ARTmonday: Amy Stevens Cake Photos

I just finished putting together a sidebar of affordable art picks for the May issue of HGTV Magazine. It will accompany the feature on our Boston condo, which will focus on our art, which is everywhere. They chose 8 affordable artworks out of 25 choices I provided, so there were a lot of leftovers. I’ll eventually post all 25 picks, but in the meantime here is an expanded look at artist Amy Stevens’ cake photographs.

Stevens cake photo series, called Confections, started in 2005 as a response to her 30th birthday. She says, “It was a celebration of birthdays, color, pattern, and obsessive absurdity.”

Her original idea was to bake 30 birthday cakes for herself and photograph them. She ordered a cake decorating kit online, watched an instructional video, and quickly discovered her cakes were going to be imperfect. She decided to leave them in what she describes as “their exuberantly imperfect states.”

In the course of eight years, the series evolved into more of a humorous, feminist, conversation on life and the struggle for perfection. Amy Stevens is based in Berks County, Pennsylvania, earned a BFA from Arizona State, and an MFA from Temple University.

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections #65, 2008

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections #57, 2007

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections #54, 2007

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections #42, 2006

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (Adorned) #22, 2011

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (abroad) #7, 2010

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (adorned) #20, 2010

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (adorned) #15, 2010

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (adorned) #25, 2012

Food Photography Cake Photos Amy Stevens

Confections (adorned) #14, 2010

A few of Amy Stevens cake photos are available at:
20×200
Eye Buy Art
ArtStar

Covet: Metallic Vegan Leather Patch Moto Leggings

Pull-On Moto Legging Pant With Metallic Leather Patch By A.Ruby

I’ve been wearing my black A.Ruby leggings for about a year, and have since bought another black pair and a pair in grey. The company, based north of Boston, has recently introduced this slightly blingier style that I’ve definitely fallen for—pebble colored pull-on pants with a metallic vegan leather patch at the knee. Still comfy slightly dressed up.

Pull-on Moto Leggings, $120

ARTmoday: Trees by Patricia Busso

I’m feeling kind of zen today and these Patricia Busso birch tree paintings are reflecting my mood. Patricia Busso is a Boston-based artist with a studio in the South End. (Her bio also says she’s a math teacher.)

I came across her one of her encaustic pieces at the SoWa First Friday event in December, hanging in a juried group show of small works that I thoroughly enjoyed. When I looked her up to see more I found these birch tree artworks.

Some of these birch trees remind me a bit of illustrator Patricia Busso in blue. I’ve also long been a fan of Congdon’s hot pink birch trees—Birch Forest No. 7.

Busso started out as a photographer, but when her camera broke on the first day of an art retreat in the woods of British Columbia, she purchased paints and got to work. I’m not sure if any of these are the result of those efforts, but it seems to me they could very well be.

Here are 10 birch tree artworks by Patricia Busso.

trees-patricia-busso-1

trees-patricia-busso-4

trees-patricia-busso-2

trees-patricia-busso-3

trees-patricia-busso-7

trees-patricia-busso-8

trees-patricia-busso-9

trees-patricia-busso-6

trees-patricia-busso-5

trees-patricia-busso-10

All artwork courtesy of the artist. 

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ARTmonday: 10 Colorful Landscapes by Portland, Maine Artist Joanne Gravelin

In searching for local New England artists last week on Saatchi Art, I came across the work of Joanne Gravelin, a Portland, Maine-based artist who creates colorful landscapes in mixed media.

Gravelin, who grew up in rural Vermont, studied printmaking and painting at Maine College of Art. According to her bio on the Demark Art Center in Denmark, Maine where Gravelin was an artist-in-residence, her work depicts “scenes of the failed American Dream, false paradises, natural wastelands and suburbia.”

I’m following Gravelin’s work (and cat) on Instagram @MyLastPlaceOnEarth with my new art-dedicated Instagram account @StyleCarrotCurates, which I hope you will follow! It’s all art, all the time. (My decor, flowers, food, cat, books, art, sunsets, etc account is @StyleCarrot if you’re not already following, please do.)

Here are ten of Gravelin’s colorful landscapes. Sorry I don’t have full info on every one. I’ll try to contact her and update. Plus, I may need one for our Florida condo.

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2014

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2014

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

“Greetings From Paradise No. 2″ 2013
Acrylic, silkscreen, gold leaf, vinyl stickers, and marker on layers of plastic
40″ x 60”

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

“Greetings From Paradise No. 1″ 2013
Acrylic, silkscreen, gold leaf, vinyl stickers, and marker on layers of plastic
40″ x 60”

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

“Collection” 201s
Acrylic and vinyl stickers on plastic
40″ x 48″

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2015

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2015

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

“Los Angeles Pool” 2012
Acrylic and silkscreen on layers of plastic
36″ x 40″

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2014

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin Colorful Industrial Landscapes

2014

Portland Artist Joanne Graelin At Work In Her Studio

Artist Joanne Gravelin  at work in her studio in Portland, Maine.

Sunday Bouquet: Sweet White Blossoms in Farmhouse Pottery

White Flowers In Vase By Farmhouse Pottery At Good Beacon Hill

Photo by Marni Elyse Katz for StyleCarrot

White blossoms
Farmhouse Pottery
Good on Beacon Hill, Boston

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