Gasp! This is the colorful, beautifully composed, mushroom-filled work of American artist Jill Bliss. She draws and paints as well, but it’s her “Art Medley” photograph series that has my heart. She clearly knows how to seek out the best bits of the forest, and then arranges them into vibrant odes to the great outdoors. And it turns out, Jill is truly committed to being one with nature:

“I spent my seminal childhood years on a plum and walnut farm in northern California, while my adult life as a designer and artist took place in the big cities of New York, San Francisco and Portland OR. In 2012 I sold most everything I owned and bought a van, embarking on a year-long self-imposed west coast sabbatical to reconnect with the slower natural pace and living things I knew and adored as a child. That sabbatical year has stretched into a new life chapter – I’ve been living, working, traveling and exploring amongst the Salish Sea islands of Canada and Washington State ever since.”

Sigh. So dreamy.

Have you seen these amazing life-sized crocheted ‘n knitted works of fantastic-ness floating around the interweb? Well I have, and clearly I had to write about them too! This is the work of Finnish artist Liisa Hietanen, and here are her words about this series, titled “Kyläläiset (Villagers)”:

“I make sculptures by crocheting and knitting. The technique has become a way of thinking. It is continuous and present and allows a portrait to slowly find its character. I am currently working on a series called Kyläläiset (Villagers), which consists of portraits of my fellow villagers in Hämeenkyrö. I study the essence of familiarity and shared experiences. I meet the same familiar strangers every day on the street and our common world is the size of a small village. I am depicting the present moment by portraying my own surroundings, but at the same time I am bringing out something common to us all.”

Beautiful.

Oh. My. Word. I have just come across the work of UK based artist Claire Partington, and I am completely in love. Her portfolio is filled to the brim with meticulously hand built ceramics that do a beautiful job of blurring the line between classical and, well, not classical. The pieces above are two of my favorites: “London Venuses”, aka Lewisham and Kilburn – they are young, empowered and pregnant; and “Venus” – Claire’s version of the mythical Venus “complete with two-headed dog and Reebok classics.” LOVE.

I’ve written about Philadelphia based artist / illustrator Amze Emmons before {way back in 2012}, but I just found these pieces … bad pun totally intended. These works are graphite and gouache on handmade paper, and I’ll hand it over to Amze to explain the rest:

“Notations is an on-going series of drawings from my walks around Philadelphia. At about the same time I started this work, Nicole Donnelly (of the Paper Think Tank) started producing ‘Philly Kozo,’ a handmade paper made from Kozo growing wild along the banks of the Delaware River, on land belonging to the power company. This locally-sourced paper seemed appropriate to use for a series of street objects found on my local walks, and so the Notations drawings emerged. This series will require several more years to build up the quantity of work required to have the desired impact.”

Can’t wait! Happy Friday.

Yes, the island vibes continue this week… well, with a little nod to my fellow snow-loving Canadians. This is the work of UK born, LA based photographer Lukas Griffin. I was immediately pulled in by his color palettes, his absolutely stunning use of negative space, AND there is an entire section of his portfolio dedicated to Hawaii. Ah, a man after my own heart. Okay, I’ll be spending this whole week recreating three of the four images above, but will be back with fresh posts after that … aloha!

“So far, so good”, indeed! This is the vibrant, joy-filled work of Miami based artist Alex Yanes. I found his work via Wednesday’s post, and then proceeded to fall down an absolutely gorgeous rabbit hole. Sculptural paintings, installations, sharks and oh so many good vibes.

“Since he decided to pursue art full-time in 2006, his work has become his autobiography, speaking volumes about who he is and what he has seen. A son of the city, his story is influenced by his Cuban roots and an ever-growing curiosity about all the things Miami had to offer him during the 80’s and 90’s. Yanes’ work is the result of years spent immersed in skateboard, tattoo, hip-hop and rock culture during his teenage years, but says he felt the stirrings of creativity at a young age. He won his first art contest at age six and claims that one of his greatest accomplishments was building his own tree house at the age of 10; a feat he accomplished with the knowledge and tools imparted on him by his father and grandfather. Now a father himself, Yanes spends his time making art and raising his family in the city that raised him. Where he once worked on canvas, his art has taken on a life of it’s own, coming alive via wood, acrylic, resin and enamel into three-dimensional installations.”

Happy Friday.

A couple that paints murals together, stays together! These pieces are the work of Wooden Wave… aka Matthew and Roxanne Ortiz. Born and raised in Hawaii, they now work together to create fun, colorful, artwork that not only makes drab walls wonderful, they also use their work to spread a little sustainable love:

“Frequently using treehouses as their subject matter, the art of Wooden Wave presents a whimsical take on the notion of the sustainably integrated community. The treehouse, as a symbol, exudes a nostalgic sense of possibility and represents the ultimate icon for adventure. But beyond the obvious romanticism of a dwelling built in the canopy, the inclusion of solar panels, water catchment, aquaponics, and green roof systems make each composition relevant to the environmental issues of today.”

I haven’t seen any of their work since I’ve been here, but I am definitely keeping my eyes open!

I’m in Hawaii! And of course, I wish you were here…

A post shared by Matthew Tapia (@matthewtapia) on Apr 4, 2016 at 9:32am PDT

Okay, I’m not even on the same island as this fantastic piece of artwork… which I’m guessing is probably the most Instagrammed pool in Hawaii! This is just one of many fantastic projects by Honolulu based lettering artist, Matthew Tapia. He applies his work to signs, clothing, walls and, in this case, the bottom of a pool at the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Honolulu.

Also, look what Matthew does when he’s at the beach, or waiting for the bill to arrive at a restaurant:

Okay, and also a few good vibes thrown in for good measure! Aloha!

ps. All of the pool images were taken from the Surfjack’s Instagram feed, and the video is by @vforvincent

Gasp! Seashells… thousands and thousands of seashells! This is the stunning work of London based artist Rowan Mersh. As you might have guessed, he is best known for turning ordinary materials into, well, the absolutely extraordinary pieces shown here. These pieces are just a tiny sampling of his work, his portfolio is full to the brim with insane pieces and beautiful minutia.

Oh! The shapes, the colors… the perfectly placed shapes and colors! This is the work of London based artist / art consultant Sophie Smallhorn. In case this isn’t obvious, her work “explores the relationships between colour, volume and proportion.” Yes, it does… beautifully! Happy Monday.