CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Casa Quickie: Big Frames For Diminutive Art

casasugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0700

If you're still saving your pennies for some large art pieces, but you want to make a dramatic splash in your home right now, consider placing a smaller photo or painting (or, as in this case, a silhouette) in a larger frame. You can find wooden frames at flea markets or yard sales, and a coat of paint will transform a dated frame into a piece that pops on your wall. And given the intentional use of small art/big frame, you don't have to worry about matting or glass. Nice, huh?
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Cool Idea: Graphite Sculptures

casasugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:30:23 -0700

ASB Workshop's Graphite Objects, created by San Francisco-based artist Agelio Batle, are olive branches, asparagus, calla lilies, raven heads, shells, quills, and other delicate shapes carved from graphite. The art pieces double as writing utensils when you don't have a pencil handy. The small sculptures transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and the art collector into the artist, whilst serving as an elegant artifact in your home. It's no wonder the objects are lined with remarkable, intricate details; the artist studied biology in college. Set one on top of a stack of books, use it as a paperweight, or arrange it in a vignette with other souvenirs and beautiful things. Available at Bluehouse ($34-$38) or contact the studio to purchase.

Midday Muse: Rogue Knitters Strike Again

casasugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:00:18 -0700

Remember when I told you about the woman who knitted sweaters for trees? Seems like someone in my neighborhood was inspired by her work. I found this well-bundled tree outside of a cafe in Berkeley. I love this type of guerrilla art; it's so much more, well, cozy than tagging, don't you think?

This Just In: Million Dollar Listing Star Josh Flagg Arrested For Art Theft

casasugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:26:13 -0700

According to TMZ, Beverly Hills real estate agent Josh Flagg, star of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing, was arrested for allegedly swiping high-priced art that was part of the estates he was handling. He has since been released on bail to the tune of $100,000. The items he was arrested for purloining include works by Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso; I guess he has a thing for cubism.
In a fitting twist of fate, TMZ spotted this photo of Flagg standing in front of the "exact kind of art he's been accused of stealing," on his very own Facebook page. I've always felt a bit uncomfortable with potential buyers in my homes when I've been away because a trinket of my sister's was once stolen during a house tour. So, I have since made it a habit to hide valuables when I'm expecting strangers in my home. But I always thought of having a real estate agent with potential buyers as consolation; I guess I was wrong.
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Love It or Hate It? Charlie Dog Giclee Print

casasugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:15:29 -0700

You might already know that I've got a soft spot for the canines, but that still doesn't mean I'm sold on this Charlie Dog Giclee Print ($89.95). Are you?

Love It or Hate It? Charlie Dog Giclee Print

Love It

Hate it

Undecided

What Would It Take?

casasugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:30:55 -0700

Maybe you really love boxed up bloody hands, and have been on the hunt for the perfect one to display in your foyer, right next to the photos from your family reunion. But my guess is that's not the case, and you wouldn't even re-gift The Gift by Annalu ($12,500). So, what would it take for you to put in your home?

What Would It Take?

A blank check, written out to me, from Bill Gates.

It would have to be Halloween, and only then.

Hey! I kind of like it. Granted, it is a bit eccentric.

I am speechless. I would never ever ever!

Where is it from? I want to order it right now!

Nice and New: West Elm Art Inserts

casasugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:00:38 -0700

Don't get me wrong. I'm not one to purchase mass-produced artwork (unless it's a Saul Bass poster), and I've never been impressed with it — until now: The new West Elm Art Inserts ($14, $19) are quite good looking. West Elm is pushing customers to purchase all of their art inserts, which were made to fit their gallery frames, by suggesting they "create their own gallery show." Good sales ploy. The designs include butterflies, multicolored stripes, a crown, an urn, antique telephones, some graphic prints, and the word "Brooklyn." Aside from the Brooklyn print (cough. lame!), I'm liking what I see. However, l have my doubts that they'd stand up as well on their own. What do you think? As much as I'd like to give West Elm a pat on the back, I still prefer original, unique artwork for my own home.

