Lissa Herschleb

"With little preconception of image, color or technique, I sit at my drawing table, pencil in hand summoning up a feeling to accompany an image to paint. I’ve come to believe that my motivation and inspiration come from the National Geographic Magazines that captivated me as a child in the late 50"s. I sat amazed by the photographs of what was beyond my small world…insects the color of eggs at Easter, men painted in ceremonial delight, even plants that seemed to be from other planets. It is not, though, just the imagery of the peoples but their resonance with Mother Earth that struck me. When my artistic skills developed to a degree that I could articulate through drawing and color, that wonder and feeling filtered through. My Paintings are dedicated to those whose compassion resonates with all creatures great and small and a planet that is all too close to losing all its’ precious diversity." - Lissa Herschleb

To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.lherschleb.com/

Claes Gabriel

"I was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; a world filled with magic and color. Creatures from other worlds fascinate me; whether they be symbolic, mythical, from the depths of the sea, or beings that reside in some other dimension. I have studied painting and sculpture and I am now painting on three-dimensional surfaces that I have carved out of wood and than stretched with canvas. I enjoy the play between the carved sculptural form and the shapes that are created on the surface. I have recently been exploring how to push this play even further. By creating a conversation between the pieces I feel I can make a bigger statement. " - Claes Gabriel

To see more of his work go to http://www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/claes%20gabriel/2622

I love this...

What a great idea - a tatooed table!

Found on Random Inspirations

Andi Moran

"Andi Moran works with a vocabulary of forms and palette of finishes, which evoke the archaic and primordial. Most of the work is low-fired white earthenware clay. To give the illusion of a time-wrought patina, ceramic finishes involve the appplication of acids to achieve oxidation and rusting. Her sculptures and vessels derive from tribal, biological, botanical, mechanical and architectonic references." - Sherrie Gallerie

To see more of her work go to http://www.sherriegallerie.com/artistgallery.php?artist=3

Judy Mulford

"With work honoring and celebrating the family, Judy Mulford creates both cultural and autobiographical imagery through her mixed media basketry. Made out of a range of materials, including: waxed linen, gourds, Styrofoam (base for some figures), polymer clay, photo transfers, antique buttons, beads, fine silver, pearls, onyx, collected items, pounded tin can lids, charms, nails, metal, dye paint and paper, they depict all levels of society working together with one mission, pushing towards the future." - Fiberarts

To see more of her work go to http://www.delmano.com/artists/fiber/jMulford/portfolio01.htm

Christopher Schneberger

These haunting images are by Chicago photographer Christopher Schneberger. I was very fortunate to take several darkroom classes with him - he is not only a exceptionally skilled artist but a wonderful teacher. To see more of his work go to his website at http://www.christopherschneberger.com/

Check this out...

I just got this book by Dorothy Simpson Krause this weekend and I am in love. It has stunning examples of artist books and great instructions for making your own.

Deb Karash

"Jewelry, for me, is really about intimacy. Windows, layering, and texture are metaphor for the mystery and richness of personalities. Jewelry becomes a part of people’s lives, a part of their stories. I enjoy participating in the marking of significant events in their lives and hearing the stories they tell me about their jewelry. Throughout history humans have adorned themselves in a variety of ways. I feel a part of that history, if in a very small way. I draw inspiration from natural textures, fiber, stone, and mixed media painting and sculpture. Surface, color, and texture are as important to my work as are the forms themselves. I’m constantly grateful to be able to make my living doing something that I love so much. I hope that the joy of making will always be evident in my work." - Deb Karash

To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.debkarash-jewelry.com/index.html

Suzanne Sbarge

"Combining paint and collage with mostly a pastel palette, Suzanne Sbarge's new paintings explore a surreal dreamscape, teeming with a variety of elements from the natural world. The ubiquitous birds, roots, and flowers form the personal iconography Sbarge uses to illustrate life's ambiguities. The artist playfully initiates narrative connections by combining a variety of disparate visual elements that provoke our tacit assumptions regarding the nature of reality. " - Nuart Gallery

To see more of her whimsical work go to her website at http://www.suzannesbarge.com/

Marsha Blaker-DeSomma

"Marsha Blaker-DeSomma’s work is composed of hundreds of of thick disks of glass, some of which are hollow and some of which contain clear lenses. The resulting form playfully invites the viewer to move around the piece, looking into its many windows from various vantage points. Viewing the work from multiple angles often reveals surprising interplays between the sculpture and the space in which it is situated. " - Traver Gallery

To see more of this intriguing work go to Traver Gallery at http://www.travergallery.com/gallery_artist_details/Marsha-Blaker-DeSomma.aspx

Shana Leino

"I kept journals and the journals kept falling apart. I needed a book that could withstand the enduro of its use. That need unleashed a curiosity into the art of the book and the historical structures. The curiosity of “how can I make a sturdy book, built for surviving heavy use” led me to exploration of the art of the book, artists’ books, and historical methods of putting books together." - Shana Leino

To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.shannaleino.com/index.html

Rian de Jong

These pieces are by Dutch jeweler Rian de Jong. To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.riandejong.nl/

Alison Cooley

"My work focuses on memory of spaces. Expansive color planes, shooting and falling lines, and etchings overlap and move within an underlying composition suggestive of landscape. Textures and values interweave to create a suspension of visual spaces reflective of memory construction. As color fields stack and unfurl delicate markings orient the viewer and provide a handle for the eye. This dislocation produced by plane and color is steadied by navigation of line." - Alison Cooley

To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.alisonhallcooley.com/portfolio.html

Thomas Hoadley

"Thomas Hoadley creates breathtaking porcelain vessels using the ancient technique of nerikomi, creating patterns with colored clay. Through a masterful, sometimes magical manipulation of the clays, delicate, organic, and often complex patterns are created. These award winning bowls are works of beauty and mystery." - The Hoadley Gallery

To see more of his work go to http://www.hoadleygallery.com/hoadley/collection/?CollectionAction=renderCollectionById&CollectionId=6ae368ba1e16125c391c4ee43ebbd36b

Chris Bowman

"In my work I use relatively straight forward forms. The wood is textured, shaped, and painted to add a contemporary dimension to the piece. With these methods, the wood evolves into its final form. At times compartments or drawers are added which are more suggestive of function than practical use; while in other pieces the function takes precedence, while texture and decoration taking a backseat to the woods inherent beauty." - Chris Bowman

To see more work go to http://www.terceragallerypaloalto.com/artists/chrisbowman/gallery/

A Touch of Summer...

Michael Madzo

"Difficult to describe, Michael Madzo's artwork speaks for itself in luminous hues and vivid, often-times whimsical subjects. His trademark technique of sewing bits of his paintings together attracts attention both for its symbolism and for the rich texture it adds to the works. Madzo’s artwork is a synthesis of both traditional and textile art. “It just…happened one day, “he says thoughtfully, “I needed to join two sections together, and had tried everything else. So I thought I’d try sewing.” Collage was the result. In assimilating materials at hand, the artist created something new.
Many of Madzo’s images depict personae and creatures that are at once fanciful, grotesque, and heroic, and, at the same time, communicate a compassion and empathy that results in a haunting impression. " - Hunter Kirkland

To see more of his work go to http://www.hunterkirklandcontemporary.com/madzo.htm#8

Maria Goti

Spanish artist Maria Goti is the artist of these unique jewelry pieces. To see more of her work go to her website at http://www.mariagoti.es/index.php/id/25