I’ve expanded the visibility of the store and added a few items to Etsy. I’ll be adding more in the coming days. For those of you who have never heard of it, Etsy is an online marketplace for artists, crafters, jewelrysmiths and the like. Boasting over 1,000,000 members, Etsy is a wonderful way to reach targeted or niche audiences with your own creations.

I had a brilliant professor in college who encouraged us to draw and paint anything and everything around us. “Art is nothing more than the ability to see”, he would say. So here I am years later, picking up my brushes again and painting anything and everything trying to find my voice. I doubt I will post all of my “exercises”, but I wanted to post this one if for no other reason than to acknowledge that painting is alchemy. There is something utterly wondrous about seeing an image come together on a canvas, much like seeing a photograph fade up in a tray of developer. Jackson Pollock said the painting has a life of its own. It’s true. Even if you know (or think you know) how you want it to turn out, more often than not the process will throw you a curve just to keep you humble and inspired…

If you are a Discovery Channel geek like me, you’re sure to get a kick out of their new promo…boomdeyada!

Though I only own one of his pieces, I am a huge fan of illustrator Jordan Crane. Not just for his style, which is fantastic, but also for his love of process. I have met him several times at art fairs and each time he has been generous enough to take the time to chat. One of his newest pieces is the gorgeous packaging for Michael Chabon’s new book, “Maps and Legends.” Until seeing this, I was unaware of the publisher’s reputation for such excellent design in their catalog of titles. I must say that after seeing this title, the reputation is well deserved. The black cloth cover features a debossed title and is wrapped with three “belly bands” (also book bands or jacket bands), of original illustrations by Jordan Crane. The illustrations, beautifully colored, feature elements from fiction, comics and poetry…a seemingly perfect introduction for Chabon’s collection of essays. I’ve not yet read the book, but if it’s half as good as the cover it should be a wonderful read.

If you are not familiar with Jordan’s work, head over to his site and have a look at his wonderful books and prints. He’s also just released a new print (“Little Pink Pearl”) that is very cool, although my favorite piece is still “The Shade of Night Falls”…genius.

Buy the book HERE
Visit Jordan Crane’s site HERE

UPDATE (4-16-08)
Here’s a shot of my favorite piece by Jordan Crane mentioned above, “The Shade of Night Falls”: