New Year’s Resolution No.1 … spend more time in New York! When I saw these gorgeous oil on wood panel pieces by New York based painter Geoffrey Johnson I kept flipping back and forth between wanting to pack my bags for New York, or Paris, or New York, or Paris… and then I read his bio and it all made sense:

“Johnson draws much of his inspiration from his travel experiences and first-hand observations. Using a monochromatic palette of sepia hues, the artist says he strives to reproduce the places that inspire him. Johnson’s work is strongly evocative of the French Impressionists’ depictions of city life, interior spaces, and equestrian scenes. From Gustave Caillebotte’s steely, atmospheric renderings of foggy Paris streets and dusky rooftops to Degas’ spindly-legged racehorses, the influence of these artists upon Johnson’s painting is readily visible.“

Well there you have it… maybe I’ll pack for both, and then see where 2015 takes me! Happy New Year, everyone!

{Thanks to GregoryWest for pointing me to Geoffrey’s work}

Dear 2014,

If I could make out with you, I totally would. You were really, really good. In fact, you were very close to the most exciting year of my entire life, second only to the year that my son was born.

You were filled with art that was awe-inspiring, delicate, intriguing, fun, beautifully bizarre, joyous, and oh, so meticulous.

You were there when my first book hit shelves in February, and when my second book was released in September {and you just saw me sign the deal to write my third book!? Gah!}

You took me to all sorts of amazing places like San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Vancouver again, Dublin… and New York for the very first time in my life! {What? Yep, true story.}  There were camping trips, road trips, and small town adventures with my amazing husband and ridiculously sweet son. I met so many new friends, and spent time with dear old friends – all of whom I plan on seeing again as soon as I possibly can!

You gave me the chance to : guest write “Real Art for a Fictitious World” on sfgirlbybay; to open my own online gallery; to speak at PIXAR; to be interviewed by the lovely folks at oprah.com {yep, that was insane}, and to curate the biggest art exhibition of my career so far!

I tried realllllly hard to slow down and enjoy every milestone along the way, although I’m not sure if I did a very good job – it seems like a bit of a blur to be honest – a wonderful, exciting, pinch-me because I feel beyond blessed, kind of a blur. 

So, with that I’ll say thanks for everything, 2014. You were truly mind-blowing. 

~ danielle xo

Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you so much for being part of this craziness! I cannot believe how lucky I am to have all of you in my world. Ok… now go make more art so I have something to write about in 2015!

{Fabulous, kissy, sparkly collages by California based artist Eugenia Loli}

Oh. Yes. You know how I feel about portraits, right? I LOVE them. You know what else I love? Perfect, detailed painting mixed with “unfinished” lines. Oh, and I also have a thing for antlers… so needless to say, all of this adds up to the fact that I really, really love the work of UK based artist Pippa Young. A lot.

{via Saatchi Art}

Brooklyn based artist/illustrator Leah Reena Goren makes all sorts of things, but it’s her ceramics that are calling my name! Loudly. I need these girls & tigers for my walls, shelves, cupboards… everywhere!!! ps. I wonder if she’s knows Monica Ramos? By looking at their subject matter, I’m quite sure they’d become fast friends, if they’re not already!

I hope all of you have a lovely, restful holiday… I’m going to take the week off to snuggle in & get cozy with my boys, but I’ll be back next Monday with lots of amazing art! Merry merry to you and yours ♥ {This perfect painting by New York based artist Will Cotton}

Ah, the sweet, yet slightly strange, work of Portland based artist/illustrator Emily Winfield Martin {they have a bit of a Wes Anderson vibe, no?} I absolutely love these new additions to her portfolio, and thought they’d be perfect images to leave you with this week… I’m going to take a little break to spend some cozy, snowy time with my boys. May your holidays be filled with warm sweaters, blue-eyed kittens, and children in animal masks. Hm, or maybe just good friends & family!

