It’s always neat when you actually meet in person someone you’ve read about online or in a magazine or something like that. I was totally thrilled to not only meet illustrators and graphic designers Frank Chimero and A. Micah Smith at Renegade San Francisco, but of course I had to buy posters from them.

(For the record, yes, I fawned like a schoolgirl. OK, kind of.)

Anyway, here’s what I picked up from this talented duo (they were sharing a booth):

Screenprinted poster from Frank. I’d seen it on one of the graphic design blogs I frequent. And yes, it’s going on a prominent place in my home office because it’s hilariously true.

Terrific concert poster by Micah. (Ugh, sorry for the crappy photo.) Such a great design. (I’d also seen this online somewhere.) And I do like The Get Up Kids. It was a win-win situation.

Frank and Micah were really nice guys. And they’re pretty big in the graphic design world. But they seemed thrilled that someone who appreciated their art form bought their stuff. As Micah put it, “It looks like this stuff is going to a good home.” Indeedy. Both are already framed and ready for hanging!

While you’re at it, visit Micah’s shop for more awesome gig posters and wearables, and check out the awesome States series by Frank.

I love all kinds of bird items, and these are no exception:

These lovely items are from Australian artist Naomi Murrell. She is a freelance illustrator and designer who turns out many, many lovely illustrations and art, which you’ll find in her shop. The art has an organic feel, with plenty of birds, plants and apples. You can also check out the laser-cut brooches if you would rather wear your art than hang it.

The art in the shop is silk screened and signed by the artist. Here’s another piece from the shop:

When a shop’s tagline is “little things you didn’t know you wanted,” you’ve got to check it out, yes?

I found a few little things I wish I could get at paper pattern silk:

I’m especially digging the music note earrings. They’re so subtle and yet so elegant and fabulous!

These two pieces also happen to be made with sterling silver pieces that were hand-hammered and soldered. I love people who can do metalsmithing.

You’ll find all manner of earrings, necklaces and bracelets at paper pattern silk, as well as some lovely drawings (drawn then digitally colored) like this:

… that you should probably look at these illustrations of birds:

If you want to pick up a few of these prints, head over to the yumi yumi shop. Brazilian-born Aline is the artist behind these prints (these happen to be giclee prints). While many of these happen to be of birds, there are illustrations of other subject matter (like people) in the shop.

The drawings are colorful and crisp, and most of the drawings come in different colors. If you’re looking to spruce up the walls a little bit, this isn’t a bad place to start.

I am a sucker for very cute characters like these:

Such fresh color palettes and such cute drawings to boot!

All of this is the work of Stephanie Fizer. You will find all kinds of wonderful prints and cards and paperie in her shop, and even some limited-edition ACEOs like this very cool mermaid.

The last print with the monkey is actually part of an alphabet series. You can find other prints with different animals representing different letters, or you can get a limited edition print that features all 26 illustrations. Neato.

There’s so much great stuff and just not enough room to show it all here, so meander over and check it out for yourself.

There are those who can create art with brushes and pencils and pastels, and then those who create art with pixels and digital paint. Just ’cause it’s digital doesn’t make it any less vibrant.

Case in point:

Those works are from the computer of Rhonda at Digital Decor. In addition to making these digital prints, Rhonda is also a graphic designer (her design company is called SoCo Creative).

Rhonda’s style is varied, from bright, colorful and simple graphic illustrations to real-life works of art. There’s food, fruit, animals and lots of awesome psychedelic swirls and great backgrounds. Definitely lots to see and plenty to catch your eye — and something to add some color to your walls.

I’ll admit, I’m jealous of people who can draw. And can draw effortlessly. And in different styles.

So that’s why I’m digging the work of Seattle’s Liz Wong and Eric Adler of Artghost:

The top two pieces are cards featuring Eric’s drawings, and the last piece is a painting from Liz. Their art features 50s-style images, animals, records, and some of the coolest schoolgirls you’ll see (and that you probably wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley).

At Artghost, you’ll not only find their art on traditional mediums (such as paper), but some of the illustrations wind up on some awesome limited-edition handbags. These handbags are Liz’s illustrations, which are then silkscreened onto the handmade bags.

