Well, it only makes sense that with a name like Carlos Donjuan I’d be smitten, right? His color choices, those masks, all of that beautiful wood grain… oh, so much to love from this Dallas based graffiti artist/painter. Sigh.

{… if you’d like to read more about his work there’s a great interview, by Kate Singleton, in New American Paintings}

I wrote about American painter Mark Bradley Shoup almost two years ago, and yep, I’m still very jealous.  I love his simple landscapes, lonely subject matter, and don’t even get me started on those color palettes! In fact, it was his work, along with the work of a few other very talented artists, that inspired me to create one of my first jealously curated shows. It’s a dream of mine to see this show hung on an actual gallery wall… so if you’re a gallery owner with a love of all things wonderfully mundane and beautifully boring, have your people call my people. Ok. I don’t have any people. You can just call me.

I have to admit, I’ve had a hard time writing light-hearted posts every day since the disaster in Japan. I can’t even begin to imagine what the people there are going through. My heart goes out to everyone whose life has been changed by these catastrophic events. Much love to you all. If you’re able to, donate now to the Canadian Red Cross, or to the American Red Cross.

{A few of my favorite Japanese artists: 1. Yuko Takada Keller 2. Yasuhide Kunimoto 3. Toshiaki Uchida I hope all of them, and their families, are safe.}

Oh sure, I’ve heard of “cops and robbers”, but “cops and volleyball players” is completely new to me… and I like it! American artist Jansson Stegner has a gorgeous portfolio chock-full of both. Ok, that’s it… at the next summer BBQ, that’s what we’re playing! Who’s with me?

{via Booooooom}

Sinks, shelves and hallways. Ah yes, San Francisco based artist Chelsea Bentley James has found her way directly into my heart with these muted color palettes and her everyday/mundane subject matter. Simply perfect… hmm, you might even say beautifully boring.

So there I was, enjoying a coffee and cranberry scone while writing posts for the coming week, when the work of Bay area based artist Amy Ahlstrom arrived in my inbox {I love it when that happens}. Apparently, I also love it when quilts and street art become BFFs. Amy, aka The Urban Quilter, mixes the grit of the street, with the softness of fiber art. The result is “a visual love letter to an urban neighborhood or city”… in quilt form. Fantastic, no?

{FYI: “Amy’s quilts will be appearing LIVE at a.Muse Gallery in the Mission starting June 9th. 614 Alabama St. SF. To get an invite go to: http://www.yourmusegallery.com and press contact.” Thanks for the info a.Muse!!}

Ahhh… it was a blur of glitter, candy sprinkles, painting, assembling, matting, and a whole lot o’ coffee. Yep the opening of, TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS AS PAINFUL AS IT SEEMS, New Work by Ben Skinner, was everything I’d hoped it would be. I had planned to write this post last week, but honestly I needed a bit of time to come down from the thrill of seeing this show actually come together. Aaaand exhale. Ok, I’m ready. From the 65′ text mural, to the 20′ foam board scaffolding, everything came together perfectly. All of Ben’s work looked amazing, the opening was filled with wonderful/excited people, and I still can’t believe I got to curate my first show with such an incredible artist at a gallery staffed by really, really, really nice people. Thank you Ben, and the Honfleur Gallery. It was an amazing journey. What now? Well, on to the next proposal I guess!

{1. TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS AS PAINFUL AS IT SEEMS ~ glitter on Alupanel  2. HOME WRECKER ~ ink on wood  3. TWICE ON SUNDAYS ~ candy sprinkles on wood  4. A SIMPLE GESTURE ~ paint & dye on wood  5. I’VE GOT JUST THE THING ~ watercolor, gold leaf on glass  6. MAYBE WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT ~ RGB LED’s & light tube  7. UNTITLED ~ 20′ foam board scaffold  8. THIS TIME NEXT YEAR ~ 65′ text mural  9. THE BLINDS LEADING THE BLINDS ~ ink on wood blinds  10. a. THIS ONE’S GOING TO HURT ~ spraypaint on mirrored plexi  b. NOW TAKE A DEEP BREATH ~ paint on plexi  11. MY HEART IS BIGGER THAN YOUR FIST ~ glitter coated screenprint 12. The Honfleur Gallery on opening night… the show runs until April 8th, so pop in if you’re in DC!}

Umm… I kind of love this. What’s not to love –  these are piles of Vogue magazines from all over the world! Oh sure, I have stacks of magazines in my house too, but they don’t look anything like these amazing collages. Each one is made by layering all twelve of the 2010 covers on top of each other. I think every Vogue in the world was included in this series, titled Vogue on Vogue on Vogue etc, but these ones were my faves: Japan, UK, Russia, Brazil, and, of course, Paris!

{I have no idea what the artist’s name is, so if you know, let me know – thank you! // via Andrew Harlow}

Ice is really hard to paint. When I was about six, my mom {who happens to be a very accomplished artist} told me to use blue when painting snow or ice… blue?! I didn’t believe her, and decided to stick with white. Clearly, I should have listened. I saw these paintings by American artist Jeremy Miranda about a week ago, and instantly loved them. Beautiful compositions, simple horizons, and big chunks of breathtaking ice… blue ice.

{via Poppytalk}

See those euphoric gals directly above this copy? That’s how I looked when I found the work of California based scientist Arian Behzadi. Um, yes, I said scientist. He is a Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis who, in between classes, just happens to make some kick-ass art. Insanely jealous? Yep, me too… in a euphoric kind of way, of course!