Art Attack: Calla O'Malley

October 5, 2011

Art Attack: Calla O'Malley

It has been awhile since I posted an "Art Attack" post and I have definitely found an artist I must introduce you to. I first saw Calla O'Malley's work in a sweet consignment and home decor store located just outside my city.

A fellow Ontarian, Calla is a freelance artist and illustrator who has a fabulous portfolio (plus an etsy shop so you can make some of her captivating prints your own). What impresses me most is that although she has a distinct style and voice, she also has the ability to create such diverse works of art. From her quirky illustrations to ethereal photography, I'm totally hooked. I've cherry picked a few of my favorite pieces and I think you can see what I mean about Calla having incredible artistic skill:

Effy Print

Bandits Print

Noir Silent Film Print

Sunday Landscape Print

City in Fog Print

Wild Flower Static Fine Art Photo Print

Photography: Blossom Series

Art Attack: The Corn Poppy

Last month, when Hubby & I were in Houston, we visited the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and Kees van Dongen's The Corn Poppy really captured my attention. I tend to favor abstracts, but this portrait is so engaging that I wanted to share.

Le Coquelicot (The Corn Poppy)
c. 1919

Doesn't she just grab your attention?

My photo is a bit more faded than the "official" one - see below.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Inspired by the splash of red with muted colors, I bought OPI's Big Apple Red nail polish as a birthday present to myself. I wear a lot of greys, creams and beige so I am blatantly emulating the woman in this portrait. I just don't really like hats - too hair squooshing.

Can't see all of me 'cuz I'm still in PJ's!

Art Attack: Lotta Nieminen

For those new to my blog, I wholeheartedly support Finnish and Hungarian peeps because of my familial ties. But, Finnish family or not, this Helsinki artist has the most impressive portfolio. From her gorgeous illustrations to her fantastic graphic design, I'm in awe. Thanks to Design is Mine for the introduction! Read more about Lotta Nieminen here.

United Airlines
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Uponor
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Businessweek: Global 2
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Soup
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Such gorgeous packaging would make me buy this . . .

Art Attack: Pottery That Soothes

A very busy week for me so far - how about you? I was actually feeling a tiny bit frazzled today, which is odd because apart from a few (hilarious, I'm told) bursts of stand up comedian type anger every now & then I am normally pretty calm.

Happily, these lovely pottery pieces by Netherlands etsy seller Miip are so simple & serene that I feel more relaxed just looking at them. Imagine a collection on a dresser . . . See? I'm so distracted I don't even remember why I was stressed!

Source

Sigh.

Abstract Painting Completed

Yesterday morning I blogged about how the weather was dreary. Well, it cleared up midday, but I was busy filling out an application for a scholarship (that required a medical - sheesh). By the time I was ready to take some pictures it was becoming overcast again but I took pictures anyway, thinking it would only get drearier. Then I went back to work on the application and when I took a break for dinner it was brighter, but the sun was heading downwards. The lesson here is that the weather is seriously screwing with me.

But I prevailed. I have some photos to share, although they are a touch gloomier than I prefer.

Remember this blank wall in our kitchen?

Now it looks like this:

From the other angle

This is without natural light - darn cloudy skies!

Yep, this is the painting I started days and days ago. When it comes to non-essential projects I operate on "Tanya Time," which runs a bit delayed due to frequently distractions.

Tomorrow (possibly Wednesday . . . Thursday if we're talking Tanya Time) I will post about how I DIY'd this painting. Along with blogging about what I did (which is really straightforward) I'll show you what colours I mixed to produce crisper pastels or vintage-y pastels (there's a trick). I will also post about the other, newer splashes of colour peppered about the kitchen and what elements of the room served as my inspiration. It has certainly been a while since I posted anything new about the kitchen (other than the post about the fridge). Let's hope the sunlight cooperates!

Art Attack: Gerald Ferguson

I finally finished my painting! But it is SO dreary & rainy here today, I can't take a proper picture. It is so dark and blah. Argh. Hopefully this afternoon the weather will clear up. In the meantime let's chat about an artist I have been googling. I am currently loving Gerald Ferguson's work. To me, although some of his pieces lack colour, they are so peaceful but interesting - like the one he is photographed with, below.

Photo Source

I love this installation piece he did:

1,000,000 Canadian Pennies
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I won't be installing any pennies of my own, but I do find his work inspirational:

No. 27
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250 ft of Spiral Hose
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I recently saw one of his pieces in real life. Unfortunately, I can't find a "snaggable" pic, so click here if you want to check it out. The photo doesn't do the subtle texture justice.

The painting, artist unknown, really reminds me of Ferguson's work:

Blueprint Magazine, via Decorology

Maybe it is the sad, sad weather, but I'm feeling "mellow" today. No bright colours for me today. In fact, I'm planning another painting for the half bathroom that will be all texture & movement, but subtle colour.

Art Attack: Newspaper Art?

I think this is so genius. This piece is called "Overheard on the Titanic" and the artist blacked out words in a newspaper article (with a sharpie!), leaving only these choice words revealed. I want. Actually, I want to make - it would have been neat to make one with a newspaper article from each city I've lived in - or travelled too! Oh, for a time machine.

In any case, because I was Captain Distracto Friday & Saturday, I'm still marking this morning. But I'm hoping that by this afternoon, I can start working my canvas.

P.S. I originally read about this piece on A Cup of Jo.

Art Attack: Paintings I love

I've made a bit of a bargain with myself: if I finish all of my marking by Saturday, Sunday I'm going to put paint to canvas. So I'm ramping up the Art Attack posts and instead of featuring one artist, I'm posting a smattering of paintings I love to get me in the groove.

Do you have any creativity planned for this weekend? (Can you plan it?)

If you want to ogle a few more abstract pieces, check out this Centsational Girl post. Do you have any great sources or ideas to get the creativity flowing?
Happy Weekend!

Art Attack: Lynda Pizzuto

I fell in love with Lynda Pizzuto's work, seen in this Design Sponge "sneak peak". I blogged about this beautiful room just the other day and the painting really tickled my fancy. So, I found the artist's website and have been ogling her work for a few days. Isn't her work magical?

Source

Her paintings have such life - so much movement and joy.

Art Attack: Bert Weir

I've been asked questions about some of the art work in our house and it has been awhile since I've written an "Art Attack" post (see here, here and here for three of my favorites). So . . . I thought I'd post about hubby's grandfather, Bert Weir. Bert painted the paintings seen in shots of our living room, dining room & guest bedroom:

I picked this one out

This pair was a wedding gift!

Hubby had these paintings when I met him - score!

These were a Christmas gift

We feel so honored to have some of his artwork in our home. And it is so generous of him to have gifted us with so many beautiful pieces. Bert is an amazing artist and a remarkable person. Below are some more pictures of his work. His lovely wife, Joy Allan, takes wonderful pictures of his artwork and is a talented artist herself. Bert has also written and illustrated books and there is a recently published book about him! Click any of the titles for more info on a particular piece, or check out his website here.