Mai Autumn

styles

over the past few days/weeks (and if you kind of add it all together, the past few months), i've been trying to refine my artistic voice a little in an attempt to figure out where i should take my new work. i've still been trying to keep myself busy making new paintings and illustrations with whatever is inspiring me during the course of this searching, so i have a lot of (somewhat random) new pieces to share with you soon.

the main thought behind this post today is to make note of the "styles" i've noticed that i'm both drawn to in other artists' work, and when creating my own new pieces. i'm hoping this discovery is leading me in the direction toward more sense in my work soon! so, here are the styles:

botanical illustrations/studies:

(image via little byrd vintage)

basically anything that looks like it could be a plate in a dictionary or reference book. there's something so clean and fresh about an object in the center of the page, not complicated with any other elements.

 

folk art and decorative patterns:

(image via britt herman)

(image via kelim pottery)

folk art has been around me from when i was a wee girl - both in my parents' house and in my grandparents' house. so i'm probably drawn to it because it brings me back to being a kid :)

 

color fields and abstracts:

(image via blin gallery)

one of my favorite artists has always been mark rothko, and you can probably see a little bit of this style in my landscape watercolors.

conceptual illustration:

(image via holli)

i love the juxtaposition of different elements, and the linear quality some illustrations possess. it's a little whimsical, don't you think?

realism/still life:

(image via cathy hillegas)

now, obviously this is one of the most literal styles in the art world. you set up a still life, you get yourself a model, or you sit yourself down in nature and depict things as they really are. sometimes a thing or place is just so beautiful, that it doesn't need any other bells or whistles to be inspiring all on its own.

 

since figuring all this out, i'm starting to conjure up ways to incorporate these styles more cohesively into my work. i'm looking at it like a recipe - i have these ingredients in my cupboard, now how do i put them together to make a delicious meal? i think i'm headed in the right direction though. what do you think?

dreaming the week away...

i have been in my own little world this week. painting and dreaming and planning. here are some things that have been inspiring my wandering mind..

felicia antanasui

halima washington-dixon

bernadette pascua via a blonde's guide to world domination

tina heiska

jenny belin

i wish i could stay in this very fashionable and feminine dream world forever :)

 

 

searching for the muse

i am procrastinating getting back to my work right now (but i'm excited about the work that started up yesterday! more on that later - or you could check out the progress shot on my facebook fan page) and i was meandering through one of my favorite blogs, the jealous curator. i came across this post, which started a whole conversation about something i struggle with on a pretty much daily basis - is anybody going to like this thing i'm making right now?

if you are also an artist or creative person of any kind, and worry about anything similar to this (which i am now almost certain that all artists deal with this feeling at some point), you need to go check out the comments on that post. it'll make you feel like you're not such a freak... at least for a few minutes until the normal worrying starts up again. :)

another gem i came across while reading through these comments, is this presentation from elizabeth gilbert on creativity. it is awesome. if you create any kind of thing, this will completely help you feel less burdened by the pressure to make something absolutely amazing, and maybe just focus on making anything at all - which is what we just need to do sometimes, right?

 

well, i hope your own creative efforts are fruitful out there! i'm so glad i came across all this motivation today! now, it's off to work! :)

(image via ffffound)

night dancing

i've been meandering around the internet for the past hour - at first i thought i was just distracted, and then when i came across these photos, i realized there was a higher purpose to this wandering mood i'm in..

aren't they stunning?! i stumbled upon these photos of night dancing on the talk 2 the trees blog and it made me remember what was inspiring me a few weeks ago - darkness. there's something so magical about the dark. i really want to try to capture something about night, and the mysterious feeling that comes along with it, in my work soon. things have been pretty busy around here, but i hope i can get to painting this weekend or sooner.

also, lately i've also been holding out on you, dear readers. i've been deciding to only share my new work after i've let it settle in me for a while. i feel like i've become a little too reactive to the work i make, and i'd like to get more connected to it before i put it out there. i hope that makes sense. we'll see how this goes.  so, you can expect to see a big post of all the new work i've been squirelling away sometime soon.

for now, here are some more images that evoke that sweet night feeling..

via just like honey

88editions

leana photo

meaning to isn't the same as actually

i'm just now going through my blog and noticing the lack of posts about things i actually make lately. hmph. so, i'm keeping this post to a minimum in order to get myself away from my desk and over to my work table. gotta get down to some actual work today! gosh! here's something pretty for you while i (attempt) to get something done today...

