Floral Overlay on Photos

One of my favorite paintings at the Louvre is Le Printemps by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (pictured below). Seeing it reminded me of these beautiful mystery photos in my inspiration files. I've been holding off on posting them since I don't like to publish something without a source, but I just can't resist anymore. If anyone knows who these are from (I know I found them on Flickr) please comment below.

Les Printemps

Artist Spotlight: Seth Clark

Some of you might remember my obsession with abandoned homes from this post about the photography of Brian Vanden Brink (one of my all time faves). I just discovered these mixed media paintings from Pittsburgh artist Seth Clark, and wanted to share. Gorgeous texture that really captures the chipped and faded paint, weathered wood and drooping beams.

Discovered on Chic Batik

Marie Isabelle-Callier at Poppy in Georgetown

Something cool to check out in Georgetown -- Poppy is showing the works of artist Marie Isabelle-Callier now through June 20. I especially love her series of silhouettes, zoomed in above and below.

Inspiration 5.21

How amazing are the textures in this photo? And that is quite possibly the most beautiful reclaimed wood I've ever seen.

Via the New York Times

Inspiration 4.23

I am obsessed with these poems on mirrors from This is Glamorous and Lotta Agaton. I'm pretty sure this could be an easy DIY project too -- using stencils or decals...or even free-hand if you've got great handwriting.

Olaf Hajek and a Defense of Anthropologie

Sometimes I feel guilty about loving Anthropologie so much. A lot of people have issues with the politics of the CEO, with the very fact that it is a big chain store, with the preciousness of the products...but y'know what...those criticisms don't really outweigh the benefits in my opinion.

I'm consistently impressed with Anthro's efforts to work with artists to commission pieces instead of just ripping them off. And for those of us who don't live in big cities, Anthro is probably a sanity-saving oasis of lovely in a local mall otherwise filled with crap. In short, Anthro brings genuinely beautiful things to the masses, and I'm hard-pressed to find anything wrong with that.

For instance, if it wasn't for Anthro, I'm not sure if I ever would have discovered the amazing work of Olaf Hajek whose book Flowerhead recently landed in stores. So amazing.

P.S. I just couldn't resist his volcano picture below. If only the one in Iceland was shooting flowers and butterflies!

Want: Fabric Collages from Rachel Castle

Last week, I found myself inexplicably drawn to the room below featured on Design Sponge. I say inexplicably because, while the room is nice enough as is, there wasn't anything there I hadn't seen before. Then I realized it was the incredibly sweet artwork hanging above the bed that drew me in.

I was hooked and had to know more. A tiny bit of research led me to Rachel Castle -- an Australian jack-of-all trades who designs these touching fabric collages in addition to a line of bedding.

I know some people might look at this and say, "I can do that." Well maybe you can, and if you can, you should! Personally though, I'd much rather save up for the artist's original. I don't conceptualize it differently than I do most modern art -- sure I could paint that giant red dot in the middle of a canvas -- but I didn't. That's why the one in museum costs six figures and I wouldn't be able to sell my version for 5 bucks at a low-rent craft fair.

Get to know more about Rachel's art here. And P.S. loved ones -- I would love to see one of Rachel's pieces show up for my birthday! Hint. Hint.

Artist Spotlight: Eloise Corr Danch

Have you ever wondered about the talented people behind those amazing window displays you see in stores like Anthropologie? Well, aside from brilliant in-house teams who help style the stores and the displays, there are tons of amazing artists like Eloise Corr Danch, a brooklyn-based artist who specializes in paper sculpture, illustration and set and graphic design.

I am totally blown away by the paper gardens and other sculptures Eloise makes for clients like Anthro, Macy's and Saks. Check out more of Eloise's work here.

H/T Katy Elliott

Artist Spotlight: Simon Benson

Introduced to this amazing artist via Jenna at L'ecume des Jours. Especially love his drawings of still water which take me back to long summer days spent at Eric's family's lake house. Summer, please come now!

Artist Spotlight: Hillary Webb

Lately I can't get enough of textile artists, and Hillary Webb is certainly one of the most talented I've seen. I love her very contemporary take on this traditional art form. Each piece is naturally dyed and hand-embroidered. Learn more about Hillary and her work here.

First discovered on Canadian House and Home

Artist Spotlight: Kirra Jamison

Today, I want to introduce you all to one of the most amazing new talents I've seen in a long time. Kirra Jamison is an Australian artist whose brilliant, kaleidoscopic work is described best here:

"Kirra Jamison cultivates ideas. Initial kernels of intuition germinate into lines, forms and patterns that branch and weave and interlay the picture plane with snatches of narrative. Floating amongst the fragments of decorative motif and patterning, vignettes of everyday experience emerge and inveigle the viewer with abundant possibilities of meaning. Harmonious or chaotic, repeated or disrupted, Jamison's use of patterns and images dismantles cultural boundaries, blurring the divide between high and low art, the East and the West, the past and the present."

Some of my favorite works below: