amanda briggs at dear ada

wendy walgate.

Color is such a powerful thing. I think the work of wendy walgate expresses that very well, using color to unify the disparete ceramic objects she's grouping together. Lot's of different objects, colored narrowly within one spectrum create a collective, impactful presence. And there's something luxurious about these pieces, but I don't exactly know why. Strange, intriguing and rather glamourous. Not a bad combination I'd say!

abigail ryan.

Oh my, am I ever grooving on these serene, quiet paintings by abigail ryan! I love the compositions and the soft, undulating planes of color. A couple of these beauties framed, side by side, how happy I would be!

karen gilbert.

This brooch detail and necklace by karen gilbert, makes me happy. The use of surprising materials as well as common materials in surprising ways, keeps me wanting to see more. Straw, glass, metal wire, cast cement, semi-precious stones are woven, knotted, tangled and strung together. For me, each piece pushes the idea of jewelry into new places, ones that are both appealing and fresh.

jeanine coupe ryding.

This lovely woodcut print by jeanine coupe ryding reminds me a bit of fabrics I've seen from Africa. Pattern on pattern, layered on top of each other but also interacting, like a graphic, dimensional weaving. I love the organic, seed like motifs that dominate the composition, giving the background rythym a punctuated reference point. Very nice, indeed.

henry wolyniec.

I'm really loving the pattern and color of this collage by henry wolyniec. These are colors I could see a room in, bold and modern, as well as warm and inviting. And I just love the geometric layout and use of ordered dots throughout, a formal composition, made more human through the relaxed rendering of the motifs. It's just lovely.

alessandra exposito.

One day I'm going to own chickens. It doesn't make sense for us now, but for some reason, I can't get the idea of having chickens out of my head. I bought another book about them the other day, and yes, it's a lot of work, but I'm not detered. One day. Just you wait.

In the meantime, I need to satisfy my chicken love in other ways than owning them. Thank goodness for art about chickens like this sweet piece from alessandra exposito. I love her drawings, the line work and composition. And I love the obvious love she has for these beautiful birds.

feffakookan.

Have you seen these stunning ceramic dishes from feffakookan? Where do I start? The wonderful crafting, the comforting shapes, the delicious glaze and oh, the colors. Greys and creams, neutral, warm and inviting. It doesn't take much to imagine the impact of a table dressed with these beauties. Mmm.

barbara uderzo.

Hello perfectly crafted silver chain necklace from barbara uderzo. Please come home and live with me!

randy van dyck.

The acrylic paintings of clouds and birds by randy van dyck make me quite happy. The monochromatic studies of sky and clouds are lovely in their own right, but I especially like them as backdrops to the bright, colorful birds dropped squarely in the center of the work. No attempt is made to make these two elements connect beyond the fact that birds are seen in the sky. In the sky, but flying, not still, as if they're on a perch. I like the incongruity here. It makes me like these paintings very much.

andrew millner.

I'm totally grooving on these editioned inkjet prints by andrew millner. Two colors, terrific line work, very modern and bold. I can imagine a whole series of these, framed in black, running down the hallway. Most lovely, indeed!