Ashley Goldberg's Fine Paintings and Prints

Art | 15 April 2011

Need a little weekend inspiration? Me too! Luckily, I was super excited to find the prints and paintings of Ashley Goldberg! With saturated colors and moody expressions, her simple yet stunning work is sure to be the centerpiece in a room or collection. This Portland-based artist has been drawing and painting since a child and feels as though she is creating new friends with each piece. Her imagination shines through in her work, mirroring yet altering human emotion and expression. With a shop on Etsy, you can shop and check out some of the captivating works below.

Two of my favorites, shown above, make you wonder what these little friends are thinking. Their eyes seem full of stories worth telling!

I absolutely love the detail in the bear print and the warm browns with an accent of red. The turquoise and red combination, above, are simply captivating and draw you in, making you wonder what ails this poor child.

The above print reminds me of souls traveling to a better place, safely enclosed in a cloud of pink warmth.

Named Gaggle of Girls, the above print seems to capture the jovial moment where you see dozens of children on a fieldtrip. All wearing matching bandanas or tee shirts and lead by their teachers, you can always catch the joy the children feel being out and about at a young age. I love this for reminding me of those funny moments.

Make sure to check out Ashley’s fabulous shop and show some love! At around only $20 a print, we can all make her beautiful artwork part of our lives. If you’re anything like me, this artist will inspire you to start a collection devoted to “new friends”!

The Beautiful Photography of Ann He

Art | 08 April 2011

by Stephanie

Spring decided to join us for a few days recently and then retreated back, giving winter a few more showers and cold, gusty winds. In an attempt to bring Spring back to us in full swing, I decided to spotlight a young photographer, Ann He, whose work is simply breathtaking and reminds me of warm days and flowing dresses. Even if winter decides to stick around for a few more weeks, these images will tide me over and keep me waiting for the springtime!

At only sixteen, Ann has a natural ability to capture a magical mood and mystery in each image. Her work is undeniably feminine, with long hair, nature, and soft focus being trademarks of her images. Although her landscape shots blew me away, she seems to have an inclination and talent for fashion photography.

With work featured in Elle Girl Korea, DisFunkshion Magazine, and several more, this teen is making a name for herself and making the world a little sweeter with such beautiful pictures. It is so inspirational to see artists as young as Ann with so much talent and drive.

Make sure to check out Ann’s website for more gorgeous photos. With so many to choose from it was not easy to just pick a few!

Yoga Dogs and Cats: Try Some Moves from Your Furry Friends

Art | 08 April 2011

by Laurie Hartt

Happy Friday! It’s almost the weekend, and to send you guys off on a smiling note, I just had to post these pictures from artist Daniel Borris. Yesterday I did a blog on how to work out at work, so here is the follow up: add a little relaxing yoga to your day by imitating your favorite furry friend. With real-life animals and a little help from Photoshop, Borris has created some really fun and humorous photos of dogs and cats doing various yoga poses.

How did he get started?

“Five years ago photographer Dan Borris came across his first Yoga Dog. Otis was a two-year-old English Bull Terrier who loved to do yoga with his friend Joy. Joy would be practicing her yoga in the mornings while Otis wandered around her legs, stopping now and again to lick her face as she did a headstand. Slowly but surely Otis began to imitate Joy. At first he tried out simple poses, ones that came naturally to him like Downward and Upward Dog. As time went on Otis’s poses became more and more complex, until finally he began his own practice. While Otis himself wasn’t captured on film, he did lead Dan on his path to finding other four-legged Yogis.”

And of course, we all know how flexible our feline friends can be. I personally wouldn’t be surprised to come home to see my cats Scrappy and Frankie trying out some of these moves.

If any of you are as in love with these photos as I am, you will be happy to know that you can buy your very own calendar of yoga pups and yoga kittens to put on your wall. A portion of the proceeds from sales on his site benefits various animal foundations.

Will you be trying any of these moves with your pet? Does your puppy or kitten have any cool moves of his or her own?

The Artwork of Betsy Walton

Art | 07 April 2011

by Sienna

I’m excited to share yet another favorite artist of mine, Betsy Walton.

The Portland based graphic designer and illustrator first caught my eye a few years back on Etsy, when I saw this print:

Entitled, “Let’s Go in Together” I couldn’t help but feel connected to this isolated couple making a pact to stand by each other’s sides. Preparing to enter the odd and looming shape in the background, the love and tenderness between this cutely suited couple made the perfect V-day gift for my significant other.

Recently I decided to dig a little further into the repertoire of Ms. Walton, and unearthed a wealth of colorful and eclectic illustrations. Originally from Kansas, the mysterious young artist states “My style is informed by a range of influences including Byzantine icon paintings, American folk art, geometric abstraction, and the work of many contemporary illustrators and painters.”

Check out these pics of the artist (she’s the one on the left) in her workspace. I love the cleanliness and organized manner she seems to keep. You can really get a feeling of the scale of her work, too; many of the paintings are quite small. Read the studio visit article by poketo here.

Studio visit photos courtesy of poketo.com blog.

Aside from her individual paintings and prints, Walton has a thriving career illustrating for various products including shoes, wallets and laptop cases. Below is an example of one of her continuous patterns. This soft and intriguing imagery could end up on a multitude of products.