maison paulette

These gouache paintings are from Maison Paulette—a sweet, idiosyncratic Swiss-based online shop, selling art and vintage items. The paintings are my favorite, but the whole site is worth a browse.

jaclyn conley

Jaclyn Conley, a Canadian painter, did this series of heads turned away from the viewer. Most of them look like children, but I'm not sure. The paintings are weird and lovely, and I especially like that her website doesn't include an artist's statement that removes all the weirdness and mystery.

suzani

HandEmbroideryCraf

A friend just sent me images of some fun furniture upholstered with suzanis...and inspired me to seek out the fabric itself. These Central Asian pieces look great framed, made into pillows, draped over a bed or sofa—and they're best in a sleek, fairly minimalist setting. (I especially like framing them; it's like you're taking something tactile and humble, and elevating it.) I prefer the slightly more modern, stylized examples, but the classic styles are great too. Etsy and eBay have tons; click through to the ones I've found, or just search your own. The amateur photography (fingers in the frame, wrinkled surfaces) is part of the charm.

Cicem

WeMakeRugs

Islimi

eBay

ilona szalay

I'm really liking Ilona Szalay's paintings (on Saatchi Online): the simple brushwork of her figures, the cool-and-hot color schemes, the way the subjects are stylized so that they almost become abstract designs.

rainy friday, around the house

I just walked around my house, looking closely at things, taking photos. It's nice just to observe sometimes.

 

emma lipscombe

Should I be examining the fact that I feature overwhelmingly female artists on this blog? Female artists whose work is pretty and decorative? Or should I just let it be, and accept my taste? Emma Lipscombe is Australian, female, and the creator of some pretty paintings. Rendered in oil paint on timber board, her work is a little more geometric and hard-edged than my recent picks—but still in a springy, "feminine" palette.

luci everett

Luci Everett: because I can't resist a pretty, stylized flower.

louiseartstudio on etsy

Just an Etsy recommendation for the end of the week: Louise van Terheijden's simple, dainty watercolors, available as originals and prints.

mquan

In the spirit of art that's unconventional and three-dimensional, check out MQuan's ceramic objects and wall hangings. Her larger-scale installations are especially appealing: they're like giant pieces of jewelry for rooms.