My entry for Illustration Friday. "The Whiskers," Mixed Media, Acrylic and Ink on A4 Paper. Available for sale here.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
IF: Whiskers
My entry for Illustration Friday. "The Whiskers," Mixed Media, Acrylic and Ink on A4 Paper. Available for sale here.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Craigslist Cravings: Retro Chair for $35.
 |
| It's on casters, and you could always recover it. I really like the shape. Via Bloomington Indiana Craiglist. |
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Artistic Moment Of The Week: Portrait of a Man 1933.
 |
Karl Oskar Lööw, Fredhäll, Uppland, Swedenvia Flickr (Swedish National Heritage Board). Photograph by: Einar Erici. |
Monday, November 26, 2012
Artist Interview: Rinske Dekker.
Today's interview is with an artist I've admired from afar for quite a long while: Rinske Dekker. What first caught my eye was her unique landscapes which are simplified and amped up with unexpected pattern and color. They make my heart swoon. She lives in Amsterdam, and has an etsy shop called rins. I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do. Now, let's get to know her better, shall we?
1.
Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?
Well, I always loved art, I took art classes at high school and attended art school. After that I taught some classes, worked in an art supplies store, did commissions and free work but never really found ‘my’ subject. My passion if you will. It wasn’t until I discovered Yoshitomo Nara’s art, pop surrealism, or low brow, the designer toy world and especially the artists I found through Flickr (the indie art community) that I felt connected. A whole new world opened for me! All those artists made things which were cute and funny and weird and eye-candy. They put the subjects smack in the middle! At art school back then, we were told not to do these things Loved it! Everything fell in place. My love for comic books, animations, fantasy, sci-fi, vintage portrait photographs, patterns, geometric forms etc.
2. What style of art is your favorite and why?
3.
What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?
Sketching, and working on a piece always give me ideas for a next one. And seeing work by other artists always inspire me. I browse through a lot of Flickr, Etsy, blogs like Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, The Jealous Curator, Arrested Motion, etc. Also, my old little laptop is cramped with inspirational images I found on the web, in books or my own photographs and in our house there are a lot of beautiful books, figurines, vintage photos, old tins etc. I only have to look around and I am inspired by a beautiful colour combination or a cool pattern.
4.
Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.
Most of the times, it starts with a colour combination I have in my head. Other times a face or an outfit on a vintage photo strikes me. I then think of how to translate that in my work. I work on a bunch of tiny canvases and pieces of found wood at the same time. I shuffle them around a lot, make different combinations. It allows me to experiment, to put a leftover colour from my palette on another piece and to come up with solutions for works that are lying there for a longer time. The disadvantage of that is that it can sometimes take ages before I finish a piece because I rather work on something else. The advantage is that if I do finish work, I finish a batch. I also make little graphite drawings and, lately, painted clay pendants and brooches the same way, in batches. So there are always a lot of unfinished works lying around in that tiny studio.
5.
What is a typical day in your life?
I don’t have a work schedule. I just work when I feel like it. And that is normally all day and mostly nights. During my coffee and breakfast and very often hours after, I am browsing internet, looking at other art, (re)searching ideas while I sketch, write and doodle in my sketchbook. Then I go to my studio room and work there until I remember to also have some fresh air. Do some grocery shopping, cook, talk with my man, maybe watch some series or read and browse, sketch, paint again until I am off to bed. Which is very often very late. I do also have days where I see friends and family, go on bike rides, walk around in our beautiful city or a park. : )
6.
What do you think draws you to other people's work?
Imagination, skills, and the use of colours.
When I feel; “Oh I wish I came up with that!”
7.
What are your interests/hobbies?
Looking at work of other artists : ) on blogs etc and offline in museums and galleries. Hanging out with friends, going on road trips (while photographing landscapes for new paintings), reading and watching films.
8.
Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?
I worked for years in an art supplies store to pay the bills (and get a discount on art supplies…).
9.
What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?
That’s such a difficult question. I have some old(er) favorites but it’s mostly the last one I make. I can also be very happy when I see a bunch of them together. They work so well in collections, I think. It can make me feel like a child who sees all their Halloween candy together.
