Esther Pearl Watson

I know, Esther Pearl Watson is not really news. But still: U.F.O.s! Angels! Gas stations! Colors that punch without being over-the-top and images packed with information. Her paintings are all folk and charisma. If you have a couple grand knocking around, you can buy one here.

'Pictures From Life in Field and Fen', 1887

Front Cover of 'Pictures From Life in Field and Fen', 1887, originally uploaded by National Media Museum.

THIS is what I want my illustrations to look like.

Cathy Cullis; hearting printmaking hard

Something about printmaking has me really going right now. I love how rough and precise this is at the same time, the happenstance and the intentional coming together to create something honest and raw and to my mind very pleasing.

Hanna Konola

Sometimes I think the simplest things are the hardest to really nail. It's tough to stay confident in your pencil strokes and your idea, and not succumb to the temptation to get all fancy for the sake of fanciness, like, "look, mom, no hands!" I've been mulling over this a lot in terms of music, having discovered a new appreciation for simple yet interesting tunes, and I think the same is true for art. At any rate, I've been a fan of Hanna Konola's work for a while. She just came out with a new blog for the holiday season-->new blog!<--so it's as good a time as any to shout about her. Hanna!!