garden of delights

These fantastic little worlds are the creation of artist Kathleen Lolley.

Besides the folk/fairy tale aspect of the characters, woodland settings, and rustic details, what really interests me about her work is the historical color palette, and the (perhaps deliberate?) many nods to both Hieronymus Bosch in both rendering style and creature/object design, and the desaturated stacked landscapes of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

That similarity gives an ancient, otherworldly feel to her work, that seems to tell a definite story....even though you may not know what the story is.

More artwork and information about prints and other items at her website.

Life On Mars

VIMBY - Mars-1

Just ran across this great little spotlight on my friend Mario, AKA Mars1.  Over the years Mario's work has become increasingly more abstract, complicated, detailed, skilled and beautiful.  I can only imagine what he's cooking up next, as it will no doubt be other-worldy.

Askewed View

Former Tattoo artist, Chris Conn Askew creates amazing narrative imagery that feels very much of a different time and place.



With technical proficiency and a serious handle on capturing the mood of the moment, you would never suspect that he has had no formal art training. From what I know of the tattoo industry though, is that working your way up through the ranks is harder and more intensive training than you would ever receive in any cushy institution . HIS SITE is still under construction, but there are plenty of images to chew on in his myspace gallery.

burning in the void

I am not going to say much in this post - Odd Nerdrum is well-known, and one of my favorite artists. I have never been able to render the human form well at all, and his absolute mastery of anatomy, texture, movement, and color impresses and fascinates me to no end. He is unwavering in his realism, the worlds he creates are tangible, visceral, dirty, real, alive, fleshy, and blemished.

And even if you've seen his work before, I think it is always worth a second look.