Visiting Paula Nedelstern's Kaleidoscope Quilts

Not having seen Angela in quite some time, we made a plan for me to come to her house and stay for a few days, as we live a couple hours away from each other. There's lots of chatting going on and there's thrifting, needlework and gallery hopping planned.

Yesterday was rainy so a perfect day to see Paula's quilts alive and in person.  Kaleidoscope quilts have never struck my fancy, but what a difference seeing them up close and personal. We both agreed that we would leave this technique to Paula as our minds couldn't quite get around the technical aspects of the process. Pictures do NOT do them justice. Whether in a book or taken by my phone...

It is amazing the little slivers of fabric she pieced together. Amazing. There is no other word. A selection of her quilts are being shown at Endicott College in Beverly Farms, MA. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend taking a look see.

Chandeliers by Russ Morgan

I'm a huge fan of chandeliers. I have a small ranch style house so fitting them in is difficult so I have some hanging in my garage. I especially like them dripping with crystals. I'm also very very much into recycling and using 'garbage' for art. Russ Morgan combines these two loves of mine to create fantastic chandeliers and lamps out of glass pieces that were once plates, bottles, cups, etc. Wonderful.

Patrice Hubert

Awesome. See more here.

Wake Up America -- Killing the Albatross -- and what else?

The following may be difficult to look at. It is not only an image of a decaying Albatross, but more so a picture of the ramifications of how we live. These images are beautifully done. They make me sad, and act as a reminder to live more carefully in what I consume and throw away.

Chris Jordan -- Photographic Arts






from his website:

"On Midway Atoll, a remote cluster of islands more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent, the detritus of our mass consumption surfaces in an astonishing place; inside the stomachs of thousands of dead baby albatrosses. The nesting chicks are fed lethal quantities of plastic by their parents, who mistke the floating trash for food as they forage over the vast polluted Pacific Ocean.

For me, kneeling over the carcasses is like looking into a macabre mirror. These birds reflect back an appallingly emblematic result of the collective trance of our consumerism and runaway industrial growth. Like the albatross, we first-world humans find ourselves lacking the ability to discern anymore what is nourishing from what is toxic to our lives and our spirits. Choked to death on our waste, the mythical albatross calls upon us to recognize that our greatest challenge lies not out there, but in here."

-- cj
Seattle, February 2011

Go here for more photographic images of trash and what he has to say about it.

Butch Anthony -- Junk Collection At It's Best

I was not expecting the beauty and craftsmanship of his home. This is what I need, a house outside my house to keep all my 'junk' meant for something more.

I really like his cow bone chandeliers.

How's This for a Fire Pit?

Searching around the web for some art blogs I came across John T. Unger. I love the fire pits he makes.

Interesting Concept

Will Cotton's portraiture incorporating candy and ice cream. Check out his website for many more images to oooh and aaaah about.

Not only does ribbon candy bring back memories but I like the vintage feel of this painting.

I love this rock candy and cotton candy dress -- and a tiara? yes, please.

Want To See Something Amazing?

check out Derek Gores's collage art.

Fantastic!

Sometimes You Just Know

I saw a glimpse of this painting as it was coming onto my screen and I knew I'd be swooning over Kelly Reemsten's work. Definitely a "Wow, why didn't I think of that?"

Art by Charmaine Olivia

High Fructose Magazine has her featured....I always enjoy seeing studio shots with the artist at work.

Check out her site here...

Shauna Richardson -- Crochetadermy

Shauna takes taxidermy forms and crochets on them....ON them! whew!

Check out her website, there's lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, there's a bear anyway.

This is my favorite and it beats hanging the real thing for many.

Vintage Eye Candy

Aren't these gorgeous?

Suzy from Georgia Peachez, you can thank her....



She hoards vintage ornaments and glues her fingers together just to get these babies out in time for the holiday. They sell quickly, so go shop now! You'll find some other fun creations for gift giving, too.

Caitlin Hackett

I'm often amazed by what comes from artists' hands...and Caitlin doesn't disappoint...and look how young she is. She does the majority of her work large and in ball point pen.

Her work reminds me of this guy in my illustration class in college. (that was 22 years ago and I can still see him drawing so clearly in my head) His fantasy drawings were amazing, just amazing, pouring right from his fingertips...I thought then, "why are you here? go go go, get work, fly away and be great, you've already graduated in my eyes."

To me, Fantasy Art / Fantastic Art is just there inside you, begging to come out. I am so amazed by it. Since very young, I have been a draw-er, but even if I tried, I would not be able to pull the style out of me.

 

See more of her here and in this recent issue of High Fructose Magazine.

(click on pic to view site)

Awesome Recycled Art Sculpture

Greg Brotherton -- check it out...

and another....Jeremy Mayer

I found out about them from GreatGreenGoods

they've got lots of cool stuff, all about recycling and what can be made out of garbage....

Dog Portraits

I was roaming around the www. and found these:

Gary Gross is a New York photographer that does beautiful dog portraits. check him out.

These photos are from the Senior Gallery of photos...beautiful, sweet, touching.

I'd love for him to take one of my Weezie.

Cart Before the Horse

Cart Before the Horse is a husband and wife team, Dylan and Jo and they are having a give away of one of their very fun skellies.

I've followed their blog for quite some time and get their newsletter which Dylan writes and always has an interesting story to tell. Dylan sews the folk art characters and Jo paints them. Dylan has his own thing going and creates songs and puppets playing in a band. He can be found on youtube, the creativity amazes me.

Here's some of their recent Halloween inspired work:

Check out more folk art characters at their etsy shop for more eye candy.

Betsy Youngquist

When I have few extra minutes I like to see what new work some of my favorite artists have come up with.

I love Betsy Youngquist's work -- I like the color, the oddity, the animals, the anthropomorphism....

here's a few new things -- but I encourage you to check out all her images on her website...

Look at the detail of this octopus...

and the underside!

I really like the feel of this snail, and the back has a little unexpected number...

Ray Caesar

I took a couple hours to clean off my desk and now I appear a little more organized, and I got some paperwork done. I have a tendency to jot down websites of artists that I want to take a look at but don't have time at that moment. I often don't find these notes until I do this type of desktop cleaning, whether it be my office tabletop or my computer files.

So, I revisit artist's sites to see if I still like them. Ray Caesar is a favorite. Because I'm a little old school and wanted his work to be painted with oils, I remember I had pushed him aside because his work is digital. Now that I've taken another look, I remember why I kept his information. I am very drawn to his style of work. The macabre, the surreal, the messages...there are messages, right? I'm not real cerebral when it comes to art, if it touches my soul, that is what I know....and this guy touches it.

Look at the beauty of this creature, sensuous, ethereal, naughty, sassy, surreal...

and the detail of this one...

There are so many more to ogle at, when you have some time, take a look see...he's got quite the imagination.

Papier Mache

I was perusing papier mache artists and found these cute critters by Rhea Giffen....

this guy gives me my hare/rabbit fix....