July 3, 2009
mizue hirano
Mizue Hirano's work is so light and simple! I love it! Check out her site for more.
Via Design is Mine.
July 2, 2009
castle on the ocean
It took Wataru Itou, an art-student in Tokyo, four years to create this intricate paper castle! It's called Umi no Ue no Oshiro, or Castle on the Ocean, and aside from the pretty lights, it features a ferris wheel and a moving train! Absolutely amazing.
Via Tokyo Bling.
sarah applebaum
The amazingly vibrant colors in these knit sculptural installations by Sarah Applebaum are waking me right up! I love how bold they are, and so texturally interesting! I'd love to wear that robe in the last photo as well, any day! Read more about Sarah on her site, and also on Beautiful/Decay which has a nice write-up about her.
July 1, 2009
jennifer davis
I love all of Jennifer Davis' paintings, and I had so much trouble deciding on only a few to post here! Aren't they great?! I think my favorite is the manatee balloon, though those little sea lions are pretty fabulous! Check out all of her work on her site - more soft colors and interesting subject matter! You won't be disappointed!
Via My Love For You.
a-block-a-brick-toe
What do you guys think of these crazy colorful designs by Timothy James Andrews? They're from his Autumn/Winter collection for 2009-2010, called, as you might have guessed, A-Block-A-Brick-Toe. I really like them, even though I know I could never pull them off myself! The colors and shapes reminded Susie Bubble of Tetris blocks - I'm leaning toward Legos, but it's the same basic idea!
Check out Dazed Digital for more pictures of the line!
June 30, 2009
curious collection
When the paper company Arjowiggins unveiled its new fancy paper line Curious Collection, they wanted to do something with a lot of impact to announce it! With the help of French photographer Grégoire Alexandre, they did! Aren't these pictures incredible?! See some fun behind-the-scenes video here! (Along the sidebar.)
Via Design*Sponge.
kirsten harper
I love Kirsten Harper's sweet illustrations! Especially the book alligators, they're so cute- my favorite! Check out her site for more!
printed pretty
These gorgeous prints are screen-printed on fabric by Mark Hearld. Too dreamy and soft! Check out this site for more.
Via Love Forever.
June 29, 2009
erin morrison
I'm really enjoying Erin Morrison's otherworldly mixed media pieces this morning. Just drop me off in one of those landscapes... I'll spend Monday there!
Via Beautiful/Decay.
June 28, 2009
renilde depeuter
Aren't these embroideries pretty? I really really like them! I feel like I've never seen any needlework like that before! I would love to have a shirt or a dress with any of the above designs on it! They were all created by the talented Renilde Depeuter. Sweet!
Via ~O~.
June 27, 2009
grass sculptures
These sculptures totally amaze me! I wish I could touch one! They're made of tussock grass, cordyline, and linen thread, by Australian artist Beth Hatton.
Via NotCot.
June 26, 2009
SK art
Brooklyn-based artist Steve Keene not only creates numerous paintings, but he also makes fabulous plywood sets and props! Recently he has collaborated with the Silver Jews, Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, Soul Coughing, Dave Matthews Band and Merzbow to create album art, video sets, stage sets and posters - so you can imagine our delight when he agreed to make the props for our latest site video! The video will be appearing on our main website on Monday, so make sure to tune in and watch for Steve's props! Don't miss it!
michael dared to dream
"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe."
I've been really into this blog Artist Quote of the Day. The quotes are typically from visual artists, and the entries feature images of their work and some brief brographical information. But today was Michael.
anonymous hugging wall
For part of her ongoing series Methods & Apparati for Social Facilitation and Mood Elevation, Keetra Dean Dixon has created this anonymous hugging wall! It's such a cool idea- I wish we had one here in Philly! Read and see more about it here.
Via The Laughing Squid.
June 25, 2009
jeannie weissglass
I love these messy-pretty paintings by Jeannie Weissglass! See more here and here!
Via Dear Ada.
June 24, 2009
the art of fireworks
Using controlled detonations of fireworks on paper, Rosemarie Fiore creates these:
From the artist herself:
I bomb blank sheets of paper with different fireworks including color smoke bombs, jumping jacks, monster balls, fountains, magic whips, spinning carnations, ground blooms, rings of fire, and lasers. As I work, I create imagery by controlling the chaotic nature of the explosions in upside-down containers.
