sandra’s world.

Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2012

Have you ever felt like there are just too many things you want to do with your life? I know I do. These days, the good news is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one field or specialty. Talented creatives like Sandra Juto are showing us the endless possibilities of living a multi-dimensional life in the 21st century.

Sandra Juto is a fascinating Swedish woman who seems to do it all. She’s an illustrator, graphic designer, artist, photographer, blogger, crocheter, and, on top of it all, she runs her own little handmade shop from her home in Berlin, Germany. Everything she makes seems to have her own signature touch that is equal parts dreamy yet simple and charming. Her blog is full of pictures from her everyday life, documenting all of her wonderful side projects into one place from her very own perspective.

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art > the science of art.

Posted on Monday, February 20, 2012

Lately it seems like I’m finding more and more artists who are involved mostly in the sciences for work and study, but find solace in an artistic escape of their own from time to time. Not only does this give and take between the left and right sides of the brain seem to give them the expressive freedom they need to balance out all of that logical work, but I think it also contributes something special to the look and feel of their artwork as well. Today’s feature is a great example of this:

Arian Behzadi is a Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis. In between classes, he also happens to be an awesome collage artist! In mixing vintage photographs and blobs of retro paint colors, Arian creates colorfully nostalgic works of art that nod to the past and the future at the same time while combining both his love of art and his knowledge of science.

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art > dip into memory.

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012

Oh what I wouldn’t give to be able to jump right in to a cool pool of water under the summer sun right now! It’s still winter in the Western hemisphere for a little longer though, so until then, those of us in the colder parts of the world will just have to live vicariously through the paintings of today’s feature.

Samantha French is a full-time painter who was born and raised in north central Minnesota, a place where many of her paintings take place, although she now lives and works from a studio in New York City. In using memories from her childhood summers as an inspiration for her work, Samantha tries to recreate the peaceful tranquility of simple times spent swimming in the plentiful amount of lakes of her hometown as an escape from the day-to-day craziness of life in the big city. In her artist statement, Samantha says, “This combination of memory, observation and photography (old and new) has allowed me to preserve the transitory qualities of water and remembrance.“

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art > optimistic impact.

Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012

When illustrators are optimistic and excited about their work it really, really shows. Today I’m excited to share the day-brightening work of someone who, as a child, would trade Barbies for a drawing pad and art supplies any day, eventually leading her on a straight shot to creating art as a full-time gig.

Marisa Seguin is a Vancouver native who relocated to Milwaukee, WI where she went on to graduate from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and it’s very clear that she has great passion for what she does. In an interview with Artists Who Blog, Marisa said, “I believe that when people love what they are doing it shows in their work and people will be excited about a product that the maker was equally excited (if not more) to create.” Her work is full of colors that bleed into one another in a really beautiful way. She paints adorably stylized maps, cakes, architecture, animals, and anything else she can dream up. If real life looked like a Marisa Seguin painting, I would not mind at all. Would you?

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art > subtle strokes.

Posted on Monday, February 6, 2012

Michelle Armas is a painter and graphic designer in Atlanta, Georgia whose beautiful work combines both geometric and organic shapes and soft subtle colors.

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art > vibrant spirit.

Posted on Friday, February 3, 2012

Flora Bowley is a painter, teacher, yoga instructor, and massage therapist in Portland, Oregon who infuses her artwork with inspirational elements that go hand-in-hand with the deep connection to body, mind, and spirit that she has developed over the years in her own spiritual practice and that she now tries to teach to others. By layering free-flowing vibrant color with stylistically rendered organic forms, she tries to tell the story of magical places born from dreams and a deep connection to all living things. In her artist statement, Flora says, “Ultimately, I consider my work to be a celebration of the present moment; chaotic, subtle, mystical, and ever-changing.” See more work below…

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interview > karen klassen.

Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Karen Klassen is a Canadian freelance illustrator who has specialized in fashion and portrait illustration since 2004. Her artwork is beautifully surreal and often contains several different types of mark-making media because she loves to explore. Karen was just published in two prestigious illustration review publications, Gestalten’s Illustrators Unlimited & Taschen’s Illustration Now 4, and I’m very happy to say that she is here today for an interview to speak with us about her work and background as a professional artist!