feature friday XXXI - michael shapcott

 

If you are not yet familiar with the art of Michael Shapcott, I suggest you quickly make yourself acquainted. I've been following his awesome blog for quite some time now, and watch this "Painting a Painting" videos often, where he has a time-lapse going of the transformative process each painting undergoes in blossoming from a detailed graphite drawing, to a graphite, acrylic and oil on canvas painting. These videos are fantastic and I find myself bouncy with excitement and inspiration after every watch of these videos. Amazing!

feature friday XXX - vania zouravliov

 

 


The art of Vania Zouravliov is the kind that makes exhale slowly in disbelief. Like I can't imagine how someone could make something so beautiful with just a pen in hand. His website has a lot of information about him and his career that skyrocketed when he was just thirteen years old. I can't even believe that. Vania states that from an early age he was inspired by a diverse range of things, such as The Bible, Dante’s Divine Comedy, early Disney animation and North American Indians. He has produced a wide range of illustrations, but my favourite remains his dark, detailed, slighty 'off' work, such as the samples I selected above. His work just takes me to a place where anything and everything is possible, and leaves me wanting more.

feature friday XXIX - zhou fan

"A series of my paintings is based on dreams that I had as a child of many many jellyfish floating in the sky, some of which fell to the ground on parachutes and became mushrooms. "

Love. Love. Love. More on the website.

feature friday XXVIII - maya hayuk

Maya Hayuk is a Brooklyn based artist who is well known for her crazy murals. She fuses aspects of Ukrainian folk culture with crazy geometric shapes and bright colours. I love her work, and would really like to commission her to do a mural either at our gallery, or somewhere else in Adelaide. Our little city could really use a big burst of colour like this! Check out her crazy website and blog.

feature friday XXV- gillian goldstein

I first came across the art of Gillian Goldstein last year when I was visiting my beautiful friend Nadia in Denmark, who showed me a book, Art by Tattooists: Beyond Flash (the first image in this post). This New York artist is now a well sought after tattoo artist, and visual artist in her own right. She works in graphite, watercolor, inks and acrylics when working on her personal artwork, which I personally think is absolutely amazing.

feature friday XXIV - justin durand

 

Justin Durand makes the sort of art that crops up on almost every etsy user's 'favourites' page. His dreamlike images and strange cast of characters are very fun and unique. I read in his bio that he quit his day job in the July of this year to focus on his passion - drawing, and his little online shop 'HEART PUMP ARTS'. The first image in this post is one of my favourite works by him, but unfortunately it sold. I shall wait for another original like it pop up!

feature friday - XXIII - Melinda Manfull

I find my imagination held completely captive by the watercolor works of LA-based Melinda Manfull. The combination of architectural elements with organic lines and abstraction is wonderful. Currently she has a solo show titled Pattern Constraints, at Taylor DeCordoba, which is on until October 23rd. Describing her own work she says: “Seeking inspiration from metaphysics and mysticism, Melissa Manfull creates hyper-detailed structures that straddle the worlds of reality and imagination… Due to the obsessive nature of her process, Manfull has often viewed the meditative act of drawing as a way to approach her fear of vast, open ended space (the unknown)…

feature friday XXII - Lena Wolff

 

 

Lena Wolff is an American artist working in a variety of media such as drawing, painting, collage and public projects. Her practice is best described in her own words, which you can read more of here:

My practice is informed by folk art, anthropomorphic fables, animism, early American craft traditions and the natural world. For the last several years, I’ve been working on collages that borrow methodology from textile processes and quilt making, incorporating various individually glued hole-punched papers, pinpricks and layers of hand painted paper cuts that resemble appliqué. In making these works, the paper is handled as if it were fabric, using needles and often joining multiple panels of paper together to make large-scale paper quilts. The labor-intensive and hand-driven process is tactile, meditative and intimate.  

Lisa's latest exhibition was featured on Art Hound.

feature friday XXI - Mark Alsweiler

Mark Alsweiler is a New Zealand artist currently living in Sydney. His style, in my opinion is a fascinating mix of elements reminiscent of Frida Kahlo's earlier works as well as Lisa Congdon's poppy colours and lines. There is definitely a comic element to the expressions of Mark's characters, and I can definitely see this exhibition Sundial being a terrific success. Pretty rad!

feature friday XX - Becca Stadtlander

The art of Becca Stadtlander" recalls old folk tales and eastern European illustration. I really love the quietness of her work and the honesty that her style allows her. Despite only graduating last year she is already super successful, illustrating for magazines like O (o as in Oprah!). I will definitely be keeping a close eye on this lovely lady, and so should you. Don't forget to visit her well stocked etsy shop

feature friday XVII - Marco Mazzoni

I am in complete awe of this man's talent. The only tools of Marco Mazzoni's trade are colour pencils. What?! And if that fact in itself wasn't confounding enough, then I'd recommend you do not turn to the names for a hint. The titles of his works do not give much away, they in fact add to the mystery of the pieces. "Superhuman", "Less Than Zero", "The Weeping" are among these curious names. Visit his tumblr for more amazingness. Wowza.