Casa Quickie: Kids' Art on the Wall, Not the Fridge

casasugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:10 -0700

In Amsterdam, a Dutch couple based its décor on a range of noncolors, using blacks and whites, asphalt, variations of gray, earth tones, and light — skillfully (and daringly) playing with blends and mismatches. In the playroom, they used the dark colors but made a bold move by wallpapering with their children's drawings. Rather than letting their children run loose with fabric markers on a muslin sofa, they made large-format, black-and-white photocopies of their children's artwork and adhered them to the wall in a repeat, much like traditional wallpaper. This technique gives the children a sense of involvement in their home, without sacrificing taste. You may not have kids of your own, and maybe you find the drawings a bit unpolished. But, you can still use this technique of wallpapering photocopies with illustrations or imagery that's more refined. Just make sure there's a theme that runs through each image uniting them, such as the color scheme here.
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How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:09:35 -0700

This Silver Leaf Decorative Object (contact dealer for price) is eye-catching even in this photo, with its drab gray background. Made in the 1950s, it stands three feet tall and two feet wide, so it's bigger than you might expect.
So for this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use this unique sculptural object. Would you use it as art? Hang anything from it? What room do you imagine it taking center stage in? Tell me by commenting below!

Cool Idea: Frankensteined China, Two Ways

casasugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:00:56 -0700

Belarusian artist Vika Mitrichenka makes gorgeous tea sets by casting broken pieces of china together, which were picked up by Dutch Design Shop Frozen Fountain, as well as the Stedelijk Museum. At $5,742 for a limited edition set of serving tray, tea pot, dish, sugar and cream bowls, and cup and saucer, you'd better have a pretty tame tea party if you want to use them, but I think it's best to think of Mitrichenka's work as fine art sculptures. To hear who else frankensteins china,

Cool Idea: Le Petit Paris

casasugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0700

Gerard Brion took up the challenge of building a miniature model of Paris 15 years ago. With 18,000 hours of painstaking work logged, he has crafted a miniature city, known as Le Petit Paris, in his garden in Vaissaic in the South of France out of salvaged items like old concrete blocks, baby food jars and soup tins. 150,000 visitors a year experience over 40 Paris monuments, such as the Champs Elysées, Montmartre, the Seine River, and the Eiffel Tower on a 1:130 scale set in a French-style garden planted with 400 bonzais. Year-round, the miniature city keeps up with the times, too: a miniature military-parade along the Champs Elysées on Bastille Day; Easter Eggs in the Bois de Boulogne in April; a true French Cancan show in Little Moulin Rouge featuring animated dolls; and demonstrations and traffic-jams along the little Paris boulevards keeping with typical French social unrest. After Princess Diana's car crash, Brion even smashed a miniature Mercedes car with a hammer and exhibited it under the Alma Bridge. In 2004, Brion opened the Little Louvre Museum, exhibiting 100 pieces of his own work and personal collection, including paintings, drawings, models. The small capital, open to the public on weekends and holidays, takes an hour to visit. How about that for backyard décor? Only in France . . .
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How Would You . . .

casasugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:43 -0700

For the next round of this challenge, I'd like you to take a look at this Pair of Sheep Sculptures (inquire for price). These 1960s Dollys were made with real angora in the manner of one of the art world's most original designer-sculptors, Claude Lalanne. LaLanne and his wife Francois-Xavier are a sculpting and industrial designing pair known for their Surrealist and Realist objets d'art, like these life-size furry creatures that Coco Chanel kept in her living room. The French couple have been collaborating for 50 years, but have recently become hotter than ever in the States, with their pieces selling for big bucks at auction houses like Sotheby's, an English language book on their work published and a major New York exhibition of their work last year. So, my question for you is how would you use these LaLanne imitation sculptures in your home? Would you leave them as is as art pieces? Would you put hats on them in your front window to give passersby a smirk? Would you even buy them if you could afford to? Would you use them as a coat rack at parties? Hang your beret on their muzzles? Use one as a doorstop? Keep the in a kids' room? Tell me how you envision these sheep in your home by commenting below!

