Inspired: Red (Hong Yi)

Hong Yi, a Malaysian artist who goes by the nickname "Red", describes herself as an artist-architect who "likes to paint, but not with a paintbrush." Instead, she uses all sorts of found materials to create imaginative portraits and whimsical scenes. Her work has gained much acclaim recently on the Internet, in part due to her ability to capture well-known figures in creative and evocative mediums. She currently resides in Shanghai and works for an Australian architectural firm. Her most recent project, "31 Days of Creativity with Food," consisted of a daily art piece constructed solely from food on the backdrop of a white plate. These are few of my favorite pieces from her work:

Cucumber Landscape (made from one cucumber)

All You Need Is Love (cherry tomatoes, nori, soy sauce)

Giant Squid Attack! (squid and squid ink)

"The Wave" (nori, long grain rice)

Portrait of Jay Chou, in coffee

The making of the Jay Chou portrait

Go check out the rest of Red's work on her website (it's totally worth it!)

Plus she runs a great blog!

Inspired: Marisa Redondo

Marisa Redondo creates beautiful organic paintings inspired by the natural beauties of her current surroundings in Northern California. Working with oils and watercolors, she seeks to capture the unique patterns and colors of nature (which she does quite well). I find her choice of colors and the intricacy of detail in her work fascinating. You can find all of Redondo's work in her Etsy store, River Luna. These are a few of my favorites:

Gathering Bundle

In Bloom

Tree Ring Feathers

Stick Collection

All of Marisa Redondo's work can be found in her Etsy shop

Inspired: Maja Lindberg

I have to admit, the hedgehog illustration is the primary reason I found this artist (Hedgehogs are my catnip). Anyways, back on track: Maja Lindberg is a designer/illustrator from Sweden who draws ethereal portraits of animals and fairytales and other such things. I find her use of light most striking in her illustrations- an effect that gives a depth to her dreamlike figures. These are a few of my favorites from her pieces. (You can check out all of her work for sale in her Etsy shop here.)

Evening Swim

Ocean Deep

The Lighthouse Widow

The Hedgehog

All of these and more can be found in Maja's Etsy Shop

Inspired: Jennifer Booher

Beachcombing No. 63, available on Etsy

Jennifer Booher, a denizen of Bar Harbor, is an art historian turned landscape architect who delves into the intersection of art and science. An avid beachcomber, she gathers and carefully arranges her finds into beautifully ordered photographs. She calls herself "part magpie, part squirrel, part scientist, and part historian" in her drive to collect, document, and research her findings as she transforms castaway flotsam into captivating fine art. Her work can be found in her Etsy shop, Quercus Design, or on her blog of the same name. These are a few of my favorite pieces of hers.

Beachcombing No. 52

Aluminum, Seaweed, Driftwood, Periwinkle

Beachcombing No. 55

All photographs belong to Jennifer Booher and can be purchased in her Etsy shop

To Make: Terrarium

 DIY Terrarium via Project Wedding

As the artsy-crafty type, there's usually a list of at least three projects in the back of my mind that I'd like to complete if only I could manage to find the time. And since I'm finally taking a lighter semester (no writing-intensive classes for the first time since I started college!), I actually have the time to check some projects off the list. And thus here, in order of scheduled time of completion, are my projects for this spring (so far):

1. Finish the vases for the Tucson reception (expect a post next week)

2. Give the beloved bubble chandelier a facelift (in blue!)

3. Finish organizing the apartment

4. Learn how to grow mushrooms (I'm debating about trying this kit)

5. Create my own terrarium

For a while now, I've been fascinated by terrariums-- I love the idea of living decor. Plus Tucson is a perfect place to grow succulents. I'll probably find my glassware at one of my favorite thrift shops around here, but these lovely terrariums will be my inspiration:

Pyramid Terrarium, Jechory Glass Designs

Air plant terrarium, Sea and Asters

Universe terrarium, ABJ Glassworks

Suspended Tetra, Score and Solder

Glass terrariums,  West Elm

Inspired: Alice Pasquini

Alice Pasquini's urban art is bold, bright, and stunning. A splash of color in acrylic and spray paint on a grey wall in the midst of a bustling city catches the eye and brings life to a space that was empty before. The scale, depth, and detail of her work speaks to her talent in capturing emotion and evoking feeling in the audience of the everyday viewer, who might catch a glimpse of a portrait on a daily commute, trip to the store, or walk around the block. Pasquini writes: 

"I create art about people and their relationships, I'm interested in representing human feelings and exploring different points of view. I especially like to depict strong and independant women"

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from her work:

All images belong to Alice Pasquini

Inspired: Anna Aden

Anna Aden's photography is highly evocative and beautifully composed. A carefully-paced hand, a sweeping vista, a pause before a moment's breath-- the best photographs induce a sort of stillness, a curiosity, and a sense of near intrusion upon an intimate moment. These photographs from Aden's series, Autumn Fields, do just that. 

Anna Aden is a photographer based in Umea, Sweden. Her work has been featured in a number of publication. To see more of her wonderful photography, click here.

P.S. Check out her facebook page for more loveliness

Favorite Reading: Liz Climo

Liz Climo draws pretty hilarious animal comics. She also draws charming Halloween comics. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. (I love the hedgehogs!) Oh, and you can buy her prints at her Society6 shop!

Gangnam Style

Impala

How we roll

Super squirrel

All images belong to Liz Climo

Inspired: Melinda Beck

the objects in my house talk to me

I discovered these illustrations by Melinda Beck via Creature Comforts. And I love them.

The inanimate objects in my house tend to talk to me too. The plants don't though-- they just listen to me ramble on and on and on...

(P.S. all of these illustrations and more are for sale in her shop!)

Small Type

keys to places I use to live

They seemed like a good idea

run



All images belong to Melinda Beck

Inspired: Emma Leonard

about a girl

Emma Leonard is an illustrator based in Melbourne who draws ethereal and often melancholic pictures of lovely girls using a variety of mediums. I think I love her ink-and-watercolor illustrations best of all. There is something quite delicate and wistful about them. One almost expects a splash of color to whisper off the page on a slight breeze.

hold me

saffron

girl reading

a dream within a dream

All of these prints and illustrations and many more can be found in Emma Leonard's Etsy Shop

(She also has a lovely blog)

All images belong to Emma Leonard

Inspired: Joy St. Claire

This weekend, I had the chance to spend a few days in Prescott, AZ, and it was beautiful. The weather was cool and crisp, the night skies were clear and bright, and the leaves were just beginning to turn gold and crimson. It was a wonderful taste of fall that we often miss out on down here in the desert; and I spent it with the lovely women of Moxie, which meant we had lots of fun.

Anyways, all of the lovely autumn weather reminded me of Joy St. Claire's gorgeous fine art photography. St. Claire captures all sorts of still life and vignettes of natural landscapes around upper Midwest. Her use of light in her work often conveys a sense of nostalgia and gives her photographs a soft, dreamy aura.

Autumn Mist

Was it all a dream?

Golden Sunset Bokeh

I awoke to fog

Vintage Apple

Beauty with age

I dreamt of the beach

All of these prints and more can be bought in Joy St. Claire's Etsy Shop. 

Check out more of her photography on her website.