So, I saw my first ‘back to school’ ad about a week ago. I’m sure all of you students out there find that quite depressing, but not me! I used to love going back to school… granted, it was mainly for the art supplies. The smell of a newly sharpened pencil, a fresh box of crayons, and a big stack of brightly coloured paper – oh, the possibilities! And obviously, I’m not alone. I have a feeling that Dalton Ghetti {alphabet carved pencils}, Jonna Pohjalainen {log pencil crayon installation}, Diem Chau {carved crayons}, and Jennifer Stark {cut-paper sculptures} would have been thrilled to see that commercial at the end of July… ooh, maybe we could all get matching pencil cases!

Ahhh, I can almost smell the sweet summer air! Jeff Hamada {of Booooooom!} is the man behind this lovely art project called Little Drifters. He invited anyone who wanted to participate to make a boat completely of out natural elements. Once the twigs, flowers, leaves, and snails were in place, everyone got together and set their creations adrift. So beautiful… and I have to say, I’m looking at pine cones in a whole new light!

American artist Gregory Euclide took the term ‘mixed media’, and seriously ran with it! Here is a quick list of the mediums and objects used to create these insanely amazing, and incredibly beautiful, examples of mixed media… that I really wish I had thought of:

Acrylic paint, eurocast, grass, juniper, lichen, paint can, pine needles, moss, sedum, sponge, cedar, found foam… {pause to inhale, aaannnd continue}… leaves, pencil, photo transfer, polyurethane foam, cigarettes, milkweed, paper, plastic, styrofoam, stone, and wood.

Phew.

{Gregory’s work can be seen in person at the David B. Smith Gallery in Denver… but no touching please!}

I have a studio full of found objects. You know, stuff like old knitting needles, a small metal duck, and more ceramic doll limbs than I know what to do with… so, what am I going to do with them? I have no idea. If only I knew how to blow glass, then I’d be all set!  Perhaps I should dust off my weird little collection of knick-knacks, pop them in a box, and send them directly to Dutch artist Ellen Urselmann. I am absolutely positive that she’d know what to do with them!

{via junkculture}

{ps. come and see my dream bedroom over at sfgirlbybay today! ‘The House that Jealousy Built’ ~ Room No.3}

Looking for a little light reading before bed? Well, you won’t find it here I’m afraid. With a few snips here, and a few snips there, London based artist/art director Su Blackwell turns ordinary books into stunning paper sculptures, bringing birds, butterflies and fairy tales to life… you may not be able to read them, but who wouldn’t want to fall asleep with one of these on their bed side table?

{Thanks to Barbara for sending me the link to Su’s site. You were right… I am jealous!}

I’ve been ‘pushing pixels’ for years, but never quite like this! American printmaker turned sculptor, Shawn Smith uses lots and lots and lots and lots and lots {you get the idea} of tiny wooden pixels, not to mention the odd branch here and there, to play matchmaker between technology and nature. I think it worked… it looks like love to me!

{The final piece above is titled ‘Branchlers’, and I’m going to need it in my house.}

In this series, Brutalized Delights, American artist Chad Wys has found his way into to my heart, by choosing thrift shop finds over canvas. And from what I understand, he just graduated from art school this past spring?!* Um, I think it’s pretty safe to say that my student work was nowhere close to being this cool {or this well thought out}. I’m definitely going to keep an eye on him… who knows what he’ll be painting on in five years!

{via Art Hound}

* This just in, via Chad… he didn’t just graduate from art school, he’s a graduate student in Art History with a Bachelor’s degree in English… hm, I think that might be even worse!

I’ve said this before {many, many, many times actually}, and I’ll say it again… I love pretty much anything that gets rescued from a thrift shop, and is then repurposed into something amazing, and in this case, something absolutely hilarious! After British artist Barnaby Barford finds these lonely ceramics, he cuts them up, exchanges pieces, repaints, and then arranges them into some of the funniest, laugh out loud, narratives I’ve seen in a long time. But you know what made me stop laughing? He’s younger than me… ooh, I just hate it when that happens.

{via junkculture}

Well, part of me is very jealous of Melbourne based artist Louise Weaver… I will easily admit that I wish I was the one behind the concept, vivid colour choices, and meticulous execution of these fabulous sculptures. However, the other part of me is really happy that I wasn’t the one who had to touch these taxidermied birds* while dressing them in their hand-crocheted outfits!

*Yes. There are real birds under all of those pom-poms and sequins!

How’s the water today? ~ Oh, a little bit ‘concrete floorish’ but other than that, quite lovely thanks.

I found this stunning work through a blog called I Heart Wood. Yes, that’s right, these unbelievable sculptures, by Italian artist Willy Verginer, are carved out of wood! His undeniable talent as a craftsman would be enough to make just about anyone jealous, but then you throw in these clever compositions/use of gallery space, not to mention his bold application of colour, and I don’t think you could find any artist who wouldn’t say ‘Damn, I wish I thought of that’… or maybe more likely, ‘Damn, I wish I could do that.’ {… that’s what I’m thinking right at this very moment!}