I'm a sharing kind of person...

...and I thought I'd share some of my favourite artists with you today.  These are friends I've made over the past few years on the net, and firm friends because I LOVE their work.  Please take a look at their blogs and leave a comment if you're inspired to do so!

Alice Saltiel has been a fine artist friend for many years now, and her forays into the world of mixed media just thrill me.    Her painterly sense of colour and texture take this field to new heights.

Alice in Wonderland © Alice Saltiel Marshall

Deann at the Whimsey Asylum (Love that name, don't you?  Anything that playful has to be fun!) is a digital marvel, and I never know whether I'll be laughing hysterically or in tears at the beauty (and often both) when I visit her blog.

All You Need is Love  © Deann Williams at The Whimsey Asylum

Laura Leeder, a local artist and dear friend, is a delightful watercolourist, specialising in the rich florals she finds in her garden. Her fabulous patterning reminds me of William Morris' wonderful wallpapers.

Abigail Floral © Laura Leeder

Another great local friend Eileen Gidman, presently on a creative hiatus while building a new home with her husband, is a master with textiles and watercolour.  We've had some great play dates, and I just had to show you this apron she created at one of them.  She sewed aprons for the three of us (Laura, Eileen & Win) and this was her gorgeous finished project.

Apron patterns © Eileen Gidman

We're fortunate to live in an artist-rich area, and a recent addition to the valley is Lynne Mizera.  Believe me, she's a welcome one as I'm not the only crazy one now!  Lynne's a whiz at utilising throwaways and turning them into art pieces.

Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith is a British artist whose work just thrills me.  Her layers and colour choices always have me drooling.

Journal spread © Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith

Tracy Woodsford's Sojourner blog is always a delight to visit, and given that she lives in Australia, it's quite the trip.  I so appreciate her thoughtful and considered take on life and art and am always inspired by her posts.

Calloused Heart © Tracy Woodsford

Susi (aka Frobelsternchen) hails from Austria.  Her eclectic pieces always please me, but I'm particularly fond of her teabag art!

I could go on and on, of course, but instead, I suggest you visit the pages on my blogroll to the right. These artists inspire me, make me laugh, make me think and generally lift my life to the max.

I'd love it if you would tell me who inspires you in the comments below (and do, please, include a link - we can always copy and paste!).  And if you visit the blogs noted here, please tell them you appreciate their work; I know I do!  

Are you an ATC fan?

I most certainly am, and I trade with other artists as often as possible.  When I had the opportunity to trade with one of my all-time favourite artists, Deann Williams of The Whimsey Asylum, I was practically over the moon.

Not only did she send me 10 ATCs, she also sent this gorgeous hand-crafted card and a lovely note as well.  Since Deann no longer creates anything but digital work, I feel very fortunate to have received such a cornucopia of physical pieces.

This ATC, 'A Kiss to Build a Dream On' is truly the image that I most equate with Deann.  It always makes me laugh.

'Highway in the Sky' has my mind wandering over the heavens as I accompany the butterfly on that delightful zebra.

I can't stop laughing at  'Mona and the Fly', and given that this is not the only 'Mona' she's done, I think you should check the rest of them out too.

The soulful 'Angel Eyes' has a little bit of Win Dinn in the background...I love seeing my photos appear in Deann's work.

'Snow Papa' is particularly apt given the package's arrival so close to Father's Day.  This was the last hand-painted ATC that Deann had from her pre-digital days, so I feel fortunate to be the recipient!

'Sky Music' thrills me with the thought of celestial delights...can you imagine what music would come from that instrument?!

'Puffin Magic makes me think of my friends over at Puffin Design - they'd LOVE this one!

'Breaking Out' reminds me of my son Barry as a child...always trying to get out of the box and into something different!

'Uncle Steven's Fantastic Flying Machine' is like nothing I could imagine - which is exactly why The Whimsey Asylum gives me such pleasure!

My favourite, 'Contemplating Bubbles' has my dryer sheet curtains in the background, and the ethereal quality of the girl child is pure delight.

For sheer visual pleasure, I recommend you stop to visit The Whimsey Asylum.  I never know whether I'll be roaring with laughter or be blown away by exquisite beauty, but it's always amazing.

On another note, I managed to attend a fabulously fun workshop with Lynne Mizera at Fly in the Fibre this past week, and had a lovely afternoon creating a couple of small paintings, both of which were started on canvas boards covered with mop-up paper towels.  Lynne's a whiz at using unconventional materials of all sorts, and much fun.

Because we were such hard workers, we had time to create some spray backgrounds as well...I'll let you know what happens with these!

I also managed to start the free online Women Unleashed  Retreat.  It's not too late to start, so do pop over and have a go.  You can do as much or as little of it (and there's a huge variety covered in the 10 days), and if all I manage is the journal start, I'll be happy.

Front Cover of 'Palimpsest' journal for Women Unleashed Retreat

Back cover of Palimpsest journal for Women Unleashed Retreat

The ten days of doodling over the last couple of weeks came in handy for this cover, and now I'm totally obsessed with patterns again.

And just in case you've not had enough visuals in today's post, do stop in to see the Material Change show in Kimberley, BC.  It features Darcy Wanuk, Alison & Bart Bjorkman of Puffin Design, and yours truly in an amazing collection of repurposing, recycling and reinvention of the art concept.  

Here's hoping you've had a terrifically creative week too.  Let me know what you've been up to in the comments below please, and do provide a link to your own doings.  We all know how to copy and paste.