Monica Cook

There is a great article about Monica Cook and her exquisite paintings in Webesteem Magazine online. Click on any of the images to view the entire work. Above is a favorite piece of mine of Monica's that appeared on the Swan Coach House Gallery promotion for a group show she was in a few years ago. I remember picking something up from her old Savannah studio one day and was lucky enough to see this in person. I remember the colors were incredible and the figure luminous! I have carried around this image from studio to studio since. I apologize I don't know the title of the piece or the show and this poor scan doesn't do it justice! Monica's work can also be found on ArtLink at Sotheby's, NYFA Interactive, as well as her latest series, Pee-Girls now showing at Tag Art Gallery. Monica now lives and works in NYC.

The Coo-Coo Bird

Sorry about the lack of posts! I'm on a little break until wednesday. Here's a photo of one of my favorite paintings from the past. It is featured in SCAD President, Paula Wallace's book, A House in the South.

What was I thinking?

These should already be in the mail!! Having trouble with alignment.
They are all a little crooked! Oh, well! Its the thought that counts, right?

Home works

I've put four new works on my etsy site. They are a series called, "The Little Things Add Up". They look really great together but I'm selling them individually. I reused some old panels of artwork that I never quite finished or didn't like-so these "new" pieces have an authentic "shabby" appearance. Take a looksee...

Someday...

I'll have a little shop like this.

R. Wood Studio

Supposedly, I may regret this later in life but I've decided to forgo the traditional wedding registry for fine china. I'm just not that kinda girl and my fiance is ok with that! Luckily, R. Woods Studio has a wedding registry online for their handmade ceramic wares. They are a rare outfit of studio potters in Athens, Georgia, led by founding artist, Rebecca Wood. Visit her amazing website rwoodstudio.com to see all the studio has to offer. She has created a kind of online magazine filled with inspiring images and recipes for artful living. I love the homespun wedding they feature. Its filled with flowers grown right there at the studio and, of course, lots of their colorful pottery!

Katherine Sandoz

"tybee two"
36" x 24"
oil & oil bar on canvas

hat & "bags"
18" x 18"
mixed media

"corn dogs"
36" x 24"
oil & oil bar on canvas

Wow. I just found Katherine's blog and read the entire thing from stem to stern. An incredible read! I haven't seen her in month's and thanks to blog I've caught up with a ton of lost time! Katherine is one of the most interesting women I know. She's a talented painter, illustrator, keen social observer, wordsmith, interior decorator (see her painting porch on her blog!), art critic, crafter, writer, and teacher. She's incredibly clever, and somehow always impeccably styled. She's an above average girl-about-town. I almost despise her for being so good. Her wickedly dry sense of humor had me at hello. She made me nervous at first because (like a real artist) she constantly records information in her sketchbook. "Why is she staring at me so hard?" Oh, right... Visit Madame Sandoz here and here. xo

Danny Mansmith

All Photos by Danny Mansmith via flickr

Danny Mansmith is a fiber artist in Chicago. I am so happy to have found him! I covet his bags, wristlets, and other wearables. What amazing shapes and materials! Here is an interview with him via Cut Out+Keep . I appreciate his thoughts here:

"I TRY TO MAKE THINGS IN AN ENVIRONMENT

OF

CONTROLLED LUNACY

don't be calm jump first ask questions later

something good comes from kinda being out of control "

(Danny Mansmith-excerpt from his blog, SCRAP)

I get in trouble for being this way outside of my art making. If you've ever been to my studio, you know I rely on creating a similar environment. I just called it organized chaos. Get lost in his flickr album here.

Justine Holmes Vranian

Ambrosia
Available as Giclee print through Galletly& Tubbs

Cold Watermelon to a Thirsty Soul
available at Sarah Bain Gallery

A Vacuum Cleaner is Always Cold
available through Sarah Bain Gallery

Pride against Humility
available at Sarah Bain Gallery

I got to know Justine's work through the various works that Savannah College of Art and Design has displayed throughout the campus. They are intricate mixed media collage paintings sealed under a high gloss finish that looks like it may be epoxy. That finish is definitely one of her trademarks that you miss when viewing her work online. However, it's a small detail in comparison to her vivid color and outrageous compositions arranged as staged vignettes. Clever and puzzling titles round out the intrigue of each work. You can see many more works and her statement online at Sarah Bain Gallery or SCAD's exhibition department. Justine was awarded Finalist at the Artlink@Sotheby's International Young Artists competition. You may recognize "Cold Watermelon to a Thirsty Soul" which appeared in January's Better Homes and Gardens that featured Justine's beautiful home.

Coleccion Luna

Stephanie Jolluck, a native Atlantan, fell in love with the rich and colorful textiles of Guatemala during her time spent volunteering there at an Indian co-op. She formed her company, Coleccion Luna in which she works directly with Guatemalen artisans to create her line of gorgeous "Bohemian Chic" handbags, pillows, and other home goods. Not only does she employ many people there, she also shares a percentage of her yearly profits with various charities in Guatemala. You can see examples of her work and her collection on her website here. She has bags that look great for fall and most are under $60! I love the vintage look of her bags with the wooden and lucite handles. Buy one of these great bags and feel good about supporting a socially conscious young designer with a big heart!

