Cut & Paste with Hollie Chastain

Chattanooga collage artist Hollie Chastain gives vintage scraps of paper and old book covers a second life, whilst playing on their natural imperfections (scratches, marks, discolourations and even scribbles and doodles from the original owners!) to give her artwork depth, substance, uniqueness and a certain rawness too; in her own words, "The subject of the piece is often influenced by the materials as opposed to building around a sketch or idea".

Source: Respectively (1) 'After School' (giclée art print), (2) 'Gilbertville Public Library I' (giclée art print), (3) 'Adalyn's Party Trick 1' (art print), (4) 'That Thursday Evening' (art print) and (5) 'Community Chorus' (giclée art print), all the above prints are available for purchase from Hollie's Etsy shop. Find out more from Hollie's website and blog. Meanwhile her work is also featured on Poster Cabaret.

Forever Floral Florilège

Now that the apotheosis of Winter has died down in a flurry of pine needles and discarded wrapping paper, and a brand new year is slowly unfolding to us with the promise of yet unbroken resolutions, what we seem to be resolute about is for a ray of sunshine to beam across our path, with floral enchantment breaking down the inclement weather all-around, so we may bask in the ephemeral reminiscence of Spring and the joys it comforts us in...

Pict 1-5: Respectively (1) Spray Flowers, (2) Briar Rose, (3) Rose, (4) Provence Rose, and (5) Candy Flowers, all by Cath Kidston, a lady of vision whose kitsch floral fabric designs have never been so popular than right now, thanks to the vintage revival scene. The company has even rescuscitated the word 'chintz' for one of its patterns, yes the once-doomed little word back at the height of the naughty noughties - and Ikea's bête noire - that conjured up ideas of fuddy-duddy style, tea-cosies and general old-fashioned grannytude!

Pict 6: Crochet double-sided gift wrap, by Smock (set of 2 USD8.00).

Pict 7: Blossoms on Green letterpress calendar handbound book, by Brooklyn-based Campbell Raw Press, also available via Felt & Wire (USD35.00).