what art says when it speaks to us

in recent days, i've come across several artists on flickr whose work just totally blows me away. and what's a bit strange is that when you see the three i'm talking about, you'll wonder about me, because they're nothing like one another. but i'll try to explain what it is that thrills me about their work...all pictures are their own from flickr, so please follow the links and look at the rest of their photostreams if you're interested.

first, is UK artist sophie callaghan's amazing embroidered blanket. i can see on sophie's blog that she's about to move to the US and has a free shipping offer in her etsy shop, so be sure to check it out, she's got the cutest art dolls that i'm currently restraining myself from buying.

i love so much about this, the mix of fabrics and stitching and found objects and techniques. looking at it makes me feel decidedly restrained, prim and proper in the embroidery i've been doing and makes me want to open up and be much more wild and free and imaginative. i need to loosen up!

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next up, intricate and detailed totems by south african artist robyn gordon - art propelled. i saw on her blog that her home and studio are filled with books, so it was an instant follow for me.

what speaks to me here is both the wood and the typecase drawer quality they have. i am utterly charmed by the fact that they are filled with small objects. that appeals to my inner collector. here's a closer view of that typecase quality.

it feels like the kind of art you could go on looking and looking at and keep discovering something new.

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lastly, i stumbled onto the most whimsical little stools by wood and wool stool that are made of recycled wood and topped with little handmade crochet tops that are both old fashioned and extremely fresh and modern in equal measure. the artist is dutch and she blogs here.

these appeal to me on so many levels. i love their simplicity. i love that they're made of recycled materials. i love that they have an old-fashioned handmade element that makes me think of my grandmother's piano bench. the entire look and feel of them is fresh and inviting and comforting and like a fresh breeze through a summer house. i'd love to capture such a feel in an entire room. but i suppose it means i'll have to have white walls.

why do you love the art you love?