New Lockets!

Hi there. How are you?

I'm really excited and proud of my newest collaboration with the lovely Cat of Polarity. 

She's created 4 new lockets and a bracelet, all featuring my work. 

Each locket comes with an initial charm and 3 interchangeable magnetic faces. 

That's 3 necklaces for 1 price! Score!

Two of the lockets feature floral designs. 

The other two feature my chair illustrations. 

The chair designs each come with a lid featuring an inspirational message.

This locket is a great reminder to slow down, take our time and just sit with it!

She's also created a bracelet! Cute, isn't it?

All of the new magnetic locket sets and bracelet can be purchased in Cat's Etsy shop.

  They ship directly from Cat's studio in New Jersey and she's ships crazy fast! Hope you love 'em. 

Ta-Ta.

Bird Nerd

Hi there. How are you?

This is my brand new piece featuring Matt's favorite bird, the Tufted Titmouse.

Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that birds are about that last possible subject they'd expect me delve into. You see,  I am anything but a "bird nerd." Actually, birds pretty much gross me out, and I've had several traumatic experiences with my feathered foes. There were two different encounters with nests of dead baby birds, I've been crapped on while inside a moving car, and was traumatized by a bird that continually flew into a window at my childhood home. 

So why on earth would I choose birds as a new subject? It has a lot to do with my husband, who has blossomed into a full blown "bird nerd." 

He's built a bird sanctuary outside our living room window.

Birds of all kinds are attracted to the squirrel proof feeder.

I have to admit that I do like to join Matt in his through the window bird watching. They don't freak me out so much when there is glass between me and the birds. I've actually grown fond of the hummingbirds and female cardinals that frequent our feeders. And believe it or not, I'm about to start another bird piece!

"Tufted Titmouse" measures just 5" high by 7" wide and was created with collaged paper, black ballpoint ink and a little touch of rusty orange colored pencil. If you are interested in purchasing this piece, do get in touch!

Do you have a favorite bird you'd like to see me tackle? Please let me know!

Until next time. Ta-ta!

P.S. My blog address has changed! This blog is now a subdomain of  jenniferjohansson.com and lives at blog.jenniferjohansson.com.

The "June 20" are Finally Complete!

"Scratch", 8"x8", collaged paper, black ballpoint ink and white Prismacolor pencil on cradled hardboard, $250.

Well hi there! How are you? Did you miss me?

I'm sorry I've left this blog inactive for such a long time. I just haven't had the time or the will to write.  The bug to blog finally hit again, so here I am!

I'm proud to report that I have finally met my goal of crafting 20 new pieces in the month of June! Well, actually, I made 19 new pieces in June and just got around to #20 (pictured here) this week. Better late than never right? You can see all 20 pieces here.

This new piece is based on a photo I shot out at Scratch Brewery, in Ava, Illinois. Scratch has quickly become one of our favorite places in Southern Illinois.  Out in the middle of nowhere, the Scratch team has built a charming indoor/outdoor tasting room where they brew and serve incredibly tasty beers. Yum! Scratch is filled with all sorts of interesting chairs, so you'll be seeing more pieces based on photos I've shot there.

So let's talk about this new piece. I was immediately drawn to the contrast of the mismatched wooden chairs against the rusty red siding. I had actually photographed this spot on several different trips to Scratch, but finally captured the perfect shot/lighting on our last visit. As my followers know, I'm very drawn to cast shadows, and I liked the shadows these chairs cast onto the siding.

This piece is indeed for sale! I don't tend to list these larger originals on Etsy as they don't sell there, so if you are interested in this one, do shoot me an email.

Do let me know what you think of this new piece! Hope all is well in your world. Ta-Ta!

Love for Laumeier

 

Hi there. How are you? Did you miss me?

Art fair season is upon us  and I'm off to a fantastic start! Last weekend I traveled to St Louis for the  Art Fair at Laumeier - on the stunning grounds of the Laumeier Sculpture Park. Everything about this event was top notch! (Well almost everthing.....Artist parking was easily a mile away. Not fun when your husband has a broken ankle! That's a story for another day.)

I was so impressed by the quality of the artists in this show. Vendors traveled from all over the country to take part, usually a mark of a good show in my book. We met some great people, had fabulous weather, and ate some great food. And best of all, I sold a lot of art! 14 originals in fact! 

  

By the end of the weekend, my booth was looking quite bare, which is a good thing..... But man, do I have some work to do! With home renovation dominating my off season, I didn't get nearly as much art made as I need to sustain myself through the art fair season. I've challenged myself to make 20 new pieces between now and my next show at the end of June. It's a lofty goal, but I think I can do it! The majority of the pieces that sold at Laumeier were my smaller, lower priced works. I can whip those out quicky! 

You probably won't hear a whole lot from me on the blog over the summer. My studio time has to be spent making.  If you'd like to see what I'm up to, I do update my Facebook page regularly, so visit me there. 

Ta-ta for now!

A Visitor in the Studio

Well hi there! Happy Saturday to you.

Our house was a little fuller this week, as we had Jack in town for his spring break. 

 I can't ever get him to pose for a picture, so this is the best I got of him all week! 

We spent Wednesday working together in the "capsule" (my tiny studio.)

 Jack worked on a Flash animation.

  I worked on a Dala horse for Matt. 

He's been asking me for a year to make him one. Sorry it took so long Matty! 

We peacefully coexisted in these tight quarters all afternoon. 

Here are the end results. Enjoy! 

New and Notable

Hi there. How are you?

For quite a long time now, I've been thinking about and talking about turning my abstract Moleskine doodles into a sell-able product. (Read more about that here and see some drawings here.)

This week, I finally made it happen!

The "Trade Winds" series as I like to call it, is a collection of 4 drawings I did on a vintage National Geographic map of Africa. I like the way the map gives some interest and context to the these flowing abstractions and I love the little bits of red text.

The line actually flows from one piece to the other. 

Though these pieces were created in a group, I really do think they can all stand on their own. Each piece has its own title, usually coming from the text on the map.  This one is called "Off Dakar, Feb 15, 1954."

I like how the map backdrop helps to further the implication of movement and/or travel.

Each piece measures just 4" x 4" and is mounted on a 3/4" deep panel. 

All four pieces are for sale individually in my Etsy shoppe.  If you are interested in purchasing the entire series of 4, please contact me.....You will receive a discounted rate. I have already had an inquiry about purchasing the whole set, so do act fast! 

Do let me know what you think of these new pieces, and do enjoy your weekend! Ta-Ta.

We Bought a Fixer - The Built-in got Bigger!

Hi again. How are you?

I had a really productive day in my studio, pumping out some new work. 

I just couldn't tear myself away to write my Wednesday post until now! 

A few weeks back, Matt added a little extension to our built-in.

He constructed a desk to span the space between the bookcase and the entertainment center.

Pretty smart use of space if I do say so myself! 

Despite the fact that there are "his and hers" chairs here, Matt has claimed this as his domain. 

I'm totally OK with that....as I have my "secret room" studio.

(I promise to show you my studio when I get it fully decorated!)

We recently picked up this sharp looking desk chair at a yard sale for $5. What a steal!

We love its warm, worn look, and clean lines. 

I've had this chair in my personal collection for years.

I love the way it plays against the dark, heavy desk chair. 

Well, that's all I've got to say about that. 

What you you think about our newest DIY? Do tell!

 

P.S. Be on the look out for new listings in my Etsy shoppe any day now!