Nursing Mother & Baby Statue

With the abundance of artwork on the internet, rarely do I come across a piece that makes me look twice, never mind one that repeatedly draws me back after first viewing. Strikingly beautiful and masterfully crafted, "Mother and Baby" by Russia-born Jakob Wainshtein appeals to me on so many personal levels-as a woman, mother, breastfeeding counselor, woodworking artist. Completely handmade from a solid piece of Basswood, with a French polish covering, this stunning portrait of mother and baby nursing perfectly captures the closeness, simplicity and natural love of this intimate relationship.

Wainshtein has been perfecting his unique art for over 40 years. He is known for his original wooden carvings, artistic photography, industrial ergonomics, and numerous inventions and designs in the area of mechanical engineering. His delicate and unique stylization of the female form is something to behold.

If it were within my means I'd snap this baby up in an instant. Sadly, it is not, but someone should own this lovely piece! You can purchase this and other wonderful works from Wainshtein's Etsy shop: Jakobarts

look: Ian Francis

I just stumbled onto Ian Francis yesterday, and already I'm head over heels in love. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to own of his limited edition, signed prints or giclees, but ranging from $500-1400.00, that won't be for a long, long time. I opted instead to go with this custom framed from ArtPassions.com. With free shipping, the framed, print and mat came in at under $100, a much better fit for my current budget.

"A Girl Contemplates Romance/Suicide"

From the Lieberman Gallery website: Ian Francis draws his inspiration from modern life, particularly television, world events, celebrities and day-to-day living. His work is about pornography and news reports from war zones, instead of sex and death. Ian uses a mixture of painting, drawing, photography and scans of textures which are all layered together then edited digitally. "I'm interested in life, small inter-personal relationships, celebrities etc. Against the backdrop are a lot of huge apocalyptic things that you read about or see in the news that aren't always immediately obvious when you walk out the door".

Some sites where you can view/purchase his work:
BLK/MRKT Editions | Ian Francis Prints
Fine Art on Canvas | Lemaze Studio | Ian Francis
Prime Arts | Ian Francis Biography
CollectorPrints.co.uk | Ian Francis Prints