Loco-Notions

Yellena James

2009-12-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I bought three prints from Yellena. I've enjoyed watching the changes in her artwork. My prints are similar to the design in the second image above. I think her more recent drawings hold more dimension and depth. Her career really seems to be taking off. She now has her designs on light globes and how cute is this kokeshi doll? You can purchase Yellena's prints on etsy , the glass blown light fixtures can be purchased at schoolhouse electric and the kokeshi doll can be purchased at gallery nucleus.

Maria Cristina Bellucci

2009-11-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Italian artist Maria Cristina Bellucci designs pencil crayon jewelry. For several years Bellucci worked as a costume and accessories designer in theatre. She also created a wide range of jewelry for stage use. From there, she developed a strong interest in jewelry design and ventured off on her own. Her jewelry is created by using fragments of pencils that have been formed together and then cut into a variety of shapes. See more of her work at klimt02

Glass House with Sliding Exterior

2009-11-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Check out this video. Ross and Sally Russell built this radical home in the country side of Suffolk, England. The Russells worked with architect, and long time friend, Alex De Rijke. The outside shelter of the building is basically a sleeve that can move along the side and roof of the house. Responding to the seasons and weather the home owners can pull back the siding and have a glass home completely exposed to the world.

A Alicia

2009-10-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

If you are inspired by Anne Kyrrö Quinn (previous article), you could make rosettes to embelish a number of things. Notice how the little rosettes were applied toward a brooch. How cute is that? And if you're not feeling crafty, and you are lucky en0ugh to live in the UK you can purchase them right here from A Alicia at All Things Original.

Felt Pillow

2009-10-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Every time it starts to get cold outside, I get in the mood to start doing crafts, sewing, knitting etc... How easy is this? I like the look of this rosette pillow, but it might be fun to apply the concept to clothing too, such as a scarf, hat and mittens maybe even a purse. The easy step by step instructions can be found in etsy's step by step instructions. This Rosette Cluster Felt Pillow is taken from Anne Kyrrö Quinn’s book Felt Furnishings.

Gregg Fleishman

2009-08-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

In 1972, Fleishman created cubes for a private alternative school in Culver City, California. He then spent the next 20 years making similar single module structures, domes, and octahedrals. As stated on his website, Fleishman is an architect, designer, artist and inventor whose work is largely influenced by geometry and functionality. Not only is his work creative, but practical too. He designed the 'DH1 Disaster House' which can be built without any fasteners for emergency type situations. See more of his work including some interesting chairs at his website, Gregg Fleishman. First seen on Geekologie

Mary Ann Strandell

2009-08-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

A friend and I were perusing through the IMS(International Market Square) this weekend when we stopped in a small art gallery that carried work by Mary Ann Srandell. I really wish you could see her artwork in person, because as beautiful as these images are, they are much more vibrant directly in front of you. Everything in the gallery that I gravitated to, was work done by Mary Ann Strandell. You can see more of her work at her website Mary Ann Strandell.

Yara Anderson

2009-08-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

The following excerpt is from the Groveland Gallery:

"Yara Anderson grew up in a small village in The Netherlands. Her mother was an avid gardener and Yara learned to love flowers early on. In 1994, she graduated with a degree in Pharmacy from the Rijks Universiteit Groningen, The Netherlands, specializing in medicinal plants. This led to a 6-month research project in India and Nepal. Upon moving to the USA, she studied realistic sculpture at the Minnesota River School of Fine Arts. She started working as a museum fabrication artist in 1998, building botanically accurate plant, tree and insect models. She enrolled in the certificate program at the Minnesota School of Botanical Art in 2006.
Yara lives in South Minneapolis with her husband Thor, her sons, Haakon and Bjorn and their dog Bear.
Yara has shown her work at The Gallery at Filoli, for the American Society of Botanical Artists & New York Horticultural Society, the Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale, MN, and the Bloomington Art Center. "

Wise Guys

2009-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

How cute are these little wise guys? Available to you from Mibo via paypal for £1.00. Once you make your purchase, the .pdf file will be sent to your email account with directions on how to create these four little wise guys. First seen on decor8

Ray Becoskie

2009-07-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis based artist, Ray Becoskie doesn't reveal much about himself on his shared website 8blockrule. However, he does leave this quote by Michel Thevoz that I thought I would share with you.

Michel Thevoz, Curator of the Collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne has written the following:
"Art Brut", or "outsider art", consists of works produced by people who for various reasons have not been culturally indoctrinated or socially conditioned. They are all kinds of dwellers on the fringes of society. Working outside the fine art "system" (schools, galleries, museums and so on), these people have produced, from the depths of their own personalities and for themselves and no one else, works of outstanding originality in concept, subject and techniques. They are works which owe nothing to tradition or fashion...
...often with new means and materials they create their works for their own use, as a kind of private theatre. They choose subjects which are often enigmatic and they do not care about the good opinion of others, even keeping their work secret.

Oiseaux Noir

2009-07-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Shelley Kommers has some pretty cute work. Wouldn't you say? The first two images are from her etsy store Oiseaux Noir and the second set of images are from her etsy store Oiseaux. The second set up images are vintage images of children's books, and personalized to your liking. If you like her work, youll enjoy her website, Oiseaux, too.

Sara Lov

2009-06-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed watching this video by Sara Lov. The video and the lyrics work very well together. The video gives a creative illustration on someone trying to go back to their past, and how it isn't quite possible. First seen on Black Eiffel.

