Breaking

PhD sculpture student Jessica Harrison has a grotesquely alluring series of artwork that features delicate women figurines... and their exposed insides. According to her Facebook Fanpage, "Each piece is made using one of the mass-produced ceramic figures so familiar as the ornamental clutter filling shelves and gathering dust around the world, revealed and reshaped to show a soft and fleshy interior behind the brittle and fragile skin."

It is hard not to be intrigued by this juxtaposed mix of guts and glamor.

Stupidhead

Ha! It is payback time for Portland artist Aruppel. She is getting her revenge on birds that have attacked her and her friends, through an absolutely brilliant series called "Mean Birds". She has painted a collection of beautiful acrylic bird portraits, complete with a well deserved bad name they earned through their actions. So enjoyable!

Prints available at @my ruppel's Etsy Shop.

Lumadessa

I'm enamored by the work of Portland Maine artist, Josh Brill. He creates modern illustrations of birds and animals in an ongoing series he calls the Flora Fauna Collection which captures,

"The design identities of plants and animals from around the world. Examining the visual character differences and similarities of species. A field guide of discovery, beginning with birds."

Josh's website Lumadessa features a number of prints for sale ($10-$30) along with free smartphone wallpaper (my phone is currently sporting the colourful Western Tanager (above middle)).

Lunchbox Paintings

Dan Kenneally's Lunchbox paintings are half infographic, half culinary masterpieces.  Dan paints sandwiches as colour blocks of ingredients, neatly stacked in 18" x 18" acrylics.  It doesn't take an overactive imagination to recognize a cheeseburger, cream cheese and lox, or smore when you see one.  Mmmmm.  If none of these get you salivating, Dan takes custom orders via his Etsy store.

Leigh Viner

I just purchased my first Leigh Viner

print. Her work is a pencil, pen and watercolor combination, enhanced with digital love. Her subject matter is always quiet, powerful and chic.

You can purchase prints at the jkldesign Etsy shop. I also recommend checking out Leigh's YouTube channel that combines her art with the touching music of Olivier Bostvironnois. A nice collaboration.