10.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in the
business world?
About the business part: I am not very good at that myself. I tend to stay too much in my bubble, being in my head, my studio, with my tiny paintings and be very anti social. But you have to show your work to the world and talk to people on and offline if you want to sell your work. So finding the balance there is probably a good advice. : )
I do know that you should only do what you love. An artist, I forgot who, said: ‘ immerse yourself in your art and art in general’. That’s very important I think, that way you get authenticity and people will see that in your work.
11.
Describe your work space.
A small spare room in our apartment is turned into a tiny studio. Because I paint and draw real small nowadays, I don’t need much space. I do have a lot of stuff that needs room, though. A lot of art supplies, hundreds of postcards and vintage photographs, books, figurines etc.
12.
Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?
Yes, the ‘lack off self esteem moments’, other people, like some family members, who ‘just don’t understand why you are not having a proper job’ and money problems make it hard sometimes to keep the faith. Luckily I have a man who believes in me. : ) Plus, I experienced that once you have taken that step to become whatever you want to be, you can’t go back anymore, which is wonderful and scary at the same time.
13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now?
Creating all those ideas I have in my head and my sketchbooks, exhibitions abroad, collaborations. Be more organized : )
Thanks so much for letting me interview you!!
You can also find her on:
Her Website
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Well, I always loved art, I took art classes at high school and attended art school. After that I taught some classes, worked in an art supplies store, did commissions and free work but never really found ‘my’ subject. My passion if you will. It wasn’t until I discovered Yoshitomo Nara’s art, pop surrealism, or low brow, the designer toy world and especially the artists I found through Flickr (the indie art community) that I felt connected. A whole new world opened for me! All those artists made things which were cute and funny and weird and eye-candy. They put the subjects smack in the middle! At art school back then, we were told not to do these things Loved it! Everything fell in place. My love for comic books, animations, fantasy, sci-fi, vintage portrait photographs, patterns, geometric forms etc.
 |
| Petrol-Landscape. |
2. What style of art is your favorite and why?
Any
art that is imaginative, has beautiful colours, surreal, funny,
narrative and where you can see the craftsmanship, I love the imagery
and imagination and wonderful technique of the pop surrealists or
Lowbrow but I also like the more graphic arts, as you can see in
street art, illustration, graphic design, comic books, collage and
folk art. I just love, love it, when abstract, geometric forms are
combined with a cool figurative image, pref. something
anthropomorphic. I have a thing for animals with human
characteristics and vice versa.
 |
| The Lucky Doll. |
Sketching, and working on a piece always give me ideas for a next one. And seeing work by other artists always inspire me. I browse through a lot of Flickr, Etsy, blogs like Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, The Jealous Curator, Arrested Motion, etc. Also, my old little laptop is cramped with inspirational images I found on the web, in books or my own photographs and in our house there are a lot of beautiful books, figurines, vintage photos, old tins etc. I only have to look around and I am inspired by a beautiful colour combination or a cool pattern.
 |
| Bronze and Blue. |
Most of the times, it starts with a colour combination I have in my head. Other times a face or an outfit on a vintage photo strikes me. I then think of how to translate that in my work. I work on a bunch of tiny canvases and pieces of found wood at the same time. I shuffle them around a lot, make different combinations. It allows me to experiment, to put a leftover colour from my palette on another piece and to come up with solutions for works that are lying there for a longer time. The disadvantage of that is that it can sometimes take ages before I finish a piece because I rather work on something else. The advantage is that if I do finish work, I finish a batch. I also make little graphite drawings and, lately, painted clay pendants and brooches the same way, in batches. So there are always a lot of unfinished works lying around in that tiny studio.
 |
| The Rrrrr. |
I don’t have a work schedule. I just work when I feel like it. And that is normally all day and mostly nights. During my coffee and breakfast and very often hours after, I am browsing internet, looking at other art, (re)searching ideas while I sketch, write and doodle in my sketchbook. Then I go to my studio room and work there until I remember to also have some fresh air. Do some grocery shopping, cook, talk with my man, maybe watch some series or read and browse, sketch, paint again until I am off to bed. Which is very often very late. I do also have days where I see friends and family, go on bike rides, walk around in our beautiful city or a park. : )
 |
| Lula. |
Imagination, skills, and the use of colours.
