bridgetfarmerprints

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

ambrosiaarts

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

LinArt

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

Mattson

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

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

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

nydampress

Etsy shop: nydampress
listing: Bench
artist: Kate Nydam

asleeponatrain

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

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

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

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

BraidedLight

Etsy shop: BraidedLight
listing: Light Around the Corner

primpedpaperie

Etsy shop: primpedpaperie
listing: Orange Squid

Julzevi

Etsy shop: Julzevi
listing: Acrobat
artist: Julie Abrams

obsoleteworld

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

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

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

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

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

artquirk

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.