where they create

Landon Metz's studio in Greenpoint

I'm terrible at organizing my online bookmarks. That is, I don't organize them, and I totally forget about things I've bookmarked in a surfing frenzy. The upside is that once in a while I'll rediscover something I meant to take note of and had forgotten about for weeks. This one is inspiring me in my (suburban, not bohemian) life: Where They Create (somewhat like this super glam project and this super hip one) showcases artistic people in their environments. And of course Paul Barbera's photography is beautiful and notable in its own right. He also happens to have photographed some of my favorite artists. This site is completely addictive. You can get lost both in the collections and in the rich, detailed images themselves.

Cobbenhagen Hendriksen graphic designers

Painter Jason Woodside

I sure do love Kirra Jamison

IJM, a Dutch collective

lovely sweet william on etsy

Blue floral wreath

Lovely Sweet William—which is actually the Etsy shop of two women artists in Melbourne—makes a wide variety of prints and cards. I'm partial to the simpler, more geometric ones. But if you like a sketchy whimsical look with hearts and balloons, they've got that too. It's all perfect for a kid's room or a dainty but sleek powder room.

Geometric heart

Folk art pattern

Flower circles

monday thoughts: wayne thiebaud

I can't believe I haven't written about Wayne Thiebaud yet. A poster from his 1996 retrospective at SFMOMA has been in every kitchen we've had since we bought it that same year. It's almost a joke among my friends—the poster is in the background of so many offhand photographs of my kids. But I can't get rid of it; it has such sentimental meaning (RP and I had just moved to California together!) and it fits our sunny, airy kitchen so perfectly. Thiebaud's paintings feature delicious pastel color and clean pop images: slices of tempting cake,  lipsticks, toys, a beautiful woman (often his wife, Betty Jean). Thiebaud was born in Arizona but has lived in Sacramento for years; his work definitely has a sunshiny California vibe. And he's well past 90 and still paints and teaches. Must be the sunshine—and all those desserts.

ellie malin

Ellie Malin, an artist in Melbourne, Australia, makes cheerful, colorful, clean-looking prints. Playing with color and symmetry and bold lines, she makes woodcuts, linocuts, giclee versions of her prints, even fabric designs. It's all good.

 

Fiat 500

I'm never really sure how much my kids understand what I do. They sort of get the art-consulting side (helping people buy art isn't terribly complicated), but this blog is kind of mysterious and off their radar. So when Charlie offered a recommendation, I had to take it. Here you have it, a 10-year-old boy's idea of great design: the new Fiat 500. He's dead right: The redesigned, relaunched Fiat is smart, sharp, adorable, sassy—and it's got great lines and comes in great colors. If I needed an extra very tiny car for zipping around Bethesda, this would be my choice, hands down. The only question: sage green, silver, or (call me crazy) candy apple red?

I'm on facebook

Social media doesn't come naturally to me. But instead of going on and on about how nervous Facebook makes me, and listing all the silly reasons I've never used it before, I'll just invite you to check out my brand new page. Friend me, or like me, or do whatever you're supposed to do. I promise to add content soon—for now, it's a place to find out about projects and blog updates. Bear with me; I'm learning. See you there!

happy doodle land on etsy

Floral bird

Happy Doodle Land definitely has something cutesy and kidsy going on. I like Flora Chang's plainer, cleaner pieces—and the happy! doodle! butterflies! faces! flowers! vibe is totally cheerful and spring-appropriate. Also, click around for some glimpses of her pottery, in pastels with some of those sweet little flowers and squiggles—I'll be checking her Etsy shop for those, for sure.

Birdies

Fu Doll

Mr. Lion