Oooh! This is new{ish} work by American artist Michael Carson. The last time I wrote about him was in early 2013, and yesterday I stumbled across some work he’s done since… instant love. His work is always very recognizable as his, but I’ve never seen him paint men before, so these jumped out immediately. Same Michael Carson amazingness, now with the occasional suit & tie.

Let’s stay home all day. These lovely, calming pieces are the work of Japanese artist / illustrator Fumi Koike. Her muted palettes and simple observations of day-to-day life make me want to slow down for a moment, take a deep breath… and then have a nap with my dogs. Zzz.

Pretty. Weird. My favorite! This is the narrative still life work of Philadelphia based artist Anne Canfield… hm, I may have just made that up. Is “narrative still life” a thing? Well if it is, I think this is it! Here is Anne’s description of her work:

“I draw and paint on a tiny scale and am inspired by the detail, the whimsy and the geometric naturalism of both early Netherlandish and Indian Miniature painting. I use a variety of media as point of departure, ranging from personal photography to elements of film. Loosely narrative, my pieces reveal quiet, solitary moments as a sense of time or place is trapped and brought to stand still. ”

Some of her work can be seen until May 9th {that’s this Saturday!} at Nancy Margolis Gallery in New York, so if you can pop over there you should… and then tell me all about it!

Oil paintings. What? Yes. These are oil paintings… masquerading as vintage film stills. This is the stunning work of New York based painter Judith Eisler, and this is part of her very poetic artist statement:

“Working with the pause button and a camera, I look for a precise instant that embodies an action, an emotion, and a psychological tension. Godard said ‘the cinema is truth at 24 frames per second”. I am interested in what happens when the temporality of cinema/reality is interrupted and explored with marks of paint.”

In. Awe.

{These pieces range between 2×3 feet to 4×6 feet}

I love, love, love these bizarre landscapes by LA based painter Seonna Hong. Marbled mountainsides {that make me wish I knew how to wield a palette knife} being explored by small packs of tiny, curious, adventurous girls. Oh, and don’t even get me started on those little, beautifully painted animals… zebras and tigers and bears, oh my! {Sorry. I had to.} 

{Some of her work will be included in, “Ode to the Motherlode”, at Good Eye Gallery in LA. Opening reception Sunday May 3rd from 4-7pm}

If you’re not able to spend the day in New York wandering around MoMA, here’s the next best thing… oil paintings of other people spending their day wandering around MoMA! This is a series by UK based artist John Tierney – his goal with all of his work is to, “create paintings that provide a strong sense of place, a feeling of what it is like to be there.” Well, I think he did it because I reallllly wish I was at MoMA right this very second.

Huge flowers! Vibrant table cloths! Weird spiky things! This is the gorgeous work of Sydney based painter Laura Jones. All of these pieces are from her latest series, titled “Punch” … quite appropriate, yes? Love, love, love.

{Thanks to Cayce Zavaglia, another insanely talented artist, for pointing me to Laura’s work. Given my post on Monday, she thought I might like Laura’s work. She was soooo right.}

Mother’s Day always makes me feel really nostalgic. I have so many sunny childhood memories of my mom, and now that I’m a mama there are so many moments with my son that I wish I could bottle forever … hence my latest collage! Days at the beach, road trips in the family car, playing in the garden, and homemade popsicles in the backyard. Sigh. Good times. Here’s an artsy little round-up of pieces that tug at my mama heart strings:

{Mother’s Day is on May 10th, so there’s still time to order. To buy these prints, and super sweet ceramic wall hangings, just click on the images above, or use these links: 1. Me  2. Lisa Golightly  3. Nathalie Cusson  4. Alicia Zwicewicz  5. Kelly Ventura  6. Liora Saad  7. Kelly Ventura, again!}

I have always had a soft spot for work with a “half-finished” feel … and of course, those crazy pink and orange trees on woodgrain are just icing on the cake! This is the vibrant work of French born, New Zealand based artist Anne-Sophie Adelys, from a series titled “Becoming Memories”…

“How do memories become memories? Why do we beautify memories? … This [series] investigates the idea of becoming new memories; the reconstruction of brighter, prettier and naively reconstructed perceptions of an edited past.”

{Prints available here}

Oh. My. Landscape and still life become one in this gorgeous series titled “Tablescapes”. I am completely smitten by everything in the gorgeous portfolio of American artist Elizabeth McDonald, but this series is easily my favorite. I’m not sure if I want to break out my art supplies, or host a dinner party. Both perhaps.

{ps. Elizabeth has a show opening at GrayDUCK Gallery in Austin on May 15 that runs until June 21 – Opening reception on May 15, 7 to 10pm}