Charles Matson

more here.

Coast weekend

Jedediah Smith State Park

Decadent Interiors

Ran across this site full of beautifully documented interiors of abandoned sites across America. These images appeal to me for so many reasons, but I think the underlying attraction boils down to the tragic/beautiful quality, (akin to my taste for sweet/salty). Reminds me of a phrase I've heard: "such sweet sorrow".

Bird Nests

Just wanted to pass this beautiful link along via Dear Ada who credits a few other blogs. This link is well worth viewing and passing on. Gorgeous birds' nest photographed by Sharon Beals.

7-16-08

Celio Braga

More paper slicing by artist Celio Braga
a mixed media artist whose website is really worth checking out. Really delicate and intricate drawings and sculptures.

more paper worlds

I've stumbled upon yet another impressive artist using cut paper to create environments as well as discreet wall pieces. Chris Nathrop is a LA based artist (I think) that, after drawing on paper for some time found cutting into the paper itself to be more satisfying. I think I've gotten onto this paper kick......enjoying discovering all these beautiful pieces of manipulated paper. I'm sure there will be more to come!

mid summer night

Summer, please don't end.......

Paper worlds

Mia Pearlman cuts paper to create these chaotic, whirling environments. Powerful, tumultuous landscapes without the land.

Noriko Ambe cut away these beautiful relief worlds that have a quieter, more painterly quality.

It's impressive to see how different the treatment of the same process can be. I also love the idea of revealing a new object or environment just by reducing what was there before. Not unlike Jean Blackburn's work from the last post.

Jean Blackburn

Today I'm assembling bookshelves from Ikea, part of the move towards maximizing our small amount of square footage this summer. The whole assembling process brought to mind this piece by artist Jean Blackburn. I love this piece......but I wouldn't want it to show up in a box w/ hardware.

Azalea OR

For so long I've wanted to start photographing some of the odd little places that are so characteristic of the small towns of Oregon as I remember them from when I was a kid. I always get a bit nostalgic for these places in the summer since that's when we ran around these rural areas either for camping or swimming or whatnot. I'm always afraid they'll be "improved" and lose all their great rough edges.

Yesterday I seized the opportunity while driving the I-5 to veer off course a bit and snap a few photos of the Azalea Market. It used to be a hotel and restaurant and at one time contained a post office. Outside a few freckled kids were hanging out with a jar of polywogs they'd just caught (catching polywogs used to be a passion of mine). Inside was dark and fairly sparse.... nothing much going on. Half the shelves were empty, as was the bird cage. An old black and white movie was rolling away on the t.v.. I'd always been nervous to ask to photograph these places but the owner seemed genuinely happy to have me snapping away as she explained some of the improvements she planned on doing.

Cynthia Ona Innis and Stas Orlavski

These gorgeous imagined landscapes by Cynthia Ona Innis make me so curious. Want so much to be able to stare very closely to see what she's done w/ all these mixed processes. Love the mix of looseness and fine controlled details. Seductive spaces.



Drawing from an array of historically sentimental imagery, Stas Orlavski creates these images and landscapes which are somewhat nostalgic, but in some ways so incongruous as to make them feel a bit tongue-in-cheek......and beautiful at the same time.

Patrick Jacobs

These magical little backyard scenes by Patick Jacobs are viewed through small lenses (about 3-5") which, alas, I haven't had the opportunity to see in the flesh but would seriously love to. Hopefully one day......meanwhile, though I can't find a website for this artist, you can see a few more images of these vignettes at Pierogi.

Donna Ruff and Jihyun Park

I think my jaw literally dropped when I saw this work by NY artist Donna Ruff. These burned paper drawings combine so many elements I love; beautiful line quality, the controlled looseness of the burning technique and book pages. I'm almost afraid of showing work that may influence me as much as this could! See more of her beautiful work, including books and installations here.
Or, if you're in NY this summer see the work in person here, or in Philadelphia check it out here.





Jihyun Park is another artist working incredibly skillfully and beautifully w/ the burned drawing method. These drawings are contemplations of Utopia done w/ incense on paper. Given that word “utopia” in Korean is “Yi Sang Hwang” and “Hwang” means “incense” the choice of incense as a drawing tool becomes clear.

Brooks Shane Salzwedel

You can find more of these beautiful, layered silhouettes by Brooks Salzwedel here.
Or, if you're in the LA area you can see them in person at the Black Maria Gallery.
I think I would be too tempted to touch the surface if I got my hands on the real thing.

Ricardo Lanzarini

Don't know exactly why it is I'm so drawn to impossibly tiny work, but here is an artist that always draws me in to study his painstaking details and I always end up smiling in the end when I realize I've been staring so long at rolling papers, or deceived by pencil shavings while trying to enter this liliputian world of eccentric characters.