BEAUTY: Mixed Media--Glen Martin Taylor

These wonderfully whimsical recycled/upcycled art pieces by painter-artist Glen Martin Taylor speak to mental health issues and challenges...with a leap toward resiliency.

It is easy to see that the artist has a gentle, thoughtful soul from the work but his current project from his website offers even more proof:
"Current Project: I am currently creating works with broken pottery recovered from the destroyed homes and schools of Ukraine for a traveling exhibition (2024-2026) that will begin in the USA and then Europe, ending in Kiev, Ukraine. The purpose of the project involves awareness, fundraising for relief, and international engagement about the human tragedy of the Ukrainian War."

To purchase one of his pieces, visit his website!
https://glenmartintaylor.com/

BEAUTY: Mixed Media Art--Michael Mapes

The mixed media boxes Michael Mapes creates are simply jaw-dropping. He approaches his creations like Victorian specimen boxes, using insect pins, vials, petri dishes, gelatin capsules, and assorted specimen containers to hold cut up pieces of photographs, human hair, crushed pigment, tea, cotton thread, spices, feathers, x-rays, dried plants, and costume jewelry. Once assembled, all these individual elements create a larger image. For his Dutch Masters series, each box is an homage to a Dutch portrait. Take a look at the detail images...it is stunning how much goes into each one.

21 yr Old Dutch Female

21 yr Old Dutch Female detail

Adriana Female

Adriana Female detail

Anonymous Young Woman

Anonymous Young Woman detail

Anonymous Young Woman detail

Dutch Female Specimen

Dutch Female Specimen detail

HdP-02

HdP-02 detail

Mapes has a section on his site of available work. Inquire for pricing!
http://www.room62.com/

BEAUTY: Egg Art For Easter--Elisa Sheehan

I previously celebrated the lovely eggshell art of Elisa Sheehan here, and she has been hard at work creating more beautiful little boxes and larger-scaled pieces featuring her designs. She makes gorgeous art from eggshells based on the Japanese art of kintsugi (previously here) where a piece of broken pottery is fixed using gold. This highlights the crack and the repair, giving the object a sense of history, of use, and of extra value. Sheehan does the same with eggshells which of course must be broken to be used. In her statement about her kintsugi eggs, she says, "I’ve always loved the Japanese art of 'kintsugi' wherein broken pottery is repaired with gold and rather than trying to disguise the break or flaw, it is highlighted and therefore elevated to a status of beauty. Its age is celebrated, its history is seen, its flaws are revered. I think it’s a good way to think about ourselves, others and our relationships as we age - not to try to look like our former, younger selves but to embrace our 'breaks and flaws' and to honor them and see the beauty in them."

https://elisasheehan.com/

BEAUTY: Art For Halloween--Noah Scalin

The delightful art of Noah Scalin celebrate the skull. Between 2007 and 2008, he embarked on a Skull-a-Day project that yielded some wonderfully imaginative creations. Skulls from dirt, steam, snow, take-out food containers, bedsheets, and black beans are fun and expertly rendered!

And I love his re-purposed transistor tube skulls! Too cute.

https://www.noahscalin.com/
https://skulladay.blogspot.com/

All 365 of his creations can be enjoyed in his book that documents the project, SKULL-A-DAY available from Chop Suey books.

http://www.chopsueybooks.com/products/skulladay