Stephanie Jennifer: Update

  The sky is dark and gloomy. The air is horribly still- a sign that it's going to rain. I love rainy days, but only if I'm indoors. If you've ever noticed, rain sounds very beautiful. And rainy days are the perfect days to sleep in, which is great considering that I'm currently down with a flu. I'm having a headache, I've just taken some medicine and I've been rather unmotivated to do anything today...

  I have, however, been busy these few days with meeting business prospects with my parents to sell my dad's art, learning Chinese Art, and doing more drawings in coloured pencils.

  Here's a recently completed drawing titled "Dreamlight, Moonlight". I asked a friend what I should title it and he jokingly (or perhaps not so jokingly) replied, "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner". I agree that it's a poetic suggestion, but it's a rather long name for a drawing... I'm sticking with "Dreamlight, Moonlight".

  Also, here's a few pictures of what I produced after two lessons of Chinese Art;

  I seem to be on the theme of flowers at the moment. Never noticed that before. ^_^

  My brain is fuzzy and I can't think of anything really poetic to say at the moment, so I might edit this post once I feel better. For now, I'll get some sleep and try to get better soon. As always, I'd love to hear what you think about my above art pieces in the comment section below. :)

P.S. I've just updated my 101 Websites For Artists post. It's a great resource and you should totally check it out if you haven't done so already.

Recommended Artist: Iain McArthur

  Look at the amount of details that the above peacock has... I love the rhythm and tonality within the piece. I also love the way Iain McArthur put a frame around the peacock. The way he interprets the beautiful peacock is also very interesting as most artists would take advantage of the beautiful colours on the animal.

  Did you know; peacocks are said to represent immortality, royalty, and ressurection.

  View more of his work here.

Recommended Artist: Marta Klonowska

  Using carefully broken shards of colored glass, Polish artist Marta Klonowska assembles translucent animals in life-like proportion and size. Almost all of her sculptures are based on animals found in baroque and romantic paintings by such artists as Peter Paul Rubens or Francisco de Goya.

  First off, imagine the amount of patience and injury the artist has to have to accomplish all that...

  I love the colours she uses and even though I'm usually not a fan of sculptures, I must admit that Marta Klonowska's work is brilliant.

Painting of the Day: "Deafening Silence"

"Deafening Silence" by Vero Navarro

  It's when you're not sure of what choices to make and your thoughts run so quickly in your head that the noise created is deafening. When you feel overwhelmed by life. Where you just want to shut it all out...  Deafening silence.

  I love the white outline on the girl and the glow of the street lamps. The composition is extremely interesting as well– how the moon leads your eyes to the girl and then round the street lamps and back to the moon again. The complementary colours of browns and muted reds are very soft and fit perfectly with the theme. (I also have a soft spot for coloured pencil works.)

  See more of her works right here.

Painting of the Day: "Olivia"

"Olivia" by Alex Russell Flint

  It was her expression that captured my attention. Her body language– the cigarette in her right hand, her other hand in her pocket, that whole look of aloofness mixed with contemplativeness in her eyes. Her untucked shirt with the first few buttons left unbuttoned mirroring her relaxed posture. The beautiful emerald green of the background contrasting against the red of her lips, the flush of her cheek and ear, and the darker coloured strap.

  The composition is very interesting as well. I recall reading a composition rule book telling against cutting humans off at their joints. The hand of the model and her feet are just out of the frame, and yet the painting still works perfectly. It's a brilliant painting– harmonious, innovative, and beautifully composed all in one.

  To see more of his works, click here.

Painting of the Day: "Panacea"

"Panacea" by Kelly McKeran

  "Panacea"; the cure all to a disease.

  This somehow reminded me of Gustav Klimt's "Goldfish". However, after staring at it for a long enough time, I figured it was just because of the fishes and the red hues used that had me make that connection between the two works.

  Kelly McKaren does have an Art Nouveau style, though. I love the simple grey-blueish background with the beautiful salt effects on it. Her sensual expression is complemented with the pure red washes, and there is just enough details in the piece to keep you engaged.

  See more of her works via this link.

Painting of the Day: Dimensional Analogs- Circle

From "Dimensional Analogs"- Circle by Ryan Uhrich

  I have this weird obsession with spherical objects. I guess it's the fluidity of the shape that I like. I feel everything should be in continuum, so perhaps it's my subconscious linking the shape with that idea. The stark simplicity of the design above. The white against the white. The curves of the circle against the straight lines. How it almost seems like an eclipse. It reminds me of the vastness of our galaxy, and that leads to thoughts about how Science has evolved over the years to the extend that we would be sending humans to Mars very soon.

  There's something about simplicity that draws me in. How the area of a circle will always be "pi r squared", and yet having the shape be able to encompass so many things in this world. Sometimes you just need to eliminate all the details and see an object in its most basic form to be able to appreciate it.

  To see more of the series, click here.

Painting of the Day: "III P R I N T E M P S"

"III P R I N T E M P S" by Simon Prades

   Every medium has a different appeal. For ink, it's this magical quality whereby every flick of your wrist counts. Where every stroke cannot be altered. Perhaps in my head, I associate ink to old story book illustrations, maybe that's why I like the medium so much.

  Simon Prades' illustration has that sort of story book illustration feel to it. A certain nostalgic quality that draws me into it. One might think of the story of "Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf". I'm more inclined to associate it with the story of the "Two Wolves". Whichever way you decide to look at it, you cannot deny that it is splendidly rendered.

  To view more of his works, click this.