Blog by Lyra Pappin

Robbers armed with more than artistic appreciation stole two Pablo Picasso prints "The Painter and the Model" (1963) and "Minotaur, Drinker and Women" (1933) and other Brazilian art from Sao Paolo’s Pinacoteca Museum recently.

The art is worth a combined 1 million Brazilian reals ($612,000).

The security guard and diehard fan of Picasso would have seen them, but he recently had... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

The author of a new book, "Dali and I: The Surreal Story", claims that many of Dali’s current work on display are actually fakes . According to Stan Lauryssens, in his later years, the painter authorized assistants to produce thousands of forgeries in his name, in order to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Apparantly, Lauryssens himself has courted controversy in the past: he claims to have penned... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

Art stolen from British Columbia’s UBC Museum of Anthropology has been recovered, but the culprits may still be at large. Although three people were arrested, they were also released.

In total, 12 Bill Reid pieces were stolen during the overnight break-in, as well as three Mexican pieces of art. Most pieces were made of gold. Police say the Mexican art pieces were disassembled sometime during or after... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

Nathalie Girard is a hardworking jewelry designer on her way to having it all. After two years of promoting her online jewelry company Canadian Rockies, Nathalie is branching out into boutiques across Canada with designs on the United States as well. Her unique style and intricate wire work also recently helped her to win MetalChasers.com’s Valentine’s Day design contest.

Nathalie resides in... Read more

• Category:
• In the Spotlight

Facebook hasn’t just inspired millions of pre-teens and procrastinators, it’s even managed to stir up artistic drive!

A New York based artist Paul Campbell looks at why and how profile pictures are chosen and displays his work in Yorkville, Toronto.

"They're essentially self-portraits that I project, and the projection itself distorts them, but it turns them into this painted object... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

Handmade carpets are an enduring craft in the middle east. In Turkmenistan, carpet weaving is a matter of national pride, and has been accorded the rank of high art.

So it's no surprise to anyone that a large exhibition has been kicked off in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan to coincide with Turkmen Carpet Day . No dirty jokes, please! :)

Read full story: Carpet exhibition opens in Ashgabat
Photo... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

Fed up with high gas prices and looking to send a message, local artist Jennifer Marsh decided to make a statement that encouraged other artists to follow suit.

She has wrapped an empty gas station at the corner of Nottingham Rd. and East Colvin St. in Syracuse, New York. Interestingly, she has received fabric pieces from all over the world for the wrapping. Many people were using recycled materials.... Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current

For someone who paints almost exclusively in black and white, Fernando Ortiz has a warmth and exuberance for life that is anything but colourless. The Colombian painter grew up in the capital city of Bogotá, loving soccer and playing another form of it called micro football, which is played with a harder ball that doesn’t bounce. This seems typical of Fernando, to find a way to challenge himself... Read more

• Category:
• In the Spotlight

These days it seems like anyone with a SAG card is putting out a clothing line. As new celeb-backed fashions continue to flood stores, it doesn’t seem like anyone is stopping to question whether these pieces are actually designed by the namesake behind them. And does anyone really care?

Why We Want It

It’s hard to say what attracts people to the lines, but it seems like marketing is the main... Read more

• Category:
• Trend Spotting

The Ontario government surprised the arts sector by announcing a $75 million bonus spread amongst museums and arts programs, like the Royal Ontario Museum, Science North, Luminato Festival, and others. It’s a feast for starving artists!

(Photo credit: www.creative.biz) Read more

• Category:
• iCraft Current