WE ARE CROUTONS FLOATING IN COSMIC SOUP

This week kicked off the annual Vancouver Mural Festival, a yearly art celebration that results in permanent, public murals throughout the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in downtown Vancouver. I painted this dress inspired by one of my favorites, We Are Croutons Floating in Cosmic Soup, by David Shillinglaw.  David says, "The whole point of doing something in the street is that you're talking to people you're never going to meet." I love the way these public murals inspire and engage with people who might never go to a museum or gallery. Plus, they make the neighborhood so much more vibrant! Thanks to David for sharing your wonderful work. If you're around Vancouver, check out the brand new murals that are popping up this week. 

Photos by Jayne Clark.

LA MAISON PICASSIETTE

Just outside the city of Chartres, France, lies a masterpiece: La Maison Picassiette.  A home and garden covered entirely with ceramic patterns, it is a colorful compilation of mosaic created by the late Raymond Isidore.  A graveyard attendant and cleaner by day, and artistic genius by night, Isidore collected over 15 tons of broken pottery to adorn his modest home, inside and outside.  He even covered the furniture with mosaics!  Begun in 1039, he obsessively continued the project for almost 30 years. In 1954, Isidore was honored when the great artist Pablo Picasso visited his home to see the remarkable work and glean inspiration.  Isidore passed away in 1964, and his home is now a landmark and museum maintained by the city of Chartres.  I just love this story of an ordinary man whose creativity and dedication earned him recognition by one of the world's greatest artists and a museum of his own!  I painted this skirt inspired by Isidore's magnificent home.   Click here to learn more!

ROBERT OTTO EPSTEIN

I met Robert Otto Epstein a few years ago, while he was working on his 8Bitterized paintings and drawings.  I was intrigued by the (as I thought) obvious connection to technology and of course the vibrant color palette, and I got to know him through a few conversations about his work and visits to group shows.  Most recently, I was struck by his portraits at VOLTA in NYC.  When I saw that his work would be included in a two-artist show at Hionas Gallery in Chinatown, I decided to reach out to him about a collaboration.

In chatting about his work, I found out that it references much more than technology.  In his words, "When I was first painting, I randomly came across a knitting pattern magazine on eBay.  So I started out painting sweaters, cardigans, jackets, and skirts.  Over time, I noticed that the knitting instructions take on a grid format.  Each square and each symbol represented a different color and that's how I got into the abstract form of painting and drawing." Basically, Robert was Artfully Awear all along!

When asked about his newest series of portraits, three of which are included in the Hionas Gallery show, he said he started out searching the internet for high-resolution images, and eventually landed on celebrities as subject matter, after exploring gallerists and athletes.  The painting that I chose as inspiration for my jacket is based on a portrait of Olivia Munn.  We both had a laugh when I told him how difficult it was to capture the expression in his painting - and he reminded me that each portrait naturally contains a likeness to its artist, so of course mine would have appeared different than his.

Instinctively, I asked him what's next, and he said he's very interested in pursuing wall-sized paintings.  It took many hours for me to hand-paint the skirt and jacket inspired by his work, so I immediately understood how intensive the process would be to paint a grid on a surface the size of a wall!   He also joked that perhaps a fashion line should be in the works.  I'd wear it!

Robert's work is on view at Hionas Gallery until May 26th.

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

SALVATION MOUNTAIN

Yesterday, I drove to the middle of nowhere in California -- out of the glistening pools of Palm Springs; past the suburbs of Coachella; through farm land, then desert land; past date plantations; along the Salton Sea, riddled with abandoned property, to finally reach one of the greatest folk art treasures in the United States: Salvation Mountain.

Situated in a community characterized by both poverty and divergence from the system, Salvation Mountain stands as a monument to one man's dedication to his faith and determination to tell the story of Jesus.  Created over the span of 30 years by Leonard Knight (1931-2014), Salvation Mountain is made of clay from the earth mixed with straw and covered with hundreds and hundreds of gallons of latex paint.  It is a fragile monument set upon a dune in the middle of the desert, and has faced imminent ruin many times.  Since Mr. Knight's death in 2014, it is presided over by a non-profit organization, which helps to maintain the site and share Mr. Knight's story of diligence and perseverance and above all else, faith.

In anticipation of my visit to the site (which I'd been longing to see for many years), I made a necklace inspired by Mr. Knight's work of art.  While creating this miniature replica of a tiny piece of Salvation Mountain, I couldn't help but marvel at the determination and skill with which Mr. Knight wrangled a barren sand dune into a colorful homage.

Photos by Hilary Pollack.

ART TO WEAR: Boyarde Messenger x Charlotte Olympia.

I'm not sure how this project has eluded my attention for so many months, but I just came across these painted shoes by artist Boyarde Messenger.  Messenger hand-painted Charlotte Olympia pumps to look like famous works from Art History, and they're just beautiful!  Now I have a serious desire to make my own.

What do you think: would you DIY?  Which shoes are your favorite?

 Via.

LIANG YUANWEI

In honor of the First Day of Spring yesterday (and, of course, my birthday) I debuted this lace frock, which brought to mind the floral paintings of Liang Yuanwei.

Yuanwei (b. 1977) is a Chinese painter known for her large-scale, meticulously painted canvases, thick with impasto.

The floral works pictured here appear, at first, to have a wallpaper-like quality to them.  But upon closer inspection, it is apparent through the raised, expertly knifed oil paint and uniformity of the detail, that they are meticulously painted by hand.

Yuanwei's paintings are exercises in time management and expertise, taking her up to 8 hours to complete one horizontal strip of a painting.  

Like most works of art, the intense skill demonstrated by Yuanwei is better examined in person, when the detail of knife work and thickness of the paint can be clearly seen. 

Liang's works have been described as "gorgeous paintings that mix the visual appeal of tapestries with the conceptual inclinations of American Minimalism."

Her work is expertly summed up by the following: "Liang is uninterested in representation or smiotics.  Perception is via a flurry of delicate strokes on the canvas that manifest time's accumulation and the personal, even spiritual, experiences of the painter." 

Dress: Nanette Lepore (near exact dress available here)

Mohair Coat: H&M (recent; spring-friendly version here)

Peacock Embroidered Clutch: vintage, belonged to my grandmother (a gorgeous current version here)

Shoes: J. Crew Etta Cap Toe Pump in Neon Persimmon (Sold out color; other options here)

Birthday Flower Crown: handmade by my friend Meri

[Photos by @kay_elle_pea. Quotes from Barry Schwabsky in Vitamin P2 Images from artasiapacific.com, archivodenuevosartistas.blogspot.com, and thebesttimeoftheday.blogspot.com]