Oh, I love a good storybook gone wrong… I’m jealous, and a tiny bit scared, of this painting by Brazilian artist Kael Kasabian. Strangely enough, I’m not too worried about that blue wolf, but I’m more than a little freaked out by those three pigs. They look like they might do a lot more than ‘huff & puff’.

More portraits. Hm, I smell a new show brewing…

I love these two ladies by Ariel Aberg-Riger. I’m not sure if it’s the lovely colour choices, the loose pencil lines, or the snazzy hair-do’s but they actually remind me of the kind of watercolour portraits that my mother, a very talented artist herself, used to do back in the 70’s… although, I don’t remember anyone in a Zoro mask.

I love these portraits by Russian artist Jenny Meilihove for three reasons. The bold colour choices, the strange but cozy knitted head gear, and the giant glasses… especially the blue tinted ones. I would love to see what Jenny would come up with if she did a portrait of me! I’ve got the glasses, I just need a skilled knitter to make something for my head. Any volunteers?

Where to begin? Seonna Hong has so many beautifully unique pieces on her site, but these 3 were my favourite. As soon as I saw the girl floating in a sea of wood grain I knew it would be a tough one to top…. although those gramophone loving bears are pretty amazing too.

ps. Thanks to Tricia for sending me Seonna’s link. You sure know what makes me jealous!

These are two of my favourite paintings by Eric Cator. They’re both sort of mundane and everyday, but you can tell there’s a story to be told. What’s the story? Who knows, but I bet it’s good. I particularly love the crossing guard piece. It looks like she’s waiting to help someone cross the ocean.

Yet another artist that I had previously written about, and then got to meet in person at the Toronto Outdoor Art Show.

I wrote about Holly Farrell in April. I claimed not to be a fan of photo-real painting but clearly that’s becoming more and more untrue. How can you not admire the skill it takes to paint like this, the  cool vintage subject matter, the lovely colour palettes, and the fact that she is so cool in person. Add all of this up, and you can’t stop yourself from becoming a huge fan of Holly Farrell.

I wish I could paint the sky like this. Toronto based artist Randy Hryhorczuk certainly can. I saw these at the Toronto Outdoor Art Show, and you couldn’t miss them – they totally stood out. Hm. Kind of the whole point of an actual billboard.

Oh Toronto. I have missed you.

I used to live about a 10 minute walk away from here. It’s Kensington Market in Toronto, painted by Brian Harvey. In fact, this weekend I’m hopping on a plane and heading back to my old neighbourhood where I’ll be seeing Brian’s work, along with hundreds of others, live and in person at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. I cannot wait. I’ll report back next week with stories of uplifting inspiration and, of course, a little soul-crushing jealousy. Stay tuned, I’ll be back online on Tuesday. Have a nice weekend!

Sigh. I love these David Linneweh paintings. I have a thing for old buildings. I think it’s because you can’t look at them without making up some kind of story in your head.  These both feel a bit lonely and sad to me. Maybe it’s the ‘unfinished’ images, or the bare trees in the background… or maybe it’s the thought of a whole bunch of abandoned dilly bars. Now that’s sad!

I am suddenly in the mood for a road trip, a burger and a tiny frappuccino. Karla Wozniak is not only making me hungry for diner pie, she’s also feeding my love of everyday subject matter. She has a very simple, easy, and unpolished style which somehow makes her imagery feel even more ‘small town’. And I should know – I grew up in a town that still doesn’t have a Starbucks. Yes, those places do exist.

{I found Karla’s work on the fantastic art/design/craft blog, Poppytalk}