Gasp! Porcelain over stoneware, found ceramic tchotchkes, glaze, gold luster… he had me at tchotchkes. This is the gorgeous ceramic work of Texas born, Arizona based artist Anthony Sonnenberg. Here are a few of his words about what he does:

… I use time‐intensive construction methods to create totems and environments that reference the cyclical nature of growth and decay, and suggest layers of time that move beyond the art historical and into the geological and emotional …

Sigh… ‘layers of time’. Beautiful.

“Smile, Honey” … the title of the final piece above, and a perfect lead-in for this post about New Mexico based artist Dorielle Caimi. That said, I’m going to let her take it from here:

“Her large-scale figurative work explores the unabashed expression of personal identity and personal truths that challenge our time-worn social constructs. Her work highlights the strength and ferocity of female beauty, through a careful and methodical deglamorization of her subjects. Ever-present throughout her work, are the fluorescent hues and shapes which speak to the advertorial, graphic nature of her narratives and represent the pressures faced by modern women.”

2019. Let’s do this, gals.

Welcome to 2019… Rococo teacup astronauts have been waiting for you! Gah… so good! These wonderfully weird paintings are the work of Brazilian artist Lúcio Carvalho. I don’t know what I love more, the dreamy nod to the past or the shiny nod to the future. Here are a few words about Lúcio’s work:

“Lúcio Carvalho works is inspired by scenography as well as Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance era. Emotion, memory and imaginary archives – fragment from the past, projection of the future – are building the work that needs to be protected because of its fragility, to stay preserve for the future to exist with a certain freedom.”

Love, love, love. ps. Some of his work is available through Gallery MX, Montreal .

1. Ask for what you want {yes, out loud}, then work your ass off to get it.

2. Do NOT apologize for things that do not require an apology.

3. “Self-deprecation isn’t humility, it’s humiliation.” ~ Hannah Gadsby {Nanette}

4. Stop doubting yourself and just fucking* figure it out {painting your first mural, for example}

5. *A well placed F-bomb can be very self-motivating.

6. Find, and hold onto, the people that ‘get you’. They are invaluable.

7. Women are a force to be reckoned with. Kickass examples: A, B, C, D, E

8. Selling art isn’t scary. Make a price list, stick to the price list. The end.

9. Create whatever you want to create. It matters because you matter.

10. Life is short so book the trip, eat the stuff, and tell the people you love that you LOVE them.

    Thanks for being here in 2018. See you next year ~ Danielle xo

Okay, yes, I am totally dating myself by admitting that all of these could easily be my childhood photos. This embroidered pixel magic is the work of LA based artist Diane Meyer… and clearly the perfect choice for my Christmas Eve post. I will be hibernating with my family for the next week or so, and I hope you are snuggled in with the ones you love. Thank you for being part of my artsy world this year, and I will see you again – for a fresh start filled with creativity, new projects, and oh so much art – in 2019.

Special bits from 2018:

• ‘Worthy of Worth’ {post}
• ‘Big Picture, Baby’ {show}
• A BIG IMPORTANT ART BOOK – Now With Women {book}
• Venice Biennale {teaching / gelato eating}
• Amy Sherald on ‘Art For Your Ear’ {podcast}
• Ashley Longshore on ‘Art For Your Ear’ {podcast}
• Judi Cumming, aka my mom, on ‘Art For Your Ear’ {podcast}
• ….. Allllll of the podcast episodes!
• ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’ ♥ {post}

ps. My first Christmas / proof that Diane could easily use my photos in her work … there’s even a Raggedy Ann!

Happy Holidays to you and yours, from me and mine ~ Love, Danielle xo

Yep, that final piece looks about right… who else is dizzy? This is the fabulous work of San Franciso based artist Kristin Farr. You’re probably thinking, ‘Whoa, I wonder how much masking tape she goes through?’. Well, the answer is NONE. That’s right, she does everything freehand… okay, now I really need to sit down. I met Kristin earlier this year when I was in California and, I can tell you, she is just as colorful as her fabulous work {and yes, I’ll be getting her on the podcast sometime in 2019!}

ps. Kristin also writes for Juxtapoz Magazine … seriously, the coolest chick ever.

Gasp! Porcelain piped like cake frosting? Oh my word, YES. Delicate crowns that look good enough to eat… but don’t because this ain’t food. Nope, this is the latest series from Sydney based artist {and current MFA student} Ebony Russell, and ps., I would happily pop any of these pieces on my head for my next birthday party. LOVE.

Collages on cut panel … oh, hell YES. This is the work of Denver based artist Libby Barbee and I can safely say, as a collage artist myself, wowza – I am totally inspired! The way she uses cut panel to bring her work to life makes my heart race. All of the pieces above are from her series, titled Trophies, but please look through her whole portfolio to get a sense of her creativity and amazingness… case in point, Libby just finished this fantastic installation at Facebook HQ in Denver {images found on her Instagram feed}:

LOVE.

Oh, the dreamy, cloud-filled collage work of Vancouver based artist Crissy Arseneau. These pieces {and a few #wips from her Instagram feed} are from two of Crissy’s most recent series: Cloud City and Suspended in a Sunbeam. See? Super dreamy. Her shapes, color choices, and the way she weaves hard lines into curvy clouds makes me want to take a deep breath… and then run into the studio to cut things out for the rest of the day.

“Watercolour, Ink and Pigments on “Amalfi” handmade cotton paper” … sigh. This is the elegant work of Italian artist Sabrina Garrasi. Those inky lines, stone-like textures, and bold shapes… Stun. Ning. Happy Monday.