cool artist.... mary scrimgeour

i really love mary scrimgeour's paintings. i've seen them at a few galleries in the boulder/denver area, and they always draw me in. i love the child-like qualities, but they are so obviously sophisticated at the same time. imaginative and amusing, colorful yet somehow muted.... i just adore them.

see more on her website and her print website.

weekend getaway

ryan and i just got back last night from a quick 3 day trip to new york city and connecticut for one of his college friend's wedding, so i thought i'd post some photos of the excursion. it was lovely, and it made me remember why i loved living in the northeast so much. those deep red luscious east coast fall leaves get me every time. as for the idea of living in nyc, though... yikes. i don't know if i could handle it. what an amazing place, but it seems so overwhelming to actually have to be there all the time. perhaps i'm a country girl at heart. :)

anyway, above are some shots from various parts of the weekend, and here are some photos of the leaves.....

weekend getaway

i just got back last night from a quick weekend jaunt up to new york city and norwalk, connecticut for the wedding of one of ryan's best friends from college. needless to say, it was a lovely excursion

awesome artist: julie peppito

wow, check out these drawings! they are by julie peppito, and you can see more of these awesome creations at heskin contemporary, a great gallery in nyc.

favorite artist of the day: ian whitmore

i am loving this painting by ian whitmore this morning. it is a gray, rainy day here in atlanta, and this is brightening it up for me. see more from his current show at g fine art in washington dc right here.

favorite artist... egon schiele

i am a huge fan of egon schiele. i am almost embarrassed to admit that i had never even heard of him when i visited the van gogh museum in amsterdam a few years ago to find an exhibit of his work, which was the most amazing show i'd ever seen. truly. i've been thinking of his work lately, and thought it would be nice to post some photos. some of them are a little subversive to post on my blog (in my opinion)-- they're a little racy. but you can see and read more here and here and here.

when i was in ceske krumlov, czech republic, i tried to visit the egon schiele art centrum, which, sadly, was closed for renovations. i was more disappointed than i can even tell you. it was heart-breaking to be standing outside, knowing the place was filled with work that would take my breath away and not be able to get in. i guess it's an excuse to go back one day!

schiele died when he was just 28 years old (my age next year!) when artists die young like that, it always makes me wonder how their work would've developed throughout their lives had they lived longer.

i love his work.

julie rall

these paintings by julie rall are inspiring me this morning. the top one reminds me of apples in the fall, and i am loving the fall right now!

her work is done on plexiglass in oil, powdered pigment, and gold leaf. i would love to see these in person to get a real feel for them. you can see more at butters gallery in portland, oregon.

ron trujillo

i love ron trujillo's work. ufortunately these photos don't do justice to seeing them in the flesh, but they give you the idea. in person they are *gorgeous*- metallics and vibrant colors galore! see more at william havu gallery in denver.

happy october!

{this is a drawing i found in an old sketchbook)

happy october everyone! it's really feeling like fall, isn't it?

just a note to tell you that there is going to be some new stuff appearing in my etsy shop (drawing-related), so stay tuned....

here is something that went in last night...

bertel bager: nature images

i wanted to share a few images from bertel bager's book, nature as designer: a botanical art study. the images are unbelievable. unfortunately, i don't own the book (yet!), but photocopied many of the images from my friend caroline's copy! you can buy it on amazon right here if you are so inclined...

enjoy!

jess goes for a facial and makeover

now, there are times that i just don't feel like a real girl. i am not all that into shopping, i really cannot justify spending a ton of money on clothes or shoes or purses, and my hair routine consists of a quick wash and air dry. i didn't even have my first pedicure just a few months ago. i have certainly never been the type of girl to peruse the makeup counters or shop for the perfect concealer or lipstick shade. in fact, i had never even visited the lovely ladies at the makeup counters at the mall. until yesterday.

while on an errand to pick up some laura mercier creme brulee bubble bath (which is apparently addictive) for someone at the lenox mall in atlanta, i was sucked into the magic of the makeup counters. oh yes. i never thought it would happen. i was sucked in so much so that i scheduled myself for a free facial and makeover with the licensed aestheticians that, i got the impression, are not there very often giving away free services. and i'm excited! i wanted to be one of those girls with perfect hair and nails and makeup and clothes.... and, alas, while my free makeover will probably not end up being this ultimate transformation (which i probably wouldn't actually be all that happy about anyway), perhaps it'll inspire me to do something different with my "look." heaven knows i could use it!

i'll keep you posted, as the makeover will go down tomorrow at 4:00....

ps: this stuff smells *delicious*, and i can see why it could be addictive. although i tend to go for the all-organic, paraben-free type of beauty products, this smells so delicious i think it might counteract all the stuff that's in it that probably isn't the best for you... it also smells so delicious that i feel like i'll be talked into spending $40 on it tomorrow, even though i don't ever take baths.... maybe it's a good excuse to start!!

art from japan

i like this piece by hiromi luchi of kagawa, japan. i found it on reona euda's interesting site that you can see right here. it is full of collaborative artwork.

here is another piece i like, by yosuke kojima, also in japan.

cool artist... whitney bedford

i have loved whitney bedford's work for a long time, and she popped into my mind just now, so here are some images for you to look at! her paintings are beautiful- calm and destructive at the same time somehow. i just love them. (ps- she is only 4 years older than me, and she has shown at the saatchi gallery in london. whoa!)

the secret language of sleep

after a couple of interrupted nights of sleep (ryan sure likes to wiggle!), this book could be of use to me. the book interprets the way that you and your partner sleep, and gives insight into what it means about you! fun, huh?

learn more about the book here and order it here.

{via pinkshirtsandcarwrecks}

georgia weekend: part 3, the aquarium

i am fascinated by jellyfish. have i ever mentioned this? i think they are just incredible, and i spent about 15 minutes staring at them at the georgia aqaurium this weekend.

there were many many other delights of the sea to view:

sea turtles...


tons of fish, of course...


sea horses (another fave)...


beluga whales (4 of them!)


and a 63 foot long viewing window into a tank that had an unbelievable array of fish in it, including 3 whale sharks (the biggest fish known to man), a hammerhead shark, and some sawfish in it. i love this shot with the silhouetted people.

it was awesome.