This Just In: Jeff Koons Sculpture in London Park

casasugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

If you're lucky enough to be in London right now, head over to Saint James Square to check out the stainless-steel sculpture "Balloon Flower (Magenta)," by artist Jeff Koons, who's known for his public art and whimsical, childlike sculptures. The giant sculpture, which does indeed look like shiny twists of balloons, will be exhibited for the next 10 days in Saint James Square in London, England. The sculpture, which has an estimated worth of around $23.6 mllion, will be auctioned at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on June 30. If nothing else, this is a great chance to get up close and personal with a rather pricey piece of art. Are you going to check it out?

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Midday Muse: The Secret's in the Sculpture

casasugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:00:44 -0700

I spend so much time looking at furniture and accessories that sometimes I forget that what really builds a sophisticated home is having unique, original artwork. In this dining-room photograph by David Giles, I'm loving the free-standing botanical sculptures that resemble children's drawings made to scale, a bit like Yeondoo Jung's photographs. The room is otherwise very minimal, painted entirely bright white, furnished with a simple white table, and accessorized with fruits and flowers. Although the lace-backed chairs are unusual, they really bring nothing to the table; it's the plant-like sculptures that cultivate the room's captivating style.
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Casa Verde: Waste Management, One Man's Trash

casasugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:00:22 -0700

Justin Gignac, a graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, picks up trash off of the streets of New York City. But, you won't find him in a sanitation department uniform. He actually fills bags with subway passes, Broadway tickets, coffee cups, phone book pages, and other NYC junk and carefully arranges them in plastic cubes, which are then signed, numbered, and dated in slick Helvetica typeface and sells them for 50 smackers — "making them perfect for anyone who wants their own piece of the NYC landscape," he says. Gignac has sold over 1,000 of his trash cubes, each unique, leak-free, and smell-free. The initiative to repurpose trash spawned from a conversation with a colleague who said package design wasn't important; "I figured the only way to prove them wrong would be to try to package something that absolutely nobody in their right mind would ever want to buy," he rebutted. A fresh way to look at recycling . . . or exporting: his cubes can now be found in 41 states and 91 countries.
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Artist of the Day: Olafur Eliasson

casasugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:30:49 -0700

In January, it was announced that Olafur Eliasson, an internationally acclaimed Danish-Icelandic artist, will bring a series of freestanding waterfalls to Manhattan's East River from late June through mid-October this year. The scaffolding for the 90- to 120-foot waterfalls is now being built, and the City expects tourism revenues to increase by $55 million while the project is underway. The large-scale public art has been designed to protect water quality and aquatic life by using intake pools suspended in the river to filter the water, and ConEd, the local gas and electric company, will provide electricity generated from renewable resources.
I was blown away by Eliasson's recent exhibition at the SFMOMA here in San Francisco, which featured a kaleidoscopic tunnel built on the museum's steel truss bridge and a multisensory 360 degree color room — although it kind of cracked me up thinking of Aleksandr Petrovsky's "large scale light installations." I also know that "the Weather Project," Eliasson's installation of a massive sun in London's Tate Modern, was a wild success. So I don't doubt that his waterfalls in NYC will follow suit; sounds like some waterfalls you should go chasing. If all of Manhattan's cultural events weren't already enough, this will certainly add value to the homes of all those celebrity NYC dwellers this Summer. I only wish I could have a bit of Eliasson's artwork to enjoy on a small scale in my private pad.
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Casa Verde: KS Rives Transforms Trash Into Art

casasugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:15:12 -0700

I'm all about making something out of nothing, and artist KS Rives takes that philosophy one step further by making something beautiful out of nothing anyone wants: trash.

Whether through the use of old maps of Paris, discarded rubber bands and public transit tickets, or even cigarette butts, KS Rives takes something that no one wants and transforms it into a highly desirable work of art.

To see some of her art, including her hand-painted wallpaper, just

Cool Idea: San Francisco in Cookware

casasugar — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:31:18 -0700

If you're visiting San Francisco in May — or if you're lucky enough to live here — definitely make a stop at the Asian Art Museum to see artist Zhan Wang's installation On Gold Mountain. For this exhibit, Wang uses rocks from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to create the sculptures, which are"alluding to the nineteenth-century Chinese immigrant experience of mining gold during the California gold rush."

However, what I find equally intriguing is the cityscape of San Francisco that he created entirely out of stainless steel cooking items.

