Irene creates little poems for the eyes through her explorations of the etheral, the surreal, the whimsical, the mysterious, and the beautiful. (Text from Irene's website)
Above you can see the two large botanical photos by Irene on top of my office bookshelf. I blogged about my office storage here. The Bird in The Hand photo is from Radel Shanks (another etsy purchase). The underwater photo is by Paola Talbot, and there's no mistaking Elizabeth Soule's Deer and Cupcake.
When Irene offered a discount for decor8 readers last year I just had to buy these two lovelies:
All the prints I have are on this amazing metallic photographic paper. It really gives the images an extra something and I never tire of gazing at them.
Below is a new image from Irene. I really *heart* the bold colours which are seemingly out of character... but they still work so well with Irene's style. Love it!
Here is Irene's website, her online shop and her etsy shop. Oh, and her blog too.
Happy Friday!
I *Heart* Fridays: I *Heart* Irene Suchoki's Photography
Am I totally Mad?!
OK, so I think I may have finally lost it. I actually saved this piece of paper towel I used to drain some washed strawberries on. I just really loved the shapes, texture and watercolour effect. I know I always go on about seeing beauty in the little things, the everyday things... but am I mad? Am I the only one who does things like this?
Shadows
If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I am more than slightly obsessed with shadows.
These are the beautiful shadows that are created when the westerly afternoon sun shines in Roxy's bedroom window.
When I took that photo yesterday it reminded me of the amazing work of artist Mary Temple. I came across Mary's work somewhere recently and I can't remember the source to credit it. Incredibly the shadows are all painted on the walls and floors. What a great concept! I love the idea that something as fleeting as a shadow becomes a permanent artwork.
Image Source: Mary Templea nice little surprise
I bought the new issue of real living magazine yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised to see my Wood You Believe! artwork featured.
If you click on the image it will be enlarged enough to read the text.Read more...
Inspiration: Helen Musselwhite
These beautiful multi-layered fairytale images are made from handcut, scored and folded paper. See more of Helen's work on her website.
100 Craft Tutorials
Image Source: The Long ThreadThe Long Thread has assembled a list of the Top 100 Craft Tutorials of 2008. It's a fantastic resource if you're looking for a project. Read more...
Come in!
This photo is taken from our front door. I have just updated the hallway with some recent market finds. The circular wall shelf is in immaculate original condition and a bargain at $40. The 1940's cupboard is meant to be a bedside table I think, but it fits perfectly in this little space. It was also $40. They go well together don't you think? Sitting on the cupboard are my 2 vintage white and egg yolk yellow vases from ebay and a Betsy Walton 'Two Teas' limited edition print which I love. On the second shelf is part of my vintage egg cup collection.
I'm still mucking around with exactly what I want to put on the wall shelves. But for now the pieces include a vintage log vase from an op shop, a vintage deer wall vase from ebay and a ceramic vessel by Beth Meulla. The leaf shaped plate and little bowl are from Japan, as are the stunning aqua and olive bowls. The two larger bowls are from Meister, a fab interiors shop in Tokyo. I love their shape, the colours and simple linework designs.
Read more...
It's a bit late for Christmas cards
The Year of The Ox image on my cards is illustrated in thestyle of the ancient art of Chinese papercuts.
I just didn't get around to making Christmas cards last year, so I am sending out Chinese New Year cards instead. That bought me an extra month of time and life has slowed down to return to it's normal hectic pace, giving me the time and energy to do something about it.
I recently bought a brand new Gooco on ebay for a fantastic price. My purchase included the B6 Gocco, and a Gocoo for stamping onto cloth, as well as lots of inks, screens and bulbs, and a whole heap on non-Gocco related art supplies. I had been looking around for a while so I'm thrilled to have got this great deal. Unfortunately due to discontinuation of Gocco and increased demand the price of Gocco supplies seems to be increasing.
I used my new Gocco to print my CNY cards yesterday and I LOVE it! The result I got wasn't a solid colour, but I like the effect and think it suits the image. I can't wait to go Gocco-ing again. Do you have any Gocco tips, or Gocco related links to share? Leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you.
Lanterns in the city trees.
Happy Australia Day
We're off to a BBQ now... what better thing to do on our national day of celebration?
Monday BlogDay
First up for blog love today is emma's designblogg Design and Style From a Scandinavian Perspective. Fabulous eye candy: design, interiors, stylists, photographers and more. Just gorgeous.
And another favourite of mine is my folk lover - the blog of Australian artist/illustrator Catherine Campbell. Catherine blogs about her own work as well as the work of artists she admires. Her beautiful illustrations are high on my ever-growing etsy wish list. See Catherine's etsy shop here. I'll definitely be framing the illustration she contributed to the frankie calendar.
I *Heart* Fridays: I *Heart* Design Festa (aka Japan Part 2)
If you're in Tokyo in May or November a visit to Design Festa is a must.
Design Festa, a two day event which started in 1994, boasts over 7,000 artists from 70 countries exhibiting and selling their work. There are 2600 booths, an outdoor live-show stage, an indoor stage, a mini-theater space and a Restaurant and Cafe/Bar Area.
Some of the business cards I collected at Design Festa.Both amateur and professional artists exhibit, including painters and illustrators, photographers, multi media artists, crafters, fashion and accessory designers, installation artists and performance artists. A lot of the exhibitors are just starting out and have unique and beautiful creations to sell. The vibe is buzzy and friendly. It truly is amazing to experience and things are very affordable. And even if you don't buy anything, (I can't imagine that happening! I really wish I'd bought more) it's a great day out and a fantastic experience. There are also fashion shows and performance art as well as live bands, film and animation screenings. Too much to squeeze into one day.
The exhibitors selling their goods from the booths generally spend the weekend decorating the white walls they have been provided. The results are fantastic.
I bought a lot of postcards - most of the artisits have their work on cards, which is a nice and inexpensive way to collect their art. I also got these sweet fabric brooches which I framed. (You can see them framed in the photo below of my office)
And this "sleep in flower" artwork. The artist actually painted/drew it while I waited - he was incredibly fast, it took less than a half hour. A bargain at $15! The second photo is the completed piece in a crowded corner of my office.
These adorable painted bottle tops are brooches, but I think I'll put them in a series of little frames.
I am so tempted to go back to Japan and Design Festa again this year. There are some great air fares on offer... hmmm... must make more money!
More about shopping in japan next week.
Happy Friday. Enjoy your weekend.
Update January 26: Design Lovely asked if I could share some of the websites of the artists who's business cards I showed. They all have the same 2 addresses listed. Check them out here and here. Read more...