I’ll be back bright and early next Monday morning with a whole bunch of new art to share with you… until then, merry merry to you and yours xo

Miniature dioramas that have been meticulously set up, and then photographed… yeah, that’s what I thought too! Nope, they’re miniature dioramas that have been meticulously set up, and then painted! They’re oil paintings. Gasp! All of these pieces are from a series titled “At the Lake” by American artist Amy Bennett. I wrote about her waaaaay back in 2009, but clearly, I shouldn’t have waited five years to write again! {Thanks to Jenni for reminding me about Amy’s work}

ps. here’s a peek into the magic that is her studio:

Love.

Oh. My. Those beautiful blue eyes are piercing my soul… and I like his sorbet-hued “beard” too! These are the gorgeous oil paintings of Spanish artist Andrea Castro. Loose, messy brush strokes and perfectly painted portraits living in blissful harmony. I always admire artists that take the time, and possess the skills, to create “perfect” pieces… but I have to admit, I admire them even more when they have the courage to just let loose and go wild all over those “perfect” pieces. Andrea clearly fits into that category! #trustyourself #tooscaryforme

Ok, this might be the longest post ever, but this show is just so gorgeous, I had to show you everything! I was thrilled when the Bedford Gallery asked me to curate a show in their lovely space… and after almost a year of planning, it finally opened on December 7th! The Bedford gave me carte blanche, so I decided to bring my book, Creative Block, to life! We have work from 20 of the 50 artists, unblocking stations set up so that people can try a few exercises from the book, and some of my most favorite pull-quotes are on the wall in vinyl lettering. Have a look, and I’ll see you at the bottom of this gigantic recap…

Ahhhh! So exciting! Six of the artists came to the opening from as far as Chicago and New York… it was an amazing night! So many friends, collectors, art enthusiasts, kids, and even a chihuahua {sorry, no photo of him!}. The days following the opening were action packed too. I did an indepth walkthrough with the 60+ docents that volunteer at the gallery {so many amazing people!}, and artist Trey Speegle was still in town so he stopped by to chat about his work, the book, etc. I also went to a sound studio and recorded the voiceover for the show! You know when you can rent the headset at a gallery to get the details on each piece… yep, I got to record that! Later that night we had Q&A event at the gallery… it was a packed house!

And finally, the badges. I designed these as section headers in the creative talk that I give, and so when Carrie Lederer, the gallery director, asked if I wanted to make anything for their gift shop I said, “YES. Actual, embroidered creative scout badges!” and she made it happen! Originally they were only available at the Bedford, but, I’ve arranged to have them in my online gallery too {$17.50 for the set}, so now anyone anywhere in the world can have them! They’re the merit badges you earn as a creative person. None of us are alone when it comes to asshole-ish inner critics, or being burnt by criticism, or the fact that we love making stuff. We’re all in one giant, supportive, amazing creative club… so put those badges on, and wear them with pride!

Well, there you have it. The show is still up until February 1, so if you find yourself in the Bay Area over the next couple of months you should totally go! Thanks again to the Bedford… Carrie, Eric, Christine… you guys are amazing, and I loved every second of my time with you! xo

ps. Thanks to WCTV for doing this interview/peek inside the show with me!

I wrote about San Francisco based artist Vincent Serritella in April of 2013. He was giving away a free drawing every day {?!} and I was dead set on getting one of his blow-pops… and I did! That’s mine right up there! Anywho, he finished that 365 project and has moved on to a new series titled “52 Pickup” {he’s making a free piece of art to be “picked up” once a week, every week for “52 weeks”… clever, yes?} Here’s his description of the project, and how it works:

“As mega corporations continue to grow, it’s proving harder and harder for unique small businesses to survive. With that in mind, this time around I’d like to use my art, the web, and social media as conduits to help support small businesses. How it works: I do an original drawing once a week for a full year and send it to a business (either within the US or internationally). I’ll then publish a post on my Medium account with the business’ address and a little information about what they do and why I chose them. Whoever is following the project in that town and goes to that business in person to pick it up can have it for FREE! In return, I only ask that you support that business in some way and post about it online to help spread awareness.” ~ Vincent Seritella

An amazing artist, and a ridiculously kind/giving guy! Just follow along on his Facebook page to see where the newest FREE piece can be picked up. I wonder if there’ll be another blow-pop? I’d go just about anywhere for another one those!