When I feel; “Oh I wish I came up with that!”
 |
| Checkered Sky. |
Looking at work of other artists : ) on blogs etc and offline in museums and galleries. Hanging out with friends, going on road trips (while photographing landscapes for new paintings), reading and watching films.
 |
| The Boy and the Accordian. |
I worked for years in an art supplies store to pay the bills (and get a discount on art supplies…).
 |
| Oh Deer. |
That’s such a difficult question. I have some old(er) favorites but it’s mostly the last one I make. I can also be very happy when I see a bunch of them together. They work so well in collections, I think. It can make me feel like a child who sees all their Halloween candy together.
 |
| One Red Tree. |
About the business part: I am not very good at that myself. I tend to stay too much in my bubble, being in my head, my studio, with my tiny paintings and be very anti social. But you have to show your work to the world and talk to people on and offline if you want to sell your work. So finding the balance there is probably a good advice. : )
I do know that you should only do what you love. An artist, I forgot who, said: ‘ immerse yourself in your art and art in general’. That’s very important I think, that way you get authenticity and people will see that in your work.
 |
| Rinske's Studio Space. |
A small spare room in our apartment is turned into a tiny studio. Because I paint and draw real small nowadays, I don’t need much space. I do have a lot of stuff that needs room, though. A lot of art supplies, hundreds of postcards and vintage photographs, books, figurines etc.
 |
| Rinske With A Work In Progress. |
Yes, the ‘lack off self esteem moments’, other people, like some family members, who ‘just don’t understand why you are not having a proper job’ and money problems make it hard sometimes to keep the faith. Luckily I have a man who believes in me. : ) Plus, I experienced that once you have taken that step to become whatever you want to be, you can’t go back anymore, which is wonderful and scary at the same time.
 |
| Green Sky. |
13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now?
Creating all those ideas I have in my head and my sketchbooks, exhibitions abroad, collaborations. Be more organized : )
You can also find her on:
Her Website
Flickr
Sunday, November 25, 2012
A Bit Of Artist Doubt Overwhelming Me.
 |
| Cattle at Huddard-Kivett farm, north of Martinsville by Frank M. Hohenberger, 1927. via. |
I'm not sure what is bringing this on. My camera is broken at the moment, so perhaps it's the fact that I haven't gotten to go out and take pictures for a bit. Perhaps it's the fact that my shops have been a little quiet lately. Perhaps it's because winter is setting in around here, and it's really not my favorite time of year. Whatever it is, I'm a bit overcome with this sense of "Holy cow, am I really good enough to match wits with the likes of the other artists out there? Am I worthy of calling myself an artist?" I am sure this feeling will pass without much of a concern, but it is an annoying, gnawing feeling at the present. I know I'm not alone, I know a lot of artists have this feeling come over them sometimes. Just wish I could shake it. I do believe I'll go run about the house dancing to some music with Hoot and that may help, if not it most definitely can't hurt either.
On a side note, I'm still swooning over the entire Frank M. Hohenberger Collection, if you couldn't tell.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Interiors I Dream About: Green Locker Cabinet.
 |
| Found via Desire to Inspire (Styled by Chelsea Hing). |
Blog of Note: EMMAS DESIGNBLOGG.
 |
| Here. |
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Sale Time.
Available in all three shops Wednesday, November 21-Sunday, November 25:
Photography: http://GallivantingGirl.etsy.com
Original Art: http://JuliaWrightArt.etsy.com
Vintage Finds: http://TheRoadWorks.etsy.com
Happy Shopping!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Artistic Moment of the Week: Mr. and Mrs. Beisel.
 |
| Mr. and Mrs. Beisel, 1926 Photographed by Frank M. Hohenberger Via IU Digital Libraries. |
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
I'd Wear That.
 |
| Via Pinterest / Anthropologie |
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)