The next two weeks will be flora and fauna themed over on curate 1k. It seemed like an easy task, but I found the floral week to be surprisingly difficult to piece together. It was challenging to find interesting, fresh (and affordable!) takes on flowers, but I’m super pleased with the final result.

Katie Vernon, featured above, blends beasts and buds perfectly. I think her illustrations are incredibly sweet and would be perfect in a nursery. You can find more of her signed prints in her Etsy shop. Enjoy!

Inspired by The Jealous Cuartor’s recent post on Sarah Gee and her mesmerizing circles, I’ve put together a collection of $958 worth of hypnotic art over on curate 1k this week.

The trippy and humorous pieces above are by Tuesday’s featured artist, Ben Giles.  Ben’s original collages range in price from $16 to $130 in his Etsy shop, and his artwork can also be found on Society6.

A year ago, shortly after starting curate 1k, I timidly reached out to Kate Singleton of Art Hound. With barely a month of posts under my belt, I was nervous emailing the author of such a successful and beautiful blog, but our shared interests compelled me to hit send.  At that time, Kate was just about to launch Buy Some Damn Art, an exquisitely curated online gallery of affordable, original artwork, which I found completely intriguing and inspiring. Not only did Kate graciously answer my shy email, but she made herself available to me as a source if information and encouragement as I built curate 1k. Her impeccable taste and business savvy continues to inspire me, and I am completely honored to introduce her as curate 1k’s August guest curator. Introducing the lovely Kate Singleton…

I’ve watched as Norah has develop this site from scratch over the last year and am always very impressed by how fun, smart and dedicated she is! All of that good energy goes into the site and you can tell! So it’s great fun for me to play guest curator today. 

I am a sucker for earthy neutrals - it’s a preference I always come back to no matter how much I admire bright and shiny things. In a nutshell I like art that is understated but beautiful, a bit sad but playful. This grouping has one piece from my site Buy Some Damn Art (sorry, but I had to!) by the artist Eva Magill-Oliverwhich I’ve been lusting after since her show launched. In their own way, each of these pieces requires some imagination on the part of the viewer - something I think is essential in good art.

**View Kate’s selections**

Happy 1st Birthday to curate1k!

It’s so hard to believe a whole year has gone by! In the last 12 months, I’ve compiled 240 pieces of affordable art and loved every minute of it. Thanks to everyone for following along! In honor of this special occasion, I’m putting together a little birthday wish list. Enjoy!

| The tempting cakes above are by illustrator Elizabeth Graeber.  The original drawings are available for $23 each in her Etsy shop. |

When I was a little girl, my grandmother and I had a favorite drawing game. She would draw a shape, letter, number, or squiggly line and I then added to it attempting to turn it into something completely different, yet recognizable. Sometimes we would pass the drawing back and forth, each adding a little bit here and there until it morphed into something beautiful. I have very happy memories of this activity, and I think it’s one of the reasons I love Jenna Newton’s work so much. Her drawings are so incredibly organic and free. Each one seems to hint at something - a sea creature, a toy boat, an insect - allowing your imagination to fill in the blanks… just like the drawing game I played with my Nan.

Jenna is Thursday’s featured artist over on curate 1k.  View more of her prints and original drawings in her etsy shop.  Enjoy!

This week, over on curate 1k, I’ll be presenting a small, but completely lovely group of woodland-themed art totaling $996. Wednesday’s featured artist, Graeme Todd, is behind the bold, yet delicate pieces above. Browse more of his work for sale at Edinburgh Printmakers. Enjoy!

Today was a big day.  After an instant and strong connection to Greg Hart’s latest paintings, I pulled the trigger and finally bought one.  I’ve admired Greg’s work for a long time and have studied the evolution of his style on his portfolio site and some of my favorite art blogs.  I thought I missed my chance to own one of his works when his Buy Some Damn Art show sold out super fast, and I suffered serious heartache after missing one Civil War soldier in particular.  I desperately wanted a painting by this artist, but I had to wait for just the right one.  Knowing that Hart’s paintings have sold in the blink of an eye online, I also knew I had to act fast the next time I fell in love.  

I faithfully followed Greg on facebook and subscribed to his newsletter, and it was through social media that I learned new pieces were posted in his shop this morning.  One look and I knew today was the day.  A few minutes and some frantic emails back and forth with my husband later, I was filling out my shipping address.  Ta Da!  The marvel of art collecting and the internet. 

It is important to me, as a proponent of affordable art, not to dismiss the cost of an original piece of work.  This was a sizable chunk of money for me.  I am in no place in life to take a purchase of this size lightly.  But art feels absolutely necessary to me.  As I get older and my tastes become more defined, I find myself connecting to artwork in an intense way.  The pieces I buy are a huge expression of my aesthetic, personality, and values.  While it might take me a lifetime to fill my walls, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Coincidentally, more than a week ago, I was browsing Greg Hart’s online shop and decided to build a collection around another one of his haunting portraits.  You’ll find $990 worth of otherworldly artwork over on curate 1k, ending with none other than Greg Hart.  Enjoy!

A big, happy welcome to July’s guest curator, Lesley Frenz of Artsy Forager! As a devoted “artsie,” I’m thrilled to be featuring her selections, including curate 1k’s first featured sculpture. Here’s Lesley:

Hello Curate 1k readers!  My name is Lesley Frenz and I am super excited to be guest curating this week.  After years of being a single girl in the Florida art world, last year I married the love of my life and he whisked me away to travel throughout the Pacific Northwest with him.  I decided to take advantage of my newlywed gypsy life and began my art blog, Artsy Forager.  I now spend my days doing my absolute favorite thing, searching for and finding exceptional artwork and then sharing it with the world!  

As an art lover on a budget, I love the concept behind Curate 1k and am thrilled to share with you my selections this week.  As an East Coast girl transported to the West Coast, but currently living in Idaho, I’m seriously craving some Sea & Sand!  These pieces will bring the seaside to you, no matter where you happen to be.  Enjoy!

{ The images above represent a handful of Lesley’s favorite Artsy Forager features. From the top, artwork by: Liz Tran, Maribel Angel, Sarah Ashley Longshore, and M. A. Tateishi. }

You’ll find warm colors and whimsy over on curate1k this week, including a print of a proposed book cover by illustrator Delphine Lebourgeois.  I find her work completely magical and had to share several of her non-commissioned book cover designs above.  All were featured in her 2011 solo show “Over the Cover” at Frameless Gallery in London.  Love them so much you have to hang them on your wall right now?  Don’t worry, you can buy prints here. Enjoy! 

I’m pleased to be presenting a week of lazy summer pursuits over on curate1k, including an original painting by Sara Caracristi.  Her work, featured above, gives us a bird’s-eye-view of pedestrians, cyclists, and seemingly rambling crowds of people.  I love the attention paid to their shadows.  You can see more of her work on her portfolio site, blog, and Canada’s Art Interiors.  Enjoy!