I bought this tiny vase (only a few inches tall) at a shop near me, and just love it. Ceramicist Michelle Valigura’s work reminds me of Alexander Girard and a little of Mary Blair.

Perhaps you’ve already heard about Pacific Standard Time, especially if you’re a Southern California resident.  If not, check out their site and start planning what events and exhibitions you want to go to!

“Pacific Standard Time is an unprecedented collaboration of cultural institutions across Southern California coming together to celebrate the birth of the L.A. art scene. Beginning October 2011, over 60 cultural institutions will make their contributions to this region-wide initiative encompassing every major L.A. art movement from 1945 to 1980.”

I’m super excited about these upcoming shows and events in and around LA. I suppose I should also mention that my jewelry line is going to be featured in the Orange County Museum of Art’s shop in conjunction with their Two Schools of Cool exhibit and State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970, which is their contribution to Pacific Standard Time. I’m currently working on a batch of one-of-a-kind pieces for them, mainly with vintage materials.

Just discovered McDonald’s work and was really excited about it.  He is on staff at The San Francisco Art Institute, which makes me seriously want to take a class there! I am especially fond of the Wearing exhibit that was at the Rena Bransten gallery, perhaps because it appeals to the side of me that relates most things to adornment, something I am passionate about- these pieces definitely speak to that. The title of the exhibit is no coincidence. I genuinely find all of his archived work quite beautiful and well-crafted.

(via here)

Romano Gabriel was folk artist in Eureka, CA who once said Eureka was “a bad place for flowers” and crafted a fantastical wooden garden out of fruit and vegetable crates over the span of thirty years.   I only just found out about him, and look forward to seeing the garden some day. His devotion to the creation of this garden (that is now recognized as a substantial, inspiring folk art project) reminds me a bit of Salvation Mountain.

(photos via here + quote via here)

Some really cool ceramic jewelry by Goldenink.  It’s weird, I’m not usually a huge fan of ceramic jewelry, but a few lines like this one and now this one (both out of Australia, coincidence?) have started to change my mind.

(via here)

Do you remember when I posted this concept art by Tham & Videg?rd for the Tree Hotel in Sweden?  Well it’s now a reality, open for business.  So beautiful!  I would love to stay here for about a week, starting right about… now.  If only it didn’t cost $550+ a night.  Check out the hotel’s site here (this one is called the Mirrorcube).  It reminds me a lot of sculpture by Francisco Infante-Arana and Nonna Gorrunova, don’t you agree?

(via here)

These sculptures consist of flowers which Aracil has pressed into fragile sculptures- combining two of my favourite things: design + plants.  So beautiful and fragile… not to mention temporary,  which only adds to their beauty.

(via here)

This salesman sample is up for auction here.  The model in a suitcase is just so sexy.

(via here)

I love this installation Haygarth made for the Victoria & Albert Museum as part of the London Design Festival.   The installation was made in collaboration with framer John Jones using picture-frame offcuts.

(via here)