Last weekend, Kim and I spent some time wandering around Andersonville. We stumbled upon Scout, one of many amazing shops along Clark. I was immediately drawn to the artwork of Michael McGuire (my new favorite Chicago artist). I particularly love his pencil and India ink drawings that combine/confuse nature and urbanism.

You can dive deep into his work, process and philosophies on Michael’s blog, but if you want to see his work in person (which I highly recommend), it can be found at Scout or Las Manos Gallery.

I came across a few books by Keri Smith today at The Sweden Shop and instantly became a fan. Her books remind me of the blog post I did on the book Let’s Make Some Great Art. They aren’t really books… they’re more like prompts for 100+ activities to let your inner kid go wild. They’re written in such a way that you feel like she’s talking to you and only you. Like she knows every thought you’re having and is 1 step ahead.

You know how you’re always told to not write in a book, dog ear the pages or get the book wet? She wants you to do the complete opposite — she asks you to cut, write in, scratch out, paste, spill, drench, tear and rip her books. There’s even a spread that just says “Take me in the shower with you.” The point is to make art with no rules. I love the message. And the ideas are just as fun.

Back in December, I did a post about Dose Market, a newish monthly market in the River East Art Center, close to Navy Pier. I’m happy to say that I will be a fellow Doser at the next Market on February 10th! I’ll be selling my jewelry from 10am – 4pm. If you happen to check out the event, go hungry. Trust me, you’ll leave happy. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 in advance online. With your ticket, you get 2 drink tickets. If you happen to go, stop by and say hi!

If you ride a bicycle in a big city, you know how annoying it can be to carry locks, chain your wheels to the frame and remove your seat so it doesn’t get stolen. Well, forget all that. Lee Sang Hwa, Kim Jin Ho and Yeo Min Gu have designed this innovative system called Saddle Lock. The seat rotates down and quickly locks to the rear wheel of a bicycle without the need for additional locking accessories.

Saddle Lock is a 2012 red dot award: design concept winner
images courtesy of Red Dot design Award