While researching barnacles for my next painting I came across the wonderfully talented artist,  Lauren Kussro. Her work is so delicate and intricate yet embodies a delightful sense of playfulness.

This piece is made out of silkscreened paper and wood.

 

These panels are gorgeous! Made from Chinese mulberry… Lauren hand cut the pattern using an x-acto knife.

Check out Lauren Kussro‘s blog to see more of her amazing creations.

 

 

 

“Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can have. It’s much sexier than any body part . “Aimee Mullins.

The other day I came across an article about Aimee Mullins, the amazing Athlete /Model / Actress / Superwomen and the latest L’oreal Paris spokesperson. Listening to her story literally gave me the chills. It is absolutely remarkable what she has accomplished in her lifetime this far!

Aimee is best known for becoming the first amputee in history, male or female, to compete in the NCAA, at Georgetown’s Division I track team. She was outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah. She went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump..

Aimee became a muse to Alexander McQueen ,walking the runway in his London show using intricately carved wooden prosthetics.

And those are just to name a couple of her amazing accomplishments. I highly recommend watching the links below to learn more about this amazing woman!

Aimee Mullins: How my legs give me super powers – YouTube

Making-of Aimee Mullins – YouTube

{via Studio Thirsty Crow}

 

Sometimes I come across designs that are so inspirational to me that I literally jump for joy…my mind races and instantly I have a desire to create. Today that occurred when I happened upon the work of Stefanie Nieuwenhuyse.

The first thing that caught my eye was the title of her series, Biomimicry. I fell in love with the teachings of biomimicry at design school. My junior and senior projects were based on those principles. I designed the building and interiors for a Biomimicry Guild in Montana my junior year and  a floating school in Vietnam my senior year, both incorporating biomimicry elements within the buildings’ exterior and interior design.

In turn, I immediately opened Stephanie’s website and voila…stunning, incredibly beautiful, and innovative pieces! Scroll below and see for yourself!

{via MoCo Loco}

I absolutely love seeing the process of this series…from the drawings to the final product!! Each step is so beautiful.

(images via Stefanie Nieuwenhuyse}

Happy New Year!

I love setting goals for the new year. It is a fun way to think big and to aspire to make yourself a better person, a better wife, a better artist…it also makes you think about what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year on a daily basis or through a gradual process. A couple of the art goals on my list this year are:  go to figure drawing class at least twice a month and sketch at least 10 minutes a day.

Ben Tour‘s figure drawings are an inspiration to me. I love his loose yet realistic style through the use of ink and watercolor. I’m excited to get drawing!

Have fun with your new years resolutions!

{via thetourshow}

My brother introduced me to the paintings of Nick Gentry, a UK-based artist. I love artwork that incorporates repurposed every day objects. It creates a deeper connection to the work, while allowing the audience to see the object from an entirely different perspective. Gentry does an excellent job of taking  the floppy disk, an obsolete media, and morphing it into a beautiful piece of art!

{images via  Nick Gentry’s Photostream}

I think we all have pieces of clothing that we never wear but keep around for some particular reason. This green jacket is case in point. I  never wore it;  it was way too big on me but for some reason it hung around. After 14 years of being idle, I dusted it off and decided to try my hand at transforming an existing piece. My first take at a “what was old IS new again” experiment.

BEFORE

AFTER

The belt front was originally around the wrists.

The back of the belt was originally the collar.

I think it was a success! That green jacket is now back in the front of my closet.

Tree Trunk Stool  or Side Table

This past spring, a maple tree had to be cut down in my parents backyard. We were able to salvage 4 pieces from the trunk and Derek turned them into stools/side tables for the patio. I love them!

“Where ever we roam you are my home” Globe

Both Derek and I love to travel.  For our wedding I made him a globe that is representative of where we have traveled together. The piece will constantly evolve based on our new destinations that we visit or live. The countries/states that we have experienced together are painted in green.  Hopefully one day our entire world will be painted in green!

Driftwood Sculpture

This summer we explored on our kayaks to some really cool and remote beaches around the island. We found amazing pieces of driftwood along the way. I was planning on making a few of these sculptures for the buffet table for our wedding but time caught up with me and I never got around to it until just a few weeks ago.

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