for the love of art

100 years ago - peter doig

if i could only visit one museum whenever i return to paris, i think i would pick the pompidou centre.  this is mainly because the last time i was there i spent so much time staring at the above painting that i pretty much missed the rest of the museum's incredible collection. (the original is huge if that helps your perspective).

i am a total art museum geek, and i've been extremely fortunate to have a family that has shared this love with me.   more recently, i've had the pleasure of beginning to collect fine art which has been a really amazing experience so far.

anyone with a basic understanding of this goofy town of ours, ann arbor, should be able to mention the following:

the university

whichever football player is currently flavor of the month

zingerman's

and finally...

the ann arbor art fair

unfortunately, my office is situated about 500 feet from the state street art fair, which means the commute to work was eight shades of no.  the middle aged ladies hunting for knick knacks have officially taken over until next week.  though this means nothing good for my strong desire to run over pedestrians small road rage issue, it has gotten me in the artistic spirit!  with this in mind i thought i'd share with you art buffs my all time favorite artists, whose work i highly recommend you explore!

peter doig

ben shahn

marc chagall

cy twombly

jim dine

honorable mentions: amy sillman, alexandra wiesenfeld, christopher pekoc, and mary frank.

one of my favorite things about collecting art, and doing blog posts like this, is the pattern you see emerge based on the things that, as a viewer, you find attractive.  

who are some of your favorite artists?

PSST don't forget to enter my giveaway before next wednesday!!

word count: 2,725

insta-grammy awards

some of you might be aware that i love instagram.

if you aren't aware, allow me to repeat myself:  i. love. instagram.  (ps are you following me?)

it's easily my favorite social networking site (though as vine dies its little death, i have to admit, it had a lot of unrealized potential... i'm still not sure that i am cool with how instagram stepped on its toes).

i really enjoy the sense of a documented human experience that the app gives you.  it's fun to look back on the stream of images that came along with life events.  it's fun to be a fly on the wall of other peoples' lives.  so if you are like me and looking for some great grammers to follow here are a few of my favorite public photo-snappers on instagram.

@emmersonmerrick

Amy Merrick.  Floristing in New York and beyond.

@pleaseheadnorth

Ryan Auber.  Explores and drums for @placeyourbetsinstagram

@sarahmvanderson

Sarah Vanderson.  Graphic designer Michigander Dachshund enthusiast

(she's also a friend's older sister and a high school classmate of mine)

so if you are looking for decent creative types to follow those are my three favorites!
happy hump day!

blogger faves

i always love when people leave comments on my and other blog posts with the URL to their own blog!  i follow a LOT of different blogs and i love seeing the diversity of tastes, passions, interests, and ideas floating around the creative zones of the internet.  i think i'm going to start sharing with my readers some of my favorites on a slightly regular basis.

to start off, i'm going to share with you the big 3.  the top 3.  the 3 blogs on the internet i would be saddest to see disappear.  here they are in order of preference:

3.  the locals (formerly copenhagen street style)

i follow a lot of different fashion blogs, but street style blogs are my absolute favorites.  i consider myself to have a pretty solid handle on my own personal style.  i love some fashion blogs because they really fit with my own fashion choices and offer great shopping inspiration for new pieces to fit my wardrobe.  

this is so far from the case with the locals.  street style blogs like this one feature really avant garde fashion choices on everyday people.  they challenge you to push the envelope with everyday style and teach you how to balance casual with couture.  it really helps me feel like i'm a step ahead of certain trends, and it's a great reminder that fashion is creative... not imitative.

2.  lang photographers (formerly underagedandengaged)

the mormon mommy blog has it's own magical little niche of the internet.  out of all of them, i enjoy following the lang family the most.

maybe it's the constantly sunny arizona weather around them, maybe it's the fact that stacie's references to profanity and dr. pepper make them seem the most relatable.  maybe it's because they are both unreasonably good looking, or maybe it's because they have two hilarious daughters with hipster names like ivy and lola.

i think what i really like most about this blog is the way stacie writes.  there is something about her sense of humor that really reminds me of myself.  i like to imagine in another life we may have been friends.  either way, this family is a riot and so inspiring to watch as they all grow up together.

1.  honestly wtf

in my opinion, honestly wtf is as good as blogs get.

the blog is a mish mash of pretty much everything that i enjoy on the internet.  it has editorial fashion shoots, orignal art, interior design, hair inspiration, recipes, crafty tutorials, but what ties it all together is its focus on extraordinary photography.  honestly wtf has an ever so slight edginess and artsy feel that i just don't get from other blogs that deal with this range of content, such as a beautiful mess.

because it has such a range of posts, it's difficult to put this blog into words, so i highly recommend you check it out.

and there you have it.  the creme de la creme of the blogs i follow.  so if you find your looking / reading list in a bit of a rut these are the places i recommend you start!