My Owl Barn

I featured Mike Stilkey's amazing work on the blog a while ago, here. I found some new work by him on his Facebook which are whimsical and exquisite.

Artist's statement: “I like to think of my artwork as one giant poem. I never really have a concrete idea of what I’m going to do. I just kind of feel my way through it and it comes out in a way that I don’t always expect. I really try not to edit myself too much." - via.

I would love to see his installations in person, and if you do too then he is participating in the upcoming exhibition on September 2015, titled "Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge" at Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA.

I am delighted to constantly find Edward Lear's poem The Owl and the Pussycat beautiful illustrations depicted by various artists in their own distinctive styles. Today I am sharing really fun illustrations by James Marshall for the classic romantic poem from the 1800s. 

I came across this gem while browsing on Pinterest. (It's surprising how many wonderful things people share on Pinterest). I instantly got drawn towards the images by James Marshall for there humors watercolor sketches. The owl and the pussycat are shown in wide brimmed hats, driving in a chauffeured car and departing in a majestic ship , a grand take on "pea-green boat". The characters appear so real and the setting so fine that you would want to take a cruise with them. It's a story parents will love to read to their children who will then cherish it forever.

The description of the book on Amazon says it all. " The Owl and the Pussycat of Lear's ballad are truly made for each other, as depicted by James Marshall in these poignant, slaphappy illustrations. Only Marshall could have shown us the Owl serenading the pampered Pussycat on the deck of the S.S. Dorabella, or the Pussycat posing for travel photographs, or the happy couple's goofy wedding dance "by the light of the moon."

Nesting dolls aka matryoshka dolls are special. Though originated from Russia, they are popular worldwide and loved by everyone (almost everyone). I wonder what is it that makes them so likeable? Their bullet like shape? The design or its style? Well, what ever it is they are undoubtedly a sought after toy. 

I recently discovered this online store called "Periwinkle Nuthatch" by Emily Thomson a New York based artist. Her handmade nesting dolls are darling! She makes limited edition dolls that are meticulously painted with acrylic paints by the artist in bright colors, and folk inspired designs and geometric patterns. The dolls are made of wood and for durability sealed with a matte varnish.

She also offers art prints, pin cushions, paper dolls, decals and jewelry pieces. You must visit her store, it's a visual treat that sure to bring a little more cheer to your day!

"Owl Totem" by designer Tyler Segel of Factory North. The owl shaped birdhouse was digitally printed on plywood with a polyurethane coating and has a hook on the top for hanging.

I love this one! Santiago Uceda liked what he created for the WeMake poster (the Viking mask) so he thought it would be fun to create a birdhouse using a similar design.

"Final Roosting Place" by Katie Mello + Margaret Meyer

 “Bucky Blossom” by Blaine Fontana

Jennifer Reynolds crafted this birdhouse inspired by Swedish Stugas and Swiss Chalets.

 “Confess” by Todd Rolak feature flaming blue and yellow sparkles.

"Put A Bird In It" is an annual event curated by We Make for Design Week Portland. The pictures of the birdhouses above are from "Put A Bird In It" 2013 show in which more than 100 artists participated from all kinds of creative fields who made stunning birdhouses. All the birdhouses were part of a silent auction to support arts and music education for Portland Metro schools. 

These are only some of the birdhouses that I hand picked to share with you here. You can see details of these art of work in some up-close shots by visiting photographer Ethan Allen's flickr set.

I love London artist Fran Giffard's drawings and had featured her work previously on the blog here. Here are some new drawings she did on moleskin pages that are simply beautiful! Her work is perfect, from ivory moleskin pages, to the subject matter to detailing and vibrant colors. 

You can visit her website to see more of her gorgeous drawings categorized under "All my beautiful boys", "Old paper alphabet", "A myriad of birds" and more.