d3sign

wish me luck!

happy friday!

ohmygoodnessgracious! this week slipped right through my fingers! i came down with a little virus earlier in the week and numerous things just crept up on me. one thing after another - you know those weeks? well, today i think i might actually have some time to make some new art, so here is what's inspiring me this friday..

society6

beautyspot

kareena zerefos via indie art & design

allnsundry

eyeful

tinfena studio

emma williamson

millerseye

 

well, here's hoping that i actually get down to some art making and nothing else distracts me! ; ) hope you all have a great weekend! :) :)

inspiration - adaptation

if i could sum up a movie in a few images, how would i do it? movies are such a great way to get into a new way of thinking or looking at things. if i'm stuck on a design or painting i'm working on, i've been finding it very helpful to escape into film these days.

today's inspiration comes from the movie, adaptation. i absolutely adore meryl streep, and, after watching this complex flick the other night, i also realized that i love all of charlie kaufman's movies. if you haven't seen it, i highly recommend it!

via cabinet of treasures

 

fig. a.) anthropologie; fig. b.) aileen chong via pinterest; fig. c.) sarah storm; fig. d.) bhldn

 

 calypso st. barth

columbia pictures

it's a lot to take in, but if you're in the mood for a mind bending experience, this film will surely satisfy.

i hope you're all having an inspiring tuesday out there! :)

working and playing

i hope you all had a fabulous weekend! thank you to everyone who bought a heartsy voucher! while i'm busy packing up lots of orders, i'm finding myself daydreaming about some ideas for new paintings for the week ahead. as i mentioned last week, plans are underway for a new series of acrylic paintings, but i'm still focused on my watercolors - they never let me down!

while sketching a little bit, i realized that my bird series still intrigues me and i'm beginning to find new and interesting aspects to play with - color, additional design elements, ink, etc. i'm going to allow myself to keep playing with the watercolor and trying tons of new things - letting the series grow organically. i think that sounds about right. if i'm strict about my acrylic, i think it could be good to let myself mess around with the watercolor - have a little fun with it - explore something! how's that sound? :)

looking at amy ross's illustrations really got me thinking about expanding on a series. she has so much variety in her work, yet it all seems like it evolved (pun intended) out of the same place. check it out:

all images via amy ross

hungry, hungry

my mind is on food today. not only because i'm planning out some yummy summer meals for the week, but also because of all the fantastic foodie art i always find myself coveting. i've always felt that food is the universal language, and this art is definitely speakin' to me :)

(strawberries via chatter box art)

working woman

 

gwen bell

 

anek

 

dana cooper

 

lucille's kitchen

 

peacock garden

 

dren culture

 

candidate

 

tomorrow is the first time i'll be heading up to the farmer's market on the boardwalk for the season - i'm super excited to get some great fresh local produce! yipee! :) if you're in the asbury park, nj area, you can find out more info about our famer's market on the asbury park boardwalk website.

gettin' it together

while i did have plenty of much needed fun this weekend, i also got all my resources together and figured out some important things i've been pondering over the last month or so.. i can't wait to share all my new plans with you!

last month, as you may know, i took a little hiatus from blogging, to sort out my upcoming holiday goodies (i was half successful - half not.. more on that later) and, as promised, i am back to my usual posting schedule. it felt kind of good to clear out all those weeks for my mind to reboot, but it also felt a little bit too unorganized for me (and my studio shows the proof of that!) i'm hoping july will make a bit more sense!

and.. i am actually pretty confident that it will! all the free time i allowed myself resulted in some concrete plans for a new series of work focusing on several things that i am really excited to explore. i'm still planning on continuing with my watercolor, but acrylic paint has really been calling to me these days. the new paintings are going to involve the following: night, darkness vs. light, family, house vs. home, and of course, pretty things :) i'm thinking of each piece as part of a story board for an imaginary "movie" of sorts. a little abstract, i know, but it just makes sense to me right now. here are some things that i've put together for my inspiration for the series...

kari herer

 

anthro

 

elizabeth messina via lou, boos and shoes

 

sparks of fire

 

anthro

 

portobello

 

for more inspirations, i have created a pin board on pinterest called "imagination no.1" because i'm really hoping this is the beginning of many more exotic imaginations turned into art! we shall see :)

so, here's to a fresh start for a new month! i'll see you tomorrow - possibly with new art or with new things to inspire! toodooloo til then! :)