Petsalad: The art of coin cutting

Time flies.... For weeks I have wanted to share with you all my latest discoveries in the wonderful world of art, but work has kept me up lately as we all prepare ourselves for the Christmas period. I still just have a little time but I had to share with you this shop named: Petsalad.
I must admit it was, at first, not the work which caught my eye, but a small description of the shop showing at the top of the page. It said: "What Rob does when he's not playing banjo". Well, you can understand this made me very curious.

When I took a better look at Rob's shop I realized that the pendants I saw were actually coins. It was the first time in my life I came in contact with the art of cutting coins and I was absolutley blown away by the detail and beauty of these little pieces of art.
Though all these coins are beauties, the coin featuring St. George is the most stunning of all. It is hard to belief that these pendants are made with nothing more then a jewelers saw. No electricity or whatsoever is used during the process.

So, now you know what Rob does when he is not playing banjo....

Madame Aradia

Madame Aradia is a wonderful artist I discovered only recently. Her work depicts the most dark, haunted and fabulous scenes. Some of her works are illustrated folktales, others are inspired by the world of fairies and fairytales and then there are those which come from her own imaginination. But all of them are simply beautiful and make us long to hear the story behind it. Luckily, Madame Aradia tells us about the tales behind her work at her DeviantArt page, so we can not only enjoy her works of art but also read about the characters depicted in her work.

(story can be found here)

(story can be found here)

Besides making art Madame Aradia spends her time as a garden-witch. At her website you can find articles on magic, folklore and symbolism connected with plants and flowers accompanied by photographs of her own garden.

It is a true pleasure reading her articles and watching her art works. I am certain most of you will love it!

The enchanted art of Susan Schroder

Have you always dreamed about being a fairy for a day? Well, it is not as impossible at it seems. Susan Schroder, a wonderful photographer and artist, can actually make your dream come true!

I greatly admire her work for quite some time now. Her eye for detail, her talent to create the most enchanting scenes and her endless imagination catches you in a moment visiting her gallery.
The images she creates are made with the utmost care and she has a great knowledge of the materials she works with. I think especially the later deserves much attention as Susan Schroder does all the photography herself. Backgrounds, models and even animals showing on the pictures are her own work. All fantasy elements are digitally painted and the most stunning of all; even most of the costumes are designed and made by her!

I don't think it is possible to put more love in your work then Susan Schroder does.

Saints in Art

Last week I went to France and while I was staying at the abbey of Sainte Odile I encountered many beautiful artworks; murals, sculptures and stained glass windows, depicting the lives of saints.These icons intrigued me so much I decided to do a feature on this subject once I arrived home.
We all know the traditional, Medieval & Byzantine style in which these religious works of art are made but how much do we know about religious art made by artists today?

It was quite a task, as I did not know any artists who 'specialize' in these matters, but eventually I managed to find a couple of artists who gave their interpretation.
So, here is a selection of all these great artworks I came across during my research.

(top) Left to (bottom) right;
Unexpected joy? , By Allie Hartley
Bittersweet, By Izabella Pierce
Carmelite nun, By Lord Theophilus Shadowblade
St. Charalambos, By Theodoros Patrinos
Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, By Benoît Billion

Kundry's Inner World

From all the 'worlds' I have visited, Kundry's Inner World must be one of the warmest and enchanted places I have ever been.
Fairies, mythical beasts, witches and sea gods are just a few of the things you can find when you are taking a trip through the marvellous landscapes of Kundry's Inner World.

Besides scenes which have been derived from the artists own imagination you can also find a large selection of illustrated fairy tales and myths, such as the stories of Odin, Baba Yaga and the Sandman which is shown below.

I don't know if it is because of the characters which are depicted, the bright colors used, the romantic scenes or if it is just her style which I so much adore, but these works are truly magical. I couldn't help dreaming away while looking at her work, stories simply arose in my mind and constantly I felt myself surrounded by a calm and warm feeling which didn't leave until I left Kundry's Inner World.