When the paper becomes saturated in color, dark and burned, I take it back to my studio and collage blank paper circles onto the image to establish new planes and open up the composition. I then continue to bomb the pieces. These actions are repeated a number of times. The final works contain many layers of collaged explosions and are thick and heavy.
See more of Rosemarie's fireworks drawings here!
Via Craftzine.
the grammar of ornament
EricGjerge has an amazing set on Flickr where he has uploaded images from Owen Jones' book The Grammar of Ornament. I could look at all the prints and patterns forever - there is so much inspiration on each page! Check out the whole set for many more awesome pictures like the ones above, in bigger sizes too!
Via FFFFound.
June 23, 2009
smokey's nature posters
These vintage Smokey the Bear nature posters are great! Wouldn't you love to have one for your walls? Amy at Apartment Therapy was able to find one on Ebay after a little bit of searching, but for now, get bigger computer versions here.
Via Apartment Therapy.
paintings by leontine
I'm loving Leontine Greenberg's work right now! Her little birdie paintings are so whimsical and sweet! The bottom one in particular puts me in mind of Dr. Seuss! Check out her blog and Flickr for more watercolor goodness.
June 22, 2009
twinkle pictures
These portraits by Laura Adel Johnson are awesome! Why have I never thought to create pictures with tiny holiday lights? I'm kind of amazed at how much detail comes through, too. Check out Laura's blog for pictures of a few more pieces.
Via InsideOut Blog.
June 21, 2009
yamamoto masao
I love the simple and interesting compositions of these photos by Yamamoto Masao. I think that the simpleness and calmness of the photos makes them all the more striking. Check out more here.
Another great find from Dear Ada.
June 18, 2009
jane south's paper works
Pretty much all of Jane South's work totally amazes me because it's made primarily of paper. Yes, paper! They're visually interesting enough on their own, that just makes them even more impressive! Check out Jane's site for more incredible art!
infrared trees
These gorgeous images were all taken using infrared photography, which uses an image sensor or film that is sensitive to infrared light, as opposed to normal visible light. The way various objects reflect infrared light is quite different from how they reflect visible light, which is why the green on the trees turns white, and the sky looks much darker. Learn more about infrared photography here and here!
Photos by: (from top to bottom)
MichiLauke
Roie Galitz
Bruna Marchioro
MichiLauke
Scott Pruett
Via TutzTutz!
June 17, 2009
sarah ogren
I am obsessed with these collages by Sarah Ogren! I love animal heads on human bodies. I don't know why, they're just really appealing - don't you agree? Don't miss Sarah's blog, and check out her Etsy shop too!
Via the super-awesome Penguin & Fish.
painted apartments
How would you like to live in one of these painted apartment buildings in Russia? I love all the eye popping colors! Check out this blog for many more great photos! I think my car needs a paint job like this...
June 16, 2009
3-d collages
These collages by Sarah Bridgland really caught my eye! To make them she uses all kinds of discarded paper, stationary, old books, newspapers, comics, you name it. The old staple boxes used for these particular pieces are really cool too!
Via Design*Sponge.
June 15, 2009
secret worlds by helen nodding
This picture may not look very exciting, but scroll down...
Keep scrolling!
Awesome! This sweet little hideaway was created by Helen Nodding - click here to visit her site, where there are many more secret worlds...
Via Apartment Therapy.
jessica eaton
These inspirational images are all by Jessica Eaton! Don't you love them?! I could loiter around on her blog all day...
Via I Heart Photograph.
June 12, 2009
jen corace
I am loving these prints of work by Jen Corace! They are so simple and pretty. Design*Sponge spotted them for sale over at Philly's own Art Star! (The gallery that sponsors the cool craft bazaar every year.) Small world!
apak studio
These pieces by husband and wife team Apak Studio are really adorable, but also really pretty! I love the sort of see- through/ethereal quality they have - especially the yellow one! As always, their site has much more!
Via My Love For You.
June 11, 2009
fairy houses!
Earlier today, Debbie Schramer, the creator (along with her husband) of these delicate fairy houses, was kind enough to comment on one of my posts and leave her website! I am so glad she did, or else I may have never seen these lovely little creations! Aren't they so cool?! I wish I was tiny enough to live in one! They are amazingly detailed as well. I highly recommend going to her blog and clicking on the pictures she has posted there. They are huge, and do more justice to all the carefully created interiors! (She also has a lot of great photo inspiration on her blog!) I can only imagine the time and effort required to make these pretty homes! I love it!
