Wednesday, January 06, 2010

what art says when it speaks to us

in recent days, i've come across several artists on flickr whose work just totally blows me away. and what's a bit strange is that when you see the three i'm talking about, you'll wonder about me, because they're nothing like one another. but i'll try to explain what it is that thrills me about their work...all pictures are their own from flickr, so please follow the links and look at the rest of their photostreams if you're interested.

first, is UK artist sophie callaghan's amazing embroidered blanket. i can see on sophie's blog that she's about to move to the US and has a free shipping offer in her etsy shop, so be sure to check it out, she's got the cutest art dolls that i'm currently restraining myself from buying.

Blanket 1

i love so much about this, the mix of fabrics and stitching and found objects and techniques. looking at it makes me feel decidedly restrained, prim and proper in the embroidery i've been doing and makes me want to open up and be much more wild and free and imaginative. i need to loosen up!

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next up, intricate and detailed totems by south african artist robyn gordon - art propelled. i saw on her blog that her home and studio are filled with books, so it was an instant follow for me.

TOTEMS

what speaks to me here is both the wood and the typecase drawer quality they have. i am utterly charmed by the fact that they are filled with small objects. that appeals to my inner collector. here's a closer view of that typecase quality.

Photo montage

it feels like the kind of art you could go on looking and looking at and keep discovering something new.

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lastly, i stumbled onto the most whimsical little stools by wood and wool stool that are made of recycled wood and topped with little handmade crochet tops that are both old fashioned and extremely fresh and modern in equal measure. the artist is dutch and she blogs here.

stools for elke & jens

wood & wool stool shipping day

these appeal to me on so many levels. i love their simplicity. i love that they're made of recycled materials. i love that they have an old-fashioned handmade element that makes me think of my grandmother's piano bench. the entire look and feel of them is fresh and inviting and comforting and like a fresh breeze through a summer house. i'd love to capture such a feel in an entire room. but i suppose it means i'll have to have white walls.

why do you love the art you love?

7 comments:

Bee said...

They are all wonderful, but I really adore the stools! They remind me of my grandmother's afghans . . . but in a cool way.

Char said...

love the wrap and the stools....very cool.

and yay - I started my art journal today!

The Redhead Riter said...

Sometimes you just need to hear it... You are a beautiful woman, inside & out. You are an exquisite mother, who can make a way out of no way. YOU ARE A GREAT MOM !!! You are doing a fantastic job and are very loved!!!♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ post this on the blog of moms...Mom's who always put their kids first and who balance it all. I just did!

Elizabeth said...

Fell in love. Yes ofcourse with the blanket. Too bad Sophie didn't blog about the proces of making that blanket. The typecase is really drop gorgeous too. for me like a blanket in wood.
The stools I already know for some years and they remain cute no matter how often you look at them.
Art is just the best thing, so many layers, so many different ways to express, so many different views on during the process.

Hope you are feeling better this morning.

Trina Y. said...

wow cool stuff! Love it! I have never even thought of having a crochet cover for a stool!

et lille oejeblik - a little moment said...

i first saw those stools on ninainworm a while back. i loved those little wood christmas trees she also did this winter.

that wood work from robyn gordon is amazing. as you say, the typesetter tray look and feel is very appealing.

SE'LAH... said...

wonderful artsy pieces...they all speak to me.