RxArt is an amazing New York based non-profit organization who have taken it upon themselves to brighten the often drab and depressing spaces in hospitals, with beautiful and inspiring contemporary art. I wrote about them for the first time last February when I featured the work of Mary Temple, and today, I’m writing about their latest project. One of my favourite artists, Jeff Koons, worked with them on this CT Scanner project at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. Instead of sterile white {and that awful washed out green that hospitals always seem to be} this room is filled with bright colours, monkey heads, and of course, a huge dog balloon! I think anything that could make a child, and their worried parents, feel a little less scared in a situation like this is absolutely inspirational. Keep up the wonderful work RxArt!

{The other little tidbit about this story that I love, is that Jeff Koons waved any kind of fee for his involvement in this project… now that’s some very nice art karma if you ask me!}

Copyright Jeff Koons
Photos: Michael Tropea, Chicago

Oh my word.

This breathtaking installation was created for the 50th Biennial of Venice in 2003, and found it’s home in San Staë church on the Canale Grande. It’s entitled Falling Garden, and is the work of collaborating Swiss artists, Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger. I honestly don’t know if I’m more jealous of them and their obvious artistic genius, or those very lucky people lying underneath this fantastically beautiful falling garden… I think it might be a tie.

{via yellowtrace}

Now this is my kind of landscape! British artist Tom Edwards takes various kinds of imagery, chops them up, and then lovingly pastes everything back together to create these, oh so scenic, views. Ahh, I can almost smell the ocean air… or is that glue?

{I wrote about Tom Edwards’ Bonfires, last year. I loved those, and I love these!}

I was so excited when American photographer Mikael Kennedy said he’d stop by for the weekend! I’m not sure how many times I’ve written about him – maybe four or five – needless to say, I am super jealous of his work, but even more importantly, the passion he has for his work. And when I say ‘passion‘, I’m talking about the ‘sell your own blood in order to buy more film, and keep travelling‘ kind of passion… seriously… he did that. So, anyway,  just when I thought I couldn’t be any more inspired, Mikael sent this through. Another amazing photographer using old Polaroid film to capture America… one freight car at a time:

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I’m jealous of Mike Brodie

Sometime around 2003, I got a letter from a kid who called himself ‘the polaroid kidd‘: he had seen Mandy Lamb‘s & my Polaroids and wanted to come hang out with us in Boston, he said he was riding a freight up from Florida and should be in sometime in the next few days, he was scamming copies at kinko’s and was making little collections of Polaroid artists he met while he travelled, at the time he was shooting only SX70 Time Zero film that he shoplifted as he travelled. I said “well, alright”, and met him one night in a parking lot of a 7-Eleven. What I’m jealous of isn’t mike’s photography, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s absolutely beautiful, he captured the last of America’s wildness of a fading art of freight hopping. But more it’s the life he chose that I admire. As I always said, it’s the life that’s important, not the art.. The utter abandon with which he and his friends live. To me these kids are the wild west, and yes they are still kids, seem to always be, a thousand dirty Peter Pans riding the rails. Talk about a life of adventure, that’s all there is, sometimes it’s a short run, but at least it’s a run. I haven’t heard from Mike in years, last I heard his pop was getting out and coming home, then I heard Mike was out in Texas on the trains, I heard he stopped shooting for awhile, who knows. What I do know is that there is something to be said for this decision to make life one long adventure with not thought of the future, it’s not an act, it’s just wild pure and simple. America is his (and their) playground, every city and freight yard an adventure. Talk about living life to it’s fullest even if for many it’s a short run, nothing really matters so we might as well take a walk.

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So good. So, so good. Thanks so much Mikael… and happy travels!

Reasons to be jealous of Brandi Strickland:

Well, these rainbowie, geometric mountains for a start! Secondly, this little town that appears to be snuggled under a similar rainbowie, geometric quilt. And finally… she’s a member of WAFA. Sigh. Jealous, jealous, jealous.

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!}

No pants, a weird guy with a clown nose, no pants… yep, I’m totally jealous.

So, here’s the thing… I don’t speak Spanish, but Valencia based artist Elena Cortés does. I couldn’t figure out anything about her, so I threw her site into Google Translate, and this is what I got:

“Currently the project by the end of the Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Technical University of Valencia and working as a partner in Graphic Design Culture Vice-chancellor of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He obtained a Socrates Erasmus scholarship to study at L’Ecole de Beaux Arts in Bordeaux during the 2008-2009 school year…” and so on from there. Well, at least we got a bit of information about her, or ‘him’ according to Google Translate.

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!}

Well, I’m not sure where Jeremy of Jeremy & Kathleen is this weekend, but I know where Kathleen is… right here! She is a designer, blogger, and all-around super cool chick. I’m jealous of her sense of style, her ‘&‘ tattoo, and of course, her kicky hair-do {…have a look, I’m sure you’ll agree}. Anywho, here’s who Kathleen is jealous of, and I couldn’t agree more!

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I am jealous of Marian Bantjes

Marian Bantjes is so cool. And talented. And sassy. And look – she can make typographic art out of sugar, peonies and dirt on her kitchen table. Not only am I jealous of her work but I’m jealous of the people she calls her friends.

Not only is Marian Bantjes is an amazing designer and typographer but her work challenges what it means to be a designer. Marian Bantjes is not trying to be a problem solver but instead by making design beautiful. Like a fine artist, Marian makes her work personal, but like a designer her art exists within a commercial sphere. Her work ethic and design philosophy are beyond inspiring. I want to be just like Marian Bantjes when I grow up.

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Me too! Me too! Thanks Kathleen ~ and thanks so much for dropping by! xo