From the Desk of...

Jesse Lu at home

You have to check out this blog, from the desk of... It photo documents the work-spaces of creative professionals accompanied by great interviews. I don't know if I'm just a weird work-space voyeur or what, but there is something so alluring about seeing where the magic happens for other artists and designers.

Above is a shot of my own work-space (you can see my studio space in these posts) and below are some of my favorites from this fantastic blog... 

Aaron Meshon

Timothy Hull

Lisa Congdon

Olimpia Zagnoli

Sarah Hughes

I dare you all to snap  photos of your work-spaces and share them on your blog.s If you do, link back to this post so we can all see. ;)

(images via From The Desk Of... blog)

Off Subject: Jeff Eisenberg

I love these geo-surreaslist illustrations by Jeff Eisenberg. The shading, color palate, futurism, and line quality all have me mesmorized.

(images via artist's website)

Off Subject: Maki Tamura

These miniature three-dimensional paintings by Seattle artist Maki Tamura make my mouth water. They are so freakin' awesome!

(images via Dear Ada and James Harris Gallery)

Off Subject: Orly Cogan

Orly Cogan has figured something out. When I think about artists taking traditional crafts and using them to create fine art, I don't think of many success stories. Orly Cogan is an exception. Her work pushes boundries, makes you think, looks beautiful, is impeccably executed, and still stays true to the roots of the craft.  I've got to figure this secret out.

(images via My Love for You Is a Stampede of Horses, Mr X Stitch, Magpie and Whiskeyjack, The Rathaus, and Hammer Gallery)

Off Subject: Dan Flavin

Freakin' awesome. I learned about Flavin from watching PBS's Art21 series. (If you aren't already familiar with this series, I highly recommend it.)  These pieces are incredible. I love how such a distilled combination of light and color and space can still evoke such powerful feelings. Just incredible.

(images via the Tate, Pacific Standard, Grammar Police, Asymptotia, David Byrne, and axmk.com)

Off Subject: Pogo

I know this is really stretching it as far as being relative to the main purpose of this blog, but I just had to share. I haven't come across something that made me feel this bubbly inside in a while. I am so driven in my own work by the idea of whimsy, and so projects like this completely blow me away. I hope you enjoy these treats as much as I do.

(via Pogo's YouTube)

Off Subject: Willy Verginer

I love the humor in Verginer's sculptures and the visual impact of the vibrant color blocking is so striking. These make me want to try wood-working so badly. Has anyone else sculpted in wood? What is it like compared to sculpting in clay?

(images via Booooooom!, Warmenhoven & Venderbros, and bumbumbum)

Off Subject: John Newman

Okay, I'm in love with this NYC artist. And I can't wait to take a glass blowing class.

(artist found via oh, what a world, what a world; images via artist's website)

Off Subject: Sarah Applebaum

I'm slightly at a loss for words over Sarah Applebaum's work. The San Francisco native has me completely whipped. Her work emblazons an emblem of nostalgia like nothing else I've seen. I never thought I would put granny square and fine artist in the same sentence, but there it is. The artist humorously explores the new pop iconography and nostalgic issues of comfort while fearlessly tackling the chemistry of color and architecture of geometry.  I'm so in love. Give me more.

(images via artist's own website)

Off Subject: Thomas Campbell

Delicious. Colors, collage, painting, geometry, and thread. Love, love, love.

(images via Gregory Lind Gallery and Giant Robot)

Off Subject: Miyuki Sakai

I fell in love with Sakai's work over the summer when I saw the pieces she contributed to a food spread in Martha Stewart's Living. She manages to capture the romance and delicacy of fine china so well with just her machine and some thread. Ah-mazing. Plus, how cool that this Japanese native now calls San Francisco her home. It's so exciting to come across local artists you admire but who you never realized were locals. 

(images via artist's website)

Off Subject: Christopher Marley

I'm gushing.

(images via Jamaica Byles)

Off Subject: Lisa Solomon

Lisa Solomon is my painting instructor this semester.  Funny, I came across her work sometime last year on a design blog and was really intrigued. I registered for her class unknowingly this semester and was so happily surprised that it was her. I love the combination of embroidery and crochet into the delicate paintings and it makes me think about incorporating textiles into my own (ceramic) work. Anyone ever tried this or seen it done?

(images via artist's website)