Thanks for the heads-up Debbie!
estelle hanania
I'm really enjoying the set Demoniac Babble by Estelle Hanania! Partly it's because I like the costumes so much - wow. I'd love to walk around in one of those! The pictures have a really interesting feel though - click here for more!
Via Urban's blog!
beau chamberlain
I love the little bits and pieces that make up these acrylic on panel paintings by Beau Chamberlain! Check out his site for many more!
Via Beautiful/Decay.
June 10, 2009
mario sughi
I love the way Mario Sughi uses bright colors in his fashion illustrations! I really enjoy his drawing style too, the lines seem to fall really casually, yet they are clearly thought out. Check out his site for more vibrant illustrations!
Via Love Forever.
a room - a loom
Luren of our visual display team is part of a really cool and special exhibition going on at Copy Gallery right now! It's called A Room - A Loom, and you are all invited to come take part!
Some words from Luren:
The gallery has been converted into a giant loom. It stretches from one wall to the other and spans corner-to-corner. There is no space for you to move without becoming part of this huge apparatus!
The loom itself is really simple, and anyone can be taught to to use it in about 5 minutes.
You are invited to gather together the material of your choice and to contribute to the weaving of this collaborative textile.
A Room-A Loom began as a site-specific weaving experiment by Julia Sherman at workspace, a small project space in East L.A. Materials used thus far in the L.A. loom have included weeds, old clothing, Halloween costumes, computer cables, bubble wrap, plastic bags, John Baldessari's toilet paper, Sheep Dog fur, raw wool, yarn, pants, jeans, blankets, burlap sacks, palm fronds, pom-poms and more. In mid-June workspace will host an reception to exhibit their final piece.
Copy is the first of several project spaces spanning the country and beyond to undertake A Room - A Loom. Eventually, there will be a group exhibition with all of the weavings from the various participating spaces.
Check out this link for a Google calendar with times that you can come and weave!
Luren and other members of Copy Gallery will also be available at other times - contact info@copygallery.org to make an appointment!
Copy Gallery
319 N. 11th St.
3rd Floor
Philadelphia PA
June 5th - 29, 2009
jeff perrone
These geometric mixed media pieces by Jeff Perrone are really interesting. He uses all kinds of things to create them - mud cloth, buttons, sand, wood, etc... I really like the buttons especially. See more here!
Via Dear Ada.
June 9, 2009
my milk toof
These fun pictures are all from the awesome photo comic My Milk Toof. It's really really sweet and really good! You should definitely check it out for a hefty dose of cuteness!
Via NotCot.
illustration inspiration
Above by Margaret Clark.
Above by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite.
Above by Pixie O'Harris.
These beautiful illustrations were all created in the early 20th century, and all the artists are Australian. I love them! I wish I could just dive right into one of them! BibliOdyssey made a fabulous post featuring these and many more gorgeous illustrations - very interesting and inspiring! Check it out if you feel like taking a little trip to fantasy-land!
calm & quiet
I love these soft photographs by Anders Linden of Sweden. They really suit my mood this morning! Check out his site if you like them too!
Via The Best Part.
June 8, 2009
sharpie marker decor
Charlie Kratzer started drawing on his basement walls right in the middle, with a drawing of a painting by Picasso. From there he figured it wouldn't be too hard to extend the drawings out to the edge of the walls - one thing lead to another, until he had decorated all of his basement walls with his drawings, using 10 dollars worth of Sharpie markers!
I'm almost surprised at how cool it looks! It's amazing! Head over to Kentucky.com for more information.
marnie vollenhals
These guys were too cute not to post! I love them! They're created by Marnie Vollenhals of J.AustinRyan. Check out her blog and Etsy for more unbearable cuddliness!
Thanks to Penguin & Fish!
June 7, 2009
lisel ashlock
These earthy paintings are by Lisel Ashlock. I really like the feel of them, and that they are painted on wood! Check out her site for more paintings, and a few sweet drawings too!
Via My Love For You.
June 6, 2009
sorry i'm late
I know we've seen many stop=motion videos, but this one is so darn cute, I couldn't resist sharing it! I really enjoyed the credits at the end too, because they show how they made the video! I've never really seen any behind-the-scenes on a stop-motion video before, so it was really interesting! Enjoy!
