Category: art

art design inspiration

Dr. Seuss Houses in Central Minnesota

By Mary Warner | by Mary Warner

Hubby and I had occasion recently to visit St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. On our drive in, we saw these fun, quirky, “windswept” house made of sticks: Upon seeing these, I was immediately reminded of illustrations by Dr. Seuss. They’re fabulous! And, apparently, they are not meant to last forever. In fact, they were supposed to be taken down next month, but will remain until next winter. [http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2015/02/25/st-johns-stickhouse-allowed-remain-minnesota/24016345/] This sculpture project was designed by…

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art

Unflattering Self Portraits

By Mary Warner | by Mary Warner

There is a long tradition of artists creating self portraits. It’s not because we’re all screaming narcissists, although I suppose some of us are. It’s because we can’t always find subjects to paint or draw or photograph. It was for this reason that my grandpa became a landscape painter. Jens Rasmussen was a naturally gregarious fellow who would talk to anyone. When he was younger, he’d periodically find someone to sit for him so he…

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art inspiration

The Van Gogh Chair

By Mary Warner | by Mary Warner

I’m not sure what it is about this chair, but it reminds me of a Van Gogh painting. Perhaps it’s the slight lean or corded seat or general tattiness, but it looks like something Van Gogh would put in a painting. (I can even imagine it in thick brushstrokes and vivid colors.) Hubby and I were taking pictures of inventory for our business this morning. We purchased a great lighting set that came with 3…

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art family

What to Do with Leftover Yarn

By Mary Warner | by Mary Warner

It started with an afghan. A zig-zag afghan in four colors of Bernat yarn. Of course, there was yarn left over. I could not let it go unused. It’s very soft yarn. In fun colors, especially that vibrant green. So, here’s what I did with the leftover vibrant green: But I still had yarn left in blue, gray, and light green. So, here’s how I used that: I knitted a birthday scarf for my son…

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art reading

YOCR #3 – The Artist’s Guide

By Mary Warner | by Mary Warner

In continuing my year of creative reading (note the abbreviation in the title), I dipped into Jackie Battenfield’s “The Artist’s Guide.” While I did not read it cover-to-cover, I read several big chunks of it. This is a fabulous reference book for anyone serious about creating their own arts career. It’s the book I wish I’d had in college in the 1980s. Art majors concentrated on their art during my college days; they did not…

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