Etsy Art

BrandiDownham

2010-09-09T01:00:00.018-05:00

Etsy shop: BrandiDownham
listing: Things That We Remember
Artist: Brandi Downham
price as of this posting: $600

From the artist:

One of a series of 6 48x48 pieces, based on memory and gratitude. Each piece in this series has an individual narrative and statement.

From artist bio on Etsy:

Brandi Downham is a 2-D mixed media artist concentrating on memory and space. Determined to remember, Brandi uses a variety of painting and drawing techniques to document personal moments and recreate still spaces.

As the daughter and granddaughter to contractors, Brandi was often exposed to construction material. Inspired by architecture and structure, these elements are often incorporated in her work.
The tragic loss of her grandfather as a teenager fuels her determination to recreate memories and utilize architecture in her body of work.

Currently, Brandi is active in the local art community. She is co-founder of Gesture Studios in Bricktown Oklahoma

bobbyjoefontenot

2010-09-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: bobbyjoefontenot
listing: Empty Art Gallery - Original Watercolor Painting
price as of this posting: $75

razzart

2010-09-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: razzart
listing: 2 Bottles
artist: Brian Raszka
price as of this posting: $50

MishaCapecchi

2009-06-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: mishacapecchi
listing: Monster II

From the Item Description:

This is a one-of-a-kind hand colored etching, printed from a copper plate. This print is part of a series that I did of "monsters". The image is based on small scaled sculpture that I made primarily from found or reclaimed material. I then rendered the sculpture in a realistic and scientific manner, adding validity to this imagined sculpture. For this project I am interested in exploring the fuzzy boundaries that separate that which is imagined from that which is scientifically established as "true" and "real".

livefunky

2008-05-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: livefunky
listing: Mid Air
artist: Jessica Torrant

Jessica currently offers a huge body of work in her Etsy shop. There's a great deal of variety among the 200+ items. I selected "Mid Air" for this feature because it reminds me of Paul Klee, one of my favorite artists. Many of her paintings display a strong Cubist foundation. Others are abstract studies in color. Whatever the influence, all of Jessica's work has a creative sense of curiosity about it which makes viewing her work fun and enlifting.

Nthegroove

2008-05-21T17:43:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: Nthegroove
listing: Creation

From the Item Description:

Hand drawn and printed stone lithograph. Image size is 11" x 15" on quality mould made printmaking paper. This is one impression of an edition of 7. This image was done with liquid tusche on the stone. The detail of the tusche process is incredible.

Nthegroove is correct, original hand-pulled litho prints are incredibly detailed.

Jetsah

2008-05-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: Jetsah
listing: The Black Keys DC silkscreen poster
artist: Dan Grzeca

JessicaDoyle

2008-05-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: JessicaDoyle
listing: Intoxicating Blush
artist: Jessica Doyle

artatelier

2008-05-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: artatelier
listing: The Moon nr2
artist: Paulina Archambault

Paulina's paintings are reminiscent of some of Paul Klee's paintings. Klee is in my list of top 5 fav painters of all time.

cwysart

2008-05-13T09:09:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: cwysart
listing: original landscape painting
artist: Chad Wys

I'm an artist. I make my fair share of art. However, I have only purchased two pieces of art. This is one of those two.

It's a brillant landscape painting by Chad Wys. This painting has a great balance between abstract and realism. First let's look at its abstract qualities. The painting is divided into thirds which is a basic design principal for adding visual interest. The top two-thirds is a mix of blue, white and some green. The bottom third has a splash of blue cutting into a field of yellow-ish ocre. In between the two sections is a small, yet strikingly dominant slice of black.

So, I enjoy looking at this painting on a purley abstract level, then switching my brain and looking at it as a landscape complete with a lake, fields of gold, mountains in the distance in a partly cloudy sky with a very mysterious green substance floating about. All this for just $5 ($6.20 including shipping). AND IT'S THE ORIGINAL PAINTING. I get tired of seeing inkjet reproductions. It's nice to see a fellow artist selling original work for dirt cheap prices. Mega super kudos to Chad.

I even feel inspired now to paint similar abstract landscapes. The duality between realism and abstract is really intriguing.

davidvmoore

2008-05-12T12:38:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: davidvmoore
listing: Persuasion Print
artist: David V. Moore

EtsyArt.com took last week off. We're back up and running.

bobojunket

2008-05-01T18:45:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: bobojunket
listing: Abstract-Two
artist: Diana Grappasonno

clairejauregui

2008-04-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: clairejauregui
listing: Study 1.1 -- Graphite Drawing
artist: Claire Jauregui

zukzuk

2008-04-29T10:32:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: zukzuk
listing: Zukzuk Day in day out

From Zukzuk's Etsy Profile:

when i was reading a book to my son the other day, one of the characters, a wombat, said that he liked to think and he liked to dig. i guess that's a bit like me. i too like to think and to dig, especially come summer, but then digging snow in the winter is good too...

most of the time i'm pretty mesmerized by the world and by the people in it. the state we're all in today is a pretty stunning thing to contemplate if you have five minutes! when i'm not digging i love to spend as much time as possible near trees and to travel (my family is still wondering when i will find my way back home to new zealand). i like being involved in community activism, spending time on my own (rarely happens) and reading. i spend too much time in front of the computer and eat an inordinate amount of dark chocolate each day.

Justinkauff

2008-04-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: Justinkauff
listing: Upchuck
artist: Justin Kauff

colorpoetry

2008-04-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: colorpoetry
listing: Veils
artist: Martha Marshall

gypsyandtwink

2008-04-23T14:23:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: gypsyandtwink
listing: the owl and the pussy cat

From gypsyandtwink's Item Description:

the owl and the pussy cat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat.....

a lttle wooden owl and a little wooden cat sit in their little boat, off to dance by the light of the moon.

dougboehm

2008-04-22T12:44:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: dougboehm
listing: R and L New gods
artist: Doug Boehm

DesertCanyon

2008-04-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: DesertCanyon
listing: Anus Hummer

rburnettjr

2008-04-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: rburnettjr
listing: Spruce

rburnettjr's photos are clean, sharp, minimalist studies. Simple and pure.

dkim

2008-04-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: dkim
listing: I Kept Missing Your Train
artist: DKim

From DKim's blog:

DKim was born in Seoul, Korea. While pursuing a tiger cub through the forest she accidentally found herself pursuing it to Mexico at the age of two. While there she was trained in pitfighting and archery with only meagre hunks of carne asada her pithy reward. From there she was squired under cover of darkness to the U.S. of A. Hidden in a place far from prying eyes who would discover her destiny, her training began in earnest in the suburbs. Unbeknownst to DKim, her mentors cunning contrivance birthed within her a sense of forlorn wanderlust and burning desire to escape these environs. From there she journeyed to New York – her cover story being attendance at Pratt. She continues to reside in Brooklyn, preparing for the day when her magisterial techniques and martial disciplines are unleashed.

chantaldefelice

2008-04-14T20:32:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: chantaldefelice
listing: Chinatown, San Francisco
artist: Chantal deFelice

murphymae

2008-04-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: murphymae
listing: MISSING MARSHMALLOWS
artist: Murphy Adams

Murphy's paintings are abound with life and personality. Each painting tells a story and "Missing Marshmallows" is a great example of that. Here's Murphy's Item Description:

The last time I went camping the raccoons had alot of nerve. The minute the sun would start to set they'd invade our campsite and start tearing into whatever they could get their little paws on. Marshmallows were a favorite. If you caught them occasionally they'd give you a guilty look, but more often than not they'd just saunter off with your s'mores makings in hand.

I also selected "Missing Marshmallows" for the quizzical look on the raccoon. He either looks a bit guilty or a very mischievous. The circles around the person's eyes match the circles around the raccoon's eyes. That's intriguing. What's more intriguing is the pink bus.

From Murphy's bio:

My small narrative paintings are mostly about my observations of daily life. I keep a sketchbook with me to quickly capture things around me that I find funny, awkward or beautiful. Sometimes friends, sometimes strangers, sometimes stuff right out of my head, my favorite paintings are often about the most mundane things. I then translate my drawings into small naive paintings in acrylic and ink on heavy watercolor paper. I use both hands to draw and paint with; drawing with my left gives me the loose feeling I’m looking for. Because color and texture are integral to my work, I create by using multiple layers of jewel tone color combined with matte medium and ink.

parkerart

2008-04-10T20:55:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: parkerart
listing: Shaman Rising on a Storm
artist: Harvey Parker

DearDodo

2008-04-09T14:18:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: DearDodo
listing: Drawings from the Dream Book - Nr. 3

amberalexander

2008-04-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: amberalexander
listing: Mall Hair

HomeStudio

2008-04-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: HomeStudio
listing: No. 0833 Seascape
artist: Mark Mc Cune

artgirlrachel

2008-04-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: artgirlrachel
listing: Urban Landscape

In today's age of digital art, I like to fully support intaglio printmaking artists such as artgirlrachel.

moonswallow

2008-04-02T23:33:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: moonswallow
listing: Find Your Own Way Original
artist: Brianna Lamar

janevermeer

2008-04-01T23:36:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: janevermeer
listing: Woodz Series - 6
artist: Dawn Walsh

bridgetfarmerprints

2008-03-31T20:37:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: bridgetfarmerprints
listing: Man and Dog Sepia Drypoint Etching
artist: Bridget Farmer

ambrosiaarts

2008-03-28T20:59:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: ambrosiaarts
listing: I WANT YOU
artist: Bonnie G. Morrow

LinArt

2008-03-27T23:23:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: LinArt
listing: Rip Current
artist: Lin Jian

Mattson

2008-03-26T23:21:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: Mattson
listing: Smartee and Lolly
artist: Mark Mattson

Mark's painting style has certain characteristics that plays well with the personalities given to these inanimate objects through the simple, subdued means of two black dots for eyes. Its those simple black dots for eyes that give this painting a great persona. The objects don't scream, "look at me! I'm a cartoon character." It's more unassuming and mysterious which gives this duo greater depth.

reconstruct

2008-03-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: reconstruct
listing: Egalitarianism

From reconstruct's Etsy Description:

e·gal·i·tar·i·an [i-gal-i-tair-ee-uhn]
–adjective
1. asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, esp. in political, economic, or social life.

rigels

2008-03-24T23:19:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: rigels
listing: Sailing 3
artist: Rigel Sauri

nydampress

2008-03-21T09:12:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: nydampress
listing: Bench
artist: Kate Nydam

asleeponatrain

2008-03-19T20:45:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: asleeponatrain
listing: descending
artist: caleb

I really like this series. "asleep on a train" is a journalistic study of urban life. The raw drawing style is raw and honest, as is the medium of ball point pen and roughed up notebook paper. And of course there's the subject matter of every day folks catching a much-needed snooze on the train or bus. The stories behind the those people are mysterious and unending. Kudos to caleb for catching these moments.

So far this blog has featured 47 artists. I'm surprised that New York has not been represented until this post. I think caleb's "asleep on a train" is a great way to introduce New York to etsyart.com.

BestArtStudios

2008-03-18T21:57:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: BestArtStudios
listing: Reaching out to a brighter day
artist: Jaime

It's back-to-back etsyart.com posts featuring trees with personality.

paintingwell

2008-03-17T12:01:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: paintingwell
listing: Gray Atmosphere

From paintingwell's Etsy item Description:

This is one of a series of "two trees". The theme of the paintings runs a wide gamut exploring the relationship of simple subjects within a given space. You are invited to imagine, or to identify some significance within the painting. Or, just enjoy the visceral quality of color and oil paint. It's luscious.

These two trees' physically close placement is further emphasized by the open, vacant space that surrounds them. I'm curious why these trees are so close. By comparing their size, it can be suggested that they were planted at the same time. However, the right tree is slightly higher than its neighbor. And the "body language" of the trees suggest that the right-side tree is stretching itself proudly as to say, "I'm the superior tree". The tree on the left is worn and tired from such competitive behavior and is relaxing its trunk a bit. The left-side tree knows some day that it will be taller because it has a bigger trunk at its base. Then the right-side tree will be put in its place. Beware, right-side tree. Your day of reckoning is coming.

sugarbowlartco

2008-03-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: sugarbowlartcompany
listing: january 23
artist: Abby Wagner

BraidedLight

2008-03-13T23:26:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: BraidedLight
listing: Light Around the Corner

primpedpaperie

2008-03-12T10:29:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: primpedpaperie
listing: Orange Squid

Julzevi

2008-03-11T20:08:00.001-05:00

Etsy shop: Julzevi
listing: Acrobat
artist: Julie Abrams

obsoleteworld

2008-03-10T23:26:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop: obsoleteworld
listing: Forgetting The Sky
artist: Jeannie Lynn Paske

obsoleteworld's Etsy bio is the most elegant I have seen:

There is a world tucked away behind this one.
An old world made up of endless fields,
distant hills and timeworn cliffs.
A place where the sun is always setting.
A land in which extinct
slow-moving monsters and
elegant gentle-faced creatures
of all shapes and sizes reside.
Delicately balancing their hope with despair.
Reminiscent of long departed dreams
and uncollected thoughts.
Time stands still here
so as to let the residents gaze
in solitude
upon the vast
richly textured skies.
Forever in search of a place
to better sit and watch
their world pass them by.

Jeannie's watercolors are introspective, soulful visions into a sublime, melancholy world. Just read the titles of the pieces in her Etsy shop which are full of enchantment and wonder: "Magnificent Stories Grow Out of the Shadows", "Beyond The Faint Glow Of A Tired Sky", "Ships Glide Over Newly Created Seas", "Life Through Bombardment" are just a small taste.

"Forgetting The Sky" was chosen for this feature because of its curious story. On a crookedly aged naked branch of a billowing, full, welcoming green tree sits a singular bird. The bird's attention is fixed on a collection of flying creatures fading into the far distance. There's many ways the perched bird's expression can be interpreted: curiousness, resentment, anticipation. Has this bird been fixed on the other birds' departure for an expanded time? Or has the bird just noticed the scene? Why is the bird alone? Was it abandoned? Or did it abandon the other birds? Or perhaps it simply was just time for this bird's companions to leave. So many interesting questions arise from such a strikingly simple, yet visually rich scene.

art is 3 letters

2008-03-07T08:35:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: artis3letters
listing: West Virginia on a Stick No. 2
artist: Erik Maldre

I hadn't planned on profiling one of my paintings, but I have been fortunate enough to have my "West Virginia on a Stick" painting featured in the Etsy Storque Spotlight! Many thanks to mermaidclaire for writing the Spotlight article.

Here's my artist statment on the Maps on a Stick series:

There's a duality of represented realities in this series. The first such representational interpretation is that of maps. A single line deviates from the area of land illustrated by the respective form. Such a line implies a border line, road or any number of symbolic attributes associated with maps.

This series is painted in a manner suggesting antique surfaces. Such embellishments lends a sense of history to the series evoking notions of time's past assumptive sense of reality defined by inaccurate measuring resulting in fallacious definitions thus giving the oddly singular, yet curiously charming, line a further sense of invalidity.

The second reality is clearly defined by the title of each piece. "'Region' on a Stick No. 'X'" perpetuates beyond the representational notions of a map by suggesting that the represented region is a physical object unto itself. Ironically enough, the duality of representation comes full circle for the suggested physical object is still a representation of such due to its physically painted nature.

RansomStone

2008-03-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: RansomStone
listing: the fish and the trousers

RansomStone's ink and digital illustrations are curious surreal juxtapositions. All are clever and playful. The subtle body language in each piece gives this series depth. The awkward stance of the trousers in "the fish and the trousers" adds a true human element. "the fish and the trousers" is an especially mature work given the sense of depth implied by the steaming car in the distance. And how about that steam? It ties in nicely with the sweeping scales of the fish. What does it all mean? That's up to you to decide.

Leannegraeff

2008-03-05T21:16:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: Leannegraeff
listing: The Barn Out Back - Original Linoleum Print
artist: Leanne Graeff

From Leanne's Etsy Bio:

I have always loved – pattern and color. I really found my medium in graduate school at RISD- where I began to create images through hand screen-printing.
I enjoy the process of developing a pattern. My inspiration comes from found objects - usually worn by time - and nature. I do sketch – but usually find that painting the story down is more fun.

And now that I have had a couple of months to try to work out my creative muscles - I have re-discovered linoleum block printing. The House Series, that I stared in December has been very satisfying. I have been enjoying the process of hand printing - and capturing the personalities of the homes around me. I am happy to say that I have also started to take commissions for custom "house portraits".

It's evident in Leanne's house portraits that she enjoys her work. The lino prints have warm, welcoming personalities presented in a crisp, beautifully graphical technique.

hanswilson

2008-03-04T22:51:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: hanswilson
listing: ACEO Original Hand-painted Abstract Symbol

artquirk

2008-03-03T08:31:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: artquirk
listing: Three Brothers (original)
artist: Nina Clough

Nina Clough's gouache and ink paintings captures a wonderful spirit found in Europe. There's a lively whimsical charm that echoes throughout the historical urban settings. It's fun to explore all the different European settings she paints. However, I have a personal bias towards her Latvian paintings due to my Estonian heritage. The listing chosen for this post is from Riga, the capital of Latvia.

MultiPolar

2008-02-29T08:43:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: MultiPolar
listing: ITS OK
artist: Sighn

The Etsy shop, MultiPolar, is run by MultiPolar Projects, a loosely collaborative collective who represents various artists in Chicago.

"ITS OK" is a hand-cut sculpture which is a "limited" edition series of 1 million. The phrase "it's ok" has a universal appeal that can refer to countless things which ties in perfectly to the massive scale of this edition. The artist, Sighn, provides some great insight in this video.

Here's a transcript of the video:

I wanted to make sure that whatever phrase I picked I would want to cut out and repeat a million times. So I was careful of what phrase I picked out and really felt that "it's ok" was the perfect mantra to repeat over and over again.

One of the reasons for working on this project was to use up all the scrap pieces from larger projects and all the found materials that have been building up in my studio. The first 500 are really out of an interesting array of all sorts of different types of wood that have come through my life in the last 5 to 10 years. There's quite a bit of prep work before cutting the piece as far as pulling together all the materials and cutting them all to the same general size.

So as a completely entire edition, I've begun to standardize the process. I took the original and had it photocopied to create a template for the project. All the copies are placed on a piece of paper stuck to the wood. Even though there is a template, each piece is hand-cut creating a unique piece in and of itself. The actual cutting of the piece itself is quite therapeutic doing the same thing over and over again.