June 5, 2009
fashion cupcakes
These fancy cupcakes were photographed by Therese Aldgard and styled by Lisa Edsalv. They were reportedly inspired by Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Betsey Johnson, but I couldn't find any shots of the Betsey Johnson ones, rather I found the Agent Provocateur cupcakes on Lisa's site. So perhaps my source had it mixed up! At any rate, I would love to have a print of one of these photos! The Chanel or Louboutin shots especially would spruce my apartment right up! After these and the fashion lollipops, I wonder what kind of fashion foods are next!
Via High Snobiety.
June 4, 2009
daniel moraes
I love these beautiful silk screen prints and drawings by Daniel Moraes! I love the lines and the colors! It's so abstract and delicate! Check out his Flickr photostream if you are enjoying these too! I have the top picture as my desktop background now. Ha ha!
Via BettyJoy.
mars-1
These beautiful works are by artist Mars-1, a.k.a. Mario Martinez. Don't you love them? Check out his site, it has a blog-like format and much more unworldly art!
June 3, 2009
renate aller
I love these pensive photos from Renate Aller's set Fixed Coordinates! They are so expansive and soothing! Each picture was taken at the same point on Westhampton Beach, hence the title of the set. It would be awesome to have a huge huge print of one of these - or even wall mural sized! See more of her work on Ruby Beets, or her site of course!
Via Apartment Therapy.
June 2, 2009
noteboek by evelien lohbeck
Watch Evelien turn her notebook into a computer! It's so cute!
Noteboek from Evelien Lohbeck on Vimeo.
Via Very Short List.
bernard pras
French artist Bernard Pras recreates pictures and portraits with found objects. His work is totally amazing.
An explanation from the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna: After an extensive and wide-ranging training, the artist Bernard Pras slowly began to focus on portraiture while experimenting with many different techniques. We were particularly interested in his photographed “composite portraits” of famous, frequently long-dead personalities... for which he selected composite elements that helped explain the sitter’s character or the reason for his or her fame. However, Pras adds an extra dimension of complexity: he distributes the individual elements that constitute his portraits in rooms - frequently locations chosen with great care - that participate in the creation of the composite artworks. ...in the end it requires a camera lens to bring them together in a photograph, and to turn them into recognizable portraits.
Fantastic! Head on over to If It's Hip, It's Here for more (and bigger) pictures!
things that don't shatter
These are from a set by Brock Davis in which he explores how things that don't shatter might look if they did shatter. A simple idea, but I like them - especially the coffee cup! It's convincing.
See more on Brock's site or Cyana Trend Land.
June 1, 2009
jen lobo
I would love to just dive right in to one of these paintings by Jen Lobo! Something about them just drives me wild - do you guys like them too? Be sure to check out Jen's blog as well.
Via Penguin & Fish and ScarlettCat.
dream in paper
This video from Petra Storrs is really fantastic! It's a little bit Alice in Wonderland, and much paper-craft! Check it out for yourself and see!
May 31, 2009
maps are beautiful
Black*Eiffel spotted these sweet old cartography maps, so carefully made by Harold Fisk in 1944! They portray the alluvial valley of the lower Mississippi River, and the ribbons of color are the banks of the river at various times in history. Very interesting, and very very pretty. See the whole set at Radical Cartography!
May 29, 2009
underwater
These images by Alinka Echeverría are just amazing! They are from a series of photos and video that she has done called Lightness of Being, which features, as you can see, stunning shots of synchronized swimmers underwater. I really love that the waterline is at the bottom of the picture - it gives a whole different perspective than one usually sees in underwater photos. Awesome! If you have a moment you should totally go to her site and watch the video - it is like the pictures, only even better - just incredible!
Via You Might Like This.
art star craft bazaar - this weekend!
Don't miss this year's Art Star Craft Bazaar if you are in Philly this weekend! It starts at 11am and runs until 6pm, tomorrow and Sunday at Penn's Landing Great Plaza. Their site has directions if you need them!
There will be a ton of stuff to see and do (and eat) at the bazaar, which boasts over 100 artists this year! Of course there will also be plenty of live music - check out the schedule below!
Saturday Music Line-up
11am: Pairdown
12pm: The Josh Olmstead Band
1pm: The Documents
2pm: Gildon Works
3pm: Padre Pio
4pm: Toy Soldiers
5pm: Folklore
Sunday Music Line-up:
12pm: Perkasie
1pm: Photon Band
2pm: Like A Fox
3pm: North Lawrence Midnight Singers
4pm: The Mural & The Mint
5pm: Oh!Pears
Be sure to stop by if you need something awesome to do!
