If you are looking for a homegrown solution to your "lack of art" problem
MCB favorite Smiling Eyes Studios over at Russell Industrial Center is having a pretty decent sale on 2008 artwork through December 31st....
Check out the website here and read a little about the gal behind the brush below:
A little about Julie Fournier - Founder of Smiling Eyes Studio - Detroit
Born in Detroit in 1965, Julie's work is shaped and influenced by modern American culture (i.e.: the cold war and it's end, the birth of cable television, the explosion of the computer age (with it's impact on art and design), changes in her hometown since her birth, and the feminist movement).
Her work explores the immense impact these events have on our lives, our psyches and our relationships with each other.In 1997 Julie founded SmilingEyes Studio, a professional fine arts studio, so she could dedicate herself to pursuing her career as an artist. Although she quit school at 18 to raise her first child, in 2005 she finally achieved a lifelong goal and graduated college (from Wayne State University, obtaining a degree in Industrial Design with honors, Cum Laude). I
n 2007 she achieved another lifelong goal and settled into a large studio to pursue painting full time. Known by many for her oil paintings, she is far from satisfied practicing one discipline; Julie considers herself to be a multi-media artist.Neo Realism best describes Julie's style. Often overlooked aspects of daily life inspire her. This central concept can be found in the many different media she uses to rediscover the banal or forgotten in all its innate beauty. Her graphite drawings isolate objects in minute detail, focusing attention on such sights as the intricate lines in a pair of blue jeans.
By painting glassware she utilizes the metaphor of the transparent vessel and, through a playful yet defined sprinkling of color and shape, turns the utilitarian form into a fuller sensual experience. The stained glass mosaics and painted furniture artwork she does often utilize found objects, bringing society's discards to center stage. The subjects she chooses for her oil paintings are taken from everyday modern life, challenging traditional notions of beauty, social class and human interaction.Julie's vision is built on her ability to see things that the crowd has passed by in its haste to move on to the next sensation.
Focusing on the missed opportunity, the bypassed alternative, the meaning and wonder working within subjects or moments, Julie's work is accessible by way of conveying what her artist's eye has seen: capturing moments and sensations and freezing them in time so they can be shared. Ultimately Julie's work is about focusing the viewer's attention on relationships within the world around them.Currently Julie is working full time as an artist and freelance designer. When she's not at her studio, Julie plays pool, wrenches on her classic Mustang, or pinstripes cars under the name "Dee Striper".