nine cool things on a tuesday

October 7, 2025October 5, 2025 ~ jama ~ 24 Comments

“October is the treasure of the year,/And all the months pay bounty to her store . . . ” ~ Paul Laurence Dunbar

1. Happy October!! Surely the prettiest fall month. Poland-based artist Asia Spettel’s cozy “cottagecore” paintings are the perfect way to celebrate the season.

I couldn’t find any information online about her other than she works mainly in acrylics and enjoys imagining herself in the scenes she paints.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind sitting on that porch sipping tea and nibbling on cake, or hanging out in this lakeside kitchen with soup bubbling on the stove, a plate of cinnamon rolls and a copy of Wuthering Heights on the table. My kind of place! It’s so much fun studying all the details.

Don’t you love the beautiful rustic colors and the animals that wander through her pictures (fox is my favorite)? Of course her table settings, filled with fruit and baked treats, are what caught my eye in the first place. 🙂 In these crazy times, Asia’s work provides much needed comfort and solace.

You can purchase originals, prints, and postcards featuring Asia’s work at her Etsy Shop. Other places to enjoy her online: FB Page and Instagram.

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alma berrow butts in

April 8, 2025April 5, 2025 ~ jama ~ 5 Comments

No ifs, ands, or buts about it: An Alma Berrow still-life sculpture grabs your attention, makes you smile, enables you to see the mundane detritus of everyday life in a new way.

Who’d have ever imagined that ashtrays and cigarette butts could be so intriguing? Or that whatever is left over or left behind, when immortalized in ceramics, is strong enough to have its own thought-provoking narrative? Thanks to Berrow’s creations, inconsequential items we ordinarily dismiss — pistachio shells, note scraps, coins, even moldy lemons — demand we take a second look.

Based in London, Berrow (b. 1992) initially studied Fashion and Textiles at Falmouth University, then spent the next ten years or so working in various creative industries (Pastry Chef, Artist Assistant, Creative Youth Worker, Hospitality). It wasn’t until the 2020 lockdown, when she relocated to Dorset, that she began experimenting with ceramics in her mother’s studio. Her first pieces included small boxes with little body parts on them, a lighter and matches, and of course, cigarette stubs (the ashtrays came later).

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nine cool things on a tuesday

February 6, 2024August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 8 Comments

1. Happy February!! Pancakes, anyone?

We’re flippin’ out over Gwen van Knippenberg’s charming art. Known for their beautiful colors and minute detail, Gwen’s feel-good paintings capture the cozy comforts of home and family life, the joys of nature and gardening, and the sheer enchantment of simple things.

Based in the Netherlands, Gwen recently became a full-time artist after spending many years at home raising her four children. I love studying the people in her pictures and imagining their stories. She depicts children with a sweetness and warmth that’s so life affirming.

Naturally my favorites are the kitchen scenes, showing families cooking, baking, or eating together. Can’t you just imagine the heavenly aromas of the delicious homemade treats they’re making?

Look at the hug yourself adorableness of this baby and teddy in a washtub! And how good those clothes hanging on the line must smell after drying in the fresh air!

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nine cool things on a tuesday

October 3, 2023August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 22 Comments

1. It’s Octo-boo-ber! Come join this friendly autumnal gathering courtesy of children’s book author-illustrator Naoko Stoop. You may know her as the creator of the Red Knit Cap Girl picture books — see her up there with her woodland friends?

Originally from Japan, Naoko now lives and works in Brooklyn. Her favorite mediums are pastel, pencil, watercolor, gouache and acrylic, though during the pandemic she started to draw more and more digitally. She paints on used paper grocery bags and leftover plywood from a speaker factory in her neighborhood. She has loved art since childhood and is entirely self taught.

Inspired by everyday life, her mottos are “Stay authentic. Stay at your finest.” I enjoy following her on FB; her pictures are true to her description of being “cozy and comfy art therapy,” and I like the gentle innocence and sweet animals. Her intention is to “bring out the five-year-old in people” through her artwork.

For more, visit Naoko’s Website, X (Twitter), Instagram and Facebook Page. To purchase prints, please email her directly via her website.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

November 30, 2021August 24, 2025 ~ jama ~ 21 Comments

“*Emperor Penguin Chick” by Ashley Wolff*

1. Ho Ho Ho and Happy Almost December! So, are you feeling festive this week? If, by chance, you need a little holiday lift, please enjoy some of Ashley Wolff’s gorgeous art.

Isn’t this penguin chick adorable? Ashley’s handpainted one-of-a-kind mini bird ornaments would make the perfect gift for a special someone — or maybe it’s just the thing to give your tree an added touch of beauty. 🙂

These 3” by 3” ornaments are painted with acrylic gouache and mounted on a painted 4.5” easel. These can either be hung or set on a table or shelf for display. Nice way to own an original piece of art!

Many of you know Ashley from her wonderful picture books — the beloved Miss Bindergarten series, Baby Bear, Compost Stew, etc., but did you know she’s also an accomplished landscape painter? I’m blown away by her versatility as an artist, and love her Vermont landscapes as much as I do her book illustrations.

Check out her Etsy Shop for limited edition prints, original paintings, and of course, lots of bird and keepsake ornaments. For even more, check out my recent interviews with Ashley for How to Help a Pumpkin Grow, and Only the Cat Saw.