Pretty Southern

Tag: art

  • Decorating With Vintage Letters

    Decorating With Vintage Letters

    Hello lovelies!  Today I would love to introduce to you a new series I am working on for Pretty Southern called Decorating With.  It will be a guide to decorating with a certain item, trend, color, or idea each week.  This week I want to introduce the idea of decorating with Vintage Letters.

    This is something that has been somewhat trendy and often featured at online sites like Archute but has not gotten to the point of being overdone or too much.  My husband and I are constantly on the lookout for unique, old, wood or metal letters; but you certainly don’t have to be a designer or type junkie to love this idea.  It is a great, one-of-a-kind way to personalize a space, whether it be a child’s room or a modern kitchen.  Use a random collection to spell out a name or add a moniker or personal mantra to your favorite room.  While this might not be an original decorating idea, it will most definitely be personal to you and your combination of letters will be completely unique to your space and arrangement.

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    So where do you find your very own vintage letters?  While some big chain home design stores may have jumped on this idea and began producing their own “vintage” style letters- they are sure to be overpriced and less special than that one of a kind treasure you will be seeking out.  My top choices for searching for authentic vintage letters are online sources, flea markets, and architectural salvage stores.  Online sites like etsy.com, ebay, or amazon have great, already curated finds that would make it easy for you to seek out specific letters when trying to spell out a name, quote, or initials.  If you are not hunting for a specific set of letters then you may have more fun trying your luck at a flea market or an architectural salvage store.  These may take more hunting, but that’s half the fun of decorating, and a bit of elbow grease to get your letters into display-worthy shape- but you can finds tons of treasures for cheap at places like this! 

    So take a look around your house and see if there is a room that could use a little sprucing up or personalization.  How sweet would it be to spell out your baby’s name in a found collection of classic letters?  Or to put together as a lovely gift for a friend moving into their first home?  So the next time you are out thrifting or flea market hunting be on the lookout for your next decorating treasure!

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    image sources: image 1, image 2, image 3, featured image.

    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KatHeadShot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kat Kraszeski-Jackson is an art teacher, artist, and diy crafter living in Greensboro, NC. She loves sharing her favorite artists, projects, and creative inspiration here on Pretty Southern.[/author_info] [/author]

  • Marco Suarez Southern Landscapes

    Marco Suarez Southern Landscapes

    Marco Suarez is a photographer, artist, designer, and musician living in Greenville, South Carolina.  His take on Southern landscapes is absolutely stunning.  He uses photo retouching services to give his circular photographs a moody and mysterious vibe that immediately draw you in to the stories of the south.  While he has worked all over the world, I am immediately drawn to his lovely scenes of Tennessee mountains.  One look at these photos will take you back to a hazy morning in the Blue Ridge Mountains, standing on your cabin’s porch, sipping coffee, and breathing in the scenery. 

    Marco’s work also includes bright, playful scenes of the beaches of Florida- reminiscient of 1960’s South Beach with crisp blues and mid-century architecture.  These will immediately transport you to a warm summers day, soaking in the sun on a sandy Southern beach.

    Marco’s other work includes amazing colorful collages, clean graphics, and intricate web designs.  Read about and check out more of his work here on his site.  You can buy prints of some of his beautiful work here. Bravo, Marco, for creating such a unique, enlightened vision on some of our favorite Southern scenery!

     

     

     

    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KatHeadShot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kat Kraszeski-Jackson is an art teacher, artist, and diy crafter living in Greensboro, NC. She loves sharing her favorite artists, projects, and creative inspiration here on Pretty Southern.[/author_info] [/author]

  • Three Ways to Dress Up a Greeting Card

    Three Ways to Dress Up a Greeting Card

    Did you know that you can craft personalised photo keyrings all by yourself? It’s craft time again!  Today I want to share with you three super easy ways to dress up a blank greeting card.  Many of us have these blank cards laying around, in the office desk or craft cabinet, that we meant to fill in and send but just never got around to.  Well, summer is the perfect time to pull out the art supplies and vinyl sticker printers, add a personal touch to one of those blank cards, and send a thoughtful note to someone you love.  These three techniques take mere seconds but will add color and life to a blank surfece.  And best of all, any one can pull these off!