The most exciting part in the entire process is when you're able to remove the positive from the negative. And then it actually finally exists. All that hard work is worth it.

I keep all the reverse pieces for authenticity as well as keeping a record for myself to prove to me that I actually did it. So it's my physical record for myself. And when the entire edition is complete, I'd like to show them all together. A million times. It's OK.

Even though I'm cutting out so many of these, I'm very careful to make sure that they'll still refined. Each piece comes with a hand-numbered card explaining a little bit more about the project. I really enjoy the close to impossible challenge that this project creates. This project will definitely grow old with me because it will probably take my entire life to create.

hisss

2008-02-28T20:30:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: hisss
listing: Charles

From the Etsy Description:

This is Charles. He is stern, reclusive, and enjoys a good cigar. His favorite subjects are geology and biology. His favorite animals are mockingbirds and turtles. Is anybody catching on?

Hi, Charles.

MSArt

2008-02-27T20:56:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: MSArt
listing: Dirt Road
artist: Melanie Plummer

Melanie Plummer is a digital painter whose works possess a surreal sense of fluidity. It's surreal because of the duality between digital and reality. The paintings have a strong sense of highly glossed polish that suggests a digital realm. At the same time, the way that she shapes her paintings strongly suggests a human painterly movement and weight.

"Dirt Road" is a great example of her mastered techniques in Fluid Surrealism. It's abstract in its pure visual forms with oozing and dripping shapes streaking across a velvet-like surface. Yet it's also a depiction of a landscape which offers another level of Surrealism. It's a co-existence of representing reality and simplified abstract decadence.

gogokittenart

2008-02-26T16:50:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: gogokittenart
listing: ORIGINAL INK DRAWING Circle 5

gogokittenart offers original drawings unique to Etsy. They are highly detailed original drawings featuring repetitive black and white forms. She used a rapidograph for these drawings. Ah, the good ol' Rapidograph. In today's digital age, it's great to see artists committed to the Rapidograph.

printsdrawings

2008-02-25T20:31:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: printsdrawings
listing: Woodcut
artist: unknown

"Woodcut" is a sophisticated study into the physical attributes of a wood plank and man's role in such. The imagery of wood grain is the result of mankind's involvement in handling this form of nature. To see wood grain, the wood must first be sawed. "Woodcut" investigates this relationship between man and nature.

Shown in "Woodcut" is a print taken from a milled slice of wood displaying the natural wood grain. This is "over-laid with original hard ground etching in black" as the artist states. This hard ground etching interprets the visual properties of the wood grain and it's quite a refined study.

In addition to mimicking the repetitive qualities of wood grain, there's a sort of structured human elements within. I offer two interpretations. 1: The bottom of the print is reminiscent of a two story structure with various pillars speaking to wood's role in architecture. 2: The vertical forms also say "bookshelves" to me which ties perfectly into the wood theme because books are made of paper.

margins

2008-02-23T21:35:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: margins
listing: Language Barrier
artist: Evalynn

The recognizable image of a telephone in "Language Barrier" on the medium of a Japanese-English dictionary are decisive tools to symbolize the communication gap exisiting throughout the world. The use of a vintage telephone speaks to this gap's long existence.

By allowing ample space around the phone silhouette, it leaves that space open exploration whether it's by simply enjoying the translucent nature of the red paint or to represent the environment around the phone as it may show the eager anticipation to answer the phone; which brings up a good point. The phone is not being used. What use is it to use a phone to speak to a person who knows only Japanese when you only know English? In the end, the phone remains unused and there's no communication being made and worlds are closed off. Damn, that's symbolic.

Andrzejewski

2008-02-21T22:02:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: Andrzejewski
listing: Hungry Monkey
artist: Christine Andrzejewski

It's back-to-back monkey profiles on etsyart.com. "Hungry Monkey" is an original, one-off artwork from a series called "Wild Animals". In addition to a monkey raiding the fridge there's a leopard jamming to a vintage tape player, a bear behind a classic video camera, and other various creatures. A wild bunch indeed.

archdelineator

2008-02-20T20:55:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: archdelineator
listing: Champion Chimp
artist: Zack Raithel

I felt inclined to do a little monkey safari on Etsy. It's about time etsyart.com featured a monkey. I was expecting to find cutesy, goofy monkeys jumping about. And I did. However, I stumbled across a mature, sombering gorilla painted by Zack Raithel.

The title "Champion Chimp" is intriguing for this ape's lugubrious state. What makes this Chimp a champion? It's hard to avoid the notion of the red splattered spray paint representing blood. Perhaps this loathing gorilla is chilling from a flagrant confrontation with a lesser male. Or perhaps I'm being too judgmental. Maybe he's a gentle introspective giant whose heart was broken by his mate. I'm glad to find such a mysterious primate on Etsy.

EricFreitas

2008-02-19T22:38:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: EricFreitas
listing: Quartz No.1
artist: Eric Freitas

Eric's Etsy bio frames his work well:

I'm an artist who ambitiously dove into the dying realm of clockmaking to execute an idea, and show a slice of a world I wish existed- a dark, decaying hyper mechanistic world where gears are grown, machines have souls, and even something as logical and precise as a clock can be compromised by ungoverned subconscious thought.

Be sure to check out the details of "Quartz No.1". They are excruciatingly superlative.

bluesunlight

2008-02-18T18:04:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: bluesunlight
listing: aopaceo023
artist: Bluesunlight

Bluesunlight's aopaceo (acrylic on paper ACEO) paintings capture a moment of strong, aggressive exertion. Rendered as a visual carving of space against an empty, sterile white field, it's important to recall such dynamic forms slash about in a delicate 2.5 x 3.5" arena.

All at once these paintings are purposeful, yet natural. Bluesunlight's Etsy bio states, "So far these works are being generated using acrylic paint and fine gauge steel wire rolled, pushed, pulled, and slid horizontally across the page." So incidental elements of nature help develop details within the work while strong elements of control are clearly defined in the overall shapes.

I choose "aopaceo023" for this feature because I enjoyed it's architectural elements. Sure enough Bluesunlight works at an architectural firm by day. Ha. In fact, all his paintings have certain architectural undertones complemented by vigorous juts and swooshes of liquid paint.

