More Affordable Art For Sale

I know in this economy "affordable" is a relative term, but purchasing art can be a very rewarding experience. Yesterday I listened to Denver's own "Untitled Art Show" and heard Dana Cain talk about what a joy art collecting has been for her. She says, "When I buy a piece, that piece gives a voice to a part of me - some part of my personality...and when I look at it I connect with that part of myself."

Here are a few works I've run across lately that may connect with some part of your personality:

originally uploaded by coolhandluke.

Luke Byrne, "Dream Days", 34cm x 50cm, C-print on Kodak Endura Professional paper.
Limited edition of 10.
Comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
$AUD 150.00

originally uploaded by coolhandluke.

Luke Byrne, "The View", 34cm x 50cm, C-print on Kodak Endura Professional paper.
Limited edition of 10.
Comes with certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
$AUD 150.00

Paul Adams, "First Light, First Day, Bonneville Raceway, Utah"
8.5"x11" Archival Pigment Print
Limited Edition of 275
$75.00

Mike Sinclair, "Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri"
8"x10", archival pigment print
Edition of 200 each $20.00

A few shopping ideas

Jeremy Melton, "Double Mantels", gouache on paper, 14 x 11", $250.00Gabriel Liston etching, "I couldn't bear to have you die", Plate: 3x5" - Paper: 8x11"
Edition of 50
$50 here.A lined recycled coffee bean bag by Denver's own Mission Wear - just eighteen bucks! They also have bags made of recycled banners/billboards and denim. Exceptional prices for handmade bags that support a good cause.

A beautiful photography book by Alexander Binder - available for only twenty bucks here.

Work available on Etsy

I'm clearing some storage room, so I put seven paintings on Etsy tonight for just fifty bucks each (including shipping to anywhere in the US). These were from my "Grisaille" show last February. They were made using spray painted stencils and a little acrylic paint. They're 12x12" and would look nice as a quiet accent in a modern interior. Hand made, signed and ready to hang. Visit my Etsy site here (or click on the above image).

edit: after posting them late last night - there are only six left this morning.

Pillows Art, Art Pillows

Smoke pillow cover on etsy by Carson Converse

Luc Tuymans (source).

Wilhelm Sasnal, Soil, 2009, Oil on canvas, 47 1/4 x 63 x 3/4 in - watch a video of his current exhibition at Hauser&Wirth here.

Three prints by Mon Petit Fantome

Three prints from original paper-cuts made by etsy member Mon Petit Fantome -he also has a blog :

My Little Magician

I have many secrets

I'll always be there

Another Scotland highlight

Of course I found Gillian Kyle's work at a street market in Glasgow on my last day in Scotland when I was cashless. I was happy to find that her work can be ordered online. She makes drawings of very Scottish things - Scottish foods, Scottish animals, etc. - which are then screen-printed on totes, t-shirts and tea towels. Great designs.

Glasgow breakfast tea towel

Highland Coo canvas tote

a Highland Coo I took a photo of in Glasgow on the grounds of the Burrell Collection

Two Furniture Picks

We were furiture shopping yesterday, so here are two great picks to start off your week - The first is from the Denver-based furiture design firm Housefish Suspended Bed. Made of CNC machined aluminum, stainless steel tension cables. The mattress platform is held completely rigid- it does not swing or sway. The suspended bed is available in a strictly limited edition of 5 pieces, each one uniquely finished and signed and numbered on a laser engraved placard.


The second pick is a desk that was designed and built by my friend Ryan Helsel - who has started a online blog for furniture sales caled let's rebuild. This desk utilizes salvaged wood from a downtown Durham building renovation. It is paired with an Eames inspired wooden chair and it has already sold, but keep an eye on his blog for more great finds like this...

Magpie

Johnny Sampson, "Magpie", 9"x9" 5 color (cmyk & white) on French Pop-Tone paper. Edition of 59 on "Banana Split", 55 on "Gumdrop Green". For "the Bird Show" at Signed and Numbered - $30 here.