Art Star Craft Bazaar
janet hill
Canadian artist Janet Hill remarks in her Etsy store description, "As a result of living in a cold climate for six months of the year, I've developed a strong interest in the beauty of interiors." I can tell, and I love it! Her paintings are so glamorous and soft! Be sure to check out her blog if you enjoy the paintings above, as she has lots and lots of her work posted there!
Via Penguin & Fish!
white on white
These lovely pieces by Eugenia Pardue are in fact paintings! I would have never guessed it - I thought they were molds or something like that. But as it turns out, these are paintings, acrylic on panel. They're also pretty big! Most of her work is at least 2' by 2', or bigger. I'm trying to imagine how she built up the designs with the acrylic paint, because they are so carefully crafted and textured. I'm totally amazed! See more on her site.
Thanks Dear Ada for another great find!
May 28, 2009
ulrik martin larsen
These pieces by Ulrik Martin Larsen are so carefully made and interesting! They look really intricate and delicate and yet the chains give a lot of them a very tough feel! They're so inspiring - people have been doing such great things with chains lately! I also really, really like the one in the second picture down because of those little wood fingers along the edges! What do you guys think?
Via Garbage Dress.
cross-stitch cars
When I first saw these pictures I immediately liked the beautiful cross-stitched design on the cars - but I didn't realize until I looked a bit harder that the designs are literally cross-stitched into holes in the hood of the car! How amazing! They were created by Lithuanian artist Severija Incirauskaite-Kriauneviciene for Berlin art show Strich Und Faden. Cool, right?
Via Craftzine.
May 27, 2009
shelton walsmith
Aren't these paintings by Shelton Walsmith lovely? I really love the colors and the abstract feel. Be sure to check out his website - all of his work is really good! I would have put every painting he has in this post if I could have!
Via Dear Ada.
wrapped yarn
There's something really appealing about these yarn wrapped beads - I don't know if it's just that they are so whimsical and tiny, or the colors, or what! They're made by Maria Cavallero of Argentina, who has many more of these little charmers on her Etsy - take a look if you feel so inclined!
I saw these on Love Forever.
May 26, 2009
yellena
I'm really into these intricate pen and ink drawings by Yellena James - they're so detailed and organic! Like landscapes within themselves... See more here.
Via Beautiful/Decay.
rapture
I really love these crazy drawings by James Roper! There is so much happening in them! These are from a set called Rapture, but if you're into them you should definitely check out the work on the rest of his site, as he has lots of work where he experiments with color and lines in a similar way. Fun stuff!
leather craft
Frieda Gossett dyes, treats, and hand-stamps designs onto leather before turning it into various creatures. I can't imagine how long it must take to hand-stamp each little detail into the leather! It's got to be quite a process! Totally worth it though, these animals are just amazing! I'm especially impressed with the scales on the hammerhead - wow!
Via Beautiful/Decay.
May 23, 2009
blackbird
I absolutely adore this editorial from Cream Magazine! It was photographed by Macushla Burke, and the wonderful illustrations on top, the birds and such, are by artist Kelly Smith. I saw them on KnightCat and I keep going back to look at them more - they're so inspiring!
May 22, 2009
sunset
These photographs may not seem like much, until you realize that the subject is the sky at varying stages of sunset! What an awesome idea! Gorgeous too. They're by Ann Woo - check out her site here.
May 21, 2009
romantic collages
I just adore these whimsical collages by Cafe Baudelaire, don't you? See more of her pretty and delicate collages here.
more cassandra rhodin?
Check out the shirt that Chictopia user Krly is wearing! Am I crazy or is that another illustration by Cassandra Rhodin? Great shirt either way...
julianna bright
These wonderful colorful paintings are by the aptly named Julianna Bright! Such a perfect name for an artist who uses bright color! I've been browsing around her site all morning, getting my fill of her fun little people and their animal buddies... Check out her Etsy shop if you feel the need for a print!
Via My Love For You.
sarah illenberger
I've been really enjoying the clever images of Sarah Illenberger. She does lots of different work for companies like Vanity Fair, NY Times and Nike, all of which is original and fun like the stuff shown above! Check out her website for more fun stuff.
Via Love Forever.