TinyArtbyJMullin

2008-02-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

Etsy shop: TinyArtbyJMullin
listing: Diminutive Improv - Tiny Original Watercolor
artist: J. Mullin

I have to admit that when I saw the title for today's EtsyArt.com feature that I didn't know what "diminutive" meant. dictionary.com defines "diminutive" as "small; little; tiny". That makes sense since J. Mullin's etsy shop is called "TinyArtbyJMullin". And get a load of this. "Diminutive Improv" is only 1.5 x 2.25". Did Picasso ever make a painting that small? I don't think so.

I mention the uber-famous Spainish painter because Mullin's work is post-Cubist. There's some interpretation of three-dimensional subject matter in the painting. In the sorta-center of the painting is a profile of a face. However, "Diminutive Improv" breaks away from Cubism in that it doesn't offer different vantage points of the same subject matter. Instead there's a collection of graphical shapes merging together, some iconic such as hearts and others purely graphical such as swirls and jagged shapes. As a result, "Diminutive Improv" has countless fun nooks and crannies from which to explore; all jammed into a diminutive 1.5" x 2.25" space.

artstudio

2008-02-14T20:58:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: artstudio
listing: Paris Reflections
artist: Marie Louise Eriksen

"Paris Reflections" offers different observations into the culture of Paris.

The color palette is quite sophisticated. The turquoise looks great with the dark brown. It speaks to the prevailing intellect of Paris. The colors also dance about on the surface in a vibrant fashion reflecting Paris' liveliness.

I'm curious about the use of an English newspaper as the substrate. It harkens to the 20th century development of the United States becoming the world leader in great abstract artists. This painting tells us that Paris pays homage to those great American artists. (At least that's how I interpret it.)

konyskiw

2008-02-13T17:32:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: konyskiw
listing: Earth Tones
artist: Kim Onyskiw

Kim's Etsy bio states: "I like acrylic paints, I like stripes, and I like painting lots of little animals on them." Her etsy shop features many cartoon paintings of animals, but her abstract stripe painting is the focus of this feature.

The soft, blurry background contrasts well with the solid, parallel geometric bars. These elements are fused together by the monochromatic color palette with a focal touch of gold which adds another elemental dimension.

Any sort of association can be developed from this series. Candy bars? Skyscrapers? Fashionable robots?

casagalleria

2008-02-12T10:09:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: casagalleria
listing: Humble flower
artist: Katie Alleva

Katie is brand spankin' new to Etsy. I enjoy giving exposure to excellent artists who are new to Etsy. Since the inception of this blog three weeks ago, I have profiled several new Etsyians including lesbusstudio, nayarts, BergmansBear, phraser, littlehalfhead, polaroidsandpinholes, finalapproach, and louisartworld. Now I can add Katie Alleva's casagalleria shop to that great list.

Katie's shop features delicate collages depicting organic forms in basic geometrical forms. The modest size of the pieces lend a personable touch which compliments the discreet and friendly subject matter portrayed in simple, unobtrusive forms resulting in a timeless, serene series.

From Katie's Shop Announcement and bio:

My name is Katie Alleva. I live in Australia and I have been in love with all things beautiful and arty for as long as I can remember!!!! My aim is to make art with integrity and with my heart.
The name Casa Galleria came from the idea of opening up my house as a gallery so I could exhibit without all the red-tape, commissions and consignments that commercial art galleries live by. I have Italian heritage so I was inspired to change 'House Gallery' to 'Casa Galleria.'

She has a couple photos of her home studio at her blogspot site. It's always interesting to see active studios.

lebusstudio

2008-02-11T12:17:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: lebusstudio
listing: CENTER OF CHAOS
artist: Cinda LeBus

From Cinda's Description for this listing:

CENTER OF CHAOS, by artist Cinda LeBus, is a digitally-rendered art print in vibrant warm tones. This stunning fractal image explores the false-dichotomy of order and chaos; the unpredictable path of the unknown merging with the absolute truth of stability and harmony in all things. This piece is an artistic interpretation of an archetype that is universal.

I like having Cinda's work follow Friday's feature of Las Vegas' Nay. It's quite a contrast. Though interestingly enough, both featured pieces from Cinda and Nay coincidentally have the same color palette.

NayArts

2008-02-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: NayArts
listing: WE JUST FIRED HIM
artist: Nay

Outsider Artist, Nay, from Las Vegas, sounds like a fun and interesting person to have lunch with. Nay's word paintings are based on his experiences in life whether it's his personal thoughts or things he hears from friends or passersby.

I did a similar series a couple years ago on playing cards with a hole-punched moose speaking different thoughts. Seeing Nay's work makes me want to continue this autobiographical/biographical series.

Nay's word paintings are best viewed as a collective whole. The more paintings you look at, the more you can crawl into Nay's mind and see what's going on. It's a fun ride. I find it hopelessly addicting not only looking at each painting, but reading extra insight provided in the Description field. "WE JUST FIRED HIM" is a good example of his curious side. Here's what Nay has to say about this painting:

This little gem comes from my mind. One day while shopping at my fave store I asked Hey, why don't you have the bread I like most? They responded "we just fired our bakery manager for drinkin on the job"- so that's what it means to me.

Other paintings are quite philosophical including, "TOO MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE A PROXY FOR GOD" and "SET YOURSELF BACK TO ZERO". While other paintings push conventional thinking and are easily offensive. But that's part of the value of Nay's art. It makes us think about things.

Nay's style of painting is quick and energetic. This matches the expressive nature of the statements themselves. He has a lot of thoughts running through his head and needs to get them down on canvas in a quick manner.

It's great to see a wide range of ideas in Nay's paintings from gutsy and gritty to introspective to playful. It's a dynamic range that makes the whole of Nay's work a delight to experience.

BergmansBear

2008-02-07T09:12:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: BergmansBear
listing: The Folding Field (oil on canvas, 12x9)
artist: Carrie Bergman

Upon first viewing Carrie Bergman's "The Folding Field", it's clear this is no ordinary landscape. Mysterious spike forms gather below an even more mysterious architectural form resembling a house or barn hovering in an ominously, yet active gray sky.

