Some Artists Worth Looking At

Always a favorite of mine is Rob Ryan, a paper artist based out of London. His colorful paper cuts are rich in detail and works of poetry within themselves. Heartwarming and delicate, his work is just asking to be loved. My plans for the summer include traveling to London, and going to his store, Ryantown, is one of the parts of the trip I am looking forward to the most.

Check out his blog here:
http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com/

or his official website here:
http://www.misterrob.co.uk/






Another recent addition to my bookmark tab is artist Jeremy Holmes. While his talents range all over the board (including some very nice animations), his book "There Was An Old Lady" has been pulling in awards all over the world and it's very obvious why. His beautiful textures and oddball style is slightly creepy but at the same time entirely charming. I know as a kid I was always drawn to children's books with an excessive amount of detail, but lately I have seen a trend in these books to be more minimal, trading in spreads rich with detail for simpler illustrations. While there is a beauty in this simplicity, I prefer all the little bits, so I hope there are many more of his kind of children's books on the way.

Check out his website, Mutt Ink, here:
http://www.muttink.com/index.php

And then there is Sophie Blackall's blog "Missed Connections." While I am not very familiar with the rest of her work, this is a blog I make sure to check every week. Here Sophie illustrates those posts people make, looking for the one person they shared a moment with, no matter how brief. The oddness of this practice is expressed so well in her bizarre paintings. But while these pieces are so unusual they are at the same time so genuinely delightful. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine interviewed her over at AudreyMonroe and it was wonderful to see what she had to say about her own work.

Check out (and religiously follow) "Missed Connections" here:
http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/