May 20, 2009
monsieur qui
These great fashion illustrations are by Monsieur Qui. Aren't they cool?! I really like them, especially the watercolor accents - very inspiring! Be sure to check out Monsieur Qui's blog too, as he keeps some work there that can't be seen on his website!
Via NotCot.
May 19, 2009
by the light of the gourd
I love these pretty and original light shades made by StudioTempera! They are gourds! StudioTempera, which is based in Turkey, hollows them out, decorates them, and then pokes little holes in them to be filled with beads for colored light, or nothing for normal light! They are so beautiful!
Apartment Therapy found these!
more giant knits
These pictures are of a piece Christien Meindertsma created for the exhibit Design for a Living World, which just opened at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. The exhibit aims to tell a unique story about the life-cycle of materials and the power of conservation and design.
For Christien's piece, she used wool from a sustainable sheep ranch in Idaho and created a "flock" of different knit parts, each one made from 3.5 pounds of wool, the yield of a single sheep. Then she sewed them all together to make one huge and heavy knit rug!
It reminds me a bit of those phat knits from before. I love them both! There is something about the thick texture of these giant knits that is irresistible!
cassandra rhodin pillowcases
You may recall when I posted this and other pieces by Cassandra Rhodin a while back...
To my delight, she recently did some pillowcases for H&M Home, and they look so awesome!
Boy I would love to have a set! They're so pretty!
Via NotCot.
chalk pendant
From the same guy who created the awesome crayon rings, Timothy Liles now brings us these sweet necklaces with chalk pendants! Yet another piece of pretty and colorful jewelry that I would distract myself with constantly if given the chance! Hee hee!
Check out Timothy's site here!
Via Design*Sponge.
May 18, 2009
caroline de vries
These pictures by Caroline De Vries are really fun! The bright colors remind me of those pictures of the Indian festival Holi that I posted a while back. Check out the rest of Caroline's work on her site.
Via I Heart Photograph.
postcard from provence
I recently came across Julian Merrow-Smith's site Postcard from Provence, and I am totally obsessed! Originally from the UK, Julian currently lives in the Provence region of France, and each day he posts a new painting he has done, usually on postcard sized paper. As you can see, the paintings are just exquisite - I could look through them all day! You can do the same here.
I found his site on Apartment Therapy!
May 15, 2009
fantasy land
This is another awesome set I saw on The Moldy Doily - unfortunately she can't recall where she found these pictures! They are so fun though - the clothes are like ultimate candyland party time! I would love to own the dress in the second picture especially. Crochet + tulle = yummy!
Do any of you happen to know off-hand where these pictures came from?
fumi mini nakamura
I just love this beautiful work by New Yorker Fumi Mini Nakamura! She has tons of work up on her site, check it out here!
julia galdo
Coco+Kelley posted these amazing photographs by Julia Galdo the other day, and I keep coming back to them. Obviously the lighting is very appealing, but there is something else about them too that I really really like! Take a look around Julia's site for more lovely photography.
May 14, 2009
fluid sculpture
Using a small loom like one might use for knitting hats, Charlie Bucket knit some plastic piping into a tube and then set it up so that he could push colorful fluids through the tubing. It looks awesome.
Fluid Sculpture from Charlie Bucket on Vimeo.
raquel aparicio
I am falling in love with the illustrations of Raquel Aparicio right now! Aren't they gorgeous? They look so delicate and pretty - I love the way she draws animals, but I love the soft bleeding edges of her environments even more. I read on The Best Part that she is currently doing work for The New York Times, Wendy's, and Rolling Stone. I can see why!
daniel newman
These interesting pieces by Daniel Newman really caught my eye! It seems like a challenge to see everything that is in the picture. See more of Daniel's work here.
Via I Heart Photograph.
May 13, 2009
olymipia le tan in jalouse
I couldn't resist posting a few of these pictures from a little editorial in the April Jalouse Magazine! They are stitched representations of various designers by Olympia Le Tan - I wish her website were finished! I also wish these pictures had scanned a little better, because in the magazine they are just so cute!
May 12, 2009
magnolias
I love these images by Kari Herer! How smart to mix flowers with old insect illustrations! It looks so cool! I saw these on Poppytalk, and I loved what one of her commenters said, that it makes bugs almost look romantic! So true! Be sure to check out Kari's blog too!
antique kimono inspiration
These photographs of beautiful antique kimonos are from a Flickr set by Neville Trickett of Saint Verde Blog. I love them so much! They put me a little bit in mind of those pieces by Sunny Belliston that I posted the other day. Just wonderful!