It is a world you must visit, though keep in mind it is hard to leave......

Faun Fables - Songtelling

Who can not fall in love with the beautiful songs of Faun Fables....
Faun Fables, created by Dawn McCarthy, is the most wonderful combination ever made between theater, music and storytelling.

It is hard to discribe the songs as the experience is one which has to be experienced. Thus I advice you to visit the website of Faun Fables and hear for yourself.

Fairy Houses.

Today I would like to share with you the work of Debbie Schramer. She creates the most beautiful fairy houses you have ever seen.
I'll bet fairies would love to inhabit these wonderful creations and I am quite sure that many of you would like to live inside these houses yourself.

These houses are literally dream houses, 'otherworldly' is probably the best way to describe them. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to see them for real, as most details are not visible in these photographs.

Besides these fairy houses Debbie Schramer also makes poetic photo collages, short films and paintings. All very much worth a look.

Sparky, the seriously paranoid robot.

A couple of weeks ago I came across this adorable little shop I found through Etsy, called; Reclaim2Fame. My visit turned into a great adventure when I got introduced to all these wonderful creatures which inhabit the shop.

Big Hug Harry, Alien Queen and Woof the almost mechanical steampunk trusty terrier robot are just a couple of the curious figures which you can find at Reclaim2Fame.

But my personal favorite is Sparky, just look at that little fellow....

All of the creations are made of at least 80% recycled materials and some of the pieces are composed of more than 80% reused material.
Reclaim2Fame gives you an altogheter new view on 'garbage' and what it can become.
It leaves you wondering what bits of it have been and in wonderment of what is created from it. Luckily the creator of Sparky and his friends eases your curiosity by giving you a good discription of the creatures previous life.
More then worth a visit!

The art of Kelly Louise Judd

Dear readers, today I would like to share with you the work of Kelly Louise Judd. An artist who stole my heart from the start and I am quite sure most of you will love her work as well.

This artist has a very recognizable style, which makes it hard to forget her work. In general it is a bit on the dark side.Paintings and drawings depicting surreal and haunted scenes which remind you of old, Victorian times. But the thing which really makes her work so interesting is the way she uses 'symbols' : owls, rabbits, crows, shadows and night views. Animals and scenes which have deeply rooted in our subconsciousness which call up feelings of the unknown and dark. Things which generally fright us but attract us as well. And, that the 'dark side' can also be very attractive is proven by the work of Kelly Louise Judd.

She makes the most beautiful dolls as well, which look as if they came walking out of one of her paintings. They are just as surreal, characters which are a bit excentric and leave you wondering about the story of their lives. And if this all is not enough for you, she also makes splendid jewelry.

I know I always praise the artists I write about in my column as I love all their creations and I love art. But this time I don't just like someone's work, or admire someone's work, I am litteraly deeply in love with her work.
I seem to fall in love with everything she lays her hands on. Her melancholy dolls, her surreal paintings and her jewellery which would make any person who wears it a walking, talking work of art, I love it all.

You might be wondering if this artist really is as special as Isabella claims her to be? Yes, she is and, yes she is even better then that.

But if you have any doubts please go visit her site and see for yourself....

Tree Spirits

Last week I came a cross the work of Craig Harris; a wood carver from Cornwall, England.
Seeing his work simply made me happy. There is something playfull about his creations and it really shows they are made with a lot of love. All of it is so beautifully detailed and in balance with the used material; wood. It's almost like those faces have always been there.

I was touched when I read his biography in which he told, very openly, about his life and how he started to make these wood-carvings.
It was a memory from his childhood that drove him into the woods and as he said; "It wasn't long before my foot kicked against a long stick which I absently picked up and used as a walking stick for the rest of the journey. When I arrived home I looked at the stick and felt the urge to carve something on it. Having no idea how to carve I set about looking for a local carving course which I signed up for straight away."

