{welcome to the jungle}

Henri Rousseau is one of my favorite stops at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The intensity of the color, the jungle subjects, and the size of the canvas. One feels as if she is a part of the jungle in which he paints.

So, when I saw the work of Becca Stadtlander, an artist and illustrator, her paintings caught my eye immediately. There’s something about her use of color that reminds me of the jungle paintings of Rousseau. I love the way she plays with colors and seems to balance them so well-nothing feels overdone, just perfectly alive and bright. You can check out more of Becca’s work on her blog or pick up a piece of her work on Etsy right here ($20 for prints).




Images by Becca Stadtlander.

{Fine art jumble}

Check out this site that features a huge collection of collages from a former security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Made from fine art auction catalogs, each collage is an absolute joy to look at.

{in the mood for a party}

I must be in the mood for a party, well at least summer, so I can wear sun dresses and sandals. This painting, yes it is a painting, by Janet Hill just evokes the very mood I'm in. I love the bright colors, the delicious cake, and festive bunting. So, where's my invite?

{Fall Festival Find Friday}

This Friday's Fall Festival find is the fantasy landscapes of Andy Russell. His artwork is a beautiful world of harmony and tranquilty and has been featured in many corporate and private collections. This artist is a must see!

www.andyrussell.com

{sparkles with imagination}

Local Artist Jessie Krause delivers her visions in such breathtaking colors and combinations. The subject matter just sparkles with her sense of imagination. She runs the Netherfield Gallery in Frenchtown, NJ. Please visit her at: http://www.jessiekrause.com/

{beautiful old vintage images}

Ever find yourself looking for a piece of copyright free clipart? Then visit the Vintage Moth (link to the left under blogs) for a great website which collects beautiful old vintage images and uploads them for your use.

{whimsical, fun, and right on point}

Love, love, love Curly Girl Designs' products. They are whimsical, fun, and right on point! Her products range from greeting cards to calendars, even mugs. This one is probably my most favorite. She can be found by visiting: http://www.curlygirldesign.com/

{dapper, affectionate animals}

Wolf Erlbruch's quirky illustrations of dapper, affectionate animals abound with whimsical charm. His illustrations can be found in a note card line available in Bas Bleu's online store or catalog.

{oh so clever and cute}

Now mind you, I am not one for cutesy or baby-ish stuff...however, the polymer clay creations of Swirly Designs should not go unnoticed. The design team have several ornaments that they have created, each one a clever little creation.

{sublime use of color}

The work of artist Jim Inzero is breathtaking. At a recent gallery visit in Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ I was able to see first hand the sublime use of color. The canvases are quite large-easily 4-5 feet and bigger, and the color just pops off the surface. The encaustic technique that he uses creates such depth, that the art changes from every angle and in different light. His link is to the left for more information.

This painting is called Storm Break, one of my favorites.

{Moonlight madness?}

Artist http://wilhelmstaehle.com/

{Art by moonlight}

A perfect example of doing your best work at night...Here graphic artist, Banksy at http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html works by moonlight to add political comment to the city streets of London.