Carrie Bergman's Etsy Description for "The Folding Field" expands on the story:

This is a place where the land is bored with being flat. It wants to stretch up into the sky. The sky also wants to be closer to the land; it is forming a shape of a house or tent to shelter the little land-spikes. The severe shape of the land-spikes looks unnatural, but after making this painting I learned that there are undersea mountains (seamounts) shaped like this.

This relationship between land and sky is seen in her other paintings. Some scenes are tranquil. Others share similar enigmatic settings with "The Folding Field". I was tempted to feature one of Carrie's circle paintings. That series is rich in symbolism, but I will save that feature for another day.

phraser

2008-02-06T09:02:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: phraser
listing: Louis Armstrong candid portrait in two tone wood
artist: Drake

Drake's etsy shop, phraser, currently features three unique portraits on oak plywood. I am very impressed by the technique used on all three. Each portrait is "done on high quality oak ply, stained with a gun stock base coat and then a mahogany top coat for all of the dark areas," as described by Drake. I've tried doing something very similar in the past by "painting" stain onto various woods to create high contrast graphic portrait. I failed miserably. The stain bleeds like mad even if you use strong tape as a masking agent. I don't know what gun stock base is, but it does a great job. I'm happy to see someone make this technique work.

The feature of this blog post is Drake's "Louis Armstrong candid portrait in two tone wood". There's an ample amount of compelling things going on in this painting. (Yes, I call it a painting because he painted on the stain.) There's a great sense of depth in this portrait which is a nice visual play because of the high contrast imagery and simplified color palette. The seat of the chair against the wall is crucial in defining the depth.

The chair also serves an excellent background from which to define Armstrong's trumpet. I'd love to see tighter details of the trumpet area. I'm just amazed at how much detail Drake was able to attain with this staining technique.

Whether intentionally done or not, the background is partially defined by a wall which speaks to the use of oak plywood. It's subtly implied that the wall is made of oak.

And the most alluring aspect of this painting is the reflection in the mirror of Armstrong. It allows us to see two interesting portraits. The first is the large, dominant portrait of Armstrong on the left with its sharp details defined by open light. The other is smaller, subdued, mysterious mirror image bathed in darkness.

leeluandpiggy

2008-02-05T09:03:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: leeluandpiggy
listing: whipped
artist: Amy

Amy's paintings are tightly cropped realist studies which echo the early work of James Rosenquist. He was one of the leaders of the Pop Art movement in the 1960s. Amy and Rosenquist share the same slick, almost airbrushed painting style. Both artists also paint their subject matter in a tightly cropped manner focusing on certain details which results in a strong, graphically appealing image.

Rosenquist and Amy differ in that Rosenquist infused many images together on an enormously large scale often resulting in social commentary. Based on Amy's shop items, she prefers to keep the paintings intimate in size while focusing on a singular image. If you like the cherry painting shown above, then be sure to check out her donut paintings. She did a great job of capturing the lustrous glaze.

littlehalfhead

2008-02-04T08:55:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: littlehalfhead
listing: Sinking-Original Artwork
artist: unknown

littlehalfhead sells monochromatic surrealistic original pen and ink drawings. My favorite of his current batch on etsy is "Sinking", because it's the most mysterious from my perspective. The horizon defines the representation of an environment setting suggesting the two spiraling forms are objects. Yet, there's a delicate vertical line dividing the space perhaps eluding to a before and after further puncuating the title, "Sinking" suggests that the form is, well sinking somehow. What the form exactly is and why it's sinking is up to the viewer to decide and I love that. It's a very curious work that I enjoy contemplating.

Other works in littlehalfhead's shop include menacing, yet exquisite insects, mechanical little half heads (reference to the etsy shop name), and chairs with mammothly lanky legs. All of which have a whispering minimalistic quality that is a nice contrast to the crazy, surreal subject matter.

polaroidsandpinholes

2008-02-01T16:10:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: polaroidsandpinholes
listing: Marble motion no. 2 10x8 print
artist: Rowena Dugdale

PHOTOGRAMS! PHOTOGRAMS! PHOTOGRAMS! I love photograms and Rowena Dugdale does great justice for this artform from the darkroom. What's a photogram you ask? Rowena explains it well in her Etsy bio:

For the darkroom work, objects are placed onto photographic paper and exposed with light. It's an intensive, dark, claustrophobic and chemical working method but I love the physical and tactile way of working in contrast to the clean, dry and somewhat detached digital process sitting in front of my mac. Like the delicious static on a vinyl record, any dust specks, light leaks, torn edges or quirks are an integral and honest part of the process and character of this body of work and have been deliberately left in rather than airbrushed out.

Both Man Ray and László Moholy-Nagy, independent of each other, pioneered this field of cameraless photography in the 1920s. Man Ray self-absorbingly preferred to call the medium "rayographs" while Moholy-Nagy preferred the name "photogram". Moholy-Nagy is one of my favorite artists of all time. There have been many artists throughout time that have changed the way we look at light. Some of the artists on that short list include Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, and László Moholy-Nagy.

Rowena Dugdale proudly continues the experimental spirit left by Moholy-Nagy. She pushes the medium in new directions. Her marble photograms demonstrate this by "introducing movement into the static environment of the traditional photogram process", as Dugdale explains in the Etsy Description of the photogram shown above. Visit her website, polaroidsandpinholes.com and you'll more imaginative images including photographs from a Pringles tube she rigged. Simply brillant.

Her prints are filled with enchanting mystery and endless creative spirit. polaroidsandpinholes is a true asset of the Etsy community. Etsy needs more artists like Rowena Dugdale.

sweetjuniper

2008-01-31T12:22:00.001-06:00

etsy shop: sweetjuniper
listing: Mies van der Rohe, Lafayette Tower West (8x10)
artist: Jim

Jim's photograph of Lafayette Tower West captures the striking simplicity of Mie van der Rohe's architecture while demonstrating the subtle unique characteristics of each individual window while maintaining a consistent color palette throughout the repetition of grid-based windows. That was a really long sentence.