Life can have it's own peculiar ways to show us what we are made for...
And for those who can't wait to make their own 'Tree Spirit', Craig Harris's book; 'How to carve a Tree Spirit' will soon be available at his shop.

Sirens and Haunting eyes...

As some of you might have noticed I have been absent for a little while because of a little trip I made to the Belgian woods. It has been a wonderful time but I am also happy with my return and can't wait to share all the artists I have spotted since.

It must have been two weeks ago when I came a cross the website of Nadia Turner, a very talented artist/illustrator from Australia. I remember when I saw her work I found it very 'catchy', as her style is so uniquely her own and it kinda stays with you once you have seen it.
I'm not sure why the images of her work leave such an impression. Of course her work is wonderfully made, but so are many other works .
The reason why the impression stays probably is the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the characters she depicts. All of them are women, who reminded me a lot of Indian gypsies filling their time with magic and music. The eyes of these woman have the most haunting expression which leave you a bit confused. And then there are also these sirene-like creatures constantly returning in most of her works.

I must say that it has been a long time ago that an artist left me so touched.....

Paper-Cut Art

Dear readers, I hope you all had a very nice Christmas and 2009 will be a wonderful year! These days have been very busy but I just had to share the works of this very talented artist; Elsa Mora with you all.
She does not really qualify as an 'emerging artist', as she is already very succesful, nevertheless she might not be known to most of you.

A little while ago I came a cross the shop she runs at etsy where I found the most beautiful paper sculptures as shown below:

Elsa Mora's paper-cut works are so incredible attractive because she has managed somehow to give a traditional art form a modern twist in a very respectful way. Most modern paper-cut art I find, and of course this is a matter of taste, too modern. Some of them do not even show any connection with the old art form, but Elsa Mora is an exception to this rule.
Looking at her work you will find yourself in a modern fairytale kind of world, surrounded by characters which all tell you their own tale.

I really would like to recommend you all to visit her gallery as you will not only find more of her paper cut works but also paintings, dolls, photographs and so on. Name it and she has done it! This multi talented artist really makes you very enthusiastic and an instant addict, as I am sure once you have visited her site you will return for more.

Avocado Art

Today I will feature the work of Marcus; a very talented sculpturist from Germany who runns a little gallery and shop named Avocado-Art. Here he shows and sells incredible, little sculptures made from avocado pits.

When I first saw his work I was completly flabbergasted, mainly because I didn't know that you could make such beautiful things of these pits. Just imagine the size of an avocado pit and then look at his work.

Marcus must be a very patient artist, as I can imagine how much time it costs to bring such detail in such small object.
All of his sculptures depict mythical scenes. Though most of his work is based on Celtic lore, you can also find lovely sculptures such as The Arabian nights and the Egyptian, Isis and Osiris. And I have heard that he is currently studying the Arabic language and is teaching himself how to carve in Arab as well. Thus his current range of subjects is very broad and a lot of fantastic creations are to be expected in the future.

Fairy tale Art by Stephanie Holmes

It is hard to choose another artist every time, when there are so many wonderful artists out there. I can watch for hours at my lists with names and change my mind a hundred times before actually picking one of them.

After going through this little 'ritual' I finally made up my mind and decided I would like to show you the work of a very young and talented artist named Stephanie Holmes. I think most of you would adore her work, as her style is very similar to those wonderful, old fairy tale book illustrations. Yet, her work is a bit more modern, the colours she uses are brighter, and there is a very loose and dreamy feel to it.

In the picture shown below the artist has given her version of the tale 'Golden Bird' by the brothers Grimm. For those who are not familiar with this fairy tale you can read the complete story here.

I always enjoy to look at how artists translate fairy tales and myths into artwork. Though I must say that I am always surprised to see how the fairy tales of Grimm are most of the time painted and drawn so lightly, happy and carefree, while these stories have a very dark undertone and can even be sinister at times. Also Germany itself, with its dark almost haunted woods and its rough landscape, is hard to compare with these sweet interpretations given to us by these artists.

