Here at ArtStar HQ we've had lots of projects on the go this spring - from AAF to our inaugural outing to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show to the many new artists we're bringing on board. In between we're also been working on a super fun project with one of our favorite artists Lisa Levy at the stylishly purple hotel called Yotel near Times Square in NYC. Levy has been involved with a large-scale installation, curated by ArtStar's Director Chrissy Crawford, to cover the Yobot and other parts of the hotel with her text-based work and the results, if we do say so ourselves, are brilliant! Enjoy a sneak peek of the installation above, including Lisa's chat with the Yobot and, even if you can't make it by Yotel, enjoy her work on ArtStar (did we mention is nearly all sold out at AAF?).

Last night Chrissy was interviewed on Fox Business' Willis Report along with Ginger Shulick Porcella from Art Connects NY about how to start an art collection on any budget. It was a great informative segment and we are so honored that Chrissy was featured! Check out the clip above and get inspired about starting your own art collection whether you're spending $50 or $5000. As Chrissy notes, find your niche and go for it!

Note: Chrissy's dress is courtesy of Ports 1961 and her jewelry is courtesy of L-Atitude.

As everyone knows, the Affordable Art Fair Spring edition starts in 2 days and we're very excited to be exhibiting in their new digs at Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th street (booth 2F on the second floor, don't forget to come upstairs!). But we're also very excited to announce that we'll be exhibiting some new work that isn't even on the site yet including Theatre de la Madeleine by Franck Bohbot. Get ready to see this gem lusciously facemounted to Plexi at 30x40" and try to find a reason NOT to take it home! Need tickets to AAF? Email hello@artstar.com. We'll be there 10 am - 8 pm Thursday through Sunday (Sunday until 6pm). See you there!

With a quick turnaround time post Architectural Digest, we're gearing up for one of our favorite fairs of the whole season, the Affordable Art Fair, which this year moves to a new home at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th street. The fair opens on Wednesday night and you're invited to join us for a cocktail reception. Thursday-Saturday the fair is open from 11-8 and Sunday 11-5. We'll be previewing new artists (including several not seen at Architectural Digest and some not even on the site yet!) and showing off our new facemounting framing option in booth 2F on the 2nd floor. For complimentary tickets, simply click HERE and enter code:  ONDPARTST to get your general fair pass (admits 1). Questions? Email us at hello@artstar.com

Well that went well! A big thank you to everyone who stopped by the ArtStar booth at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94. We loved meeting so many art lovers and talented interior designers. Everyone loved our new facemounting to Plexi option for framing and it really stood out on the large Richard Silver photographs that were prominently displayed. Above and below we've got some snaps of what it takes to get a booth from bare walls and a concrete floor to looking fabulous (thanks in large part to Benjamin Moore's Gunmetal paint) in less than 24 hours - basically it requires a lot of endurance, a sturdy level and drill, hardworking colleagues and several Diet Cokes. Enjoy!

Ok, it's no secret we're all sick of the snow and wind and rain that has been drenching the East Coast and New York City for what feels like weeks! As such, we've decided to defy mother nature and celebrate spring flowers despite the grey skies with some of our favorite flower images and projects. From Libby Black's envious flower and book tableaux to super sweet terrariums and floral wallpaper, we hope you find some respite & a breath of fresh air in these blossoms.

Top left: We love this easy pansy terrarium made in a simple glass canning jar. Better Homes and Gardens has an easy-to-follow tutorial.

Top right: We don't have a source for this lovely botanical wallpaper but we love how it includes not only the plant illustrations but the hadwritten descriptions as well. Perfect for a mudroom or powder room. Spoonflower in the UK has a very cute botanical wallpaper with lavender and hyacinth.

Bottom left: Gone Again by Libby Black.  Black's current series of paintings explores the symbols of luxury in our daily lives, whether they are luxury apparel, a jar of fresh flowers or time to read. At the same time Black notes, "our lives are also filled with mundane moments, small pleasures, and frivolous distractions." We love that the books included in the drawing include Just Kids by Patti Smith and other personal mementos of Blacks including a copy of Art in America in which one of her exhibitions was reviewed.

Bottom right: The Exuberant Garden by Marc Dennis. We are so excited to have this new piece on ArtStar. Dennis is known for his hyper-naturalistic, highly detailed and obsessively delineated paintings that explore the subversive potential of beauty and pleasure. Fresh and unconventional, The Exuberant Garden depicts a fantastically bountiful celebration of the wonder of nature besieged with super-sized insects feverishly courting, preying, and fleeing, distilling something otherworldly from within nature’s beneficence.

Do you have your tickets yet? You're invited to join us at Pier 94 on Thursday (trade day) and Friday-Sunday for the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in booth 242. We'll be debuting our new framing options and several exceptional new pieces. For complimentary tickets click HERE or email us at hello@artstar.com. See you there!

Love Megan Hess's illustrations on ArtStar? Wish you could just wrap yourself in them and float away on a breeze of style? Well now you (basically) can. Hess has collaborated with Henri Bendel on a new line of silk scarves designed exclusively for the retailer that play on the store's iconic logo and interior. Our personal favorite is the Finishing Touches scarf (below) and will definitely be on our style list for spring! To see the full line of scarves and read Megan's thoughts and inspiration behind the collection click here.  To see more of Megan's work on ArtStar click here.

Art is a great wedding gift, and in urban centers where space is at a premium there is nothing better than a gift that doesn't take up precious closet, kitchen or bathroom space. As Annie notes in the MSN article below,  "while cabinet space was hard to come by, the walls were free reign!" Read more about offbeat wedding in this adorable article on GLO including a profile of Annie & Pierre who used ArtStar for their registry. From eco conscious registries to those that help you buy a house, the process of registering for a wedding is no longer confined to towels and candlesticks. Read the full article here.

Modern Gifting by Martine Bury

"About 60 percent of today's couples live together before getting married—which means that by the time they're engaged, they're well-stocked with dinnerware, linens and small kitchen appliances. As a result, alternative wedding registries that offer everything from far-flung adventures to cold hard cash are booming. See what these six couples put on their wedding wish lists.

Whether trying new restaurants or exploring museums and galleries, newlyweds Annie and Pierre-Antoine love city living. "Space inside our tiny one bedroom is limited and it physically wasn't possible to fit new dishes, china, bed linens and towels into our little apartment," says Annie. Instead of registering for the usual wares, Guill and Bollet opted to deck their walls with personally inspiring, limited-edition art pieces from the registry ArtStar. "While cabinet space was hard to come by, the walls were free reign!" Annie says." Read the rest of the article HERE and see Annie & Pierre's picks by Irene Suchocki, Cheryl Maeder, Noel Kerns and Kim Holtermand.