Lunch on the Luncheon

Manet's most famous painting
Picnic blanket/tablecloth at Atypyk
100% cotton
Size : 150x200cm

Édouard Manet, Luncheon on the Grass, 1862–1863, Oil on canvas, 81.9 in × 104.5 in

Recent Derek Erdman Works

Derek Erdman "This Painting Is Wrong"
May 2009

Dimensions: 18"x24"
Catalog #2249
$100 (Shipping included!)
Medium: Latex & acrylic on wood.

"Jeff Barratt-McCartney
Is In The High Performance
Computing Industry"
November 2008

Dimensions: 14"x14"
Catalog #2064
$45 (shipping included)
Medium: Latex on wood

"Altair 8800"
Dimensions: 16"x24"
Catalog #2205
$125 (Shipping included!)
Medium: Acrylic on wood

Erdman has an impressive rate of production and he makes each piece very affordable. I could see one of these in a simple black frame in a interior made up of select pieces of mod furniture. I love how deadpan most of his work is and if you look around his site I'd recommend reading the descriptions as well - he has quite the sense of humor. For that matter, even the titles themselves are funny; "CATCH With Gorbachev's Big Head", "Young Michael Jackson With A Squirrel In His Hair", "Tragedy In Dessert City" - just to name a few.

Gift Guide 2008

Eveyone's putting out gift guides right now and I'm going to get in on that action by recommending a few things:



A ambient dvd to play when you have company over and would like to add a little ambiance to the room using the tv. Colorcalm has a couple of options that can be customized to match the mood or colors in the room.


Make a custom plate with your own photos. I made one last year from the above photo and it came out really well - but order one soon if you're trying to get it in time for Christmas.

A hand-packaged Mint Julip cd - with bonus Helios cd.

Order a print of a historical photograph from the Denver Library's extensive collection. Get one of your neighborhood, or one of one of your favorite landmarks in Colorado. They have maps, drawings, paintings, and aerial photos too - all of which could be printed to suit on one of several choices of paper/finish.

Dan McCarthy, new sweater - 3 color screenprint 25"x19" $40

I recommended a lot of music the other day too. Other options for holiday shopping are to shop locally (check out Fancy Tiger, Plastic Chapel, The Shoppe, Talulah Jones, Twist and Shout, Tattered Cover and others) or you could make something - take a look at Readymade and Instructables for great ideas.

Participate by NOT Participating

Tomorrow is "Buy Nothing Day" and this will be my second year to "participate by not participating". I remember in years past on Thanksgiving day we would get a turkey-coma and sit on the couch flipping through Black Friday ads while our cousins dozed off - but what I can't remember is what we bought on Black Friday. The campaign to buy nothing is loaded slogans ("Shop Less, Live More") and demonstrations, but at it's core it's a very simple gesture. Go visit a park, take a hike in the mountains, or create gifts at home to give to people this holiday season. Do you need more? Let's celebrate what we already have.

Sculptural Vases

Its a rare overcast day here in Denver, and I'm thankful for the orchid in the window sill on days like this . I think getting flowers should be part of everyones grocery list , especially on a dreary day, so here are a few clever vase ideas to display your findings:Vasemaker by Ron Gilad - this is a great design that allows you to buy just one stem at the florist and elegantly display it with nearly anything that holds water - there is a hole in the bottom of the tile that goes through the small white vase so the stem of the flower goes into the larger container. As greener grass designs puts it " Place VaseMaker over any container and it makes an instant new vase. This ingenious design has the ability to take even the most mundane vessels and containers and turn them into works of beauty."
Waterproof Porcelain Vase, by Designer: Maxim Velčovský Factory by Designer: Maxim Velčovský - you've got to love the environmental commentary with this vase
Vitruvian sculpture vase on ebay - strange, but I'm imagining all of the different hair styles you could give these faces with leafy floral arrangements

Featured Artist at shopSCAD

I am the featured artist at shopSCAD in Atlanta for the month of May. The gallery has new work and it is all available online. Check it out. If you're in Atlanta, be sure to stop by shopSCAD.

New Dan McCarthy Print

Dan McCarthy, the day everything became nothing - 2 color screen print (glows in the dark) 26x19in the light

in the dark