Art Favorites & Little Potions 🧴✨🎨

​​Favorite Artist Features 🎨💫

I share a lot about my own art, so it feels only right to share some of the artists who inspire me most. If you have been following along, you already know my parents and especially my cat are at the top of that list, but here are a few more that have really shaped my world.

I discovered Os Gemeos, which means twins in Portuguese, while traveling in Amsterdam my senior year of college. My parents made me a deal that they would pay for museums while I was traveling across Europe with a friend, so naturally we went all in. We visited around 18 museums in Amsterdam, but one stood out the most.

The MOCO Museum.

That is where I saw it. A massive, whimsical painting filled with bright patterns and centered around this dreamy yellow character that felt like it came from another world. I followed that piece around the room like it was alive. I was completely obsessed.

That painting introduced me to Os Gemeos, and they are still one of my favorite artists today. Their work pulls from their hip hop background and tells urban stories through vibrant colors, playful characters, and layered textures. They use everything from paint to cotton balls to rhinestones, and often include the sweetest little dog that I can only assume is their own.

During Covid, that same piece ended up in a gallery in New York and the price dropped. I told my dad it would be the best investment he could ever make. He trusted me, and somehow that piece ended up in our hands. Getting to see it up close like that felt unreal. It completely shifted the way I think about art.

Another artist I love is Nhozagri, a Beijing based artist I discovered while living with a host family after my junior year of high school. I found her work at the 798 Art Zone and immediately fell in love. She creates these tiny, whimsical creatures using pastel and fluorescent colors that feel like they exist in their own little universe. Her work feels soft, surreal, and magical all at once.

Finished One, Onto the Next 🐶➡️🐱

Last week I finished a dog portrait and immediately jumped into my next commission, a cat. This dog piece felt a little different from my usual style. It leaned more into a modern art feel, almost like a subtle nod to Lichtenstein. I painted the bandana by first building up all the shades of yellow, including shadows and highlights, and then layered a pattern of

colored dots over it that matched the background. It ended up being one of the most graphic and stylized pieces I have done in a while, which was really fun to explore outside of my usual blended style.

Alongside that, I also hand drew a little invitation design for my dad to use for an upcoming event he is hosting. It is going to have live music and of course the famous Lexington BBQ, so I wanted it to feel playful, welcoming, and very on theme. It was fun to switch gears and create something that lives outside of a canvas and gets to invite people into an experience.

The Things I Keep: Perfume Edition 🧴✨

I have also started the third piece in my series, “The Things I Keep.”

This time, I am painting my collection of perfumes. To me, they feel less like objects and more like tiny potions. Each one holds a mood, a memory, a version of you.

I started by mixing a custom green background and then began building out the forms of the bottles. There is something so magical about the way perfume sits inside glass. The way light bends through it, the way the colors glow, the way each bottle feels like it is holding something secret.

Mindfulness? 🌿

Still figuring this one out. Trying to slow down, be present, and not let my brain run the whole show all the time. Some days are better than others, but I think even asking the question counts for something.

With love and color,

Rosalie