0 bring the jungle inside

Yesterday I was so inspired by Justina's Jungalow that I had to search for items that could be used to get a similar look! Here are a few things I picked from around the web.


I know from reading her blog that she purchased these rhino and zebra heads made from recycled French books and cement bags. How cute! A lot of her furniture was hand-me-down, so I picked this amazing vintage looking leather sofa from Anthro. I loved her leaf print curtains, and you can find some similar ones here. The orange lamp (similar to the one in her office nook) and the green pouf are from CB2. You can't help but love these fabric wrapped vases from West Elm and the giraffe rug only seemed appropriate for this jungle paradise living room!

Bring a little bit of jungle inside you place! ;)

5 justina's jungalow

This is the space of one of my fave designers, Justina Blakeney of Compai. She moved into this small space with a limited $700 budget and transformed it into a warm, inspiring space. She gives great tips on how she did it in an article for Venus Magazine. I'm loving her jungle theme!

0 artist spotlight: henry ossawa tanner

One of my favorite Black painters is Henry O. Tanner. He is known for his classical painting style depicting both African American life and biblical stories. He's a master at chiaroscuro; a technique that emphasizes light in a painting to create more realism.


Portrait of the artist by Thomas Eakins

I think the most interesting thing about Henry O. Tanner is that he was largely rejected by the Black art community during his time. Because of his interest in classical painting style, he found his niche when he traveled abroad to France. There, his race was little an issue and he quickly acclimated to Parisian life. (Which I'm sure was soooo hard to get used to!) Nevertheless, Tanner created the art that he wanted to and what was best for him, not what was trendy for his time period. That's an inspiration for me!


"The Banjo Lesson" - His most famous work!


"The Anunciation"

"Daniel in the Lion's Den"


"Thankful Poor"

His candid perspectives, muted colors and soft plays with light are so comforting to me! I hope you enjoy his art as much as I do, and for more on Henry O. Tanner, click here.

0 miss coco chanel

Finally finished this Coco Chanel piece for my client! Hope you love it TB :)

4 how to feel miserable as an artist

Created by Keri Smith. Found on Ravenskar

2 the future is here

This photoshoot from Vogue UK is breathtaking!! Ethnic prints + Futuristic shapes = Fantastic






via coute que coute

1 artist spotlight: synthia saint james

You may remember the vibrant artwork decorating the walls of the Huxtables' living room of The Cosby Show, but do you know the artist behind it? Her name is Synthia Saint James and she's known for her amazing graphic paintings in bright acrylics. She is also the first African American artist to design a US Postal Stamp!


My dad had a ton of these when they came out and I never knew who the artist was behind them!






My fave: "The Color Purple Trio"!

Synthia Saint James has recieved a Trumpet Award for her work as an artist and architectural designer and now tours as a speaker all around the country. For more on SSJ, check out her website.

1 artist spotlight: romare bearden

Romare Bearden was a Charlotte, North Carolina native used paper to create dynamic collages. His work depicted the simple life of rural NC as well as reflections on slavery and the plight of African Americans in the south in a colorful and imaginative way.






images via google

2 working with a nub

I fully intended to FINISH this Coco Chanel piece yesterday, but I worked my last black colored pencil down to a nub! Off to the art store.....



(Please excuse the bad camera phone photos!)

5 jess L.C. jewelry

I'm loving this handmade jewelry made by Chicago designer Jess. It reminds me of J.Crew but half the price and it's handmade! I love to support independent designers whenever I can because I hope to one day be selling my designs myself.... (Karma is real!)







And Jess has an amazing blog called Makeunder My Life, please check it out!