    1.  Tape it! That’s right, simply take some decorative tape (I love these japanese washi tapes from cutetape.com) and create stripes across the front of your blank card.  Vertical or horizontal, straight or diagonal, any way you like.  I think these simple stripes have a perfect preppy look.

    2.  Spray it! This one is so easy and can be personalized in so many ways.  Use that leftover spray paint you have in your garage and find something in your home to create a stencil from.  Almost ANYthing will work for this- lace, material, feathers, buttons, leaves, old toys, jewelry, and for mine I used an old paper doily leftover from Valentine’s Day.  So dig through the junk drawer or cabinets and find those little trinkets that would make a great stencil.  Make sure it is something flat enough to create a strong silhouette and do this one OUTSIDE!

    3.  Paint it! For a sophisticated card that looks so much more expensive than it is, go for a watercolor wash.  Use your child’s basic set of watercolor paints to create a gorgeous abstract texture.  The trick here is to let the paint do the work and not try to be too in control.  Make sure you have a thick paper card for this one and follow these easy steps: First wet the surface of the card with clean, plain water.  Then wet your paints enough that your brush gets really saturated with color.  Simply drop the brush down on the card’s surface and let the water do the rest- it will move the paint around the surface.  Add another color (preferably one close to the first so that they will match) and let the water and paint mix across the surface for a marbled effect.  You can even lift the card and tilt it back and forth to create the desired effect with your paint.  Let these dry flat and you will have an elegant card full of sophisticated Southern style!

    Do these with a friend or loved one for an even better time and then send off to someone who needs a greeting!

    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KatHeadShot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kat Kraszeski-Jackson is an art teacher, artist, and diy crafter living in Greensboro, NC. She loves sharing her favorite artists, projects, and creative inspiration here on Pretty Southern.[/author_info] [/author]

    All photos by Kat, 2011.

  • Vintage Inspiration for a Southern Artist

    Vintage Inspiration for a Southern Artist

    North Carolina artist and illustrator Jordan Grace Owens has a knack for making things.  Pretty, wonderful, quirky, vintage-inspired things that will make you smile.  From her tiny, moveable paper dolls to her large scale original paintings; Jordan’s style is all her own.

    Jordan often pulls inspiration from the well-worn and well-loved; like early to mid-century movies, records and books, vintage design, and old snapshots.  She explains this fascination with the past by saying “I especially love vintage photographs and I often look to them to inspire new portraits, characters or illustrations. Some of my photos come from flea markets and vintage shops (so the people are anonymous) but I also love to mine my grandmother’s collection of snapshots from the 1930s – 1970s. Her family comes from Virginia and my grandfather’s hails from Alabama, so there’s absolutely a lot of 20th century southern culture influencing my work.”  She has painted several portraits of her grandmother and great-grandmother when they were twenty-somethings.  She also likes to paint the anonymous girls from found photographs, trying to invent their personalities and stories as she works.

    Her desire to create and freedom to be expressive came at an early age.  The daughter of a Winston-Salem, NC-based elementary school art teacher, Jordan says “I had access to messy art supplies and was drawing on my bedroom walls from as young as I can remember.”  She was always encouraged in her artistic pursuits as a kid.  This early work proved beneficial about five years ago when the handmade site, Etsy, was first taking off and Jordan decided she wanted to be a part of the independent craft movement that was emerging.  “I did a stint in graphic design school where I learned about packaging and marketing and then I really found my niche within the crafty/maker community and began to shape a career out of it.”

    Jordan has work in shops and galleries internationally, but still finds a lot of her time and energy is focused right here in the South.  She explains this long-standing work connection by saying, “I do a lot of art and craft shows around the Southeast — in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, so I’m constantly exposed to and inspired by other Southern artists and makers and the Southern independent craft scene.”  She also works closely with area organizations and events, lending her recognizable style of illustration to things like promotional t-shirts and posters.

    Around our hometown of Greensboro, NC Jordan’s work is instantly recognizable to most artist, designers,and creative types.  As her art and popularity continues to grow around the world, selling work in her Etsy shop and in various galleries and shops, her roots remain grounded in the South.  “Living in the south in the 21st century is great because through the internet, you can make connections anywhere from wherever you call home. I love living in the south amongst the tobacco heritage and good manners and southern drawls, while sending the pretty little things I make with my own two hands to people all around the world.”  Here in the South we are proud to call you one of our own, Jordan!

