phalaenopsis: my moth orchid

I have never been a fan of orchids, but am very much attached to this beauty that flowers for me every year. And every year she has more and more flowers. Her leaves are drying up lately, so I have re-potted (though you are not supposed to when she’s in flower). I’m hoping she will survive, and continue to light up my space with her blooms.

crocheted

Photographs of collections of crocheted stones and pebbles: unexpected and exquisite. Found here.

three cheers for etsy

Etsy has grown into a very important community for me. I meet so many incredible people through this site, buyers as well as makers.

Shown above is one of my favorite “treasuries” assembled by a talented jewelry designer whose shop name is stönz. Not only did I discover inspiring ceramic artists, but also the work of the person who put this collection together. Three cheers for etsy for creating this amazing website where artists meet.

still life saturday with Maria Grossmann

Maria Grossmann is a stylist working in Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris. Visit Maria’s inventive website here.

ceramic feelings

A ceramic artist from Belgium makes stoneware “feelings”, a collection of 99 of them. I picked these four, which represent my range of emotions over the past few days. Please visit ArtMind on Etsy for more of the expressive “matryoshkas”.

david wiseman’s botanicals

I learned how to slip-cast in the same class as David Wiseman, and saw him create many of his well-known forms. It’s so fun to see David written up in LA Times and The New York Times, just to name a few. I particularly like his bronze branches topped with porcelain blossoms. I also took bronze casting, and it nearly killed me, but David makes it look effortless. See more of David’s work at R20th Century, in New York City.

ray parker’s “simple paintings”

There is something comforting about the “Simple Paintings” series by Ray Parker. The colors and shapes drew me in from first glance.

botanical inspiration

Flowers from Karen Philippi’s garden. Photographed by Karen.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has me thinking about water. And how we take it for granted, though it’s becoming more and more fragile.

pablo picasso’s lady

Pablo Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust,” set a new sale record at Christie’s. See the full article here in The NY Times.

In 1951, the painting sold for $19,800; at the recent auction at Christie’s, it sold for $106.5 million. Will Picasso’s family see any of the profit? Or how about an art program funded by just one (or even a quarter of one) of the millions? A program that could nurturer a future Picasso...

A curious fact, here is Picasso’s full name: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso.

the ladies of D'Arceau-Limoges

My mom has an amazing eye, and discovers treasures at her local Thrift Stores frequently. I feel like she should be on Antique Road show, she’s that good. The plate above is from D'Arceau-Limoges’ Women of the Century series, which mom rescued for a few dollars. I love the concept of showing fashions through time, but the execution of the illustrations is just not my style. There is something off about the proportions of the ladies. But I do love the orange outfit, and the attitude, of this flapper. And the typography on the front and the back is fantastic.