swap-a-thon goodies

Last month, five names were fished out of a bowl as part of an annual swap-a-thon on Habit of Art.  I sent my art to five readers, and, in return, I received delightful treats and beautifully crafted items.  Three of the packages came from afar- New Zealand, Australia, and France. 



I love that I have so many talented and creative readers! The photos below show the contents of each swap package.  

New Zealand artist Sally Reynolds made this felted trivet and linen pouch from woolen jumpers and a tea towel.  The cozy wool and mountain scene remind me of home. 

Yummy tea, luxurious yarn remnants, and a set of very cool buttons made up this package from Katie of Je suis une monstre.  J'adore the stamps on the box- tres French!

I love this simple turquoise drop necklace by Linda of Osage Orange Studio.  Linda also included an original drawing by her husband!

The first swap to arrive was from Annie of California.  Tea, yarn, adorable gnome art, and a chocolate caramel bar- yes!  The chocolate is already long gone, but I'm still putting the yarn to good use.

I was so touched that Lamina of Do a bit created a new bag design for our swap.  She blogs about the creative process here.   I was also given one of her lovely screenprinted tea towels.  Hurray for artsy kitchen towels!



Thanks again to all who participated in the swap-a-thon, and I look forward to another great exchange next year.

things i'm fond of today

Instagram and newly painted white walls.



Now, that the walls look like a blank canvas, I imagine drawing on them one day. Like this . . .

Lovely drawings by Melissa Castrillon.

Still a huge fan of Doug Johnston's totes and baskets. 

Beautiful work by Amelia Herbertson.

Diggin' the simple, artsy spaces of Sandra Juto (above) and Camilla Engman. 

And I really want this for my home. . .

Gorgeous yarn scrap cushion by Renilde de Peuter.

show and tell: swaps

There are times when I think we should go back to the barter system.   I have yet to trade my art for more practical things, like chickens or grain.  But I have had the good fortune to swap my art for some pretty sweet stuff.  Here's a look at a few recent trades with some talented folks. 

These hexagonal shelves in my bedroom were custom made by furniture craftsman and fellow blogger, Josh Jackson.  Working only with reclaimed wood,  Josh salvaged the wood for these shelves from the living room of an L.A. home.  

I really love how the shelves finish off the room. To see more of Josh's handiwork, go to his website here.  Josh is also a very gifted writer, capturing the beauty and fragility of life on his blog, Jack at Random.  A must read, especially for those who have lost a child in utero. 

This beautiful silk blouse was made by Dani Kishino of Xsilk.  The silk is hand dyed in small batches using non-toxic dyes.  Dani also hand paints on some of her shirts, which can be found in her Etsy shop here.  So comfortable and flattering, this blouse has become my new favorite piece in my wardrobe. 

I've been a big fan of Natasha Newton's handpainted rocks for awhile now.  We connected this summer via Etsy, and we decided to swap painted rocks.  These beauties came from the beaches of Suffolk, England.  That's about a 5000 mile trip!  Be sure to check out more of Natasha's lovely art  here. 

Some of you may recall that I've run a couple of swap-a-thons in the past.  This is where I swap credit in my shop for items that readers make or already own.  It's been a year and a half since the last one, so I'm thinking it's time to run another swap-a-thon.  (And my tea selection is quite pathetic, so I'm really hoping that a winner or two can help me out with this.)



Look for more details and not so subtle hints in the next post. 

new painting, "summer peak"

In my last post, I talked about blue being my favorite color.  Funny that I've been drawn to lavenders and pinks this week.  I love this oil painting of a pink cloud by Osaka-based artist, Ayco.

I'm also surrounded by lovely shades of purple and pink in my garden.  My daughter and I harvested lavender from our yard and plan to make more sachets.  

I imagined my latest painting to involve more soft, rose-colored features.  But, somehow I got carried away with bold colors and graphic elements instead. 

summer peak, 8" x 8" wood panel painting

things i'm fond of today

un cuadro by gabi piserchia

natural wonders.

left: annular solar eclipse by hiromitsu t.okra

right: eastern oregon by david ewald

handmade dolls by ryoko ishii

vintage bedspread hand-dyed by liane tyrell of enhabiten



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musical marriage proposal in portland:

welcome back, rothko

 Rothko (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Edition) by Jacob Baal-Teshuva.  The Portland Art Museum in the background.

