Barbara Berrada- les zigouis {revisited}

I had to revisit the ever-charming multi-talented Barbara Berrada after she announced her 2011 line on Facebook and it took me on a magical ride as always! Barbara not only designs the les zigouis line of clothing, but styles the shoots and turns the entire effort into marvelous & heartfelt art experience. Visit her blog and shop!

Visit les zigouis!

Theater Clouds by Elly Mackay

Hello, Blog? It's me, Katie! Lately I've just been enjoying being in (well, actually working, painting, unpacking, settling in) our new home here in snowy Indianapolis. I hope to continue posting now...oh, dear! Where did the time go? These magical photographs of handmade papercut and illustrated dioramas by Elly Mackay have stolen my heart today and I hope you might enjoy them too. xo

 

Ring of Swans

 He Knew They Would Agree...

 Balancing Among The Reeds

 Shadow Swan

 Shadow Play

I'll Travel With You

She Found A Shell In The Morning Light

Eva Magill-Oliver

I've been fortunate to work recently on some design pieces for artist, Eva Magill-Oliver.  I really admire her clever mixed media techniques and the tangible sense of mood and place she's able to manipulate with them.  Eva is from South Carolina and only recently returned to Atlanta  to live after two years of living in Paris!  In addition to her Fine Art, Eva is a flourishing illustrator and currently working on a children's book project with her husband Whit, called Sam et Sophie- read more about it on her website! xo

 Le Bois I

36"″x 27"

Le Bois II

10" x 8"

Voyage

36.5" x 26.5"

Between 

35" x 26"

La Forêt IV

6"x 6"

Deer

 La Maison

 Les Alpes

 Visit Eva's Art Blog, Illustration Blog, and Website for more! xo

dolls house

I found myself really touched by the intimate and visceral interiors in Lucy May Schofield's, Doll House Installation...created as an ode to her great uncle Herbert and his handmade doll houses. Found on Flickr here. xo

Dolls House

1st Floor

Bedroom

Ground Floor

 Stand Guard Room

Honey Trap

Outhouse

Pink Stairwell

Yard

art and heirlooms...

Thanks to Amy's Storque article, I got myself in gear last week and made a few new pieces for my Etsy shop. Which was hard to do as we are currently homeless but blessed to be staying with my in-laws for the time being. I was able to visit home recently and my mom and I spent some time sorting through boxes of old family treasures- many of which I used in these pieces- my Aunt Helen's costume jewelry, and our great- grandmother's amazing millinery bridal headpiece. (Don't worry, I was careful and we kept many special pieces for the future- but most is better preserved in art, right? Anyway, I hope they would be pleased.) xo

Bird's Nest Totems (group)

Brown & Gold Totem (left)

Yellow & Green Bird's Nest Totem

Cream Bird's Nest Totem

Garden Bauble Maiden

(Sold)

a few new works and a collaboration.

I've been making a little art in our hot garage. I'm not sure what I'm thinking working with hot wax out there these 95 degree days...but nonetheless....here they are. You can kind of tell I've got homes and nesting on the brain. Its all I'm looking forward to these last few weeks before we move to Indianapolis. I'm sending all of these down to shopSCAD tomorrow. xo

{This piece is actually a collaborative work between me and a little wren that had taken up nest in a flower pot right outside my window. It was amazing to me watch this busy bird working so hard day after day! I'd never had such a front row seat to a real nest building. Sadly, he (i think) abandoned it one day. I think there was a tussle with another bird or crow as I came home to find it all scattered about.  I was so sad waiting day after day to see if he would return. Weeks past and there was no sign  of him, so I collected up the remnants and added to his handiwork.}

Mixed media: vintage papers, ephemera, beeswax, wood construction.

Katie Runnels 2010- available soon at shopSCAD. 

xo

Amy Wilson's Art

Per my usual, I'm a day late and a dollar (or more) short on the latest goings on in the art world. Thankfully, I was alerted to artist Amy Wilson this morning and the clever tote bags she's creating from the remnants of her recent public art installation.  Find them here. And don't despair...many of them are sold, but she'll be adding about ten new original bags every week-the next update is tomorrow night-Wednesday, May 19th, at 7pm EST.

An Amy Wilson Original Tote Bag...
created from remnants of her large vinyl installation-see below.

The installation whence the bags are being made:  

It Takes Time to Turn a Space Around, 2009-2010
Digital print on vinyl, based on original watercolor drawing created for the space
Approximately 5' x 130' 

Located at West Thames Park (De-installed)
West Street and Rector, in lower Manhattan

(photo Katie Armstrong)

There was a secret language

watercolor, gouache, pencil, collage on paper

22" x 30" 2009

Amy Wilson's Pop-Up Watercolor, Swan

Jersey City artist Amy Wilson's watercolor drawings feature a cast of child-like female characters who communicate their thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams through diaristic text. Often deeply personal, the work touches on the inner life of the artist while addressing broader cultural ideas about femininity, art, science, and politics. In some instances the drawings become three-dimensional with the incorporation of cut-outs and pop-up constructions.

-taken from The Hunterdon Museum of Art website

There are always such beautiful things paper house installation

The Hunterdon Art Museum, Winter 2009

Detail of  exterior

There are always such beautiful things, 2009

Memory and vision never worked one without the other

watercolor and pencil on paper
9" x 12" 2010

Bookfolded

Amy also teaches drawing and art history at the School of Visual Arts. Her work has been reviewed in publications such as the New Yorker, The New York Times, and Art in America. View and discover more on her blog, website, and Flickr albums! xo

Mary Engel Mixed Media Sculpture

I thought I had a lot of tchochke's to manage in my studio...but it just doesn't compare to artist, Mary Engel's treasure trove-and look how tidy!! I'm especially fond of Mary's hand built mixed media  sculptures that mix ceramics and found ceramic figures and findings. Sometimes it seems the simplest  and most literally expressed ideas are the ones that work like magic...e.g. watch dog, bird dog.  And wasn't it Shakespeare who wrote, brevity is the soul of wit...  I suppose he would know! xo

 

Bird Dog 

Ceramic and found objects 12 x 25 x 10 in.

 

Joan

Mixed Media 19 x 17 x 20 in.

Kitty

Mixed Media 17 x 24 x 18 in.

 

Laying Bird Dog

Mixed Media 24 x 11 x 9 in.

Tillie

Mixed Media 32 x 43 x 12 in.

Falcon

Mixed Media 22 x 34 x 18 in.

Mary Engel's Studio corner and muse

Mary with her muses, Mingo and Bonnie.
 

 Detail of Mary's Treasures.

Visit Mary Engel's Web Site for more!