Tag Archives: art

When a Photographer Becomes a Doll Maker

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I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I have a thing for dolls. And I’ve definitely featured the amazing work of Christine Alvarado from Du Buh Du Designs before.

One of the things that makes her site so spellbinding is that she features her handmade dolls in the most beautiful images.








I never really gave much thought to who was taking these gorgeous pictures, but apparently it was HER. Though I should have guessed this since the personal pictures she has on her blog are quite lovely too.

The last blog post I read on Du Buh Du announced that the always empty Etsy shop (her dolls disappear seconds after she lists them) will now include prints of several of her doll photographs. Here are a couple:




You can see the rest HERE. Which one is your favorite?

ArtQuiver

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I can’t remember where I found this… Feel free to let me know if it was you and I’ll give you credit.

ArtQuiver is an online gallery featuring (in their words) “original, one-of-a-kind paintings from a hand-selected group of US based artists. Individually chosen for their unique combination of skill, style, and value, we represent a wide range of artists, from the emerging to the established.”

They also have a super cool search feature that quizzes you on your preferences and then makes recommendations for what you would like.

It’s quick and fun – check it out!

Here are some pieces that were selected for me that I really liked (including some not selected but by the same artists):










There were others that didn’t really strike me – but nothing I hated. I wouldn’t say it was 100% accurate – but pretty darn close.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

The Birds Return

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Remember this birdie wallpaper I featured the other week?

Well Viv from ish and chi recently used it in a DIY project. Instead of papering a room with it, she created a beautiful display above her bed.




I love how something that looks so fantastic can be just a fraction of the expense that a large piece of art would require.

Elegant, modern and a perfect way to display a favorite wallpaper or textile. Brilliant.

Can you believe I won this?!

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One of my new artist friends, Lara Harris of A Vintage Touch fame, has been doing giveaways for miniature paintings of something that the winners treasure.

I’ve written about this before as a means of getting an additional entry for the giveaway, and apparently it paid off! I was one of the lucky winners.

I have so many beautiful things that I treasure, so choosing one was difficult. But then I had an idea. Years ago, I planned a wedding shower for my good friend Anastasia. I used bits and pieces of china and ceramics that I’ve collected to display pale pink roses, and was so charmed by the end result that I took at picture of the one on my coffee table.

Here is what I sent to Lara:


She posted about the progress, so I got to see a little bit of her process:


And then she posted this picture of the finished piece:


I saw that while I was on vacation at the beach and couldn’t have been happier. It was exactly what I had hoped and more.And it’s TINY. Have I ever mentioned how much I love beautiful, detailed things that are tiny? Anyway – I took a picture when it arrived so that I could show you just how tiny this little gem is:
It’s now displayed on my dresser alongside a beautiful Janet Hill (also very small), so that I can look at them and sigh every day as I get ready.

Lara generally features pictures of her work on her blog. Add it to your reader so you’ll know when she has new paintings for sale. They are so reasonably priced that they’re snapped up pretty quickly. Last I checked these tiny ones were still available:



Thanks again Lara for my little treasure!*Lara does a lot of custom work and recently did a painting of Matthew Mead’s dog, Oscar. Click here for more information on rates for Lara’s custom work.

Beautiful Things Tend to Inspire, but Absolutely Beautiful Things Inspire Absolutely

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Or maybe it was “absolute power…” Anyway – that’s one of the very few quotes I remember from school – and I still had to look up who said it.

Speaking of Absolutely Beautiful Things – don’t you just love Anna Spiro? I’m obsessed with ABT and find her images and writing to be a true source of daily inspiration.

I particularly love her Friday Flowers:




She also indulges us with pictures of her own interior design work:




And of course, I find great inspiration in the paintings that she commissions for Black & Spiro:




That last one may be for herself though…

Everything from her color choices and love of textiles to her eye for art and flowers makes me want to move to Australia and beg to be her personal assistant. (Don’t know what she’d think of the three toddlers I’ve have in tow, but maybe we could keep them busy sorting fabric samples…)

Really – I just love everything about this site. Every day is a gem, and I’m never disappointed. If Absolutely Beautiful Things isn’t currently in your reader, add it today!

Comfort and Whimsy

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Since I’m combing the Internet for little pictures to inspire my own scribbling, I am immediately drawn to pretty little pictures created by “real” artists.

Chelsea of {frolic!} recently featured the watercolor illustrations of Bella Foster, and I was quite taken with them.

Particularly these interiors:

 

The scenes are so everyday and approachable but her interpretation is so dreamy. It’s a fanciful combination and very unique. Just lovely.