Music: Beyoncé

 
We interrupt 2013 to bring you Beyoncé. Mrs. Carter dropped her fifth (visual) album directly to iTunes last week - a complete surprise to both her fans and the industry.
 
"I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” she said. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans. There’s so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans.”
 

Love Lives: Marcus + Luke, Part 2

 

It was the Instagram event of the year! Luke and Marcus got married.

 

When we last left off with these guys (Love Lives: Marcus + Luke), Luke was traveling the world and it wasn't clear if he'd make home in Los Angeles to be with Marcus. Happily, he has and recently the two were married in what looked to be a small ceremony with family and friends.

Education: Hubert le Gall

I have been on the hunt for colored mirrors. I first fell in love with this idea over a year ago when Caviar 20 featured a beautiful "Blue Yves" Large Art Deco Mirror. Now I find myself searching for colorful reflection for a project I'm working on in Los Angeles.

Art: Grace Coddington for Vogue

 
Grace Coddington is a former model and the brilliant creative director for American Vogue.
 
In 2003, she embarked on an ambitious shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz to convey the story of Lewis Carrolls' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. 

Art: Alec Monopoly

You'll soon realize this post has nothing directly to do with Tom. I know, I'm breaking the rules for my topic of Tom! Hear me out though.

Art: Tom of Finland

 

Tom of Finland is a huge artistic inspiration in my life. I have three of his books (with plenty more on my Amazon Wish List) and am constantly studying his style of sketching when I work on my own art pieces. I love the way he outlines the form and shadows his work.

Art: Tom Bianchi

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Art: Carol Sims

Nothing is more exciting than re-interpretation. It's usually the credit that's given to Madonna for her substantial career over several decades (she's way more than an image!). And it's what draws me to the above artwork by Carol Sims. I love the re-interpretation of colors.

Wild Inside: The Original Martinique Wallpaper

You saw that Wild banana leaf print on the Tahiti Deck Chair but where did it's inspiration come from? Wallpaper!

The original Martinique "A" Wallpaper and it's variations have been featured everywhere. From stylish Tribeca lofts, to the Beverly Hills Hotel, to even the set of the Golden Girls. In fact, it has been dubbed "one of the most recognizable wallpapers in the world".

Art: Kevin Earl Taylor

 

Love this contemporary spin on a wild scene. Kevin Earl Taylor is a multimedia artist who live and works in San Francisco, California.

Art: Ruud Van Empel

Ruud Van Empel is an internationally known Dutch artist with a complex working method.

Empel graduated Cum Laude from the Academie St. Joost and worked briefly as a designer before devoting his attention to making free video tapes and staged photography. He worked as a creative director for theatre décor and was the artistic director for various television and film productions.

Art: Jeff Depner

Another stunning look at this months favorite color, pink, used in art.

Your Needs Met by David LaChapelle

One of my favorite artists is David LaChapelle and I wanted to share this image from his 1985 series, "Your Needs Met". It is an alternative image of Cupid in celebration of my Romance theme.

LaChapelle is not just an artist though. He is a photographer, film director, and music video director who has worked with numerous celebrities and directed videos for Britney Spears ("Everytime) and Gwen Stefani ("Rich Girl") to name a few.

Art: Arlene Love

Cupid has got some serious explaining to do. Actually, this isn't the handy work of Cupid. But when the artist is Arlene Love it's easy to interpret it as a sort of "Cupid's Miss". Isn't all art open for interpretation?

Art: Duane Michals

The Most Beautiful Part of a Man's Body
I think it must there, where the torso sits
on and into the hips,
Those twin delineating curves,
Feminine in grace, girdling the trunk,
Guiding the eyes downwards
to their intersection,
The point of pleasure.

One of my all time favorite works of photography, "The Most Beautiful Part of a Man's Body" by Duane Michals.

Art: Romero Britto

Celebrating Romance, another look at the color pink creatively used in art by Romero Britto.

Britto is a Brazilian-American Neo-Pop artist, painter, serigrapher, and sculptor. He combines elements of cubism, pop art, and graffiti painting to create beautiful and interesting pieces of work. He has worked commerically with brands like Absolut Vodka, Movado, Disney, BMW, and the United Nations.

Art: Chris Bracey

A neon kind of love. The kind that glows in the dark and attracts like a motel sign to a weary traveler. A perfect description for the amazing art by Chris Bracey.

Featured at one of my favorite gallery's in Los Angeles, Guy Hepner, here is some biographical information on Bracey from Hepner's website.