Oh boy. I love these simple illustrations by LA based artist/illustrator Geoff McFetridge. All of these drawings were part of a project he did for Nike, called Nike Dunks. This is just one project from his very full portfolio. He has an amazing roster of corporate clients {MTV, Pepsi, Gap, Vans etc.}, and a very long list of gallery shows for his personal work… and so I reiterate ~ oh boy.

Sigh. Oh Wes, you’re a creative genius with insane attention to detail… and that is why I love you.

In Wes Anderson’s latest film, Moonrise Kingdom, one of the main characters {Suzy}, loves books… and stole a half a dozen of them from the library. Of course, what Wes Anderson film would be complete without every single little thing being designed/thought about… so yes, here are the covers of Suzy’s books that he commissioned six illustrators to design {Oh, and if the cover designs weren’t enough, he also created a short film and animations to go along with each of them. Swoon!}

That last screengrab is my favorite one in the bunch! ♥

{There is a really good article, here, that gives a bunch of background on this part of Moonrise Kingdom.}

I almost didn’t write about this. Why? Well, I didn’t want all of you beating me to these hot, artsy deals! I know, I know… so greedy! Ok fine, here you go then:

American artist Martha Rich is putting up 100 of her paintings on paper, all of which are priced at a mere $100. When she reaches 100 sold pieces, she’ll add more. Ah, artists making originals accessible to the masses… hm, I wish that bra was still accessible, but it’s already SOLD! Get over there fast, people – these underpants, dresses, and bras are flying off the shelf!

Ah yes, I do love a simple collage on found paper. I sure hope you love a simple post on an art blog, because I know nothing about Emidio Bernardone… except that I love his simple collages. Oh, and he lives in Milan. The end.

Cool building, right? Right! It was designed by the Japanese firm, TIS & PARTNERS for Japan’s Hakone Open-Air Museum… but wait until you see what’s inside of that cool building!

HAND-CROCHETED ART, THAT YOU CAN CLIMB AROUND IN!!! Are the ‘all-caps’ helping you sense my excitement? Ok, it’s actually meant for children to play in, but you better believe my shoes would be off, and I’d be in there in a heartbeat! This amazing installation was created by Japanese textile and fibre artist Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam. She is currently based in Halifax, Canada where she teaches “fiber, fabric, fashion” at NSCAD. Sigh. Amazing.

I ♥ Portland! Wow… what a lovely city. Tree-lined streets, beautiful old homes, and the location of the latest GIRL CRUSH workshop & tea party!

Sigh ~ we had such an amazing day in the gorgeous home of painter Lisa Golightly. It was literally the perfect setting for an artsy tea party. Our group was made up of all kinds of people… artists, a poet, an actress, an art/design student, an advertising art director, and a couple of “crafty mamas” {… but that’s a story for another day}. After a few scrumptious breakfast pastries, delivered by Elephants Deli, and more than a couple of cups filled with Stumptown coffee, we spent the morning talking uplifting inspirations, crushing insecurities, and everything in between.

… and after all of that talking, listening, laughing, and cursing {yes, it’s true… the occasional bit of non-teaparty-esque language may have been dropped when referring to our always annoying inner critics}, we needed a little sustenance to help us make it through the artsy afternoon that lay ahead:

YUM! After an insanely delicious lunch from Elephants {note: fig & goat cheese tartlets might just be the best thing ever invented}, we moved on to these! Chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cupcakes decorated with tiny sugar-coated rose petals & mint leaves! Thanks so much to Cupcake Jones for delivering these little bites of heaven to our doorstep!

Ok… sugar? Check. More coffee? Check. Time to head downstairs and make stuff:

I have seen so much of Lisa’s work, but never in person. Let me tell you… it’s fantastic! What an inspiring space to roll up our sleeves and get creative:

So much fun! The folks at Plywerk donated a whole box of gorgeous bamboo panels for us to use for our collages. Paint, bits of found paper, and a few gold animals… ahh, now that’s an afternoon well spent!

I could have worked on these forever! But alas, somehow this lovely day in Portland had come to an end. Thanks so much to everyone that came {Melissa, Laura, Jessica, Autumn, Monica, and Cait}, and thanks so much to Lisa for hosting… I loved every second of this amazing day! xo

{photos: Jessica and Autumn somehow managed to snap all of these photos during our very full day – thanks for sending them my way, girls!}

Ok. Yes. More faceless portraits. Clearly I can’t control myself, but hey, the heart wants what the heart wants… and my heart wants people with rainbow-hued embroidery on their faces, and vintage photos that have been snipped to bits and put back together into amazing kaleidoscope-ish configurations. London based artist Julie Cockburn, and her amazing portfolio, have everything my heart is looking for… and then some!

Awwww! These illustrations by Japanese artist Aiko Fukawa are just the sweetest. Come on… that squirrel in his little rainbow shirt? Crazy cute! Those garlands are fantastic too, and do not get me started on that drum playing donkey.

I’m off to Portland for GIRL CRUSH with Lisa Golightly, and I’ll be back with a full report early next week! Happy weekend : )

{via the art cake}

Sigh. I absolutely love these pieces by UK based artist Sarah Walton… her squiggly embroidery, those floopy hounds, and a whole bunch of crazy/vintage floral patterns. Um, I have nothing else to say, as I am currently experiencing some kind of jealousy overload.

A treasure box of a room, bookended by wrestling tigers… awesome.

These paintings are the work of New Orleans based artist Erica Lambertson. She has a portfolio full of interesting images, but I could not stop staring at those tigers! Such simple brush strokes, yet she has managed to capture their movement perfectly. The other painting is titled “Le Garage”… um, if my garage was filled with all of that amazing stuff, I would literally never come out. Seriously.