These stunning realist paintings are from a series by American artist James Hollingsworth called 6×6. I want to know if that means 6 inches or 6 feet? I’m guessing 6 inches, but how amazing would it be if these were huge! With a 6’x6′ loaf of squishy white bread hanging on the wall I’d be in the mood for peanut butter & jelly every single day… and I’d wash it down with tea and Coke!

I want to be a curator at ACE Gallery. Want to know why? Well, how about locations in New York, LA and Beverly Hills, not to mention over one hundred amazing artists in their roster. I’ve shown the work of four of those amazing artists here because there was no way I could only pick one… how was I supposed to make a decision between fake-fur covered rockets and benches with loop-dee-loos in the middle of them? See, it was an impossible task.

{The work show above: 1) Gary Lang 2) Jeppe Hein 3) Jeff Colson 4) Sylvie Fleury}

I feel a bit torn looking at these amazing realist paintings by Lee Price. The subject matter is so heavy and sad, but the images are so soft and beautiful. You quickly realize that what, on first glance, looks like an afternoon tea party is actually a very lonely prison. I’ve had a few friends with eating disorders and I believe these paintings sum up, in a 4foot x 5 foot space, exactly how they felt.

I love the overhead view, the large scale, and the amazing attention to detail. Beautiful and powerful work.

Nothing says sweet, innocent and girly like a pair of Mary-Jane shoes. However, these oil paintings by Finnish artist Tiina Heiska took a detour at sweet, and ended up at slightly disturbing.  And that’s why I love them. The innocence of little candy pink shoes, combined with dark, shadowy rooms – you can’t help but fill in the blanks to the stories above… even if you don’t really want to.

{I found the link to Tiina’s work on Women Painting Women}

Ok, so I’m not sure why they have knee socks on their arms, but does it really matter? The end result is beautiful! There’s got to be a story there though… Ali Cavanaugh, if you’re out there, we’d love to know more about these lovely watercolour frescos.

So creepy &  so beautiful.

These strange and haunting figurative paintings are by Tamara Muller, an incredibly talented artist from the Netherlands. I love the attention to detail in the faces, and the lack there of everywhere else. I think it’s the eyes that impress me the most. You really get the feeling that they are truly looking at  you… shudder shudder…

{Thanks to Eric Cator‘s blog, paintblog.ca for introducing me to Tamara’s work. Instant jealousy.}

What category am I supposed to put this under? Painting? Well, yes, he’s covered in paint. Installation? Kinda. Street art? I guess so. I should probably just start a new category called ‘Slightly Mind Blowing’. All of these pieces are from a series called Hiding in the City by Chinese artist Liu Bolin, also known as The Invisible Man. I’m sure you can see why… if you look really hard.

“Take something; do something to it; then do something else to it.” – Jasper Johns

I think I may have just found my new art credo. Ok, American painter Trey Speegle was using it first, but I’m jumping on the band wagon. In this case, the something he’s taken are vintage paint-by-numbers sets, and then what he’s done to it is add words and phrases to add meaning to these usually meaningless images. I’ve shown only 4 of them here, but this collection has over 2500 pieces. Now that’s inspiring.

{Fashion designer Stella McCartney commissioned Trey to do the runway backdrop for the launch of her Spring collection in Paris this past October. I’ve included this amazing piece in my most recent show, Fashion Show.}

Two words: Jack. Pot.

A whole bunch of other words: Gorgeous colour, rich textures, unique style, bizarre narratives, beautiful illustration.

I really need to get paid for this somehow because I really want to buy pretty much everything that I show. These glazed ceramics, by American artist Amanda Smith, are definitely on my wish list… hint, hint.

Vintage family photos are one of my favourite things. I love the relaxed/familiar body language, the stories you can’t help but inject, and the little peek you get into other people’s lives. These paintings (oil and charcoal mixed lovingly together) are by Spanish/Swedish painter Miquel Wert. I’ve seen a lot of work that references old family albums, but these are definitely unique. All of his pieces have a very ghostly quality, with most of his subjects being faceless. To me, it feels like memories that are slowly fading away. A bit sad, but beautiful none-the-less.