Both installations comment on California's past and present need for Chinese labor and goods — whether it was during the Sierra Hills' Gold Rush or in present-day San Francisco restaurants and kitchens. An important social statement on its own, Wang is presenting it in an entirely unexpected and incredibly executed way.

Midday Muse: Sheepies Phone Home

casasugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:27 -0700

As we go through this month tracking small changes, it's always nice to find inspiration in some extremely artistic examples of upcycling. This one just takes my breath away. Though I doubt it would be easily integrated into most homes, it's the type of art installation that makes me excited to go to the galleries. Does it inspire you as well?

Source

Love It or Hate It? Flatware Wall Art

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:56 -0700

For those of you who don't get your flatware fix when it's on your dining room table, may I suggest the Wisteria Flatware Wall Art ($499)? Handpainted on canvas, these oversized utensils will definitely make a statement. The question is: Is this a statement you want to make?

Love It or Hate It? Flatware Wall Art

Love It

Hate it

Undecided

Weird Furniture: Louis Vuitton Electric Chair

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:00:08 -0700

Artist Peter Gronquist opened a solo show,"The Revolution Will Be Fabulous," at LA's Gallery 1988 this weekend featuring his designer knock-off weaponry. NotCot was there and got a peek of his Louis Vuitton electric chair ($4,500), a "traditional" wooden electric chair printed with company's monogram and made with LV buckles used for wrist and ankle straps. The general consensus seemed to be that the quality of the chair, as well as other pieces like PacMan hand grenades and a peacock-feathered Gucci gun, didn't meet the standards of the brands they tried to emulate. To hear what I think of this artwork,

DIY: Paint-Swatch Weaving

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:27:51 -0700

In part inspired, part stingy, and part needing fresh air, I decided to take a walk to the hardware store this past weekend and pick up some (free) paint swatches to use for an art project. Aside from being gratuit, a benefit of using paint swatches for an art project is that you can choose the exact colors you're looking for to bring your room together or just to add a touch of color. How you use the swatches is up to you, but I figured I'd let you in on how I executed this little masterpiece (ha).

Supplies:

Paint swatches
Scissors
Rubber cement
Frame

To learn the steps, and see this DIY hung on the wall,

Artist(?!?) of the Day: Pete Doherty

casasugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:38:04 -0700

According to Daily Mail, Babyshambles rocker, incarceree, and Kate Moss's former flame, Pete Doherty debuted an exhibition of his bloody paintings at the Chappe Gallery in the Montmartre district Paris last week, despite the fact that he's currently serving time behind bars.

The gruesome exhibit features 30 paintings by l'artiste, including "one blood and pencil image of the supermodel, entitled 'Miss Moss reclines', shows her topless lying on a sofa," one self-portrait scribbled with "with the baffling initials S.K., V.I.C., a Star of David and a swastika," and in another, the known drug offender "signed his name in blood from one of his
needles," giving a whole new meaning to the term "needlework." While I do think people should have the right to decide what constitutes art, and it's always interesting to see boundaries tested, I must admit that I find this quite macabre. It'll be interesting to hear how the turnout goes; the exhibit runs until May 11. Do you think he is a genuine artist or do you think he should stick with singing? Once he rides out his jail sentence, that is . . .

Source and Source

Artist of the Day: Carol Hummel

casasugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:00:45 -0700

An overt sign that the growing crochet trend has been taken to new heights, literally, is artist Carol Hummel's Tree Cozy. As part of a two-year exhibition of eight works by sculptors in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Hummel crocheted a cozy with brightly colored nylon and synthetic material for a tree in front of Cleveland Heights City Hall, which wouldn't impede "the growth of the tree or [harm] wildlife." In her artist statement, Hummel refers to the tree cozy as "an emphatically handmade blanket representing femininity and comfort" which covers "a natural object representing masculinity and strength," a piece that personifies the tree "keeping it cozy and colorful throughout the year, enhancing the beauty of nature," and evokes "memories of bygone times and places when life was good," as well as "softens the strong tree form while also emphasizing it." She says, "The cozy covering the tree fluctuates between comforting blanket and suffocating cover-up; it conceals as much as it protects; it hides as much as it reveals." Tree Cozy was on display from 2005 through 2008, and landed Hummel an award as the winner of the Heights Public Art Competition. There's more to learn and see about this project, so

