Salutations!

Oh hello Friday, where did you come from?

Doesn’t it seem like the whole week has just FLOWN by? We’re only in our third week of school and I’m already thinking about the end of the semester! Happily, next weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving (so early in the year), but THIS weekend is Nuit Blanche, the all night art festival! It’s supposed to get down to a chilly 41 degrees on Saturday night, but that’s what scarves and boyfriends are for right? To keep you warm on cold nights?

Failing that, there is always whiskey! There is this really great authentic Scottish pub (everyone who works there is legitimately Scottish, accent and all), with fantastic food and whiskey. I’m still going through some Oxford withdrawal and could use some cheer from the other side of the pond…

But, back to the weekend. Here, in the spirit of all night art festivals, are 5 awesome artists.

Have a inspiring weekend!

1. Carly Waito

(that’s a painting!)

2. Olafur Eliasson

3. Raphael Lorzano-Hemmer

4. David Hoffos

5. Taryn Simon

(I saw this exhibit at the Tate Modern in London, it was AMAZING. It’s totally haunting and some of the stories of the people in the pictures are incredible (not in a happy way mostly). I would really recommend it!)

Scrumptious

A couple of weeks ago, I went with my boss to an art opening at a well known Toronto gallery I can’t remember the name of (the Nicholas Metivier Gallery, I looked it up).  It was there that I was first introduced to the work of Stephen Appleby-Barr, who two weeks later was featured in an article in the style section of The Globe and Mail. That article may or may not now be on my fridge…

All of his paintings are visual depictions of myths or legends that surround the fictional fraternity that he and his fellow artists created while in university. I think that is pretty damn cool.

Find more of his work here.  Enjoy your Friday!

Samantha Hahn

Love. This. Art.

Hate. All.  Essays

Heart of Glass

As a wee-lass, my extensive Barbie collection was always in serious competition with my equally extensive paper doll collection. These would have been a welcome addition:

Debby Harry paper dolls? Yes please.

I also very much enjoy the Lady Gaga set:

and Kate Moss:

Not that I would have (or should have) known (or cared) who these lovely ladies were at age 10.

Made by I Love Mel. Happy Monday!

Majesty

Blog fail. I’m a bad blogger, and I don’t even have an awesome excuse like being busy and fabulous at New York’s Fashion Week, I’m just a bad blogger. Maybe when they took out my pesky appendix, they also took out my drive to blog… or I’ve just gotten a little lazy.
The bake sale went pretty well! We made a whopping 40 dollars, which is better than nothing and pretty good since everything was priced under a dollar.
Last week I was taken to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) for the first  time by my boss, who was kind enough to share his vast knowledge of art history. While there, I was introduced to painter/print-maker David Blackwood. His website describes him as “one of Canada’s most respected visual storytellers”  as he represents the “legend, toughness and landscape” of  Newfoundland and the sea.

 

A lot of his work includes big beautiful drawings/etchings of whales.

If I didn’t love whales before, my Marine Mammal Biology class has certainly made me love them more. They are really incredible animals, just like these are really incredible prints.

Have a happy weekend! Do you have wonderful Valentines Day plans? I’m all about the low key valentines at home: home-made dinner, movie, yummy desert.

I promise to try and blog better next week.