Info on the The Mies van der Rohe Residential District from which Lafayette Tower West is a part (via nps.gov):

The Mies van der Rohe Residential District is both an outstanding example of Modernist architecture and one of America's most successful post-World War II urban redevelopment projects... The buildings reflect classic elements of Miesian design: steel skeleton frames that made no attempt to hide the building's structure, aluminum and glass skins, and open interiors that created a feeling of spaciousness. While the success of their work can be measured by the praise it has received over the years--one observer called it "the most spatially successful and socially significant statement in urban renewal"

sweetjuniper's esty shop features a small collection of photos taken in the urban setting of Detroit. If you like what you see in Jim's etsy shop, then check out his Detroit flickr photos. He accepts orders of photos from his flickr collection.

I love the intensive list of inspiration found at sweetjuniper.org. I counted 313 items in the list. Among my favorite are museum guards (of which I once was), ring-a-ding-dingers, and anyone who worked on those alaskan salmon boats.

lotsa

2008-01-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: lotsa
listing: Dirty Clean Soap - Original Painting
artist: Liz Clay

Liz Clay's etsy shop currently offers 27 paintings for sale. All of which are studies of bottles. It's intriguing to contemplate the full range of all these paintings. They share similar foundations in their subject matter and style, yet each painting is clearly unique unto itself through varying use of layout and colors. Her paintings are excellent examples of the fundamental design and art properties of layout, repetition, variety and color theory.

I find myself first looking at the arrangement of the bottles. All her paintings feature different layouts that keeps each painting fresh. In the example shown above there's a horizon line (or "reflecting line" as described by Liz) defined by the bottles. Above the horizon line, the bottles are upright. Below the horizon line the bottles are facing downward. Simple, clean approachable layouts are commonplace in all her paintings. And simple layouts are the core for great design. Liz establishes a solid foundation of clean design from which she is able to elaborate further through the use of repetition.

Do a google search on "repetition in design" and you'll find countless pages detailing the many benefits. Liz maximizes these qualities by keeping her focus on the bottle as subject matter and presenting in them in simple layouts and with a color palettes that share a similar sense of simplicity.

Look through all her paintings and you'll see the color palette is always simple. If the color palette was complex, it would overpower the harmony found in the layout and repetition.

Finally, variety is found in the bottles themselves. No two bottles are the same. Each one is inherently different. It's not only fun to look at the overall layout of the painting, but it's equally entertaining to study each individual bottle. It' like having dozens of tiny paintings in one painting.

Liz Clay's paintings are interesting studies in the art of painting and are excellent examples in the vocabulary of design.

beastlies

2008-01-29T08:54:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: Beastlies
listing: Otis the Beastlie
artist: Leslie

From the item description:

Otis says, "BLAAAAAARGGH." And he doesn't say much else, really. But once you get to know him, you can tell with reasonable accuracy what he means just by the inflections he puts into it. It's a bit odd, but it works.

And he's pretty nice, too.

I'm rather impressed that these curious, original, one-of-a-kind creatures sell for between 12 and 15 dollars and 5 dollars shipping.

ryanstudio

2008-01-28T08:51:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: ryanstudio
listing: Powdered Donut, Original Daily oil Painting a Day
artist: Abbey Ryan

Hungry for art? Try Abbey Ryan's "Powdered Donut". Abbey Ryan is a celebrated "painting a day" artist. Her etsy shop features a solid collection of still life paintings.

Her painting style is similar to certain members of the Ash Can School including John Sloan and George Wesley Bellows. The Ash Can School movement started in 1908 and their techniques broke from traditional American art academies of the early 20th century by displaying evidence of the brushstrokes.

In Abbey's etsy shop you will find traditional subject matter including apples and peaches, but you'll also find oreo cookies, lollipops, chocolate wrappers, and of course donuts. I guess I have an affection for the sweet stuff.

michelleramin

2008-01-25T10:26:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: michelleramin
listing: Chocolate Landscape
artist: Michelle Ramin

Ok, honestly, I'm not doing this on purpose. I'm not specifically seeking out art from Portland. It's pure coincidence that 33% (3 out of 9) of the art features on this blog thus far feature art from that city. I think that says a lot about the great art community that resides in Portland. Artist Michelle Ramin expresses her inspiring love for Portland in her etsy bio:

Hello! My name is Michelle and am a Portland, Oregon artist. I grew up in the comfortable rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. About two years ago, I found myself wondering across the country in search of a creative muse. I came upon Portland and have yet to experience its equivalent anywhere else in the world. It's beautiful here! Every day I feel inspired and am constantly working on new and beautiful little pieces that reflect my every day environment.

A large majority of Michelle's etsy shop features landscape drawings. It's interesting to relate her love of Portland to her transcendental, otherworldly drawings. I call it quietly vibrant Surreal Pop. Consistently throughout, delicate horizontal lines shimmer across the horizon while crisp lines define the labyrinthine sky while falling from the sky. It's a uniquely curious exploration of the abundant natural beauty found in Oregon.

ejwarhus

2008-01-24T11:50:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: ejwarhus
listing: like cake (be sure to hit the zoom link below the image to see all the detail)
artist: Erika Warhus

Today's etsyart.com feature is a mixed media painting by Portland artist Erika Warhus. Just the other day etsyart.com featured fellow Portlander, Sarah Kamsler. I don't know what the city of Portland puts in its water, but it sure helps their artists produce interesting abstract art.

Erika's "like cake" can be enjoyed as purely abstract art with no subjective connections or as a representational painting as implied by the title, or better yet as both. Her painting blurs the line between abstract and reality. It that respect I am reminded of celebrated Abstract Expressionist icon, Willem de Kooning. The use of repeated forms and layering of colors and shapes are more themes in Erika's work that recall de Kooning. This loose abstract association allows the viewer to use their imagination to fill in the spaces to define representation.

Yet, the spirit of the Erika's work couldn't be more different that de Kooning. Where de Kooning's paintings express feelings of anger and angst, Erika's paintings denote a sense of explorative joy.

finalapproach

2008-01-22T21:24:00.000-06:00

etsy shop: finalapproach
listing: octopus
artist: a young couple from east tennessee

Wouldn't it be nice to have an octopus carry your luggage for you? That's can be hard to arrange so the next best thing is to have a kickin' painting of an octo on your luggage.

The color palette is sophisticated featuring soft blues and beiges with hints of black and white. The subtle curves of the case complements the flexures of the octopus. The composition of the sea beast is dynamic with the tentacle on the far left sloping upwards to the head with its far right tentacle ready to strike. This octopus is not to be messed with.