Casa Craving Challenge: Crave Worthy Statuary

casasugar — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:41:31 -0700

This week I confessed that I've given in to statuary in my garden. A lot of you also admitted to loving the look of a little gnome or gazing ball in your azaleas, so for this week's Casa Craving Challenge, I figured I'd ask you to round up your favorite garden statuary. I'd like you to hunt down and bookmark garden statues, gazing balls, twinkly lights, and ornaments that you'd love to have in your veggie patch. Show me all of your fab finds by creating Casa Cravings and tagging them with the phrase crave worthy statuary. I'll feature the results next Wednesday, April 16. Please let me know if you have any questions.

For a list of online home stores to try,

Cool Idea: Swords Into Ploughshares, Planting the Piece

casasugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:57 -0700

Richmond, VA, artists Christopher Humes and Noah Scalin have taken the Bible literally in their art installation strong>Planting the Piece. The artists interpret the Book of Isaiah quote, "And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" in a wholly 21^st century — and absolutely inspirational — manner.

The artists molded a 9mm 910 pistol, and then filled the mold with red clay powder, organic humus compost, water, and a seed mixture of annual and perennial flowers, including cornflower, daisies, blazing stars, lupines, poppies, and many other flowers. After these pieces of growable art have been exhibited, they are then planted, sometimes in garden boxes, and sometimes in abandoned city lots. As the "gun" decomposes into the landscape, flowers grow from it, echoing an iconic antiwar image from the '60s.

To find out how you can get your own seed gun or seed bomb, as well as to see a gallery of photos,

Get the Look: A Cashmere Mafia Bedroom, the Art

casasugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:00:47 -0700

The last element of this Get the Look is the wall décor. Production Designer Stephen Hendrickson whose dark brown graphic wall art, which resonates with the lines of modern furniture and brings the earthy tones of the room together. I've rounded up some similar items to help you get the look of Zoe and Eric's bedroom in your own home. Stay tuned for more Get the Looks to help you achieve the interiors of your favorite shows in your own interiors. Enjoy!

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Found It! Cashmere Mafia Wall Art

casasugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:15:14 -0700

If you read my recent Get the Look and Midday Muse, you may have noticed that I have a thing for Cashmere Mafia. Granted, the writing is pretty vapid; the show is basically a vehicle for exhibiting clothes and interiors, which, duh, I love. So, recently watching this guilty pleasure of mine, I couldn't help but notice that the trendy typographical wall art in Mia's office looked familiar. But where had I seen it? To find out,

Etsy Find: By Order of the Management Series

casasugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:15:04 -0700

Fitting for So Fresh and So Clean month, these three prints ($20 each) are part of Artist John W. Golden's original "By Order of the Management" series of digitally made signs reproduced to look like letterpress prints. He created the series after realizing there are some things parents tend to repeat over and over, but he says, "many of these parental mandates are good rules for adults to live by too." They're a fun, cheeky, and helpful reminder to keep on top of your chores. And, smaller than 6 x 10 inches, you'll have room for less demanding art.

Found It! Flowers Painting

casasugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:00:17 -0700

Studio Annetta recently posted photos of the home of Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, originally from the November 2006 of the now-defunct House & Garden, and something inside it caught my eye. The flowers painting on the wall above the fireplace of the couple's living area was irrefutably familiar. But where had I seen it, or something like it? To find out,

Steal of the Day: Kurt Halsey Art Triptych

casasugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:45:14 -0800

Way back during her junior-high years, my sister went to art camp in Wisconsin with Kurt Halsey, who at the tender age of 14 was already developing his signature style. If you're a fan of his work, you'll want to snatch up this Kurt Halsey Wanderlust Triptych ($19.99, was $40), available exclusively from Urban Outfitters. Each of these three pieces is printed on stretched cotton canvas and comes ready for hanging. Hurry though — I doubt that Urban Outfitter's supply will last long.

Etsy Find: Blue Icicles

casasugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:58:16 -0800

A limited-edition print, Blue Icicles ($20) will put a little loveliness into the harsh reality of Winter. From Etsy seller YumiYumi, the print is signed, numbered, dated, and shipped in a flat mailer. I think the print would look lovely as part of a whimsical-bird motif in some grouped frames, don't you? This is a perfect way to add a little love to your shack during the chilly month of February.

