Oh the young and the restless, always discovering new ways to up the art game. Kemi Mai is a British artist that creates paintings using a tablet and photoshop. Yep, no brushes were used in the process – other than the ones in PS.

I love to see how people use new technology (even though photoshop has been around for a while) to create new works of art that emulate classic styles. I swear I thought the very first photo in this post was a painting, you can almost see the texture of the paint!

Kemi’s work is full of gorgeous patterns and soft earthy colours. There’s even a bit of a high fashion vibe in it, don’t you think?

Follow Kemi’s work on Instagram (your feed will thank you for it!) and peruse around her Society6 store to get some of her prints (LOVE the ‘Start Over’ one).

I think it’s save to say, that it’s not common to see some awesome artwork and think to yourself “ew”. In her series titled Blown, Julie Randall documents this “cheeky pleasure” with the use of colour pencil and paper. Yes, these are drawings. Of chewing gum.

It’s not like we haven’t seen chewed gum before – you can reach under your desk right now to feel some fossilized souvenir left by a stranger – but it’s the fact that someone made it look so beautiful and artful.

Also, Julie has the best intro to her series; a romantic description that makes you look at this nasty habit from another angle. Read it all in here.

Happy Friday amigos!

Wow, this week went flying didn’t it? Monday came and first thing you know, boom! You’re already making Easter eggs.

Today I have a little interview for you with collage artist Jenny Brown. I found Jenny’s art while browsing through Mammoth and Company - a mega cool site where you can buy beautiful, affordable art. The colour, details and jellyfish-like shapes in Jenny’s work made my heart skip a beat – hence, she’s an Artful Friday-ee.

Sit down, get comfy and enjoy the interview!

T.A.D. Who is Jenny Brown?

Jenny: I am an artist living and working in Providence, Rhode Island. My primary mediums are drawing and collage, and I have a special interest in working with found materials.

T.A.D. When did you start making art?

Jenny: I began making art as a child. I loved drawing houses and creating my own blueprints and city maps. I got serious about my work when I was about 19 and a student at Bennington, and at the time was very focused on painting.

T.A.D. What or who influences your art?

Jenny: I am influenced by nature in the sense that I feel like I am always trying to “understand” the natural world in my work. My lifelong hobby of collecting antiques brought me to my interest in found papers, photographs and books.

I felt as I began to mature as an artist, I needed to find a way to bring these found materials into my work. As for artists, one of my earliest influences was the work of Philip Guston. Right now, I love looking at the work of Mary Delaney, a British artist who created an amazing series of botanical drawings in the 1700s.

T.A.D. What’s on your current playlist?

Jenny: the past weeks I’ve been listening to The Black Keys, Radiohead’s “The Bends,” Kate Bush and jazz works by Wes Montgomery. An odd collection, I know, but it keeps me going!

T.A.D. What do you do to recharge your creative batteries?

Jenny: When I get frustrated with my work, I like to step away and do something completely different…errands, clean, buckle down at my day job. And always, after a few hours away, I feel calmer. I remember how lucky I am to be able to make art, and that I need to remember it isn’t something to stress about, but rather, something to have fun with and enjoy!

Great advice Jenny! I think sometimes all us get trapped in the stress ball of “I HAVE to do [insert occupation/hobby here]” and we forget about the fun part. Whether you’re creating art as hobby or as a full-time job, you should always remember to enjoy it! If you don’t, then creativity will say laters dude! Gonna get a new mind to inspire, and you don’t want that right?

Lucky for you it’s the long weekend! So take some time for yourself – pamper your soul. Promise?

Jenny! Thanks so much for your time and sharing a little glimpse into your creative life.

Happy weekend everyone :)

Don’t forget to give Jenny some LOVE by sending her a tweet or visiting her site. Even better, get some of her beautiful art over at Mammoth and Company.

Well hello.

How’s life? Over here it is full of baked apples, tea and work. Odd mix? Nope, just the perfect mix for the rainy season. Except for too much work.

I am also creating a new home for this blog. I like the easy interface that WordPress offers, but I dislike the design! I can’t stand having the same template and having no room to change it around. That being said – creating a brand new blog is no easy task. Bare with me.

In the meantime let’s enjoy some miscellaneous drawings and paintings by Petra Cortright.

Now if you excuse me, I gotta bake more apples.

The current forecast – showers with 15% chance of flurries.

The Gbox forecast – explosive colors with 100% chance of awesome.

“Artificiere” Fireworks by Rosemarie Fiore (click on them to see the full image). Boom!

Amazing what color can do for you on rainy days huh? For more of this pyrotechnical magic, visit Rosemarie’s site.

By the way, a big thank you to the latest subscribers of the blog – you guys are awesome. It totally makes my day when I get an email notification saying “so and so have subscribed to The Gbox” . What about you mystery reader, have you subscribed?

Many cyber hugs for you all.

G.