I came across the finalapproach etsy shop just as they opened their doors for business. They will be adding more items in the future. Be sure to check 'em out again to see what they have in store. If it's anywhere as slick as the octopus suitcase, then they'll certainly be a hit in the etsy community.

motowne

2008-01-22T09:18:00.000-06:00

etsy store: MoTowne
listing: original art
artist: Michael Richard Moses Towne Jr

Michael Richard Moses Towne Jr sounds like one interesting cat.

He has a fair amount of variety in his etsy shop from a painted animal skull (not for sale) to an Outsider-Artish-anguish-face painting to abstract, trippy, biomorphic paintings. It's the later that will be the focus here.

The tags for each of these paintings gives some great insight. Here's a taste: pop, funk, retro, mod modern, hip, surreal, blob, awesome, explosion, cupcake, glamour, dance floor, vans, vineyard, turkey, swirls, circles.

Each person will bring their own interpretation to the paintings, but I like the idea hinted by Micahel that they are exploding cupcakes.

sarahkamsler

2008-01-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

etsy store: sarahkamsler
listing: alternate channels
artist: Sarah Kamsler

Based in Portland, Oregon, Sarah Kamsler surely has some great inspiration and it's apparent in her paintings. Nature is prevalent throughout her work with trees often being the focal point.

Consistently throughout her work, Sarah's paintings have a certain playful, yet spiritual feel to them. It's a curiously equal combination of the two that's rarely seen in the art world and Kamsler makes it work. Art that attempts to fuse both elements of playful and spiritual often heavily lean towards one direction or another. It's this duality that causes me to reflect how her paintings came to this point.

Sarah paints her trees in a simple, yet profound iconic manner. They can be interpreted as trees or as arrows boldly pointing to the heavens.

The trees are seen doing different things within each environment. Sometimes they're grounded in the earth. Other times they dance about in the sky. It seems these trees, despite their iconic state, have different lively personalities.

Trees are an easy thing to overlook in our society. After all, we see them everywhere from parks to parking lots to street corners. In her paintings, Sarah Kamsler reminds us that trees and nature offer boundless reflections of the variety of all forms of life from environment nature to human nature.

constantdreamer

2008-01-18T12:55:00.000-06:00

etsy store: Constant Dreamer
listing: Giraffe Print
artist: Shaylind Standing

The first line in the "description" field of this etsy store item made me laugh, "This giraffe would probably eat that flower if he had a mouth." Funny, yet so sad. Judging from body language, the giraffe is quite interested in this unique flower that equals the height of the giraffe. Certainly, this giraffe rarely sees such a treat. The flower is painted in such a way that it's almost turning to the giraffe and saying, "I dare you to eat me. Ha! You can't!" This notion reaches to emotions of need, greed, desire through the playful interaction of a giraffe and a flower.

Visually, it's a smart composition following elements of the rule of thirds. And the rough background texture serves as an excellent contrast the simple geometric forms of the subject matter.

From Shaylind's etsy bio:

I have a BFA from the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am always exploring the connection between my formal art education and the art from my childhood. My work encompasses childlike simplicity on a more complex foundation.

When I'm not being the Mama or creating things, I'm probably reading or playing videogames (currently Oblivion and BioShock on XBox360 and Zelda Majora's Mask on GameCube).

It's cool how she lists the video games she plays.

yellowmoonstudio

2008-01-17T21:59:00.000-06:00

etsy store: yellowmoonstudio
listing: The Number of Grace
artist: Teresa

I never heard of the number 5 representing grace, so I did a little google search and came across the following, "Four is the number of the world. It represents man’s weakness and helplessness. But 4+1=5 is when Divine strength is added. We are made perfect in our weakness. ‘My Grace is sufficient for thee’".

This painting represents that statement well. The square has four sides. Rarely is a square shape seen in nature. It's a development of mankind thus further emphasizing the role of mankind in this equation. The singular shape next to the square is obviously the number "5", but it also is symbolic of the number "1" without directly pointing it out. Divine strength often works in a similar mysterious manner. The 5 (and 1) are directly to the right of the square thus representing the 4+1=5 equation.

Teresa is a fellow Illinoisian.

From Teresa's bio:

I've been painting for the past ten years. I have an admitted obsession for repetitive geometric shapes. I'm fascinated by color and segmented space. Add a pinch of minimalism, a dash of whimsy and you have - me, well, my abstract art anyway.

louisartworld

2008-01-17T20:20:00.000-06:00

etsy store: louisartworld
listing: Gone Fishing
artist: Louis Vuittonet

Louis' work follows a strong Outsider Art feel. I wonder what the white-hatted fisherman is fishing for. Certainly it's not crocodiles. That fishing pole can't withstand the weight of a croc. That fisherman is quite brave. I'm glad to see his right hand has a strong grip on the tree branch.

Seriously though, this painting has interesting use of perspective. The painting style is clearly flat. However, arrangement of the elements in the painting displays a unique depth of field. Look at the arrangement of the crocs, location of the fishing line in the water, placement of the tree and the fisherman.

Louis' bio:

Self-taught artist, been painting over forty years. My art work is in private collections in the U.S. and other countries. I paint what I feel at the moment, I hope you enjoy.

equivoque

2008-01-17T15:37:00.000-06:00

etsy store: equivoque.etsy.com
listing: each day we begin again
artist: Elinor Scott-Sutter

There's a great deal of fantastic art on etsy. It was difficult selecting the very first piece to be featured on etsyart.com until I came across this photograph by photographer/poet/Unix systems admin, Elinor Scott-Sutter. The title is appropriate: "each day we begin again". Among the current 32 items for sale in Elinor's etsy shop are about a dozen dynamically tranquil photographs of Lake Superior.

From Elinor's shop announcement:
I am not as much interested in photographing people, places, or things as I am in photographing light. Light is what interests me. It is what inspires me. After that, I am interested in the ways in which different media record those instances of light. Vintage and toy cameras used in combination with a variety of films are among the tools I love best, though I do enjoy working with digital cameras and Adobe Photoshop as well. My interest in Polaroid photography, however, easily eclipses my affinity to all other camera and media types