A Must Read

I love Suze Orman. I love watching her show-especially the "Can I afford this?" segment. (Kathy Griffen loves her too!) I love reading her books, and her new book is by far the most important. "Women and Money" is a great read for every woman, not just for those in financial turmoil. If you've ever had any questions about your finances but didn't know who to ask or even what to ask-Suze has the answers in this book. I like this book in particular because in her no-nonsense way she exposes the different ways (from emotional spending and caretaking to investments and trust planning)that women approach money. And she has the years of experience to tell you about it. She doesn't accept any excuses, but she does take the stand that indeed there is a difference between men and women and how we've been taught to think, feel, and do about our money- and I appreciate that. Her website has a lot of great resources too- see here. You will feel so much more confident about yourself and your future if you arm yourself with the knowledge that Suze has to share. I have to say, I really do!

New Etsy Find!

I came across this shop a few days ago via Hostess with the Mostess. A fantastic fiber artist out of Austin, Texas, calls her shop- Dapperduds. I haven't bought anything just because in ages (because frankly, I used to do that much too often!) but I fell hard for these potholders. They are handmade and only $8! I'd love to buy more too- she also makes pincushions, coasters, burp cloths, bibs. She sells little coordinating sets ready to wrap up for sweet and original baby shower gifts. Don't you go falling in love with the orange potholder. That one's mine!

Fonts and Graphics

I'm a bit of a late bloomer in this department. I used to wonder where in the heck designers found all their great graphics and fonts. I now realize they have all kinds of resources online-some sites I cannot even begin to figure out. If you're like me and you just need a few unusual fonts or graphics for your newsletter or whatever-here are a few of my favorite sites. Some you must pay for but I think its worth your time and money. Normally I would have to spend hours searching ebay or the bookstore for an illustration I needed. These graphics already have the copyright issue taken care of too. It's pretty simple! The trickiest part for me was downloading then installing the fonts into the right folder. I just messed around until I figured it out! Remember, I don't claim to know anything about this, I simply found these sites user-friendly and they worked for me! Clip Art*- click here. Fonts- click here. Free fonts- click here (*I like to use the search for engraved or antique and then follow the links for similar imagery)

Lauren McIntosh

Rebus, 2004 Available at Anne Reed Gallery

Available at Repetti Gallery

If you've ever been lucky enough to visit the extraordinary shop Tail of the Yak in Berkeley, CA, you realize there must be some amazing talent behind the production. I was so surprised when I came across artist Lauren McIntosh in an issue of New American Paintings a year or so ago. Her biography listed her as the art director for Tail of the Yak. I adore her free style of painting and the way she paints-rather than pastes- her compositions with collage. It looks like she has been painting and exhibiting since 1980 and has become quite prolific with work at several galleries across the country. Visit her beautiful website here.

Vintage Photos on Ebay

I love the look on this little dog's face! I also wish I could find a fence like that !

One of my very favorite places to find interesting vintage photos is on ebay. I'm especially fond of the interesting collection presented at "Clancy's Classics". The shopkeeper is a collector himself and especially interested in finding and selling unusual or artistic photographs. He is also very careful to remove the photos from the albums in which he finds most of his treasures. These are a few currently for sale. Enjoy!

Wendeline Matson

Wendeline Simpson-Matson is a painter living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I had the privilege of attending undergrad with her and she has to be one of the most sweetly spirited individuals I have ever met. I think you can easily see this in her artwork. I've always admired her still-life compositions and continually pine over her bicycle and fan paintings. Her paintings are animated by happy colors and impasto, her peculiar drawing style, and exposed layers of composition. She accomplishes a mood of nostalgia that is never simply ornamental or shallow, unlike so many still-lives overdone by artists these days. See more of Wendy's incredible work on her website www.wendeline.com. She is also represented here, here and here!

The World of Nathalie Lete

Nathalie Lete is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. She is a French artist living and working in Paris. I found out about her a few years ago through a series of her postcards my friend Amy sent to me while she was living in San Francisco. Her work - her colors, her subjects (dolls, vintage toys, birds, flowers), and her carefree style sing out to me! I bought her book shortly thereafter (now missing its cover and covered in glue and paint), and I refer to it often before starting a new project. Her work gets me excited about art all over again- every time. I am most impressed and inspired by her use of so many different mediums. She paints, prints, sculpts, creates jewelry, designs rugs and other accessories with her images. Each relates to the other and it was a delight to see them all come together in her artful home-featured here recently in Italy's Elle Decor. I can only dream about owning one of her big fluffy rugs. Can you make out the varying depths in its pile? I try to think of Nathalie when I get down about trying to work with too many different mediums. Really it would be easier to simply paint and not drag all my various materials around all the time... and store them... and source them... and keep them organized, etc! Find her sweet website here and enjoy visiting her magical world!