Michelle Morin’s works are beautifully detailed natural scenes depicting flora and fauna. Each of her pieces is full of painted texture, and puts an earthy calm spin on classical animal paintings. As a once professional gardener, she has a unique insight into her subject matter. I think it makes all the difference, don’t you?

Mark Alsweiler has some new work out and it’s just as intriguing as his last. Each piece is eerie, full of color and texture, and references a different time. I love the pilgrim like characters who seem to have wandered into a different dimension. His work shows people doing normal tasks in this disappearing, melting atmosphere. I’m excited to see what’s up next for this talented gent.

The subjects of Ridley Howard’s paintings dwell within a dreamy, still world that seems frozen in time. His figures are executed in simple but believable form; rounded at the edges and in soft focus, they are flawless characters suggestive of stylized CGI on the precipice of the uncanny valley. The scale of his paintings range dramatically, but regardless of size, his work feels intimate and yet enveloping. Abstract nooks of color takes form in between background corners – a crevice painted powder blue behind a man’s neck, a patch of yellow between two lover’s embracing. These details might initially go unnoticed, but the mood they provoke resounds.

Hailing from the Edinburgh College of Art, Sarah Muirhead’s portraits of eccentric strangers conjure an immediate feeling of intimacy.  With poignant insight towards her subjects, she offers a sympathetic narrative of their lives by meshing together scraps of the subject’s environment and superficial appearance; these carefully selected details are window dressing compared to the clarity of soul that is depicted. A beer bottle, patch of leopard fabric, facial wrinkles around the eyes, brick with graffiti, a strip of red fence, bodies covered with tattoos – each have their place within the individual’s story. The subject’s gaze is often to the side and aloof; however, this does not prevent the viewer from being captivated. Beautifully painted in acrylic on canvas and board, Sarah’s paintings are compelling representations of passersby easily forgotten in everyday life.

Artist Federico Pietrella was born in Rome and now lives and works in Berlin. His work gives new meaning to the term… “time-based media,” using time and date stamps (you know, the kind from libraries) to compose his artwork. Check out a good sampling after the jump.

Greg Mamczak’s painted worlds are fascinating storybooks with a creepy calm air. I’m completely drawn in to see the different parts of his scenes, and explore the eerie feeling they exude. Each painting has so much in it, but still leaves ample room for imagination. His scenes range from people participating in what looks like cult worship, to every day scenes centered around exploration and discovery. Whatever is behind these creations, it’s peaked my curiosity. Have a look…

Early this year, Beautiful/Decay veteran, Kim Dorland did some amazingly hopeless romantic portraits of his wife Lori at Mike Weiss Gallery. So beautifully gross, you have to really appreciate Kim’s messy style to fully grasp the visceral and chaotic tendencies of the Canadian artist’s work. Meet Lori after the jump.