feature friday XVI - xhxix

I first discovered xhxix's work on Audrey Kawasaki's livejournal a couple of months ago and only rediscovered him today. The name of this super talented Japanese artist is 非(hi). He lives in Tokyo, makes digital art and has a really super tumblr. I am in love with his multi-layered, uber complex works and the way they navigate my eye through this wonderful maze of visual imagery. The colour scheme of his works is really lovely and calm. I would liken his digital paintings to a sort of visual meditation. Total <3.

feature friday XV- Jill Bliss

This week's featured artist is the lovely illustrator Jill Bliss, who's organic approach to art making drew me in straight away. she has the following quote on her website which explains her work and ideas better than I could.
“all of my creative output finds its inspiration in the intricate details of the natural world, while exploring the colors of humanity. my deceptively simple, nature-inspired style stems from a childhood romping through northern california orchards, and then going to art school in new york and san francisco. portland, oregon is now my home.”

Be sure to visit her websitewhich is choc-a-bloc with images and information.
There is also her etsy shop. and also her blog.

feature friday XIII - Jeannie Phan

Jeannie Phan is an artist who's work I have followed for years, marveling at her ability to create super-realistic hair and wonderful rich expressions on her characters. Based in Toronto, Jeannie has a keen interest in the micro-kingdom and the physiology of the human body, which she sums up in a surrealist twist. Recently she began producing little zines ("Its a Virus" pictured above) which I would really love to get my hands on. Don't forget to visit her blog on your way out.

feature friday XII - Charlie Isoe

Charlie Isoe’s pictorial compositions are based largely on his personal experiences and observations he makes of his immediate social surroundings. Isoe left school at the age of sixteen and immersed himself in a world of graffiti, skateboarding, travel, and life on the streets. As he entered his twenties, already well traveled, rich in experiences with highs and broken bones, he went back to attain a high school diploma, and subsequently a Degree in Fine Art. For the last three years, Isoe has been living in Europe as a freelance artist, observer and wanderer. His work has been seen on the streets of Australia, Thailand, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Czech Republic and Germany. [source: sweet station.]

Despite hitting perfectly encapsulating the happenings of popular culture and coupling that with clever political satire, it is Isoe's softer works that capture me most. His use of soft tones and brilliant skill in representing anatomy inspires me. I can't wait to hunt down some of his street works on the streets of Europe later this year.

feature friday XI - jose mertz

I am really into melty, flowy art at the moment, so the minute I saw Jose Mertz's work I knew he had to be this week's featured artist. His hybrid practice blends small scale colour pencil and pen works with large murals on street and gallery walls. I find his paintings quite psychedelic in nature, grooving and shifting into amorphous organic shapes. He has one show lined up for this year title Para Mi Gente at Primary Flight Gallery. Can't wait to see more of his work. Brilliant.

feature friday X - Guy-Pascal Vallez

Guy-Pascal Vallez's dreamlike images draw the viewer into their crazy, dream-like landscapes in which little characters dance on hillsides and perch upon rocks, contending large, fearful beasts. The supreme use of colour and contrast creates images rich in meaning and visual excitement. My impression of his work is that of intrigue, as I see traces of Latin American folk art as well as elements of Japanese manga/anime style illustration. I am super keen on his work and really inspired by the density and detail found in his paintings. I will definitely be keeping close tabs on this one!

feature friday V - nom chi

I recently came across this lady blogger/artist/compulsive doodle-er whilst browsing the lovely and amazing Audrey Kawasaki's ffffound page. It is none other than Nom Chi, art student from Vancouver Canada. Her unique style and wonderful use of line have kept me scrolling for some time now, and I think its only a matter of time before she gets snapped up and makes it big like Audrey. Anyhow, these sketches are but the tip of the iceberg.. visit her blog for more crazy amazing work.

feature friday IV - monica canilao

I am really excited about this week's artist feature, as the every piece of work and exhibition by Monica Canilao has proceeded to just blow. me. away. What I love about her is her connection to her cultural heritage and people, and her skilful translation of this knowledge into various visual mediums. Her installations in galleries and public spaces have delighted audiences worldwide, and at a 2008 show Swoon she even built a small wooden house inside a gallery. The images above are from her first ever NY show in 2010, 'We Are Dust' held at Cinders Gallery and of her amazing home and studio. But instead of me go on and on about her, have a read of her artist statement, as she describes herself and practice.

"The only constant in my life has been that I've always wanted to be creating, building, drawing, altering. My art practice is a way to generate a personal and living history. My community and collaborators, my roots and their nearly lost traditions, my neighborhood and its trash piles are all integral, necessary parts of my life and art. The way I go through the world, the beauty of people’s effort throughout time, and their subsequent decay end up in my pieces. I look as much to the loving meticulousness of handicrafts as to the techniques of high art. Taking something as ordinary as wood pulp or cloth and passing thread through it can make common things beautiful and useful. "
..read more on her website.