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On Location: NOLA's Sculpture Garden

casasugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:00:42 -0800

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features 57 sculptures by artists from around the world. Check out the slideshow to find out more about the Sculpture Garden and to see a selection of the amazing art. Photo courtesy of Snujiins.

Get the Look: Low-Key Heart Art

casasugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:00:27 -0800

If you want to spruce up your Love Shack this month, but you're not the type of decorator who digs pink hearts and red Valentine's Day cards, then you might compromise with some of these low-key art pieces that communicate your love of good design and art, but your reluctance to play this holiday over the top.

For my fave heart art finds, just

Great Art Online: Rowan Morrison

casasugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:15:00 -0800

While Rowan Morrison, a gallery in Oakland, Calif., owned and operated by artists Pete and Narangkar Glover, may be tiny in proportions, it is gigantic in artistic scope. A contemporary art gallery and art bookstore, it specializes in fine art books, small-edition prints, unique paper goods, and self-published zines. They also publish Rowan Morrison editions of art books, prints, and original paper goods. Best of all, many of these items are available for sale online. Take a look at the slideshow for more information about the gallery, as well as links to some of the items available for sale. Source

Love It or Hate It? Henzel Fusion Martinique Rug

casasugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:12:00 -0800

Henzel's mission is to make rugs a key element of interior design, rather than something overlooked or purchased to "match" an already decorated room. The Fusion Martinique Rug ($550-$850/sqm) is definitely a focal point and conversation piece, which communicates more of the definition "pop art" than "floor covering." What do you think?

Love It or Hate It? Henzel Fusion Martinique Rug

Love It

Hate It

Undecided

Etsy Find: Globigerina/Merganser

casasugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:30:33 -0800

Specimen 3. Globigerina/Merganser ($29) is the third in a series of chimera or animal hybrids from Etsy seller Wondercabinet. This print is of a Globigerina (a type of sea shell) and a merganser (a type of duck). The inks used in this print run are mostly dark reds and browns with a little shimmery gold. It is mounted on matte board (fastened with artist's tape so you can remount if you prefer when framing). Each image is printed on pages from Elements of Botany for Beginners and Schools, a book with gorgeous botanical illustrations, printed in 1887 by the American Book Company.

Chairs That Became Art

casasugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:05:46 -0800

Earlier this year, I went to an exhibit at Johansson Projects called Excavations. This gallery show featured an exhibition of landscapes that attempted to blur the typical boundaries between nature and artifice. Eight artists participated in the show, including artist Yvette Molina, and displayed everything from nature-based paintings to ceramic branches that sprouted out of walls. One of the pieces I was most drawn to though was Scott Oliver's "The Valley," a piece made from a chair (I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise, given my interior-design obsession).

Scott found an overstuffed chair at a garbage dump, and deconstructed it into a wall sculpture of Hetch Hetchy. Using just the stuffing, threading, and other innards of the chair, the artist formed trees, cliffs, and hillsides.

To see another chair that intrigued me, just

Artist of the Day: Yellena James

casasugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:15:41 -0800

Yellena James is a Sarajevo-born artist and graphic designer who lives with her musician husband and two cats in Oregon. During the civil war in Sarajevo, Yellena had to "sneak past numerous snipers to attend a high school that was dedicated to the arts," where it was, she says, that she really grew passionate about her own art. She lived in Sarajevo until the end of the civil war in 1995, and then moved to Orlando, Florida, where she received a BA in graphic design from the University of Central Florida. She's "obsessed with markers, pens, inks, paper, patterns, good design, wallpaper, cacti, vintage fabric, empty journals, and anything little." Her abstract botanical drawings and paintings are dream-like, magically colored, and what I see as the uncanny love child of Jill Bliss, the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and Barabarella — in a good way. She even has a drawing called, "Bliss." Yellena's attention to detail is painstaking, yet her lines are very free flowing, which makes for drawings that are inspirational in both a raw emotional and chemical way, as well as in a technical, artistic sense. Archival quality prints of these wonderful drawings are for sale in her Etsy shop at very reasonable prices, in case you're looking for a Seuss-esque gift this stolen Christmas.

