Naturearte: Intricate Leaf Cut Designs

While gathering inspiration for my 2012 calendar I came across an amazing artist I want to share with you. These intricate leaf cuts take a huge amount of patience and delicate handy work. I am so impressed with the amount of detail he can get in each leaf.

"All the work of cutting, drying and framing has been self-taught. I have cut many leaves and the vast majority of them have ended up in the trash, but I am slowly perfecting a method that will not break the leaves."

Check out his website, Naturayarte, for more inspiring leaf cuts.

Screen Printed Wood Panels

I have always loved the beauty of birtch and I've been dreaming of screen printing on it for quite some time. I finally got a chance to experiment with printing my patterns and designs on birtch plywood and I really love the way they turned out. The grain of the wood adds so much to each print making it completely unique! Check them out in the shop. There are currently four in the set, but I hope to add more in the near future. My dream is to fill an entire wall full of these 8 x 8 wood squares with my patterns. Maybe one day.

There is a lot of love that goes into preping these wood panels. I sand them smooth and take of as many imperfections in the wood. This belt sander was a life saver. I debated on the most economical way to get these babies sanded and it ended up making since to buy the tool to get the job done properly.
I preped the production file so I could print two images at a time. That ended up saving me a bunch of screens, it just took a bit of coordination.

Flora Bowley: Portland Artist

I have fallen in love with Flora Bowley's paintings. They are very representation of nature and the movement and flow of life. I appreciate all the layering and textures and gorgeous colors put into every painting. I relate to what the artist says in her bio...

Ultimately I find purpose in the very act of observation, relating forms and colors to each other, and allowing new stories to unfold before me. My finished paintings are not meant to be conclusive, rather they are a celebration of the present moment, chaotic, subtle, beautiful, mystical and ever-changing.

I think a big part of being a good designer or artist is your ability to observe. To notice everything and find an appreciation in the subtleties of life.