Artist Profile — Carole Spandau

Sparks fly from the keyboard when two of my interests intersect. It’s happening today as I write about art and ice hockey. Yup — this lover of art and design teared up Friday when Bobby Orr carried the Olympic flag, and has been known to wake her babies when Joe Thornton scores a goal.

With the Olympics in Canada, I thought [...] Read more »

Artist Profile — Roz

Two people can look at the same work of art and see something quite different. This I know; but it really hit home when I discovered the work of a woman named Roz.

Her kids inspired Roz (a.k.a. Rosilyn Young) to paint the first of her “Leap” series of oils-on-canvas. “I think it was watching my own children jumping around, so full of [...] Read more »

I hope you are all spending some quality time relaxing and enjoying your loved ones on this Thanksgiving Day. Here’s a creative activity you might try — a little fun with words!

In celebration of Thanksgiving I jotted down a few things I am thankful for:

Today is Thanksgiving, the day we think about what we are thankful for. I am thankful for my family, [...] Read more »

Over the weekend an astonishing thing happened. Matt Groener of Oregon entered our Let’s Make Cents Challenge. His entry was a little late. About two and a half months late if we’re counting. But he could care less about the prize and I am thrilled by his entry.

You’ll recall that for the Challenge inspired by the Standard Grill’s penny-mosaic floor, I made a nice (but [...] Read more »

Let’s get a little CSI with our decor today.

I love it when artwork is personal in an impactful, graphic way. What could be more personal than your DNA or fingerprint?

Yep. DNA 11 will create artwork for you illustrating your DNA profile or fingerprint. Where science meets art—talk about a conversation starter.

After ordering your artwork in the size and color you want, you’ll get a [...] Read more »

There’s a store you went to once. A marvelous store. In your mind’s eye you can picture the colorful objects, the mix of textures. You always meant to go back.

That’s how it was for me with Berkeley, California’s Ethnic Arts (1314 Tenth Street). Part store, part global museum. All wonderful.

One of numerous fantastical puppets from the Bozo tribe of Mali in West Africa

When [...] Read more »

When does art supply become art?

Have a look at Social Designer’s 500 pencils. In this Aurora wall display case, the pencils make a kaleidoscopic focal point for a creative space.

For an alternate display catch the Color Wave. Inspiration on a large work table in your studio.

The caveat? You won’t get the pencils quickly or cheaply.

Social Designer, part of New York’s Felissimo, offers the [...] Read more »

Artist Profile: Sarka-Trager

A door, archway or window can signify so much. Where does it lead? What can you glimpse through it?

What if you dare to open the door and stride through it with confidence?

Sarka Holeckova and Richard Trager used to work in corporate America in the Bay Area. She specialized in marketing, he in sales for a graphic software company. Creatives at heart, they [...] Read more »

The last hurrah of summer is on, as the kiddos cling to every last minute of recreation before trudging back to school.

A good time to plan for the vibrant art projects they’ll be proudly carting home. Or your shelf of masterpieces from past years, crammed full like a too-small p.o. box. Brilliant—a testament to your child’s artistic genius no doubt—but a challenge to store [...] Read more »

We let out a collective, audible gasp when we spied these at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. Graphic. European. Vintage. Cool.

Photographs by Ann Revoredo

Straight off I could visualize them as artwork in a home setting:

Photograph by Nicole Bliss

The route signs came from UK double-decker buses and trolleys. DeWayne Lumpkin of economica sleuthed around to find the impactful fabric scrolls.

“I first noticed the signs in [...] Read more »

Art-lover Ginger King wanted to create a new option in wall art for her home and for others. “Original artwork is typically very pricey, and I wanted a unique, sophisticated way to display my personal photos,” said King.

She’s done that with Impel Ink, a new service that prints your photos on fine art metals, rather than traditional surfaces. The satin silver and satin gold [...] Read more »

Mark my words Design Junkies. This is the next big thing in wall art.

How does your favorite beer, wine, cocktail or cola become striking artwork? When scientists crystallize it and photograph it through a microscope.

International Brews

BevShots.com, a brand new online business offering customizable wall art based on your favorite beverage, calls it “an intoxicating blend of art and science, their vibrant colors and [...] Read more »

I’m a sucker for family photos to help personalize a room’s decor. But instead of the typical small frames scattered about, how about some lively, high-impact wall art?

Images of your loved ones can become a captivating focal point or accent in a room when transformed into digital-art-on-canvas.

Renowned for its kaleidoscopic and Warhol-esque ‘Four-Panel-Pop‘ design, PhotoWow has been a leader in digital artwork since [...] Read more »

Artist Profile — Kristi Taylor

I have always admired people who can pick an interest and stick with it. Not that it’s bad to dabble—we learn so much that way. But focusing on an avocation or even concentrating on a certain theme can result in impressive work.

That’s how it is with abstract artist Kristi Taylor and her Tree Views series of paintings. Her kaleidoscopic interpretation [...] Read more »

Breaking News…This is now a Prize Challenge; enter for your chance to win!

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It’s not always simple to choose artwork for a space. Maybe you enjoy a print, a photograph, or your own original watercolor, but it doesn’t fit the space as well as you’d hoped. Or you love the colors, but the composition isn’t working.

What to do? Why don’t you slice it up?

I’m not [...] Read more »