Saturday, October 3, 2009

Inspirado


One of my favorite things about working at the art school was being surrounded by art and artists and looking at all kinds of art everyday. I miss it. I am glad that there are places like Etsy and Blogspot and the internet in general to help make up for my loss, but it's not the same. I need to do more craft nights, but that is hard with everyone living far apart. I've decided to make sharing art with others a focus of my blogge.


Audrey Kawasaki is an artist whom I stumbled upon just poking around on the internet. I am in awe of her. I could pore over her website for hours and still want more. I lovelovelove that she includes her sketchbooks on her site. She is the main reason I started drawing on wood. Her work also helped me to feel validated in my penchant for drawing pretty ladies. I've never seen her work in person, but I can imagine that it is only more spectacular and haunting. I am on a mailing list. It is a life goal of mine to own a print of her work. She also has a live journal!


The rest of the artists featured are sellers on Etsy. Most I have hearted for years, some I have discovered very recently; all of them make me so proud to be an artist!















Marmeecraft: I love her folk art/victorian sensibility and her simultaneous use of whimsy, symbolism and cuteness. There's something so innocent, yet eerily wise about her aesthetic; I find it to be quite engaging. I also obviously respond to sister imagery; especially when it's mixed with lots of hair. (I have an identical twin sister, we, until very recently, had exceedingly long hair). It's just a bonus that she also draws pictures of cute woodland creatures! Blog too!








sheridesthelion: Ok, so not technically drawing/painting, but I don't think anyone should argue with me on this one. Sonia Romero is the only linocut artist I need. I was initially drawn to her work for the alphabet series, but continue to find everything she does to be artfully and masterfully made and with a really intriguing point of view. She also has a website.















TheBrilliantMagpie: The most wonderful collection of special ACEOs I've seen. Each one of Amy Abshier Reyes' sweet paintings is a story in and of itself; a petite window to another world with a lovely narrative teaser. Her work really invites you in to an interesting little world.


There's also a blog!

mystikaz: My newest find in this list, an artist named Karen A. Townsend (KAT). I just happened upon this shop very recently and was stunned by what I saw. I had to blow the pictures up to their largest just so that I could study them and convince myself they weren't digital/photo art. You have got to love portraiture with this kind of detail and realism; plus, who doesn't love Erroll Flynn?!

www.pencilportraitsbykat.com



- The next two sellers mentioned have obvious talent and style in the drawing department, but maybe should have been in a separate post about artists who work with paper in 3 dimensions. But, I'm doing the post now and I'm including them anyway. So what?




LittleRobot: I love the strangeness and obvious quality that I find in

Lindsey Carr's shop.* This is work that is so different than mine I cannot help but be attracted to it. (But I still get my long hair ladies mixed in!) I adore the jumping jack/art dolls and paper theatre. I am filled with fascinating questions when I look through these

items and I find that so exciting! There's also a blog!


*another shop that I feel the same way about is crankbunny. This shop, however, is closed for an important project at the time I am posting. The link still has interesting info and other sites where you can learn more about this seller.


A major motivating factor in my becoming an artist was simply loving things that other people created. I continue to be prodded along by what is out there and what speaks to me. I think it's magical that art makes artists make more art.

After sharing some of my inspirational artists (specifically for drawing/painting); I would LOVE it if any of my readers shared theirs. I also plan on doing additional posts for other artistic media.

7 comments:

  1. I love several of these artists! Great work...

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  2. ♥ Thank You ever so much for your very kind words about my work! I'm so honored to have been featured with these amazing artists! Your work and blog are just so beautiful!

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  3. I'm flattered! MarmeeCraft, you have such a stylish and unique blog, I take your compliments as high praise indeed. It's been lovely getting to know you better!

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  4. I agree! Great group of artists and blog post. I'm honored.

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  5. Great choices! I was particularily drawn to Marmeecraft and when I went to explore her shop more I realized I already had her in my favorites. My new favorite artist is Sarah Wyman. She's on etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5539460. She has a similar folk art with a twist to Marmee.

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  6. Thanks for the recommendation Lenox! I'll be sure to check her out!

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