I’m not sure why I’ve been so reluctant to write something thought provoking for a while now, but my write up about the Venice food scene was a fun one. Then I stumbled on Twitter’s #PortfolioDay, which inspired me with whimsical, beautiful and wildly talented artistry, so I decided I had to share it in lieu of something meatier. Maybe this will help me get back on the bandwagon.
I guess #PortfolioDay is an annual thing. It’s funny how you can just decide to declare a day for something and if you do it enough and enough people do it with you, it becomes a more formal thing. Like International Sibling Day or Ice Cream Day. I once had an idea to hand out short, handwritten compliment cards to people and calling it, Say Something Nice Day. There’s some logistical things to think about there but wouldn’t it be nice if for at least a single day of the year, we’re all just a bit nicer to each other?
Anyway, onto the art. I’ve attempted to stack rank them but I like all of them nearly equally and coincidentally there are 10, which feels like a good whole number.
First up, these stunning paintings, which reminded me of something Miyazaki might have done. I can feel Totoro or Kiki popping out of the corner or the sky of any of these beautiful pieces. Even though I said I love them equally, this one is the best of the bunch. S/O Alariko
I really like the mixing of textures in the top left image—between the texture of her dress and the rest of the piece. I’ve always enjoyed the slightly sad or thoughtful lighting that some artists utilize in their work. It’s that lighting that I ascribe to New York all the time. Sort of sad, sort of thoughtful, but always over something very detailed and also quite personal, like you’ve been there or seen that view. S/O Tishk Barzanji
So. much. fun! I feel like the wind is blowing through me as I look at these. This character feels so real and reminds me of what a female Avatar might look like. I guess that’s Korra, but this version feels sharper, where Korra feels gentle. The details of the water on her sword and the fan are unreal. I wanna see it move. S/O Kan Liu
And here again is that New York sadness, loneliness, gloomy feeling but all the while, it’s beautiful and personal. These images look clearly of another city than mine, but the feeling is familiar. And damn, that detail. S/O Marceau Nakayama
This one reminded me of my mom, particularly the top left! It feels like what she’d look like if she were some sort of forest-dwelling creature with higher powers. I love the details and tie to nature of these, they feel so friendly and cute. I’d love the top left one as a print. Reminds me of Animal Sleep Stories. S/O Ibon Adarne
This one reminded me of something a few of the men in my life would enjoy. I’ve always deeply enjoyed the comic-book-but-still-sorta-realistic style of this. The darkness of it all is so powerful. I like the top left one, with his hunched over posture, it’s almost as if he’s real. The bottom right is also a favorite, that tiger heard is superb! S/O POISONP1NK
I love this whimsical one equally as much as the former but for completely different reasons! This too reminds me of a Miyazaki piece, namely of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Those massive armadillo-looking things feel as if they’re drawn in a similar style. Feels like these should be on a deck of cards. I really enjoyed the top left and bottom right, headless sorcerers abound! S/O Scott Higginbotham
Mmmmm this one makes me feel at peace. These little detailed posters of sorts. The cross sections of rocks in the upper right graphic are particularly satisfactory. I’d love to see a brochure of each National Park done in this style. It reminds me of something you might find on Real Fun Wow or something commissioned by Parks Project. I miss the outdoors. Also look at the rest of her work, it’s beautiful. S/O Olivia Sullivan
Toddler Nina would have killed to have a doll house like these growing up. I mean look at the attention to detail! It’s unreal. I couldn’t help wondering how painstakingly long it must have taken to create each individual leaf and to get just the right curvature to make it all look so damn cute. The more you look the more you find and wonder, who has the patience for this?! S/O Nicky Blender (she makes music too!)
And last but certainly not least, this little colorful, modern, and very much on trend style that you see so much of and yet I never get sick of. I’m not blown away by it, but there’s something very pleasant about soft colors with rounded edges, overlaying each other. They’re so calming, I just wanted to share. S/O Trevor Basset
Take a look at the rest of the work from #PortfolioDay and let me know if you find one you like or commission work from these artists! People love art as gifts, I think. I would and my birthday is coming up 😉.
Have a wonderful week my friends, stay ~cool~ out there.
very, very cool work! (said the forest creature with powers)
side note: toddler Nina cared for fire engine trucks and water guns, not so much doll houses lul