That being said, I do love these kind of works. And Stephanie Holmes has managed to create a world in which most of us would gladly wander around, something we can not say about most of the original stories collected by the brothers Grimm.

Art is a wonderful way to pass on these stories and I hope there will always be artists like Stephanie Holmes to keep re-telling them and to amuse us with their wonderful art, giving us a glimpse of long forgotten times.

You can find more of her works here and here.

Beautiful Art Dolls by Alba Garcia

Today I would like to share with you the work of a very talented doll-maker named, Alba Garcia.
I absolutely adore dolls and puppets and thus keep a close eye at doll artists all over the world. So, I am a bit a shamed to admit that I have only recently discovered the work of Alba Garcia.
When I first stumbled upon her work I was completely overwhelmed by all those little details captured in the faces of these dolls. The expression in their eyes and the attitude of the bodies are so lively and elegant.

Below you can see a picture of one of her dolls, a troll-like creature. To give you a good idea on how detailed these dolls are I have also added a close-up of it's face, so you can see for yourself
how stunning these dolls really are.


I think you would very much enjoy visiting her gallery, as her dolls are a real treat for people who love mythical and fairy-like creatures.

You can visit her website here.

Basia Konczarek

Today I will feature the work of a 25 year old Polish artist named Basia Konczarek. I am secretly admirering her work from a distance for quite some time now. So I thought it would be nice to introduce you all to her wonderful art. It must have been a couple of months ago when I first saw her work on Deviant Art, an online community for artists of all kind. I was immediately caught by the deep and intense colors and by the mystery which seemed to surround all of her work.

Below you can see one of her works, one of my own favorites, called; Amanita Muscaria.

Looking at her gallery you will get the feeling you are entering another world where fairy tales are no longer a story but become reality to the viewer. I'm quite sure that many of you will fall in love with her work. Most of her works are richly detailed, depicting enchanting scenes which really suggest a story to the mind.

And if you lose your heart, like I did, it might be nice knowing that she also takes commissions. Hopefully someday I will be the proud owner of one of her works as well....

You can pay a visit at her gallery here

Winona Cookie, Steampunk at its Best

A little while ago I came across this wonderful artwork called, 'Lady Godiva'. If the artwork itself would not have drawn my attention the title would have for sure. For those who don't know the story of Lady Godiva here's a small introduction.

"Lady Godiva was a noblewoman, married to Leofric Earl of Mercia. According to the legend she rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the taxations imposed by her husband on his tenants. Lady Godiva had asked her husband several times to have mercy on them, but without success. Tired of his wife's beggings, eventually he said to her that if she would ride naked through the streets he would grant her wishes. Of course he did not expect her to do just that, as she was a noblewoman, but he was wrong.....and so he reduced the taxation." source: Wikipedia


The lady Godiva was riding on a horse, which we know from the old paintings -- which is nothing like this steampunk lady made by Ramona Szczerba, also known as Winona Cookie, a very talented Californian artist and illustrator.

Her mixed media artworks are strongly influenced by the Victorian era. Combined with some industrial elements and a style that reminds you somewhat of old advertisements, she is one of the best steampunk artists I know.

Now, I have seen many versions of this legend but I have never seen anything like this, which is exactly why this artwork drew my attention. It is a true delight to see how old legends survive in new artforms, especially when they are so wonderfully made as the work of Winona Cookie. Her work is definitely worth taking a look and I think you will find it very intriguing to see how every artwork tells it's own fantastical story and keep you wondering for many hours.

You can view her illustrations as well as some mixed media artwork at her own website or visit her at Etsy, where you can find most of her mixed media artwork.

Also if you are not familiar with Steampunk and would like to know more about it please visit Wikipedia here.