my love for you is a stampede of horses.

Inspiration: Lisa Romero.

*****ML4U's ongoing series Process/Inspiration continues this week with Lisa Romero. An avid painter and all around creative gem. Lisa let's nothing fall to the way side when it comes to the mediums she uses. Whether she's upcycling or recycling, she's always turning some one else's castaways into a new treasure. Lisa takes us on a virtual tour of her inspirations through out her studio and talks a little bit about her process as well. As usual I have left the comment section open to chat with the artist. Make sure to click for more pics after the jump.*****

I have a serious problem. I want to live in a harmonious world. The
fact that people throw away things that can be reused makes me really
crazy. You buy something, all this packaging comes with it and you
have to throw it out? Not me. I paint on it.

So my studio becomes this eclectic mish-mash of things I find while
thrifting for paint. You know how many people start painting as a
hobby but never follow through? Well, there are enough of those people
for me to hardly ever have to buy new paint. I go to garage sales
and buy used tubes of all brands of acrylic. Watercolor paper that was
put away and never used...Art students clean out their closets and
I buy what they forgot they had.

I've come to the conclusion that I prefer it this way. I feel that
these things I paint on, or with have a history. A story, and I am
adding to that story. I have also found that after a while these
things talk to me. They keep me company by telling me their stories.
The black and white picture that I remove from the metal frame gets
taped to the back of my door. I will use it to frame one of my paintings,
but for now the men hang out there showing me 1950s haircuts or
1930s wool blazers. They have glasses and gap-toothed grins and in
turn their stories eek into my paintings. And they help me. And I am
grateful.

New Blog: Wild Horses.

I have been hinting around over the past month about starting a new blog. Well, I did it! ML4U now has a baby sister: Wild Horses. She's a wee pony who still needs some work, but I hope you will take a journey with me as that blog grows and changes. Just as this one has. I am really excited about it. It's more of a personal blog where I post about clothes and things that do not necessarily translate well here on ML4U. I created Wild Horses as a way for me to streamline this blog. I come across so many great things, usually clothing/fashion oriented items that I just really wanted to give another blog a shot and share them. That being said, there will no longer be any posts on jewelry, clothing (unless they are artist product related like t-shirts and stuff) or any thing else that isn't art related here on ML4U.

Thanks for continually showing up and encouraging me to continue to blog. It means so very much to me. I hope to see some of you over at the brand new pony. LOVE.

Olaf Hajek: Flowerhead.

Olaf Hajek’s first monograph, Flowerhead is chock full of his eclectic, electric colorful work. Overflowing with his signature editorial work, commercial and fashion illustration plus exclusive personal work made for the book. Flowerhead is due out in February through Gestalten. Can't wait til then? A number of images from the book are available as prints now, in a number of sizes. 

Tessar Lo at Show & Tell.

Show & Tell Gallery opens it's doors to Tessar Lo's "everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future", his first Canadian solo exhibition. Lo's new work explores the importance of wonder, which sadly tends to fade as we get older. I'm not sure when the last time I felt sincere wonder was...awww, stay golden Ponyboy.

"everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future" is universal, stories that speak to the soul, creating a feeling of awe, comfort, and inspiration, all the while embracing the imagination. The combination between narration and wonder creates vignettes of possibilities, dreamscapes with no specific time and of no specific location, genuine moments which occur with in us all.

"everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future," opens February 5th, 2010. The painting Friendship, below, reminds me of this video: The Animal Odd Couple.

Sara Broski.

Ships. I love em. These prints by Sara Broski are perfect. So delicate and fine. Just perfect. Here and here.