Mark Rothko (1903-1970)

Mark Rothko and I have a few things in common.  We both taught art, have a fascination with Matisse's Red Studio, and we have roots in Portland, Oregon.  In fact, we attended the same high school- Rothko, 65 years prior.



I am a huge fan of Rothko's signature color-block paintings.  So, I was thrilled to say the least when I first heard that the Portland Art Museum would be showcasing 45 of his works this spring.  It was at the Portland Art Museum where his first one-man show took place in 1933.



I decided to go the Rothko exhibition on my birthday last month.  I wanted a quiet evening with my husband, and looking at art in a museum is about as quiet as you can get.  For a moment, time was forgotten as we slowly moved from one painting to the next.  The works in the show span 40 years of Rothko's art career, so there was a lot to take in and process.



I like to study paintings up-close.  I try to decrypt the layers of paint and sequence of brushstrokes.  By understanding the creative process, I feel that I have a better grasp of the artist's emotions involved.  Rothko himself encouraged viewers to look at his art at an intimate proximity for this very reason. 

"The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious
experience I had when I painted them. And if you, as you say, are moved
only by their color relationship, then you miss the point."

Hickey Robertson.The Rothko Chapel

If I'm ever in Houston, Texas, on my must-see list is The Rothko Chapel.  The non-denominational chapel
was completed in 1971.  Inside are fourteen Rothko paintings.  What a beautiful space to go to for spiritual reflection and meditation!

artists i like: bryce wymer

I recently came across the works of Brooklyn-based artist Bryce Wymer.  I'm particularly fond of his hand illustrations.  The ceramic pieces are a collaboration with another Brooklyn artist, Farrah Sit. 

The grasp vase is fantastic!

To see more of Wymer's wonderful art, go to his shop here and his blog here.  He also has a series of time lapse videos you need to check out.  Here's one of his latest videos.

things i'm fond of today

latest work by street artist tellas

left: beautiful piece on flickr by common elements;  right: graduation project by kirstie van noort, a student at design academy in eindhoven, netherlands

aunt by inca pan

this put a smile on my face today.  photo by artist sabine timm.

things i'm fond of today

The Obliteration Room.  Installation by Yuki Nakano.  Visitors help "obliterate" a white room by adhering colored dots on walls and furniture.  The top photo was taken on day one.  The bottom photo is seven weeks later.  The Obliteration Room is currently at the Gallery of Modern Art in Queensland, Australia. 

Furniture by Los Angeles-based designer Tanya Aguiniga.  Shown are Felt Chairs, Birch Bench, and Zinacantan (steel and wool yarn).

Cendrine Rovini.  I've been following Cendrine's art for awhile now.  This particular piece, La récolte d'oraisons, is one I'm particularly fond of.    It's part of her current solo exhibition "Liquid Vermeil" at the Da-End Gallery in Paris.  Cendrine talks about her latest works in this video.

Bags and slippers (linen and leather) by Tarco Nakazato.  I love the color combinations and graphic elements.

Cal Lane.  Lane describes her art as "pullling together industrial and domestic life." Above are two of my favorite works of hers: Plasma cut steel wheelbarrow (2007) and Dirt Lace installation at Purchase Collage, New York (2004).

  

things i'm fond of today

drifting in the depths, tiel seivl-keevers [brisbane, australia]

paintings by michelle breton [melbourne, australia]

tussle by melissa castrillon [cambridge, england]







ceramic vessels by shino takeda  [brooklyn, ny]

I had this idea of recording my sketchbook via video.  Then I came across this video that artist adriana lozano [buenos aires, argentina] uploaded onto her flickr last week.







Adriana's sketchbook reads like a book.  Did you notice how the drawings continue onto the next page?  This is another project I have been wanting to do but just haven't had the time to work on . . .  one day.



To see other videos of adriana lozano's wonderful work, go here.

things i'm fond of today

>> emily barletta's thread and paper series

>> pattern by sandra dieckmann

>> ballpoint pen drawing by linda kim

>> porcelain bangles // a golden ink collaboration

>> anni albers, always a favorite

>> acrylic and graphite work by hollis brown thornton