Alphadeath.

Philip Tseng is the mastermind behind this morbidly awesome homage to the fruits & veggies we love to consume. It is called Alphadeath, and to me - it is not only illustrated beautifully and colored perfectly, it is hilarious. (cred goes to my husband Andy for finding this. Thanks babe!)

Dude, That's Swede.

Along with my heart throb crush on the Japanese, I also have a serious love for the Swedes. Camilla Engman, Swedish artist and dog lover, makes really nice things. Her illustrations and paintings have been used by the likes of Converse and The New York Times, but she also continues to do amazing little limited edition things like her book about her dog Morran and hand printed & embroidered tea towels. Her style is sweet and innocent. But at a closer look, her characters tend to have a depth, a drop of melancholy that adds to the emotive draw of her work. Honestly, I just like her. She's good.

Creativity by Clementine.

Could art supplies be any more chic? And they're totally natural and healthy for the kids. And they're made by a really great lady named Diana in Boulder CO. Diana is an art teacher and runs Clementine Studio (an art space for kids). Passionate about art and about kids creating art, she made this full line of  "simple, wholesome, clean art supplies with all the ingredients they need, and none they don't" with her own two creatively inspired hands. Goodbye Crayola. Thanks for the memories.

Suzy U is at it again.

Meet Miss Tulip and Mr. Sherwood... a couple of the "trouble-makin' neighbors in the wonderful land of Suzy Ultman's Suzyville." These lovely little felties are on display this month in Rivet Gallery's Stuff This show in Columbus. To see more of Suzy's cuties, check her out here and here.

Whoa Sister.

If talent had a name, it would be Corita. Sister Corita Kent's (Los Angeles nun in the 60s, printmaker, teacher, bleeding heart revolutionary) work has seen quite a resurgence in recent years. Her color palettes and type play have served as a boatload of inspiration for me, so I thought to pay her homage in our son's room with a couple of her prints. Much of her work is so playful, bright and just plain rad to look at. Above are some of my faves.

Layers of French Goodness.

When I was a little lass, my best friend's mom used to have us sit and do collages ... most likely to keep us out of trouble (eating dirt, feeding gum to the beagle, learning dirty jokes from the 13 year olds we idolized next door, whathaveyou), and I really loved it. When I came across French artist Guylaine Couture's amazing collage work, I was reminded of that time. It's simple and messy and random and perfect all at once. Go gather some different papers and materials and repurpose them for your own little family collage party. Adventure is born.

The Sun Always Shines.

This morning in the coffee shop, I was in line with Zeph waiting for my decaf Americano. A man was standing next to us... new grandfather, wearing a yellow sweater. He was smiling at Z, who was staring at him for several minutes without blinking. The man said, "I think babies like yellow ... you know, the first thing they draw when they get their hands on crayons is the sun?" Being a heliotrope myself, I thought that was just about the sweetest thing I'd heard all week. Here's to a bright, brilliant, beautiful Thursday.

Elemental Art Show.

Five Artists: Aaron Piland, Ayumi Piland, Betsy Walton, Yellena James and Jill Bliss = 53 whimsical, playful, naturiffic pieces that look like they were art directed by the unrivaled fascination and imagination of a 5 year old. Beautiful.

Nautical. Fantastical. Radical.

Don't you love seeing the words "everything is OK"? I do. Especially when they're waving proudly from the mast of an oldtimey ship. Lisa Congdon 2.0. 

Shiny Happy.

London-based illustrator & printmaker Debbie Powell makes everything feel like a party.