It’s a wonderful collection of art, definitely worth taking a peek! It’s also a great place to check out if you love retro stuff.

If your walls are feeling a little bare and need some fun pictures to spruce it up, here are some pretty little birdies:

This art is the work of Sion at Ubiki. Sion’s work is simple, fun and bright. It borrows heavily from nature (trees, mushrooms, birds) and comes in vivid colors.

Most of the prints come in 5 x 7 size (without frames), so if you’ve got a particularly blank wall, you can put all sorts of bursts of color on it with Sion’s art.

By the way, Sion also runs a blog about indie goodness called Cuteable and also started IndiePublic, the place for lovers of indie stuff to congregate!

One of the treats I got in my August Sampler was this lovely floral card from Sugar Lily:

I’ve always been a fan of Sugar Lily. The cards are cheery and often feature beautiful patterns (I got a daisy-adorned one a while back). The ones that feature drawings or characters are whimsical and cute. Overall, the designs are clean and simple and still eye-catching.

For a sampling, check out the Howdy Chicken card and the octopus wedding card.

Have you ever heard the saying “I love you like food loves salt?”

Well, these cards take that to a whole new level:

These delightful cards are from uccello curioso, based in Los Angeles. There are a whole host of these food cards, including a few that pay homage to steamed rice, fish tacos and sushi. Yum.

All the cards are screenprinted by hand, and then watercolored individually. Lots of labor for a cute thing!

There are also other screenprinted goodies, including coasters and card sets, just in case you’re not feeling hungry.

If chickens weren’t well, chickens, they could be superheroes. And maybe they’d look like this:

This wonderful character is actually called the Chicken Bandit. And he (or she, you never know) is the creation of Claire over at Absolutely Small.

If you like the Chicken Bandit, you might like this chicken-inspired ACEO as well.

Chicks and chickens populate the world of Absolutely Small, but inspiration comes from other animals too. Even imaginary ones. Like this fuzzy one:

It’s a liger! (Combination of lion and tiger — it’s a Napoleon Dynamite thing.) And it’s got chicken traits too.

You’ll find many whimsical paintings, prints and pompom animals at Absolutely Small, and Claire does personalized pet portraits too. So if you’re an animal lover, it’s a pretty neat place to look.

Absolutely hysterical:

Ah, Sorry. Such a fun game.

This great illustration is the work Cate Anevski, who has an Etsy shop called Bees Knees Industries. Cate has other things in her shop, such as stuffed toys and paper goods, but the artwork is the main draw here. She displays an amazing range of styles, from sort of clean and simple (like the piece above), to whimsical and just different, like this piece:

Seen on Etsy:

The left illustration is called “I Only Have Eyes for You,” and the right is called “Babysitting.” Both are digital versions of original illustrations found at Elsita’s Etsy shop.

The shop is full of vibrant, detailed art, and some interesting pieces. There’s a whole series that has faceless people. There are others that morph humans and nature. There are also paper and paper clay sculptures, including this incredibly intricate bee paper sculpture.

Definitely some thought-provoking and interesting stuff.

Don’t you wish you could be as cute and ambitious as this kid?

This illustration is the work of Flossy Flotsam, a Montreal-based artist. Laura sells original paintings, illustrations and photo prints. The above illustration is an original ink drawing that was colored in Adobe Photoshop.

There is a range of work in Laura’s shop, from whimsical characters to more real-life people to altered book pages and highly detailed work. And the prints are nice, like this warm and fuzzy one:

Ah, cats. Wonderful animals. Cute and cuddly, though they can be a little cranky, as perfectly illustrated in this stationery set from Mau Studio:

I guess if I had fur and I was damp like that, I’d be pretty unhappy too. But it’s such a great illustration.

There’s also this adorable postcard set:

Of course, it’s not all kitties and paper at Mau Studio. Not even close. You’ll also find lots of sparkly, shiny jewelry in the shop, including an array of cute flower rings.

Lastly, there are free images that you can download and use as screensavers if you want. Many of them feature original illustrations, including a few grumpy cats.

Check it out — there’s plenty of good stuff.