Cubism? Well, kinda. These paintings by Antwerp based artist/illustrator Johan Theeuwes are very appropriately titled Block Stories. They are 40 x 40 cm blocks that are painted on every side, so at any particular moment you can change the order, side, positioning etc to create a whole new piece of art… and an entirely new narrative for that matter. I know I’ve said this before but, damn, I wish I thought of this.

{via Booooooom}

I love these hilarious and simple watercolors by Gavin Bunny… I mean Gavin Bunner. He has a huge series of these paintings, most of which do not feature bunnies, but these were my favourites and what with his last name being ‘Bunner’, I kind of couldn’t control myself. Anywho, he refers to this amazing body of work as Hatercolors, but you’ll have to visit his blog to find out why.

{FYI: There are a couple of these Hatercolors available for purchase on Little Paper Planes.}

I really, really, really want the first painting in this post. I’d frame her lovingly in a beautiful, ornate, vintage gold frame…. ahh. Anyway, choosing a few favourites from the portfolio of American painter Elizabeth Bauman was quite a task. And then I found her sketchbook on Flickr and it got even harder to decide what to show… so I’ve shown a bit of both. The muted colour choices are lovely, and the facial expressions make you wonder what her subjects are thinking. I’m pretty sure the woman in the first painting is thinking that she’d really, really, really like to be hanging up on my living room wall in a beautiful, ornate, vintage gold frame.

{Thanks to Cathy at Habit of Art, another gem from Portland Oregon, for reminding me about Elizabeth’s work.}

These lovely paintings, by American artist Amy Kligman, could easily be the covers for a series of children’s story books… well, somewhat terrifying, nightmare-inducing children’s story books. Ok, so maybe I wouldn’t read the one about a little girl and a bunch of bunnies sinking into a black bog right before bed, but I would definitely hang that painting on my wall in a heartbeat!

{FYI… Amy, and her husband Misha, are the authors of a fantastic art blog called ARTNICKS.}

Ah, yet another super-talented artist from Portland Oregon. Seriously, what do they put in the water over there? Well, whatever it is, Amanda Blake has obviously had her fair share. These lovely paintings on birch panel are so simple, so sweet, and so beautifully executed. I want all of them… and a shot of that Portland water too, please.

What day is it? Honestly, I cannot tell you how long I’ve been on Artists Who Blog. Somewhere around the tenth amazing interview, the hours sort of started blurring together. I am currently writing this post in a haze of inspiration and jealousy, not only of the very talented artists featured there, but also of the creator of this fantastic online mecca for artist interviews, Stephanie Levy. I was thrilled to find a bunch of artists that I’ve written about, and then learn even more about their work, process, and of course their blogs. If you have several hours to spare you should stop by for a visit. You might want to have a snack first… you could be there for awhile!

{The images shown above can all be found on Artists Who Blog. They are by 1) Dolan Geiman 2) Camilla Engman 3) Leah Giberson 4) Victoria Smith 5) Ashley Goldberg}

Lonely, mundane subject matter, and flat fields of understated colour… ah, a perfect combination. Whether you’re looking at one of his paintings on paper, or are in a room surrounded by his installation work, there is something very comforting about these images by American artist Chris Ballantyne. Perhaps it’s their stylized familiarity that makes them so appealing. Stylized familiarity? Hm, I just made that up… not bad hey?

I am woman, hear me saw! These paintings are from a series titled, Striving for Perfection by American artist Kelly Reemtsen. What I loved about these as soon as I saw {no pun intended} them, was the combination of strength and softness all beautifully rolled into one. And really, isn’t that what every good woman is striving for… to handle a power tool with ease, while still looking sassy in a pink dress!

Why is it that kids’ bodies and animal heads go so well together? Well, whatever the reason, San Francisco based artist Michael McConnell has paired them up beautifully in his series, little (animals). These paintings are ‘dealing with the characteristics that we associate with animals, in conjunction with how we are raising our children.’ Hm, I wonder what kind of  animal head my parents would have assigned to me? An angry bear? A nervous squirrel? I think I was probably that sweet, pensive deer… with a slingshot.

{If you want to know more, and I mean lots more, check out Lisa Congdon’s interview with Michael on Poppytalk.}

Ah, my newest crush… The Beholder. An online gallery, and one-stop-shop for fabulous art. San Francisco based Director/Curator Suzanne Shade started the site in 2005 with only 15 artists, but now has over 70… and I love ’em all! I’ve actually written about several of them, so I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. Speaking of similarities, the mission of the gallery is ‘to use the reach of the internet to attract a wider audience for artists, and to encourage new collectors to become involved with owning and enjoying original art.’ Me too! Me too! Of course, on The Beholder you can actually buy the art… on The Jealous Curator, you can only wallow in jealousy. Well, we all have our strengths.

{The images shown above can all be found on The Beholder. They are by 1) Martha Rich 2) Jennifer Davis 3) Jennifer Sanchez 4) Leigh Wells.}