Are you suddenly feeling ridiculously nostalgic? Yep, the work of American painter Kirsten Tradowsky has that effect on me too! Oh, I’d love my weekend include an Easter egg hunt, a sleepover at my best friend’s house, and then a ride home in the back of her parents’ station wagon {no seat belts required, of course. #1975}.

Happy weekend to you ~ see you on Monday!

Now that is a lot of Jackie O. … and I love it! American artist Aaron Skolnick clearly has a thing for the former first lady and has used paint, mylar, colored pencils, graphite, paper, and thread to show his love. When I asked him “Why Jackie O?”, this was his answer:

I was very interested in the affect of the JFK Assassination and felt that Jackie was the final affect of that moment. I was also interested in her stoic nature and how she held herself together in front of the nation. It became an obsession that I couldn’t quit.

And I’m so glad that he didn’t.

Simple black & white photography + the perfect pull of a palette knife = gorgeous results! This is the work of Finnish artist Nanna Hänninen, and I have to admit I am completely smitten. Her color choices are stunning, and that pulled paint almost looks like flames burning those elegant B&W images. Sigh. Love.

If I told you that Australian artist Julian Meagher, used to be Australian doctor Julian Meagher, would you believe me? Well, you should, because it’s true! Yep, six years ago he traded his stethoscope for a paint brush and hasn’t looked back. Bottles, boxes, and orchids all painted in the most electric of pinks and blues… gah! I don’t know about you, but the second I saw these beauties, my heart skipped a beat… [insert doctor joke here]

Well, I thought I was still full from the holidays, but now I’m pretty sure I could make room for a bunch of fancy cheese & crackers… and maybe even some catfish paté. Or, maybe not.

I wrote about New Zealand born – UK based artist Joël Penkman‘s pretty ice cream bars and popsicles last spring, but was so excited to see these delectable treats from her new series {and book}, titled The Taste of America. Ok, you’re probably thinking, where are the hotdogs and sodas? Well yes, there are a few of those in the series {pickles too}, but the majority of the paintings are of delicious, beautifully packaged, gourmet food from around the USA… I mentioned the catfish paté, right? Hm, I might just stick with the wild beach plum jelly.

As I was working on this, I thought:

Question: “Do I really want my first full post of 2014 to feature naked, tattooed people?”

Answer: “HELL yes!”

This is the work of Portland based Emily Winfield Martin. All of her work is beautifully painted, and super sweet… with just a little more than a hint of weird. Yep, a perfect way to kick off a new year of artsy posts [insert moody girls in woodland sweaters here]

{fyi… her etsy shop, aka the black apple, is full of fantastic/affordable prints}

Yep, that’s on the top of my list for this brand new, fresh and shiny year… and you’re planning on doing the same, right?! I can’t wait to see what you make! xo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

{This bit of painted inspiration brought to you by New York based artist Trey Speegle … and ps… he’s offering 25% off everything in his shop with free shipping over $100 through midnight on Feb 2. Use code: BYE13 & SHIP13}

Ok, I wasn’t going to post until next week, but then I found these oil on canvas portraits by Berlin based artist Dalila Dalléas Bouzar. I love that they look vintage yet completely contemporary at the same time. Oh, and the color palette? Bubblegum pink in a sea of golden brown sugar… gorgeous.

Happy weekend to you! I’m going to pop out and get some bubblegum. And brown sugar.

Now THIS is the kind of present I want under my tree! Yep, haphazardly wrapped gifts, which are actually insanely precise paintings {oil on canvas} by Swedish painter Yrjö Edelmann. GORGEOUS.

I’m going to take a few days off to lay around in front of the fire, lounge in my pajamas all day, and eat lots of bad-for-me-things with my husband and little boy. I’ll be back next week with a couple of sparkly new year’s posts, and then back in action on January 2nd. I hope you have a lovely holiday! See you in 2014 ~ danielle xo

{I found this amazing work on Design Crush}

Ooh, these portraits are so lovely, and simple, and odd, and fantastic. She could have stopped right there. But she didn’t. Nope, Mexican born – Brooklyn based artist/illustrator Rachel Levit went ahead and added a whole bunch of perfect little gouche-ie dots, making these portraits even more lovely, and simple, and odd and fantastic! Love, love, love, love!

{These were created for a group show, titled “Momentum for Tormentum”, in which Mexican Artists living in NY auctioned pieces to benefit the victims of the double hurricane that hit Mexico in September 2013 ~ via Artsy Forager on Pinterest }