Black Eyed Suzie

Wow after long hiatus I must apologize for being MIA for so long! I've been busy with "life" in general-- through a new job and losing 40lbs (and recording that on my other blog) I am going to attempt to be more regular on this blog!

Black Eyed Suzie creates the most ugly- beautiful dolls I've seen in a long time. The disheveled hair, bulgy sad eyes and stick thin figures make you just want to take em home and show them some love. The artist refers to her dolls as "Tattered Victorian Gothic" which I think explains them perfectly! Her 3 dimensional work reminds me much of the work of previously featured artist, Roadside Projects. Black Eyed Suzie will even custom create dolls to your specification (especially nice for slightly gothic special events like weddings). Chic Factor : 8.9

Fashion Prints!

Here is a sample of some work I've been doing--- the original idea was to create a nice juxtaposition of patterns vs. flat figures in interesting fashion statements... what came next was the introduction of the same concept to retro chic furniture.. let me know what you think? The fashion prints were recently in a show @ NVISION. -- Give some feedback-- good and especially bad!

Charlie Harper

One of my favorite artists is Charlie Harper. His work is fantastic but largely over-looked by the art community. He has a cult following in his home town of Cincinnati-- but has received recent acclaim by Todd Oldham who has worked to archive the work of Charlie Harper shortly before his death earlier this year. His work is largely simplistic and graphical. Chic factor or a perfect 10!

Elle Moss

Wow! I came across this artist's work a couple of days ago and it literally stopped me in my tracks.. it's so hauntingly beautiful-- quirky-- kitschy --retro inspired... I am in such AWE! Elle Moss photography amazes me! It's not self conscious at all... and that's what I think is soooo fabulous about it! Chic Factor 9.8

Newby Art

Encaustic paintings have a spot in my heart due to the fact that I used to dabble in them a couple of years ago. Encaustic is derived from the mixing of oil pigment with wax. It really is a difficult process but have have a huge payoff! I love the encaustic paintings by Newby Art-- they are sometimes graphical-- but also incorporate the wax as a bonding agent for collage materials. All of the layers created a hauntingly beautiful finished product. Chic factor 7.9

Galerie De Illuminata

Galerie De Illuminata specializes in digital collage... The images are beautiful and reminiscent of old photographs--with a touch of whimsy. The warmth of the colors in each print along with the rugged textures help to offset rather stoic subjects. There is definitely an air of irony in most of the portraits typically utilizing anatomical sketches. The end result is hauntingly beautiful. Chic Factor 8.1

Monkey Powered

After a few days.. we're glad to be back! Today's feature is Monkey Powered. Playfully strong and quirky-- Monkey Powered prints utilize a series of textures and patterns to give these delectable prints extra pow! Witty without being overly dramatic-- retro without being cliche. Perfect for a child's room-- or for a child at heart's room :o) Chic Factor 8.8

Yumi Yumi

Yumi Yumi's work is some of my favorite pieces of all time! Her work incorporates the use of splashes of color to fill silhouettes of birds, plants and animals-- I'm such a huge fan of these sophisticated prints. You really have to look close to appreciate the beauty-- which are reminiscent of Asian scroll work! -- truly beauty in the form of liquidity. In some of her other work, she utilizes a more straight forward rendition with echoes to the retro feel. Chic factor 8.6.

Duda Daze!

I've been a long time follower of Duda Daze! I love her angelic mixed media pieces. Each work effortlessly incorporates relevant text with a wonderful image. Her images evoke a sense of peace and happiness. She sells a range of original works and prints-- that also include Aceo. Chic factor 8.8

Monster Gallery

Retro influenced prints are soooo much fun! I love everything about them-- which is why I absolutely LOVE Monster Gallery! -- I especially love old cameras or ray guns--old video games-- anything that's somewhat playful and iconic-- and definitely scratched up. Chic Factor 8.3!

Daydreamer photography

Our first photography feature is Day Dreamer-- while she does produce a variety of art in various media-- my favorite is her photography. The images are beautiful in their close nature and array of colors. I especially love the photos of the old rusted cars. -- Done in a larger size they can be the center point of your room! Chic Factor 8.7

Jenn Ski-- today's artist!

I'd like to introduce one of my favorite etsy artists, Jenn Ski. What I love about her work is the playful throw back to retro style. Her shop offers a variety of paintings, cards and prints in a miriad of sizes. Aside from her stellar patterns she offers a series of A- Z prints (A is for Alligator). While the renditions are relatively simplistic in style they abound in humor and playfulness and are utterly irresistible! The A-Z prints be a nice shower gift-- but would be perfect for any child's room (they avoid the too cutesy for older kids factor). Chic factor 9.5!

Etsy shop : Branch Accessories

Today's featured Etsy.com artist is Branch Accessories who specializes in fused glass rings and necklaces. What I love most about this shop is the variety of colors on these oh so in chunky cocktail rings! What's even better is the price-- ranging from a mere $12 - 30-- WHAT A STEAL! All the rings are adjustable so you can switch them around on different fingers or hands-- perfect for borrowing your sister's treasure! Chic factor of 8.9!

Michele Maule from Etsy.com

I've been following Michele Maule's work for quite some time! What I love about it is it's retro subjects with a modern mixed media execution. She typically works with subjects such as beehives, Remington Typewriters, Polaroids and Cameras-- but an occasional bike or plant will appear. I was first struck by her renditions of Remington Typewriters with the keystrokes being visible. Her illustrations are normally light and airy-- but are particularly nice when the paint is transparent enough to reveal words from collaged paper lurking underneath. It's fun, it's playful and best of all they are all affordable originals! Chic factor 9.2 -- value and originality perfect 10!