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Chatting With Artist Yvette Molina

casasugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:00:23 -0800

Remember last week's post about artist Yvette Molina? Her gorgeous botanical paintings seemed to be a hit with all of you, so I thought you might like to get a little more information on this talented lady. Yvette was kind enough to sit down and answer a few of our questions about her art and influences.

CasaSugar: What neighborhood of Oakland, Ca, do you live in?
Yvette Molina: I live in the Grand Lake neighborhood near the Oakland Rose Garden.

To see a gallery of work and find out more about Yvette's work, just

Artist of the Day: Yvette Molina

casasugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:30:44 -0800

Oakland, Calif.-based painter Yvette Molina creates lushly layered paintings on sheets of aluminum. These paintings celebrate the beauty of nature while simultaneously exploring its fragility. She is inspired by her observations of flora that she finds in her backyard and her surrounding neighborhood of Oakland.

Yvette's “portraits” of plants and flowers have been garnering steady praise since she began exhibiting in 1997. She has been recognized with an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at both the Legion of Honor and de Young Art Center in San Francisco, and in the spring of 2005, she was chosen for inclusion in ArtSpan's biennial Selections exhibition.

To read what Yvette has to say about painting on aluminum, and to see a gallery of her stunning paintings, just

Give the Gift of Art: Polly, by Christina Muraczewski

casasugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:34:09 -0800

I love this bird print from Jen Bekman's 20x200 gallery. An archival pigment print, Polly, by Christina Muraczewski ($20), was originally created with acrylic marker and glitter on canvas. While the print itself is perfect for the holidays (there's just something so cozy and wintry about birds in branches), this would look lovely all year round with a thoughtful matting and frame. I've ordered prints from 20x200 before, so I can personally vouch for their quality. Hurry though: There were only 200 of this size printed and fewer than 100 remain!

Have You Had Your Artwork Custom Framed?

casasugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:00:02 -0800

If you're starting your art collection, you've probably encountered the need to have your artwork framed. Unless your piece is a standard size, your bank account is in for a rough ride, since custom framing can be costly. Have you made the plunge?

Source

Have You Had Your Artwork Custom Framed?

Yes.

No.

I'm going to.

Artist Spotlight: Chris Natrop

casasugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:30:20 -0800

LA-based artist Chris Natrop makes hand-cut, freehand paper pieces and installations that are mesmerizing and gorgeous. They remind me of utopian ladscapes, and also remind me of one of my favorite designers, Tord Boontje.

To see a gallery of his stunning installations, as well as to read about how LA affects his art,

Midday Muse: Light in the Dark

casasugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:30:20 -0800

“Nest One” by Simon Husslein is a light installation in a tree in Burgundy, France. It's a nice tribute to the recent time change and a lovely symbol of hope and regeneration in this season of hibernation.

Source

Definition: Trompe-l'œil

casasugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:33:19 -0800

Trompe-l'œil is an artistic technique that uses extremely realistic imagery. This technique creates the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist, instead of being mere, two-dimensional paintings. The name is derived from French for "trick the eye."

Source

Dressing My Walls: Chair Painting in the Dining Room

casasugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:06:08 -0700

On this, the last day of Dress Your Walls month, I bring you another picture from my home. As you may know, my fiancé and I are currently in the middle of trying to combine our styles and belongings, which is always something of a challenge.

This painting, by Austin artist Brandon Petree, only received a so-so reaction from Peter when I hung it on the wall. But within a few hours, he'd already warmed up to it. Painted with regular house paint, this canvas sat in my mother's garage for four years, seemingly immune to my attempts to ship it across the country. Finally, just this past summer, my father drove it out when he came to visit. I missed it so much, and I—and now Peter—think it looks pretty amazing next to the dark wood of our Parsons dining table and the rich yellow of the walls.

Dressing My Walls: Grouping Art by Color

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:00:16 -0700

These pieces have seemingly little in common save the color. One's a tiny acrylic painting of a cartoonish girl; another a hand silk-screened concert poster; another a welded, upcycled fish sculpture, and the last a collage made by Karen Ondracek. Yet, given the shared color scheme, they all work together.