artists

Artist Living Without Money
Travel

Russian Artist Sergey Balovin: How He Lives Without Money

We're thrilled to be presenting this post from our partner site Yahoo!
by Yahoo Shine

We're thrilled to be presenting this post from our partner site Yahoo! Shine:

Russian artist Sergey Balovin discovered that he could live without money by accident.

When he moved to China in 2010, "I didn't know almost anybody in Shanghai," he told Yahoo! Shine in an email. He speaks mostly Russian, a little English, and no Chinese at all, he explained, and was making good money selling expressionist landscape paintings. When a neighbor agreed to give him her easel in exchange for a hand-drawn portrait, he realized that other people might be willing to make similar trades.

"I gave the announcement on a Russian Shanghai forum," he said. "I said, 'I am ready to draw portraits and exchange them for things useful in my home.' A few weeks later, I had a few dozen of new friends and everything that is necessary for everyday life."

Learn more about Sergey's story after the jump.

Knitted Stools and Chairs by Claire-Anne O-Brien
Art

Artist Claire-Anne O'Brien's Majorly Stitched Stools and Chairs

Based out of London, artist Claire-Anne O'Brien has a talent for creating cool seating.
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Based out of London, artist Claire-Anne O'Brien has a talent for creating cool seating. Using knitting techniques rendered on a massive scale, this Royal College of Art graduate exaggerates the look of traditional knits by using large stitches for her furniture pieces. O'Brien was recently awarded the Future Makers Award from the Crafts Council of Ireland, and it's no secret why she attracted the council's attention. Her work is bold, ambitious, and striking. Inspired by elements of the knitted stitch, including rings and loops, Claire-Anne's sculpture-like knitted pieces are truly original. Take a closer look at her work!

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Joost Janszen Patchwork Rug
artists

Cool Idea: A Three-Dimensional Rug Design

Need to add a little texture and movement to your home?
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Need to add a little texture and movement to your home? Why not try adding an extremely textured rug to your floor? I'm loving these three-dimensional patchwork rugs from Dutch industrial artist Joost Janszen, whose work was featured in the Chelsea Art Museum's Model Citizens show as part of New York Design Week.  The rugs can be used as wall hangings, draped artworks, or as a standard rug. Janszen, whose work often explores the intersection between industrial design and art, has worked as an art director for several fashion designers and his primary work include prints and fabrics.

The patchwork rugs were a result of Janszen's fascination with three-dimensional shapes within standard textiles, and the patchwork construction reflects this interest. Repetition of the patchwork allows the rugs to take on a unique texture. Each rug is one of a kind, made from materials including canvas and leather. I think they're absolutely cool, and especially love this citron-colored piece.

Spruce Austin Teams Up With Artist Leah Duncan
artists

Spruce Upholstery Teams Up With Artist Leah Duncan

Austin-based upholstering business Spruce is a longtime favorite of mine.
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Spruce Austin Teams Up With Artist Leah Duncan

Austin-based upholstering business Spruce is a longtime favorite of mine. With its staff of smart women artisans and its amazing selection of reupholstered vintage furniture, it's one of my favorite online stops. Spruce recently teamed up with artist, designer, and illustrator Leah Duncan, and will be carrying Duncan's wares through its storefront shop and online store. As Spruce noted on its blog, "She has such an appealing and singular style, yet so accessible and current. What’s not to love?" If you aren't familiar with Duncan's work yet, take a look. You're in for a treat!

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Olive Drop by Ernie Bakker
Love It or Hate It

Olive Drop: Love It or Hate It?

Olives are one of my favorite foods and an ingredient I always have on hand to be party ready.
by partysugar

Olives are one of my favorite foods and an ingredient I always have on hand to be party ready. While I'm usually a fan of modern serving ware, I don't really know how to feel about this Olive Drop by designer Ernie Bakker. It's inspired by a children's game and the toothpicks must be pulled out before the olives can be enjoyed. It seems more artistic than practical. What do you think?

Commissioning a Painting...of Your Dog
Art

Commissioning a Painting...of Your Dog

Sometimes I worry about walking that fine line between being a responsible pet owner and an obsessive pet owner.
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Sometimes I worry about walking that fine line between being a responsible pet owner and an obsessive pet owner. ("Your dog is wearing a backpack," my sister recently observed.) Still, that concern didn't deter me from commissioning a painting of my dog, Ozzie. Portland, Maine, artist Elizabeth Fraser, whose work I'd found on Etsy, started out with a photo of Ozzie, and two weeks later, the painting arrived in the mail.

The painting's diminutive size, at at only 5x5 inches, made me feel like less of a weirdo for getting my pet's portrait commissioned. But as more of my friends saw the final result (framed and placed on my fireplace mantel) they stopped thinking that I was slightly nutty and began to realize that I was on to something really cool.

Fraser, who works primarily in oils, was a delight to work with, and I thought that $75 was a major steal for an original piece of artwork of my pet.

What do you think? Would you get artwork commissioned of your pet?

Art

Coffee + Creativity = Art

The bf (we're going to call him Jimmy from now on, okay?
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The bf (we're going to call him Jimmy from now on, okay? I really hate that phrase bf) is really into coffee. As in, we got rid of our microwave counter space in order to make room for the coffee pot, espresso machine, grinder and all the other bits of coffee paraphernalia. So when I found this link, I immediately had to forward it to him. For several years, Duluth based artists Andy and Angel Saur have been creating all of their works of art with coffee. Like fine watercolors, the coffee works as washes and shading and each painting is 100% coffee (with the exception of an acrylic coat to preserve the art). It started when the artists were working on a new exhibit for a coffee house. Hoping to create something unique and fun, they decided to work with coffee as a medium. To achieve the different gradients, the artists brew their own thick coffee and dilute as needed. I personally think the results look rich and inviting, like sepia toned paintings. And somehow even their rendition of George Costanza mananges to capture a nostalgic feeling. But don't take my word on it, decide for yourself by checking out their coffee art gallery.

Source: Tastespotting