I was incredibly lucky to work with a highly talented, driven, and creative group of people for over 7 years, and one of the most creative and driven (and driven crazy by editor-me, I know) is Kimberly Stoney. She's been posting an ornament idea on her blog, The Tiny Funnel, and on Instagram EVERY DAY this month. And like all of her work, they are cleverly constructed, easy for people of all ages to make, and totes adorbs. Remember my straw ornaments from yesterday? Kimberly was on the same wavelength a few days ago, unbeknownst to me; and, dare I say it, her pipe-cleaner joints are simpler than mine. Because she is the craft master.
Go to her site now, and be inspired by the possibilities! xo Have you met Cristian Marianciuc? He's making 365 paper cranes, and is nearing the end of his task. Each crane is unique, and serves as a diary or reflection on the day's events. They range from the simple, like this Heritage Crane... ...to the complex, such as this multi-media Let There Be Peace Crane. Here are a few more of my favorites. I love the idea of taking a common object or craft and transforming it into something unexpected. Artwork like this inspires creativity.
If you, like me, never memorized how to fold a paper crane, you can find directions here, at UTFold. There's a pdf page of instructions below the video. And to see all of Christian's crane creations (there are many dozens more), go to his Instagram page or his Facebook site. xo Have you met Darrah Gooden, a.k.a. Tiny Fawn? She's a Texan mom and artist who makes enchanting tissue-paper collages, mostly of animals. She's licensed her work for a few selected retailers such as Land of Nod, but I like her work just as it is on her etsy site, as high-quality prints. They're both lovely and affordable; almost all of them are $18 each! (Click on each image to go directly to its shop page.) I love how she uses the translucency of the paper to build color and mass. They make me want to pull out a sheaf of multi-colored tissue paper, cut out some shapes, and experiment with overlapping and stacking them. Fun!
xo Have you met Jennifer Davis? She's a painter in Minneapolis, and she depicts animals and people in dreamy, quiet, sometimes surreal situations. "Sloth and cat" has been sold, but clicking on this image (and any of the others) takes you to its Etsy listing, which has some nice up-close detail photos. The wonderful "Float" is available to purchase as a print. So is "Party Dress": Davis is adept at creating patterns and using color. Check out "Stripes and Circles": She also re-paints found knick-knacks. I love this idea as an art experience to do with kids: Go to thrift store, buy <$1 tchotchkes, take home and repaint in wild, vivid colors and patterns. It's like a DIY version of those paint-your-own plaster places. (I am shocked to discover that they still exist.) Go browse Jennifer Davis's online gallery: It's inspiring!
xo Have you met Rus Khasanov? He uses oil, ink, soap, and all sorts of liquids that interact with each other in fascinating ways. His most recent video is Odyssey. Here's a still photo, and a gif. You really should go to his site to see the whole video. As a bonus, it has a beautiful score, so turn on your sound. Untethered to context, the motion and shapes he creates are like a glimpse into the movements of the planets and the universe. An older video, Warm-Up, plays with water on a computer or TV screen, and ink spreading across the tiny lines in a finger and palm. All of his work is meditative and mind-expanding. Go to his site and check it out!
xo Have you met Troy Emery? I discovered him while I was researching the recent pompom project round up. He covers polyurethane animal mannequins and taxidermy forms with pompoms. They are adorable, strange, and sometimes a little scary. Meet the "Small Companion": This one is called "Dysfunctional Camouflage." This untitled piece reminds me of one of those hairless cats. Troy also works with yarn and tassels. This black dog is pretty unnerving. ...but not all of the yarn/stringy ones are as menacing. Take the "Wooly Woofter," for example. I love this one, called "Portal to a Better Place." These pieces make me think about using pompoms to create patterns, using them to cover a three-dimensional surface, and to think of other unexpected materials I could use to cover a shape.
There's lots more to see on Troy's website, so go take a tour! xo Have you met Koo Seong Yung? She creates amazing still-lifes and then photographs them. These flowers look like they're made of glass and gemstones: ...but they are actually made with candy. Youn recreates flowers, buds, and leaves using nothing but candies and popcorn. She lights and photographs her work so artfully that it takes some time to realize what you're actually seeing. With Halloween around the corner, and mountains of candy entering our homes, Youn could be used as an inspiration to do something with all of that sugar besides eat it. I can think of a few candies that would make great art materials: Smarties, SweeTarts, Swedish fish, M&Ms, Jolly Ranchers... Try using them to create a mosaic-like picture, or smash the non-chocolate ones up into dust and use it as you would glitter ("draw" with white glue, sprinkle on the dust). Or, if you get super ambitious, use hot glue build up a 3D piece, like the flowers shown here.
xo! Have you met Erin Paisley? She is a self-taught artist and illustrator who lives in Milwaukee. I love her whimsical style. She makes gorgeous, winsome crocheted animals and then outfits them with charming clothing. Here, she reproduced an Anthropologie look on one of her rabbits. Love! She paints lovely, gentle scenes of people, animals, and nature. And she's been getting into ceramics, which are also very charming. I get the feeling she's very busy (she's also a mom); there's nothing currently up on her etsy shop or her ceramics store. Soon, I hope! Erin seems to post most frequently to Instagram, so follow her! Do it.
xo Have you met Cecilia Levy? She is a Swedish artist who makes the most beautiful, fragile objects using only the pages of old (like 100+ years old) books and paper mache glue. Sometimes she uses blank pages, other times she uses printed portions, and the words selected can be either chosen or random. In this bowl, she uses the dyed edges of a book to add lines of color. Here she uses the numbered page corners as a design motif. These furry "hobo boots" look wearable, though fragile. Again, these are made with nothing but old book pages and glue. For this detail of a piece called "cuckoo's nest," the odd egg out is made with leaves cut from the unstrung center folds of a book. There's much more to see on her online gallery. I love how she uses the imperfections — the natural features — of the paper in her designs. I am a huge fan of using found materials, and for letting their odd, sometimes aged or damaged selves shine.
xo Have you met Susie Ghahremani? She is an artist, designer, and illustrator. Here's one of her illustrations: She makes gorgeous paintings, too. I love her use of color, and how she uses patterns of lines to suggest texture, movement, and contour. Not surprisingly, others love her style, too, and she sells a variety of products starring her illustrations. This journal is printed by Chronicle Books: She sells it on her shop, too, along with many other adorable things. I especially love her cats. Besides products such as t-shirts, magnets, jewelry, and stationery, she sells prints and original artwork. Check in often to snag a one-of-a-kind miniature painting — they sell out quick! These two are still available as of press time. I own two of her mini paintings, myself. I believe at least one of them was a gift from my sister (thanks, Sarah!). And guess what: they're of cats! These sweet little paintings are precious to me, and hang on a bulletin board above my desk. Her work could be a good jumping-off point for an older kid's painting activity involving the use of patterns instead of more traditional textures and shading.
I hope you go and patronize Susie's shop at boygirlparty! xo |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2017
AuthorI'm Debbie Way, an artist and writer who enjoys making things. |
Proudly powered by Weebly