Liva Rutmane is an art student in Latvia, and I find her Etsy shop most interesting. I loved being in art school, because you had the freedom to try so many styles and mediums, and this is evident from her shop. She’s got original work, etchings, drawings and woodcuts. Some of her subject matter is pretty different, but in a good, thought provoking way!
Check out her shop to see just what I’m talking about by clicking on the post title!
R.Potter’s Bloks are hand painted on wood and come in a variety of sizes. I like that you can arrange a little grouping depending on your style... or have a whole bunch and swap them out to create new looks on your wall from time to time. She also does commission work, so you could have whatever the heck you want painted on your bloks! (within reason, I’m sure) grin(:
Presently based in Brooklyn, R.Potter has lived all over America and also in Japan (how I’d love to live in Japan one day!) She also makes really cool bags from reclaimed materials (my current favourite kind of eco-friendly activity!) Because each bag is made from different types of materials with it’s own wear and tear, each has their own story.
Click on the post title to have a look at her shop!
Based out of Bronx New York, Milly handcrafts her items with great care, from the printing to the packaging. She exposes her screens on the gocco, and either pulls the prints by hand or print them with the gocco machine. Most of her designs are either illustrated by hand or culled from vintage sources.
She sells gift tags, cards, prints and original art in her shop. Her work is a good mix of vintage and modern. I love her silhouettes! Very sweet!
*Did you know? According to Wikipedia...
The word silhouette is an eponym of Etienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister who in 1759 was forced by France's severe credit crisis during the Seven Years War to impose severe economic demands upon the French people, particularly the wealthy. Because de Silhouette enjoyed making cut paper portraits, his name became synonymous with these portraits and with anything done or made cheaply. Prior to the advent of photography, silhouette profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a person's appearance.
I just thought that was so interesting that I’d share!
Click on the post title to view her shop!
Rob Bridges is a Kentucky based illustrator and fine artist who also works as a graphic designer. Originally from Los Angeles, he did his studies in Seattle at the Cornish College of the Arts where he got his BFA.
According to his profile he got his start in drawing as a child by not liking to read. His dad thought it would be a good idea to let him draw in the inside flaps of all of his books to boost his interest in reading but all it did was create a kid who liked to doodle. Hey, if it weren’t for that maybe Rob would have become a clown or a plumber or a steel worker...thankfully doodling saved him from that. Not that there’s anything wrong with these professions – actually yes there is when it comes to the clown, I have a clown phobia, I must admit!
He has Giclee Prints, Limited Edition Giclees, some Original Paintings and a very cute One of a Kind sculpture.
Click on the post title to see his shop!
Sarah Ogren is a Steger, IL artist who has stories to tell. She has a background in Professional Counseling and uses her art to explore the relationship between an individual’s past and present lives and outer and inner personas.
Through her counselling work she has discovered just how complex a person’s inner life is. Often she has found that there is this secret life within each person and it is this secret life that she explores through her artwork.
While looking at her shop, I was most intrigued by the images of the women with a tree growing out of their neck. I guess we can all come to our own conclusion about the meaning behind that, but it is definitely thought provoking!
Her shop is as eclectic as her art. She has everything from pendants and ornaments to screen prints and original collage. I love what she says in her Etsy profile about collage representing the layers of human personality and experience. I couldn’t agree more.
Click on the post title to visit this most interesting shop!
Fellow Vancouverite Cingy G has a fabulous shop full of original art. She's also a makeup artist, and her work reflects that in the close up imagery and the beautiful vintage beauty shots of the women.
I love the soft focus, romantic feel of her work. She uses vintage images from her collection of rare, foreign fashion magazines, along with ephemera of collected old documents. Most of her collages come embellished with Swaroski Crystals or gold leaf to add a little sparkle. Her work is a wonderful combination of old meeting new.
She sells her work to various stores in Vancouver and Indiana, and with every purchase you get a free ACEO to sweeten the deal!
Click on the post title to view her shop!
Mark Traughber is the Pittsburgh artist behind Bloodle. He does these incredible stencilled spray painted original paintings on wood panel... each is one of a kind.
When I first saw his avatar I thought his shop was photographs of grafitti, but upon closer inspection I saw that the reason I *thought* this was the medium... spray paint and stencils. I'm a huge fan of *good* grafitti, I take photographs of it frequently during my travels, so I hope Mark takes that as a compliment! I love the way they all look together as a group, so graphic and bold.
See more of his work in his Etsy shop by clicking on the post title!
John Clark is an Ann Arbor, MI artist whose graphic and bold style I just love. I adore anything involving book pages and the written word, and there's just something so provocative about his images. He has both prints and original art in his shop, and takes custom orders. Wouldn't something like this be great for a wedding invitation? A photo of the couple, but totally original...
See more of his work by clicking on the post title!
Brigette B is the lovely and talented artist behind Miss Brigette. After spending 4 years at Cal Arts studying character animation (how much fun would that be?)she is now an artist in her own right creating her won very lively and animated characters. I am absolutely in love with her foxes. They have that little Wile E Coyote glint in their eyes, don't they? They're up to something! And I chose the Rainy day girl becasue that's what I am today... it's just another rainy day in Vancouver!
Click on the post title to se her Etsy shop.
Lauren Minco is an artist and illustrator currently living in Providence, Rhode Island. Everything in her shop is 100% original, no prints here! She teaches at The Rhode Island School of Design and has had her work published in various media and shown in galleries as well. I just love her bold use of colour and fun witty characters!
See more of work in her Etsy shop by clicking on the post title.
This Baltimore based artist is a self taught stay at home mom, and she combines the art of hand carved stamps with polymer clay to create these amazing pieces. She makes everything from jewelry to magnets to ACEo's and original wall hangings.
They are so beautifully crafted, and the colours are to die for. This is right up there in the craft category of "How'd they do that?" I'm always so impressed by what I see other people do with Polymer Clay. My greatest achievement to date was Santa and his elves... I can't seem to move my polymer creations beyond cute little creatures. Block Party moves polymer into a whole new realm of art jewellery.
