Delectable Paintings ~ Shawn Kenney

A couple of weeks ago my RISDxyz arrived ~ that is, my Rhode Island School of Design alumni magazine ~ a new format and design. Food was the theme and one of the artists featured is painter Shawn Kenney ~ an illustration major and 1993 graduate.

Wow! Shawn's paintings are so beautiful, I just had to share. I am especially enamored with his seemingly effortless brushwork and his gorgeous use of color. Whether the subject is a fancy mini cake, a humble box of blueberries or jar of Fluff, the end result is simply delectable! Visit here to see more of his work.

{all images via Shawn Kenney}

Snail's Pace

How is everyone out there dealing with this heat? As I am in the midwest, I realize it isn't as hot and muggy as it is on the east coast, but even so, it is hot enough to suck most of my energy away ~ I feel like I am moving at a snail's pace! If only there was an ocean nearby! Hot and humid makes me lethargic ~ wouldn't it be nice to just be able to languish in a spiderweb hammock until a cool breeze came along?!

Lovely watercolors shown were painted by Victorian artist, Amelia Jane Murray Lady Oswald (1800-1896) ~ you can read more about her here and see some more of her work here and here.

Beautiful Beaded Beads

Speaking of treats, a few weeks ago I treated myself to not one, but two pairs of impeccably made beaded bead earrings from tqbdesigns. Lisa Gastelum is the artist/designer who makes these beautiful pieces ~ each bead is woven by hand using a traditional gourd stitch ~ many of the metal components are handcrafted as well. Lisa has a large selection of unique styles and colors to choose from ~ the hard part is making a choice! Visit her website and her blog to see more of her work or treat yourself to something special at her etsy store.

Below are a few more examples of Lisa's work ~ these are even more beautiful in person! All images shown are from tqbdesigns ~ beautiful photography as well!

{pendant necklaces}

{lovely linked bracelet}

{next on my wish list!}

Speaking of Ants . . .

This is one of my favorite children's books that I discovered as an adult ~ actually, I had Chris Van Allsburg as an illustration teacher while I was in art school, so I became familiar with his work then and count many of his books among my favorites. One of the classes I took from him was Pen & Ink & Scratchboard, which is the technique used to illustrate Two Bad Ants. This book is about two ants' adventure into an unknown world containing an overwhelming treasure. When the two ants decide to stay behind, they get into all sorts of trouble but finally discover a valuable life lesson. The illustrations are quintessential Van Allsburg ~ beautifully drawn and colored along with a unique point of view and perspective. See more from this book here.

Caldecot award winning illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg has written and illustrated many children's books ~ Jumanji and The Polar Express being two of the best known ~ see all of them here.

Corrugate Cardboard Artist ~ Mark Langan

After finding the office made of cardboard at Nothing, I did a little searching and found the work below ~ also made of cardboard. Mark Langan is an artist who creates work from corrugate ~ aside from his gallery pieces below, he also creates corporate logos ~ check them out here. I love the beautiful textures and color combinations ~ very inspirational!

{all images from here}

Andrew Wyeth ~ 1917-2009

Growing up in Pennsylvania and visiting the Brandywine River Museum many times, I was introduced to the artwork of the Wyeth family of artists at a young age. As an illustration major in art school I became especially interested in the oil paintings/illustrations of N.C. Wyeth ~ I love that era of illustration. I also admired Andrew Wyeth's watercolor work ~ a totally different style than his father, but just as beautiful. I find the paintings of landscapes and old barns and buildings to be my favorites ~ I guess they remind me of home. Remembering a great artist.....

{Sunday Times ~ watercolor ~ Andrew Wyeth, 1987}

Ferry Staverman ~ Paper Artist

Wow ~ aren't these works beautiful?! Dutch artist Ferry Staverman's work has been popping up on many different blogs ~ I can't remember where I saw it first. I love the combination of symmetry, use of color, and simple materials. The resulting object is so elegant ~ whether alone or in a group. Reminds me a little of some of Karl Blossfeld's work.

{all images via ferry staverman}

Grainne Morton ~ Jewelry artist

Recently I saw a post on Daily Poetics about Grainne Morton's jewelry ~ what a wonderful way to wear a collection of found objects! Grainne's work is a combination of small obscure elements along with complimentary handmade objects such as enamel work, miniature drawings and punched metal shim. This jewelry is especially appealing to me since I collect many of the same kinds of objects. What an inspiration! Even a little reverse painted scottie charm has made it into a brooch!

{all images via Grainne Morton}

Calorie~free Cardboard Cakes & a Veggie

I love these delectable no calorie desserts from artonthemenu on Etsy. The simplicity of the materials used and the sophisticated finished piece of art is just beautiful ~ and great for weight loss! Of course, if you just aren't into sweets you can sample the organic celery.

Found these tasty treats via Haute*Nature ~ a blog I look forward to returning to and spending some time looking through the archives. All images via artonthemenu.

{mmmm ~ coconut!}

{chocolate decadence without the guilt!}

{organic celery}

Selvedge Magazine

Selvedge is one of my very favorite magazines ~ it is expensive and only comes bimonthly, but it is one of my indulgences ~ always filled with wonderful eye candy and textile related articles. The subhead reads, 'the fabric of your life: textiles in fashion, fine art, interiors, travel and shopping' ~ the magazine always has a good variety of articles and beautiful photography. There are also sections that highlight textile related exhibits, books and and special offers. Even the advertisements(websites) are interesting to look into as there are many artists and small companies represented ~ the majority from the UK. Check out a few highlights from the July/August 2008 issue below.

{cover and images above by photographer Tim Walker}

{floral themed goods}

{spread/article on silk flowers from the Legeron Workshop in Paris}

{featured anecdote: a short article on the lei}

Karl Blossfeldt ~ Plant Photographer

Karl Blossfeldt (1865-1932) was a German photographer of plant forms. Blossfeldt used a handmade wooden camera to photograph the botanical specimens and also casted models that were to be used by industrial craftsmen and manufacturers. I love the simplicity and symmetry of his work ~ also the richness and velvety softness of the black and white photogravure. Although this work was done in the early 1900's, it has an amazingly modern look.

{these look like totem poles to me}

{these, like wonderful skyscrapers}

{all images from here}

Here is a book you can buy on Karl Blossfeldt if you are interested in more of his work.