*Bio photo by Martha Cooper

Portraits, painting, petals AND embroidery? Oh, so many of my favorite things (done beautifully) all in one spot! This is the gorgeous work of Istanbul based artist Rana Balca Ülker. I wasn’t able to find out very much about Rana, but I do know that I love her work.

{Thanks to artist Melanie Biehle for pointing me to Rana’s work.}

Oh, that seahorse. These exquisite paintings, paying homage to bits and pieces of old neon signs, are the work of Seattle based artist Kellie Talbot. Here are a few words from her website about her work:

“Talbot’s work revolves around the landscape of American artifacts, craftsmanship and history. Signs and typography, architecture, industry, cemeteries and other emblems of society are the inspiration for her oil paintings. The rust and decay in the work aren’t negatives. They are both an elegy and a hope.”

Lovely. We could all use a little hope, am I right? Happy Monday.

Well, I just found my new weekend wardrobe! These lovely oil paintings on paper are the work of American artist Sophie Treppendahl. They’re part of a series titled, “Clothes I Like Owned by People I Like”. I like them too! These jeans, shirts, and hats are hanging with a bunch of their stripy, patterned friends in Sophie’s solo show at Studio Allston Hotel in Boston, opening in August.

Oh, those Australians and their crazy, colorful flora! These vibrant, and succulent {see what I did there}, oil paintings are the gorgeous work of Wanda Comrie. Here’s why she does what she does:

“Responding to shadow play in domestic scenes and locally found botanicals, she reflects on the beauty and complexity that everyday living can provide and how social media images can distort distinctions of time, place and identity.”

Yep. Lovely.

Ahhhh, I can feel the warm summer breezes – and smell the chlorine – from here! This is the work of American painter Seth Smith. I’ve written about him before, but these motels and their cool pools are calling to me today. Westward, Ho!

ps. Seth’s work will be part of a group show at Sager | Braudis Gallery  {Columbia, Missouri  | July 31 ~ Sept 1}

Ok, well now I want to eat stacks of Licorice Allsorts alllllll day long. These sweet paintings are from a series, titled “Totems”, by Texas based artist Nicci Sevier-Vuyk. Why so many piles of pastel-hued candy?

“Little stacks of fun. Or are they small comments about our culture…?”

I’ll leave you to ponder that… while I go eat candy. Happy Monday.

Gasp! Just when I thought I couldn’t love the work of UK based painter Annie Kevans any more than I already do, I discovered this recent series titled “Drag”. Gorgeous paintings of {in this order above} Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, Grayson Perry, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Marcel Duchamp as ‘Rrose Selavy’, and Andy again. The paintings are lovely, but her reason for the series … perfection:

“Both ‘The History of Art’ and ‘Drag’ series examine gender inequality in the art world. ‘The History of Art’ features women in art history who were once acclaimed in the art world – some were even international celebrities – and whose history and significance have been gradually eroded so they are ultimately forgotten to a modern audience. 

In the ‘Drag’ series, Kevans reveals male art stars comfortably posing as women but confident that their achievements will not be forgotten.  Artists such as Francis Bacon, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Robert Mapplethorpe and Cecil Beaton all photographed themselves in drag but the question remains: would these artists continue to be so revered had they been born women?”

Excellent question. And on the same topic, I could not be more thrilled that Annie’s story and work is featured in my new book, “A BIG IMPORTANT ART BOOK – Now With Women”. The book will be on shelves this October, but you can pre-order it right this very minute. Thank you!

Exhale. This is the dreamy/washy work of Canadian painter {and mother, clearly}, Lauren Mycroft. Through pouring, staining, and mark-making Lauren makes these lovely worlds come alive. Here is a little snippet from her site that explains her hows and whys:

“Using a contemporary palette and methodical layering technique, Mycroft creates process-driven artwork that feels both fresh and familiar. The compositions are created freely and intuitively, learned through years of practice and formal art training. Inspired by memory of place, Mycroft reflects on our emotional attachment and not specific locales. Through her unique palette and fields of stains, Mycroft offers the viewer a sense of nostalgia and elicits a personal response based on their own experiences with the landscape.”

Yep, I’m definitely getting flashbacks of life on the West Coast. Love.

ps. I just discovered Lauren’s work last week. How? She’s in my new Thrive Mastermind group! Seriously, talent is spilling out of this crew. BTW, Thrive is already half full for their September 2018 sign up, and the next intake isn’t until Spring 2019… so if you’ve been thinking about it, now might be the time. Give them a shout if you have any questions about the ins and outs.

I want to kiss these oil paintings too! This is the work of Australian artist Matthew Quick, from his series titled “Monumental Nobodies”. I love all of them, and had to stop myself from posting the entire series. That said, the first piece in this post, titled “The Last Lap” comes with an artist statement that is, well, fantastic!

“There are lots of women in the great art galleries of the world. Just not many women artists. In 2012 about 62% of art and design students in the UK were female. But an audit of London galleries found that just 31% presented work by women. The Tate purchased only 21% of the works from living females artists, while in LA and New York galleries the number was 32.3%.  In an age where gender equality is legislated, it still seems the way for a majority of women to get into galleries is to be featured in the work. Often sans clothes. But surely this life preserver keeping the old ideology afloat is an anachronism. Eileen Cooper (the first woman appointed Keeper of the Royal Academy) says the art schools graduates of both genders are as strong as each other. With both quality and numbers, the institutions must surely collect and promote female talent. And yes, the irony that this painting featuring a naked woman was made by a man is not lost to the artist. Does this diminish the issue or lessen the voice?”

Nope! As for the full series, Matthew’s statement is just as eloquent :

“By replacing their crowns and thrones with ordinary objects, the aura of emperors and gods are demoted to powerless nobodies. Through ridicule I play with their initial grand goals, querying their motivations and questioning the orthodoxy of accepted history. And in doing so I reference themes such as individual freedom, social control, surveillance and the deceit of rulers who intentionally fail to act as they speak.”

{found via Booooooom}