SheWalksSoftly

Isabel Samaras

May 5th, 2009

I’ve been a fan of Isabel Samaras for quite sometime, and recently decided to explore her site again. She has some wonderful paintings in her “recent work” section, including a series of classic monsters, re-contextualized as religious figures.

The ultimate blend of highbrow and lowbrow…

And I’m really digging her series of hand paintings. Even disembodied hands are expressive subjects.

See her blend of pop culture, classical painting, religion, vintage icons, fairy tales (and more) on her site.
Fernando Vicente

May 4th, 2009

I hate to jump on the blogwagon with this one, but I keep running into this stunning anatomical series by Fernando Vicente. Hopefully these will be new to some readers who don’t obsessively follow anatomical art like I do.

It’s as if high fashion landed in the cold, blue tinted world of the morgue.

The detail is rather striking…

Beauty and brains…(yes, I had to say it).

This one reminds me of my strange love for the term “neck meats.” That phrase instantly makes any conversation more entertaining, and this is one of the more fashionable depiction of neck meats that I’ve seen:

Vicente’s work is extremely varied, so I do recommend checking out the rest of his site.
Rafael Silveria

May 4th, 2009

Rafael Silveria makes fabulously uncomfortable retro style illustrations; stretched, warped and skewed quasi-iconic images.

I dedicate this one to my father, who says the worst thing about me is my tendency to squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle, thereby turning it into a twisted, decrepit deformity.

Anyone else squeeze the toothpaste from the middle?

See more here.
Houdini Cross Stitch

May 3rd, 2009

I’m truly impressed with the mesmerizing and haunting effect She Fights Like a Girl creates in this Houdini portrait cross stitch:

I can think of many requests for this talented woman!

Source
Andrew Bell

May 3rd, 2009

Hearing about Andrew Bell’s new solo show, “It’s What’s Inside That Counts,” at the Rivet Gallery reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post about his wonderful creatures.

I love the expressions he gives his awkward, globular creations.

They are all somehow adorable despite their grotesqueness. It’s a really fun set to look at!

See more on the artist’s site.
Merging Dendrites and Butterfly Brains

May 2nd, 2009

I tend to do image searches for random things I’m reading about, many of which pertain to neuroscience. This vision of merging dendrites blew me away:

These electrical storms…these trees of fire…are operating, thousands upon thousands, in your brain right now. Who knew the merging branched projections of a neuron could be so breathtaking?

On a related note, look at this stunning Butterly Brain greeting card! Favorite colors…favorite things…

By graphic designer Tweek
Victorian TV Heads

May 2nd, 2009

I wish I saw these in time for my salt and pepper shaker post the other day. These Victorian style TV-headed salt and pepper shakers might be my very favorite!

Positively postmodern, eh? I’m now inspired to run to the thrift store and construct a bunch of salt and pepper shakers from mismatched found objects.

Source
Miniature Analog Papercraft

May 1st, 2009

I’m so delighted with Dan McPharlin’s series of miniature cardboard models.

The detail is lovely (and cardboard is not the easiest medium to work with, especially in small sizes). Don’t you want to just sit down and make some sounds on these pretty machines?

Perfect for my teeny tiny hands (not my hand in the photo, of course)!

View the full set.

From the wonderful Dudecraft.
Rainbow Glow Jellyfish

April 30th, 2009

Leave it to National Geographic to bring forth this colorful specimen. It is not bioluminescent like some of my other favorite sea creatures, but the colors appear when light reflects off the cilia that propel it through the water.

This little jelly cannot be caught, for it shatters the instant it touches a net. In a sublimely poetic twist of intense fragility, this creature thwarts the ubiquitous human need to capture, categorize, and keep.

To possess it is to destroy it. No wonder it seems to harbor a grin.

I’m sure there’s a life lesson in there somewhere.
Sylwia Skubis

April 30th, 2009

Polish photo artist Sylwia Skubis jarred my mind into a realization: I am very picky about digital/fantasy art, but I have great reverence for artists who unknowingly bring my own dreamscapes into visual form.

I am forever conceptualizing various mechanical animals since I’m fascinated by the synthesis of machine and organic material/subjects. I’m particularly fond of this post-apocalyptic rendition:

Many of my dreams (and even daydreams) involve some kind of fluid yet impossible intersection of water and land. Strange worlds bisecting each other and tickling perception…

Then there are the arid worlds of twisted forms and despair…

The stories I could conjure from images like this one…

See her deviant art gallery.