Leo Posillico

2009-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

How cute are these? I love the playfulness with letters. Posillico's style is elegant and modern yet playful. Posillico is from Long Island, New York and has been creating art since the mid 1970's. In the early 1960s he attended New York City’s School of Visual Arts, then went into the army to Vietnam as Photographer and Instructor Head of the Black/White and Color Laboratory. I often have to remind myself that artists do not evolve over night. Great art comes from years and years of practice. Over the past 30 years, Posillico has been an Art Director, Illustrator, Board Game Designer, Album Cover Artist, Author, and Artist. See more of his artwork at his website, Posillico Publishing.

The Dieline

2009-06-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the world's #1 package design website ever! The Dieline was established in 2007 by Andrew Gibbs. The Dieline defines its site as being dedicated to the progress of the package design industry and its practitioners, students and enthusiasts. Its purpose is to design and promote the worlds best examples of package design. Source: Design Sponge

Time Flies

2009-06-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

I love the symbolism of these clocks: Time flies! These were designed by Susanne Philippson and can be purchased through DesignShop.

Cassette Closet

2009-05-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Patrick Shuur from Creative Bar n created this insanely unique closet. Nine Hundred and nineteen cassette tapes were meticulously attached to the closet's wooden frame. This piece was built to be used as an office space divider. You could essentially create a similar piece. This piece took many many many hours to build. But, you could do something on a smaller scale, using cassette tapes or any other material. I would maybe start with just a wooden box, maybe a little chest for storage that could also double as a coffee table. I don't know, what do you think? It is currently for sale at the Creative Barn. Source: How's House

Box Doodle Project

2009-05-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

Doodlage featured a story on the Box Doodle Project. It is interesting to see the different approaches people come up with in how they actually use the box in their design. As David Hoffman has stated on the website, "The rules are quite simple: rearrange a box to make any kind of figure or object. Make the most of least."

Shawn McNulty

2009-04-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

I attended the St. Paul art crawl this weekend where I was able to connect and talk to many local artists. During the crawl, I stumbled upon one of McNulty's post cards. ShawnMcNulty.com explains: "Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Shawn McNulty is an active contemporary painter in the Minnesota art scene. He defines his style as "the idea of recognizable shapes and structures within an irrational environment with emphasis on form, color, and composition." I enjoy his use of color.

JR Art

2009-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

JR is an undercover photographer that transforms his photos into posters. He uses buildings across the world as his canvas to display his art. As his website states: "JR finds inspiration in informal encounters he makes following his travels and his intuitions." He creates art out of everyday encounters. I love it. What do you think? See more of his amazing photography at JR-Art

Marten Jansen

2009-03-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy these abstract paintings by Marten Jansen. He grew up near Amsterdam. When he was 17 he was interested in music and actually wanted to become a composer. Because his parents opposed his music interests and with his own self doubts, he studied economics (1983). Later he developed an interest in physics and mathematics. In 1990, he started painting. In 1997 Jansen states that things just started to click and he became much more motivated to produce art. Read his full biography.

Amanda Talley

2009-03-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

I love the simplicity of Amanda Talley's artwork and I love the color choices she uses. Amanda's artwork is quite sought after. She has worked with designers such as Gerrie Bremermann. He used her painting in a design project (top photograph) which was featured in Southern Accents. I first saw Amanda on Bayou Contessa where the owner was fortunate enough to have purchased a couple of Amanda's paintings.

The Black Apple

2009-03-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have been a huge fan of Emily Martin for years. I'm not sure why I haven't posted information about her sooner. I suppose since she has been posted on nearly every other blog, I felt I didn't need to write about her. However, I haven't seen her work lately and got excited all over again when I saw it. She is THE biggest seller on etsy. Her shop name is The Black Apple. Check out her blog, it's sure to inspire you. Inside a Black Apple.

DIY Nightstand

2009-03-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this DIY project on cucumbersome. The original table sells at Anthropologie for $698.00. This project was created for a mere $96.00. This table is relatively easy to make and if you already have a table you would like to spruce up, the project would cost even less than a hundred dollars. You basically cover the drawers with decorative trim from the hardware store. If you are interested in the full directions, you can find them here at cucumbersome. First seen on DesignSponge.

Decorating on a Budget

2009-03-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

I really like this room from Domino. A girlfriend of mine once taught me a simple trick when it comes to decorating. Her advice was to find a room you love in a magazine or on the web and just copy what you see. It is such a simple idea yet very effective. In this room, the designer Steven Gambrel, designed this room on a budget. Gambrel usually works on projects that are in the million plus range. But here, he gives great ideas you can implement into your own home on a budget. His simple tips are inexpensive yet very effective. I particularly like these three ideas: hang curtains high to make the windows seem elongated; create a molding with paint a shade darker or lighter to the walls;use mirrors to open up a room. Read the full article here at Domino.

Daydreaming of Warm Destinations

2009-03-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today it is 35 degrees in Minnesota. The sun is shining and this is warmer weather than what we have been having, so I should be happy. However, everyone is coming back with sun kissed skin from their vacations and I can't help but daydream of warmer destinations. Currently, my feet are cold, I always say that I have popsicle toes. Right now I can't think of anything I would enjoy more than sticking my little popsicle toes into some really warm soft sand. Photos are taken from Exclusive Resorts.