Ruby Tuesday

This stormy weather has me double-checking for matches. We all know about my obsession with matches, as seen in my very first post here on Pretty Things. Well, now I have found this match artwork by Pei-San Ng and I cannot contain my excitement. Rest assured, no matter how big the storm, you would never catch me striking one of these sticks!

J.

Pillow Talk

Pillow Fight

If You Can't Be With The One You Love

These fantastic new pieces by Julie Buffalohead have just made my day. Originally spotted on The Jealous Curator, I have been patiently waiting for Julie to post new work. Today, I have finally been rewarded! She is currently showing at Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis and I really wish I could somehow transport myself there. What's better than animals having a pillow fight? Nothing. 

J.

Everday Art

untitled illustration by Camilla Engman

Suitcase Series Volume 1 - Uppercase Magazine

I remember seeing Camilla Engman's illustrations for the first time about a year ago via Uppercase magazine. I was captivated by the imaginative creatures and the whismical humour she was able to create. Camilla even takes inspiration from her everyday life and makes it into art for all the world to see. Many of her illustrations feature her late pup Morran, who becomes an almost human-like character throughout her work. Check out her blog to see more of her everyday life turned into wonderful art.

L.

Ruby Tuesday

Vintage Suite (words to be true)   oil on canvas  2011

I can't believe I haven't done a post on Darlene Cole yet. A discovery while getting my Fine Art degree, I still find inspiration in every new piece of hers. The perfect artist for Ruby Tuesday, as many, many of her works use a juicy, ruby red. Cole's art explores the disappearance of childhood and carries a wonderful, dreamy quality. I also truly admire how she titles her work. I always find it extremely difficult to adequately name a piece, but hers seem to flow seamlessly into the work itself.

J.

Living Pretty

As most of you know, I recently made a big move across the Great White North and landed in the wonderful city of Calgary. Since arriving, I have acquired my very own little apartment and have been slowly filling it with items here and there. Last weekend I visited the Inglewood neighbourhood and stumbled upon DaDe Art & Design Lab. Dubbed as a provider of innovative and exclusive products that enhance your living space, DaDe did not disappoint. While most of the items on display were drastically out of my price range, there was one designer's work that really caught my eye. Calgarian ceramic sculptor Juliana Rempel, explores the relationship between objects and the space they inhabit, creating functional yet ambiguous items. I invested in a porcelain wheel thrown jar with cork lid. Upon purchase, I intended to use it for tea bags, but now I am considering getting a second and using the pair for some bathroom essentials. Either way, it is a great addition to my new home and I cannot wait to see what other surprises the artists of Calgary have in store.

L.

Almost Cat

I am completely entranced by this portrait series by Ronald Ceuppens. I am running out of space for my must have art, but I'm pretty sure these would look beautiful side by side above my bed. Delicate and haunting, there really is something intriguing about them. 

J.

Lions and Girls and Bears, Oh My

Girl & Bears   48.00 USD

Girl & Lions   48.00 USD

Surprise, surprise I am excited about more art! Illustrator and lover of lingerie, Natalie Krim has a small, but fantastic group of prints available at catbird. Sweet, sugary colours meld perfectly into naughty deeds. I think I may have a tiny bit of a fixation with similar themes as of late, no? Natalie also has an equally enjoyable collection of photos that can be seen here. I want more!  

J.

Ruby Tuesday

Open 24/7    oil on linen

Today is Laura's birthday! On that note, this post involves neon signs and a shiny, red foil balloon because obviously those are the things that make birthdays matter. Artist, Panni Malekzadeh creates imaginary, saccharine spaces in her works and fills them with contradictory figures who often appear jaded and forlorn. I get goosebumps and butterflies from these eerily lovely images. After discovering that an early solo show of hers was titled, Dirty Pretty Things, I knew it was meant to be. I can't stop staring...

J.

Ruby Tuesday

EvaJuliet is a great little atelier in Montreal where two women (Eva and Juliet of course) create some stellar letterpress art, plush toys, and even custom made family trees. This candy coloured button print is one of my favourties and I must have it for my own workspace. The use of real thread and the 3D vibe makes the whole print pop. Not to mention that buttons in general are just so darn cute.

L.

Ruby Tuesday

Minx Attack, 2009   Collection of Sky Hyndman

I just received Sometimes Rainbows Are Black, an artist catalogue I ordered based on Dana Holst's work from 2007 - 2011, and I cannot stop flipping through those glossy, delightfully sinful pages. The work pictured above is from her series, Prey, a body of work filled with frills and dark fairytales. The delicate and beautiful images Holst creates are in constant conflict with the dark deeds one assumes are taking place. The special edition catalogue also includes this very pretty print, which will soon be finding its way onto my walls.  

J.

Ruby Tuesday

Photographer Christopher Patrick Ernst is a genuis at making the mundane and oftentimes boring seem anything but. His current untitled project captures the odd juxtaposition between the place you are and the place you want to be. Eating breakfast at a greasy spoon while overlooking a beautiful waterfall? Hanging out at the laundromat by the lake? Probably not, right? All of these places do exist, only part of them is composed of scenic wallpaper, a fad from the past that remains in many locations across America today. My favourite image above really captures the oddness of it all and how lovely it can be with a splash of red.

L.

Cut It Out

collage done for Popmani

collage done for Acne Studios

I have always been a lover of "cut and paste" illustration, or collage as some might call it. Either way, I like it. And I really like artist Michelle Claesson Eismann. Her cheeky and fun pieces have been pinned to my cork board for some time now. I especially love these mixed media images she did for Contributor Magazine which are literally alive with colour.

L.

Ruby Tuesday

Lovin You    

I figured there was just enough pops of red in this piece to include it today! I am a huge fan of The Jealous Curator, checking daily to get my fix of inspiring art discovered by Danielle Krsya. How excited was I to find out that Danielle herself was currently exhibiting some work of her own at Buy Some Damn Art. In an interview for BSDA, she comments on her new series, Blush, saying, "It's meant to represent the confusing, beautiful kaleidoscope that was my innocence and curiosity, all mixed into one." All I have to say is (quoting The Jealous Curator), damn, I wish I thought of that.

J. 

Get it in Print

I have an addiction. It's true. I love magazines. The pictures, the content, the layout. It's probably why I dedicate so much of my own time to voluntarily working for one and why I dedicate so much of my own time reading them.

I Heart Art

January is generally a month when we could use a little, or maybe even a lot, of inspiration to get us through to spring. Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve found mine (and hopefully yours)! Art Interiors, an online and real life gallery in Toronto, features up and coming artists at affordable pricing. Their philosophy is that everyone should be able to own art. I could not agree more. The online store allows you to search by price range, purchase online, and have the art piece shipped or prepared for pick up.  Buying art from the comfort of your own home is possible.

The gallery is currently featuring their 18th Annual Festival of Smalls. Each work is no larger than 16x20” and the cost is kept under $250. It’s impossible to choose just one!

A Moment to Sit   Danielle Hession

New Glory 1/3   Aaron Jones

Lady on the Verge   Helene Lacelle
J.

Art Crush

Coquettish Antoinette  oil on canvas

I have been crushing on works by Kate Domina for a few years now. Her pieces beautifully and completely capture the naive and awkward progression toward adulthood. To view more of this loveliness check her out at www.katedomina.blogspot.com

J.