    Read even more about Jordan Grace Owens on her site jordangrace.com and shop her whimsical designs on her Etsy shop, Hollandsworth.


    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KatHeadShot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kat Kraszeski-Jackson is an art teacher, artist, and diy crafter living in Greensboro, NC. She loves sharing her favorite artists, projects, and creative inspiration here on Pretty Southern.[/author_info] [/author]

  • Coastal Inspiration

    Coastal Inspiration

    Drawing from my week spent here on the beautiful North Carolina coast (Duck, NC to be exact- on the Outer Banks) I have been inspired by the sights, sounds, and textures of the beach.  These are some of my favorite beach-inspired finds, all from everyone’s favorite handmade market place, Etsy.  First imagine yourself down on the coast- and the south has plenty of them from North Carolina’s Outer Banks stretching around Florida’s crystal coast, all the way into the Gulf of Mexico.  Take in the sounds of waves crashing, breathe in the salty air, and feel the warm sun and wind on your skin.  Now you’re ready to bring that beach inspiration into your home and wardrobe with these lovely handmade goods.

    First, slip on this gorgeous peacock ore ring from A Lovely Little Shop. It is one of a kind and it’s swirls of blue, teals, and gold will remind you of the ocean and all of its various hues.

    Next throw your essentials into this adorable pastel makeup bag by Scout and Catalogue.  The fabrics for these come from thrift store finds that are then upcycled into these gorgeous pieces that will remind you of sun-kissed beach days.

    Hang the quirky beach umbrella print by Alice B. Gardens photography seen above for a instant summery face lift in any room of your home.  Or if you lean more towards the abstract, display this beautiful beach-hued original abstract painting by Tracy Kafka.

    Lastly, before running out the door, throw on this truly unique triple starfish headband by Dreams By the Sea for a summer look that screams beach babe.  Pair it with a simple sundress or distressed denim shirt for a look that is laid-back cool, just like your last coastal getaway.

    Check out etsy for more unique handmade and vintage finds that will surely make your summer home and wardrobe the most original around.

    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KatHeadShot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kat Kraszeski-Jackson is an art teacher, artist, and diy crafter living in Greensboro, NC. She loves sharing her favorite artists, projects, and creative inspiration here on Pretty Southern.[/author_info] [/author]

  • Southern Roots Influence Modern Design

    Southern Roots Influence Modern Design

    Noelle O’Reilly founded her etsy shop, Priss Designs after graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Design. Afterwards, she needed to find an outlet for her creative side. 

    Her work is modern, digital art but has a strong influence from her Southern roots, having grown up in rural southwestern Albany, Ga. You can see the influence of nature throughout her designs, whether in bird silhouettes, repeating birch trees, or vintage leaves; and she describes her work as “rustic modern.”

    Chrysanthemum on Blue 8×10 Print

    Noelle grew up in a family that worked with their hands, made the things that they needed, and were a part of the handmade community long before it was trendy. Her grandparents grew, canned, and sold vegetables out of a wooden store her grandfather built, plus her dad is a mechanic who has always known the importance of making something by hand. 

    She says that, “growing up in an environment where everyone makes what they need with their hands, it really influenced me to want to make things myself, and also influences me to support the handmade movement in general.” It was not until college, originally pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering, that Noelle decided she needed to find a degree that would better fit her desire to create and work with her hands the way her family always had. That is when she made the switch to Industrial Design.

    Custom Couple Tree Print

    Fast forward to today and Noelle is keeping busy with her etsy shop, selling designs that are a fresh, clean-lined take on the nature of southern Georgia that inspired her while growing up.  She has combined these natural references with her experiences at an engineering school and a design degree to create truly unique work with a special Southern flair.  She knows her roots are in the South and has let that help shape the creative person that she always had in her!

    Bird on Yellow 8×10 Print

    Be sure to check out Noelle’s shop, Priss Designs, where she is offering Pretty Southern readers free shipping for all of 2011.  Just use the code “FREESHIP11” at checkout!  You can also read more about her background and her creative process on her blog, Priss This.