since I said, “Stay tuned for photos”. Okay, it took me a little longer than planned to put this post together, but can you blame me? I have a gorgeous new studio to play in every day!

Anywho, the day has come. These first few photos take you through the evolution from 100 year-old stone foundation and cobweb-covered fir beams, to almost done but not quite:

Gah! Yeah, that was a very exciting month. Poor Eric and John {the two fantastic guys who made this happen}… I was down there every hour or so “checking on the progress”, especially during that custom desk build! She’s a big, beautiful gal and I asked you guys, via Instagram, to name her. There were quite a few contenders, but I had to follow my heart and went with BROAD MAUD. Four feet deep and fourteen feet long … Broad Maud, indeed. Here she is in all her glory:

Oh my word, I love her so much. Now, as a hoarder of art supplies, I had a really fun time getting all set up down there. Eric and John made sure that Maud came equipped with shelves for paper, tools, and other random bits of stuff, and since she’s so big up top {it’s ok, she’s not offended by that}, I have lots of space for brushes, lamps, trays, and a bit of artwork by other artists. During the build, while I was giving sneak peeks on Instagram, the lovely folks at Society6 swooped in and offered to add some art-covered accessories… um, I’m no fool so I said, HELL YEAH:

Boob mugs, badass trays and stylish cutting boards! And, yes, my Creative Juice XXX jug by Canadian artist Susannah Montague is in the middle of everything, right below a ceramic portrait American artist Amanda Smith made for me. Being surrounded by the work of other artists always fuels my creative mojo… that must be ‘the jealous curator’ in me.

Now, while I love Broad Maud, sometimes I need to sit down, relax, flip through old books and, let’s be honest, take the occasional nap. While I’m sure Maud would be happy to accommodate, I’d be worried about splinters. So, since this previously scary basement is kinda gigantic, I reached out to my interior design friends {and fellow art-lovers}, The Novogratz, to see if their furniture line could help add a cozy factor to my new space. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I know for sure I didn’t expect desk lamps {basements are dark}, a HUGE area rug {concrete floors are cold}, and a super cozy sectional sofa {sometimes a girl needs to watch Netflix}. Check this out:

WHAT?! I know. They’re a really nice family. Thank you, Robert and Cortney! Hm, I just realized I haven’t named the couch yet. Any thoughts? Cozy Carol? Anyway, the throw pillows, floor pillow and blanket {also a key part in studio-napping} are from Society6. Every item I picked from them features the work of a different artist but, clearly, I decided to keep a black and white theme going – a nice contrast to the colorful paint all over me and Broad Maud.

Now, I’m sure you think we’re finished, but nope. This space wouldn’t be “me” without at least one reference to my favorite movie of all time:

And I put it in a corner! Ahhh, good times.

Okay, that’s it. If you’re still reading, I’ll finish off by saying I totally know that I’m hashtag blessed to have had enough space in my house to pull this off, and I’m super grateful to Society6 and The Novogratz for helping turn a cold, spooky place into a warm, creative studio. I’m gonna wrap up this realllllllly long post with a photo of me getting all zen in the backyard. This is where I go when I’m feeling overwhelmed and just need a bit of fresh Canadian air to clear my head… well, unless of course I’m napping:

Om. Zzzz…

*The photos {except my iPhone “in progress” shots} are by Stephanie Seaton of Unlimited Vision. Thanks Stephanie!

Gah! So fantastical, and so weird! This is the work of New Jersey based artist Shamona Stokes. I’m going to let her describe it because Shannon’s words are just as dreamy as her sculptures:

“My work is inspired by the imaginary worlds of the liminal state. These are the soft spaces before waking up from a long dream or resting within a deep meditation. In these states things can be askew, colors seem brighter, imaginary friends may say hello. Using ceramics as my primary medium, I create iconic figures: nature spirits, muses, and shadow-things who might live within these realms.”

Sigh. Beautiful. Shamona has a show in Fort Worth, Texas right this very second. “Horn of Plenty” can be seen at Fort Worth Community Arts Center until September 26, 2019.

What on earth are these gorgeous circles that seem to emit some kind of magic? I’m not sure to be totally honest, but the person responsible, French artist Lyès, refers to his work as “celestial wall sculpture”. LOVE! Speaking of love, the message behind his work is a fine blend of “The Energy of Life is in You / Love Will Conquer”. Beautiful! Now, as far as materials go? I believe we’re looking at C-Prints, plexi face-mounted on aluminum panels… with a dash of light-filled magic. Obviously.