Today's find on Etsy

"DoomGloomBoom" is the etsy shop of artist Zack Pinson. I am in love with this this piece titled "Duck." I may be getting out the credit card and making a purchase. At $12 per print how could I pass it up? The only thing that could make it better is if it was the original, but I won't let that stop me. The good news is that Zack sells original pieces in his etsy shop as well. Unfortunately...no original of "Duck," but there are several other original pieces available to choose from. Take a look at his etsy shop here and see for yourself.

Paintings by Marion Peck

Marion Peck's paintings are dream-like. Some are like a good dream...some are like a bad dream. But they are all beautiful. Her subjects are people, animals, animals that look like people, and people that look like animals. There are portraits of puppies dressed in suits, kitties with extra eyes, evil snowmen, and so on and so on. It was hard to choose which images to include in this post because there are so many amazing works from this artist to choose from. You can these pieces and many more on her website.

"Nice Girl" and "Boy with Puppy" from Marion Peck's website.

Inky Dreadfuls

"Michael Mararian possesses a poetic propensity for taking traditionally cheerful images and concepts and turning them into frightening, yet humorous, tableaus. Focusing on children as the last bastion of innocence, Mararian draws on a diverse range of influences to deliver the peculiar ink work he aptly calls, M. Mararian's Inky Dreadfuls. In this world our fondest visions of childhood’s naiveté are darkly rearranged to uncover lost innocence and the fear of our modern times.

Though often shroud in the macabre, Michaels' ink paintings are also suffused with a sense of mischievous, almost self-deprecating humor. What can on one level be construed as melancholy and cruel, can alternately be viewed as amusing, even charming. He enjoys letting his viewers decide."

-A portion of Michael Mararian's bio from his website.

The image above, "Pupaphobia-Fear of Puppets" is from Mararian's Phobia Series. Each piece in this specific series is disturbing yet comical. Although, that is true for most of Mararian's work.

To see more of his work take a look at his website.

For the Mod Plant Lover

These planters from Metaphys are ideal for any modern home. Simple and clean, these planters make quite a contemporary statement. The "picture" planters can hang on a wall or sit on a table. The "factory" planters can be grouped together to create a modern design. Beautiful!

To purchase or see more products from Metaphys click here.

The Odd Couple

Polly George has an interesting attention to detail, and it is in the details that her handmade ceramics come alive. Her work is modern--stark white ceramics with classic shapes, but it is the hand applied details that Polly adds to each piece that truly makes her work unique. She creates coffee mugs, teapots, butter dishes and more with roses, butterflies or birds adorned to each piece. However, it is her "Mr. and Mrs. Jones" line of ceramics that I find the most intriguing. Pictured above is the Mr. and Mrs. Jones Citrus Juicers. They can be purchased here. To see more of Polly's work or purchase other pieces visit her website.

Paper Cut Creations

Artist Peter Callesen creates intricate paper cut sculptures using ordinary white sheets of paper. The negative space that is created by the cut is a nice contrast to the three dimensional reality it creates. See more of Peter's work on his website.

"Snowballs" by Peter Callesen

Lighting Designs by Jess Shaw

"Imaginative and emotional lighting designs" by Jess Shaw. View her website and see more of her work here.

"Cloud" by Jess Shaw. Made from nylon, wire and lights.

Today's find on Etsy

Beautiful cards and wall art made from layering hand-cut pieces of cardstock. The artist layers each piece with different shades of the same color to create a topographic landscape. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. See more of the artist's work here in her etsy shop.

A Cast of Creepy Characters

"We humans are an odd bunch." That is the short and sweet artist statement by printmaker and illustrator Ryan Price. His work is considered dark and disturbed to some, playful and fun to others. Personally, I find it all of the above. The subjects in his work are interesting little characters. You find yourself wanting to know more about them. His website is set up almost like a book. There are chapters, characters, and stories. Although the website can be a little tricky to navigate it's a very intriguing set-up. I highly recommend clicking on "The Sketchbook Browser" at the bottom of the page to see more of these interesting little oddities.

For the past ten years Ryan has managed Catch-23, a printmaking studio, art gallery and frame shop in the heart of downtown Guelph, Ontario. He continues to create his fine art and illustrations and exhibit in a variety of shows around Ontario and beyond. I would love to see his work paired together with another of my favorites, John Casey. It would be a very exciting...and disturbing show. I would be in heaven!

Images above are from Ryan Price's website. You MUST take a look at his amazing work.

"Driven" - featuring work by artists with disabilities

"For the sixth year, VSA arts and Volkswagen of America, Inc., have partnered to recognize and showcase young artists with disabilities, ages 16–25, who are living in the United States. This collaboration supports these artists at a critical time when many are deciding whether to pursue the arts as a career. The award validates, and helps finance, that life-defining choice.

VSA arts sent more than 20,000 calls for entry to high schools and colleges around the country, inviting submissions that illustrated the theme 'Driven.' Participants were asked to consider the motivations behind their work—what moves them to create. The call also encouraged artists to contemplate the relationship between life, art, and disability. Selected from 204 submissions, these 15 finalists were awarded a total of $60,000 generously provided by Volkswagen of America, Inc."

From VSA Arts' website.

The image above, "Untitled," is from one of the talented artists, Jessica Merrell of Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to Merrell, who was born with epilepsy, "I started a new body of work dealing with epilepsy and finally felt comfortable opening up a dialogue about it.” This new body of work centers around mandalas, which are ritualistic, geometric designs symbolic of the universe, used in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation. According to Jessica's artist statement, “I am influenced by my disability and the theories of Carl Jung. In his theories on the subconscious mind the mandala is an instrument of meditation, concentration, and self-immersion. The mandala is a symbol of healing in every culture. Working in this format has an ordering effect and is a traditional antidote to chaotic states of mind.”

To see all the work by the 15 chosen artists please take a look at VSA Arts' website here.

Homes made from recycled shipping containers

This is genius! I have been reading recently about the newest craze in "green" living. Several companies are using recycled shipping containers to create prefab modern homes. Not only are they cheaper than the traditional building costs of a new home, they are strong...and easily transported. That is why companies are springing up all over the world that are beginning to specialize in this niche market. Addis Containers, a New Zealand company that specializes in container house design and construction, has created a website where you can not only learn about the benefits of building with shipping containers, but you can actually browse layouts to find the design that best fits you and your lifestyle.

In addition to homes, recycled shipping containers have been used to create student housing, "portable" hotels, artist studios, and on-site camping for special outdoor events.



Click here to read a great article on container homes by Ecoble.
Visit Addis Containers website here.

Images from Ecoble and Addis Containers.

Today's find on Etsy

"Week 48 SEVEN" by Iris Schwarz

"SEVEN" is a weekly edition from artist Iris Schwarz. Every week Schwarz creates an edition of seven prints from one of her original illustrations.

See more of her work in her etsy shop.