Art Kaleidoscope

René Magritte lovers brooch. Felt, floss, Japanese toho beads, jewelry alloy. 5.6 cm. Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches

Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches
Living in the ancient Russian city of Yaroslavl, Alexandra Minati has been fond of vintage costume jewelry for many years. Historian by profession, she has always had a passion for jewelry and handicrafts. As for miniature brooches, it all began 5 years ago. First, she embroidered fox brooch, then some cute animals, and finally she realized that embroidery based on works of world painting was more interesting. Now Alexandra is working in this direction. According to Alexandra, stitch embroidery in one thread is similar to drawing, only with the help of a needle and a thread, and of course, the master gives free rein to her own imagination. Also, she uses her favorite vintage pieces, the so-called vintage “junk”, which she collected for many years, and this “junk” still carries a certain charm. In addition, such elements (chains, parts of clips and brooches) give her ideas for future embroidery. In particular, this René Magritte inspired brooch. Making brooches takes her from 8 to several tens of hours of work, depending on the complexity.
Read more »

‘Two myths’ bracelet. Coconut, garnets, moonstone, 925 sterling silver. 9cm. Jewelry Balagan by Russian artist Kirill

Jewelry Balagan by Russian artist Kirill
The ancient Indians imagined the Earth in the form of a hemisphere, located on four elephants, which stood on a turtle swimming in the sea of milk. And myths about the future portray aliens in flying saucers. The plot of this bracelet arose at the intersection of these two myths.
Moscow based jewelry shop “Jewelry Balagan” is in fact, a one-man show of a self-taught artist named Kirill. Noteworthy, he has been producing jewelry of his own designs for more than 25 years, since 1993. Traditionally, the artist uses various techniques in his work. In particular, engraving on copper and silver, hot enamel, carving art, painting, graphics. Also, Kirill works with various, and sometimes very unexpected materials, skillfully combining them in one product. For example, silver and coconut, garnets and moonstone, etc.
Kirill took part in exhibitions of the Association of Artists of Decorative Arts, including the anniversary exhibition “75th Anniversary of the Moscow Union of Artists”.
Read more »

Nascita di Venere. Painting by great Italian master Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi (1445 – 1510). Symbols encrypted in Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Symbols encrypted in Venus by Botticelli
Botticelli’s appeal to the pagan story, and even with a nude nature, may, at first glance, seem strange. Indeed, in the early 1480s, the artist seems to have devoted himself to Christian art. Thus, in 1481–1482 Sandro painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and in 1485 “Madonna and Child”, “Madonna Magnificat” and “Madonna with a book”. But this is an external contradiction.
The great Italian painter Sandro Botticelli did not see anything sinful in a naked female body. Moreover, he saw in it the allegory of the voice of God. In fact, according to his worldview, Botticelli was close to the Florentine Neo-Platonists. In particular, the union headed by the philosopher Marsilio Ficino, who sought to synthesize ancient wisdom with Christian doctrine.
According to the ideas of the Neo-Platonists, the unknowable God always embodies himself in earthly beauty, be it physical or spiritual beauty — one without the other is impossible. Thus, the pagan goddess of the Neoplatonists became an allegory of the voice of God through which the soul is saved. Marsilio Ficino called Venus the nymph of Humanity, “born of heaven and more than others beloved by God. Her soul is the essence of Love and Mercy, her eyes are Dignity and Generosity, her hands are Generosity and Magnificence, and her legs are Comfort and Modesty ”.
Such a synthesis of Christianity and paganism is also present in the work of Botticelli.
Read more »

Puppy made in intarsia technique. Oleg Pankov wood mosaic paintings

Oleg Pankov wood mosaic paintings
Born 16 March 1968 in Orekhovo-Zuevo of Moscow region, Oleg Pankov is a talented wood artist who works in the intarsia technique. He has created the whole gallery of beautiful wood paintings that leaves no one indifferent.
In fact, the art of making wood paintings has a long history. For the first time such wooden items appeared in ancient Egypt. Since the Nile Valley is not rich in forest, all the valuable wood was imported from afar. Therefore, wooden products were luxury items, craftsmen used wood with beautiful texture and unusual color for inlaying wooden products along with ivory, precious metals and stones.
Today, after almost a century of fascination with synthetic materials, the wood is again at the height of fashion. Breathable, warm, alive, wood products can become real luxury items, if you decorate them with intarsia. Like centuries ago, intarsia today is painstaking manual work with a figurative image created from plates of wood, different in texture, color, embedded in a wooden surface.
Read more »

Delicate yellow Chrysanthemum brooch. 11 cm. Foamiran, plastic suede, stamens, Japanese accessories, paints. Tatyana Biota realistic flower brooches

Tatyana Biota realistic flower brooches
Moscow based artist and jewelry designer Tatyana Ivanovna is a biologist, she graduated from Biological Faculty of Moscow State University. Having worked for many years in her specialty, she decided to create, fantasize and experiment. According to Tatyana, she constantly learns. And her main teacher is Nature – with an endless and unique variety of shapes and colors. Although she doesn’t strive for naturalism in her work, yet the fact is her flower brooches look very realistic. For her, images and associations are more important, so that each created composition has its own character, its own “zest”, and its own history.
Read more »

Walls literally come to life thanks to the desk lamp illuminating the room with its magical shadows and intricate speckles. Gourd carving art by Jane Mawson

Gourd carving art by Jane Mawson
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia based artist of applied art Jane Mawson graduated from Washington College in Chestertown Maryland. A third generation artist, Jane works mostly in interior design, home decor and sculpture art. Inspired by the Bauhaus tradition, her artworks include a whole gallery of beautiful hand carved gourd lamps.
Noteworthy, Jane successfully exhibited her art works in the Abington Art Center and Accent Gallery in Ocean City, New Jersey. Also, the book ‘Creating Gourd Lights’ by Susan Nonn (published in 2017) features some of Jane Mawson’s works.
According to Jane, she considers herself more artisan than artist, using old world manual skills. In particular, wood working and pyrography, carving and sculpting, thus blurring the line between craft and art. Jane sells her wonderful works through her Etsy shop “Unique Handcrafted Gourd Lights”. So, if you want a unique and magical design of your home, visit her Etsy shop (the link below the post).
Read more »

A walking cat photo (left), which has become the Internet meme and sculpture of walking cat (right). Japanese artist Meetissai Internet Meme sculptures

Japanese artist Meetissai Internet Meme sculptures
Undoubtedly, the Internet loves memes, especially when the focus is on funny animals. From time to time, scrolling through the pages of your social networks, you can find a viral image that seems to defy the limits of reality.
Traditionally, made for entertainment purposes, Internet memes spread through social networks, the blogosphere and forums. However, later memes can go beyond the Internet, for example, becoming material and inspiration for artists. One of them is a talented Japanese sculptor known as Meetissai. An enthusiast of sculpting, he decided to implement the popular memes of animals. Cats, dogs, raccoons and hares, photographed in very unusual, but at the same time funny situations, inspired the artist. He began to spend his free time making funny and realistic sculptures that he found in the dark depths of the Internet.
Read more »