Smaller is Better

Sometimes smaller is better, especially when it comes to art - easier to display and transport, and often lighter on your wallet. And of course while Red Cake has lots of small art, you must check out The Lab's annual Postcard Show on Dec. 4- 6, for heaps of the most amazing small format art, handmade jewelry, and collectibles.

There is still time to participate - if you want to take part, just fill out the entry form and start creating! Tons of folks come to shop and it's an awesome way to show off your arty goods, as well as support a worthy non-profit organization.

And if you're on Facebook (who isn't these days?) - won't you please become a fan of Red Cake? We know you want to! :) Hope everyone had a great weekend :)

Kiwi Art

I just returned from vacation in New Zealand and we saw some cool art at the Center of Contemporary Art (COCA) in Christchurch. Aside from the cool art, NZ was everything we expected and more- beautiful scenery, super friendly people, sheep everywhere you look, and to my surprise, lots of great fashion! That'll be another post....Here are some art highlights...

Baby Battallion by Aroha Novak - I'd love to have this knitted tank on my mantel.

Rose-Marie Salmon combines craft and sass in her embroidered pieces, like in Untitled 5 (above) and Untitled - Come sail your ships around me.

One Lady Two, embroidery and paint on canvas.

Nicole Burke had a solo exhibition going on when I visited, with several cut paper pieces like

Pinned Series 7-9 and Pinned Series 4.

Lee Press On Nails Never Looked This Good

Last Thursday, I went to my friend Mary Anne's artist's reception at Frey Norris Gallery, which I blogged about a couple weeks ago. The show also included work from Laurel Roth, with some amazing pieces made of fake nails, fake eyelashes, nail polish, barrettes and bling-y crystals...
Gosh, Lee Press On Nails take me back to the 80's..I don't believe they make them anymore..but I digress....

These photos don't do justice to this piece, which measures about 50" x 50".

A close-up shot - the most amazingly lovely use of fake nails I've ever seen!

This piece, Beloved, is made of fake fingernails, false eyelashes, barrettes, dimestore jewelry, wood, pewter, swarovski crystal, nail polish and measures 36" x 12" x 12".\

And in case you want to learn more about fake nails, check out Wikipedia's informative article.

Lady Things

My friend Michael turned me on to Robyn Comming, a talented artist who takes some pretty damn cool, highly stylized photographs. They are reminiscent of fashion photography with vibrant colors and dramatic compositions. My faves are from her "Lady Things" series, a few of which I'll show you here....all are untitled C-prints.

This portrait is my favorite - is she a garden party fashion victim or did she fall prey to her prized rose collection?

This lovely piece is a bit more subtle with a melancholy air...I feel like she's an insomniac desparate for some shut eye yet she just can't achieve it.




Suffocated by pretty, peaceful white doves...ironic isn't it?

Buy Local, Buy Cool

Some of you may be tired already about hearing 'buy local, buy sustainable blah blah blah'... but there is plenty of very cool local, sustainable goodies to be had! So for all you San Francisco Bay Area folks...here are a few of my fave destinations for cool local wares...

Anti-Factory has very cool, one of a kind clothes made from recycled fabrics- I have a dress from them that I get so many compliments on. This cute dress will certainly make you stand out anywhere you go!

Cara Lyndon is an Oakland based jewelry designer - I discovered her lovely jewels when she submitted them to The Lab's annual Postcard Show a few years back. Her super cute jewelry often uses vintage findings and are very affordable- this lovely ring is just $30:

And this vintage Japanese button necklace will go with just about anything!

How about some edgy butcher knife cufflinks by Spagwerks for the man in your life?

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Hot Stuff

Mark your calendars to check out the next art opening at Frey Norris Gallery in San Francisco - my friend Mary Anne Kluth will be showing some fabulous new work on September 3rd.

Her work is both explosive yet subtle - her more recent work has been quite large scale, but not overwhelming as many large works can be. The expanses of paper are full of vibrant color and have the inticmacy and coziness of smaller works.

The top photo is the full image of this piece, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems - and the detail photos are below. This measures 18" x 104". I love the discreetly perched people (firemen?) amidst the chaotic paint flames.

Ornithological Biography, watercolor and acrylic on paper, 40" x 60".

Red Shift, watercolor and acrylic on paper, 29" x 99".

Creepy Cool

My friend Brianna is the curator of the monthly art shows at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco (for those who don't know...Tartine has the best croissants on the planet, likely even better than the ones I had in France). This month, artist Nadia Moss graces the walls at the bakery in her show Fantomes!, and her work is, well, creepy and cool...

Looks like someone opened the gates of this phantom petting zoo...
Spaghetti dragging zombies are after you!

Nadia's work is up until August 27th, so get your fanny over there and ogle some fab art with your buttery pastry!