word on the street / art buying for kids rooms (part 1)

after posting [lincoln's room], and the most recent [nursery ideas for a shared room], i have received some interest about where the art we buy comes from. here's a few places you can get your hands on some amazing artwork that will work great in your kid's room. some of these are prints, not paintings, which frame easily and wont empty your wallet. and paintings are a great investment, because these will gain value over time. think of art being a savings account that looks really beautiful on your wall and constantly inspires you. all these artists below are currently working in their field and producing some amazing larger scale projects as well. please browse around and fall in love.

here are my current favorites:

[mr. penfold - we all scream]

instagram: @mrpenfold

[sonni - block party]

instagram: @sonni

[boris hoppek - wood bimbo face]

[boris hoppek]

[jon burgerman - be a warrior not a worrier]

instagram: @jonburgerman

+Jon Burgerman 

[ethos - sad soldier]

[donald jackson - heaven sent you to me]

instagram: dj_thestudio

[erica il cane - bar italia]

[erica il cane]

[momo - family]

instagram: @momoshowpalace

+momoshowpalace 

word on the street / play with your food

 takashi murakami oreo

andy warhol oreo

"bitch better have my honey" - rihanna

staple pigeon

fka twigs

BAPE

[tisha cherry] is an amazing artist, who plays with her food. i like her subject choices the best. it always inspires me when people create in different ways. it was so hard to pick only a few to share, she has hundreds of images. find her on [instagram] and [twitter] #artintheeats

word on the street / finding your "style"

the term "artist" is so quickly labeled to a specific kind of person. but in fact there are sooo many different types of art, which makes so many people artists in their own way, and each with their own style.

i was actually drawn to photography because it is a creative process that is more mathematical in terms of your outcome. lining up your composition, lighting your subject, editing to a precise point. i get cameras, i get film, i get chemical processes, i get computers.

but i became frustrated in undergrad at art school, because so many of my peers were multi-talented. amazing photographers, and had a hand at oil painting with amazing technique, or could draw so realistic you would of thought you were looking at a black and white photograph.

it took me a while until i felt comfortable with my own style of drawing. i have shaky lines that don't always connect with each other perfectly. my shapes aren't sharp or perfect either. color is really important to me. i am inspired by children's books illustrations and how unique they all are with their own style.

the best way to get good at any method, material, idea, is to keep on. you teach yourself so much in the process, its worth it to make as many mistakes as you can. drawing has always been something i've been shy of, and sometimes have to force myself into projects just to practice. but i finally feel like my "style" can stand on it's own and relate to me. i still always doubt myself in the process, and know i still have a long way to go, but the end result always makes me happy. so i keep on.

(drawings below are from oldest to most recent)

word on the street / teebs & dion banks

i love being connected to the arts, even though it can sometimes feel like i am no longer a part of that word, since being out of art school. but getting to design flyers for shows and going to art openings, meeting the artist with lincoln is great. thanks to my boyfriend and what he does with [pawn works] i can sneak back into the art world every so often. i feel lucky that my son can be a part of this world that his parents are pretty passionate about.

12/ 13/ 14 - was a fun night. this exhibit was shown at [thalia hall's] new bar, the tack room, and this was the first night the bar was even open to the public. the art show was one night only.. but you can still purchase the work through [pawn works store]

[one of my favorites from teebs]

[the after party that lincoln did not attend]

word on the street / daddy's attic office - pawn works sticker club

chicago people-- pick up a reader today! my dudes are in the paper! 

check out the interview video [chicago reader] featuring nick and his studio space (our attic). 

linc makes an appearance and so does the rest of our apartment.  

[pawn works sticker club]
[pawn works chicago]

word on the street / erotic beauty

[montgomery perry smith]
brooklyn, ny

there are some people that are just born to do certain things. my friend, monte, uses his hands to create sculptural magic. his art touches on beauty being erotic. monte uses a variety of materials including fabrics, lace, leather, and a lot of his sculptures include household items.  the amount of detail in each piece is really unbelievable. layers and tiny cut outs and teeth and flowers. i totally get lost in his work.

check out his new book [sissy]

portrait taken by his husband & photographer [lucas blair]

word on the street / ohio city, cleveland

zoetic walls project
collaboration [pawn works] & [arts collinwood]
wall space: [the loren naji gallery]
artist: [erik burke / over under]

ohio city, cleveland

mural in process..

linc wall side with the pawn works gang // close up of artist: erik burke and his mini assistant.

keep up with [over under]

word on the street / pilsen, chicago (part 1)

art in public places 

curated by: [pawn works]

wall space: pilsen train tracks

pilsen, chicago

[mr. penfold]

[reyes 78]

collaboration [brett flanigan + cannon dill]

collaboration [dabs and myla + pose]

[stinkfish]   [the yok and sheryo]

we are very proud of our daddy for facilitating these murals and getting artists out to our city. 

check out more of this project:

pawn works chicago outdoors 

word on the street / wynwood, miami

[the wynwood walls]

wynwood, miami

< dabs and myla

nick, linc, and lister

this last photo of us is apart of an ongoing [lincoln road, miami] series.