Via Dear Ada.
May 11, 2009
"the now smash of style"
There are so many amazing pictures in this set, called The Now Smash Of Style, by Craig McDean for Italian Vogue. I had trouble narrowing it down to just a few pictures to show you! Dark as they are, these pictures are still just exquisitely beautiful! Check out this post on The Moldy Doily to see the rest of the set - larger sized images too!
Gosh I would love to get my hands on that hat in the first picture, and the corset in the bottom one...
May 10, 2009
light in tokyo
This video is just absolutely amazing. I can't describe it any other way!
remanence : variance from Samuel Cockedey on Vimeo.
This video was shot in Tokyo by Samuel Cockedey. From his site: Shot over the span of a year with Canon DSLRs (mostly 350d), processed with Lightroom (raw files color adjustment and resizing)/VirtualDub (deshaker/deflicker filters)/Sony Vegas (editing). Original rendered in 1080p.
Amazing!
May 9, 2009
simple and lovely
These mixed media pieces by Sunny Belliston are so simple and unassuming at first glace, but you get sucked in! The colors, the shapes, something about them is just very pleasing! Do you agree? I would love to have these on the walls of my apartment to look at when I'm sitting... and thinking....
Dear Ada found these!
May 8, 2009
chiara bautista
I'm going crazy over the art of Chiara Bautista! Her work is kind of bizarre, and there is just much to look at within each piece - I'm totally mesmerized! Apparently she also goes by the name Milk, which is the name on her Myspace page. Check it out if any of the work above interests you - there's a ton of it on there, and in better quality and sizes. Awesome!
Via Neatorama.
circle colors
These pretty circles are part of a set by Ben Branagan called Sections & Slices. Don't you really like them? I sure do! See the rest right here!
Via Oh Joy!
May 7, 2009
found on the beach
Artists Gilles Cenazandotti and Thierry Lede recently created a new group, Clear Art Planet, whose main mission is to go around the world cleaning up beaches. The awesome pieces above were made with the items they cleaned off of the beach in Cap Corse Corsica. I adore these pieces, they are so beautiful! It's amazing though that those are just the items from a beach in Corsica! Probably not even close to all of them, in fact... It gets me thinking of all the stuff on the beaches of the world...
You can visit Clear Art Planet's site, but be warned it's in French!
Via Les Carnets Du Design. (Which, by the way, is in French and English both.)
May 6, 2009
Hanna Müller
These beautiful drawings are by Hanna Müller, who has a really cute story on her blog about how she started drawing: When I grew up I did some serious attempts to write my feelings in a diary, it started off good until my brother ferret out where it was hidden. It didn't matter how much I tried to hide it, he always found it and spread my most private thoughts to everyone who cared to listen. So I stopped writing my feelings down and started drawing what I felt instead. My pictures became my diary and still are. It feels nice to draw them away. So sweet...
Via Knight Cat.
josh keyes
I just spent way too long looking at every painting on Josh Keyes' site, and after I post this I'll probably go back to look some more! I can't put my finger on what I like so much about his work, but I really really do! His acrylic paintings are strangely beautiful, and I love the subject matter and message. If you check out his paintings, try starting at the bottom! His older work is at the bottom and it's cool to see the work develop.
Via FFFFound.
May 5, 2009
pigeon feathers
I'm loving this amazing work by London-based artist Kate MccGwire! To create these pieces she used thousands of discarded pigeon feathers, and they seem to create so much movement! I especially love how they look flowing out of pipes! See more of Kate's work here.
Via Cube Me.
May 4, 2009
a nice swim
These photographs by Elena Kalis are so beautiful! The dress looks so delicate and light in the water! The colors are gorgeous too. Be sure to check out Elena's website - her other work is equally dreamy.
Via Vain & Vapid.
May 3, 2009
tyson skross
I can't stop admiring these rather surreal pieces by Tyson Skross. After moving to rural Switzerland from Texas at the age of nine, he became intrigued with the odd natural phenomena that he often witnessed. This sort of altered reality and intangibility is what he tries to bring to his work. So strangely beautiful! See more here and here.
May 2, 2009
some wee critters
How cute are these little critters?! I love them! They are needle felted by Kit Lane of Minnesota. Be sure to check out her Flickr too!
Via the fabulous Penguin & Fish.
April 30, 2009
helen musselwhite
These cut paper constructions by Helen Musselwhite are awesome! I love the whimsical scenes she creates. The colors and style are great too!
See an older post with different work by her here! Also more on her site and Beautiful/Decay.
roman muradov
I'm wild about these drawings by Roman Muradov! Something about them together with photographs is just fantastic! More here and here.
April 29, 2009
through the looking glass
This editorial from Lula Magazine is so awesome! I love drawings on top of pictures! The drawings are by Jo Ratcliffe, who is pretty awesome all on her own...
Via Vain & Vapid.
April 28, 2009
the shadow project
I am so inspired by this project Color Me Katie created! She and her boyfriend traced themselves in various positions on black paper, cut them out and taped them up around Brooklyn! Then they waited and photographed people passing by when they matched with the shadows. What fun! Check out her blog here!
zanis waldheim
I love these beautiful pieces by Zanis Waldheim. I'm always a sucker for colorful art, but these are like geometric color studies times ten! Yves Jeanson has a fabulous set on Flickr featuring nearly 200 of Zanis' pieces like this. Definitely worth taking a look!
Via Dear Ada.
cardboard cities
Aren't these drawings by Cardboard Cities awesome?! Great colors and use of lines - I especially love the kitty portrait and the bunnies! See more on their Flickr and their website. You won't be disappointed!
Via Penguin & Fish.
April 27, 2009
jum nakao
These beautiful paper dresses are from Jum Nakao's S/S 05 collection. According to Style Bubble, at the end of the show the models ripped and tore the dresses off, to the shock of the spectators! This after 700 hours of work on the collection. Too much!
Anyhow, I could look at these pictures forever. These dresses are just so intricate and amazing! Be sure to check out Style Bubble's post where I saw these pictures if you like them - she has more images and a video!
April 25, 2009
stuart gibson
I love these fantastic photos by Stuart Gibson! I love the unusual angles and all the detail. They put me in the mood to hit the beach!
Via The Grafik Museum.
April 24, 2009
kyoko okubo
I know we've already looked at some animal sculptures today, but these are just so dear! Kyoko Okubo crafts these little figures from washi, a traditional Japanese paper. I can't believe they are made out of paper! You've gotta love the twig antlers too! See many more of Kyoko's cute creations here.
Via Booooooom!
driftwood animals
These gorgeous animals were sculpted using driftwood found on beaches. They are so incredible! I am amazed at how well they flow together- I don't know how the artist, Heather Jansch, manages to put the wood together so perfectly! Heather has been sculpting for nearly 40 years, and she has tons of other work on her site - it's worth taking a look at, if only to see all the other animals she has made!
Via Craftzine.
giant dollhouse
Artist Heather Benning created this life-size dollhouse from an abandoned farmhouse in Saskatchewan! One outside wall has been completely replaced with plexiglass to create the dollhouse view. Heather also decorated the house with 60's furnishings, on account of that is when the house was apparently abandoned. I would love to go and visit this in real life! I would be overcome with the desire to go in though - that is always my problem with regular sized dollhouses - I want to get in somehow!
Via Art Moco.
April 23, 2009
blaze danielle
Aren't these creations by Blaze Danielle amazing!? I just love them, they look so carefully and delicately done. I would love to have one of these pieces on a tee-shirt, even though I would have to be extra-careful with it! See more at Blaze Danielle's blog and Etsy.
Via Miss Jane.
google maps alphabet
I know that many different art alphabets have been making the rounds lately on the net, so I hope you are not too tired of them to enjoy this awesome Google Maps alphabet! I really especially loved this one, I had to share! These were found by Rhett Dashwood, and interestingly enough, he found all the letters within the state of Victoria, Australia! I'm serious! That really makes me think. I bet one could find an alphabet in each of the 50 American states!
Well, maybe... See the bigger version of the alphabet on Rhett's site.
April 22, 2009
salvaged wood installations
I am totally slayed by these salvaged wood installations by Henrique Oliveira. I can't think what to say about them except wow.
Via For Me, For You.
wood block dioramas
Though these dioramas are a bit less into realism than the ones by Thomas Doyle that we looked at last week, they are definitely just as cool! I love the creative use of random odds and ends in each little diorama. Aren't they cute? See more at creator Ethan Hayes-Chute's website.
Via Dear Ada.
vanity and anatomy
These paintings are from an interesting set by Fernando Vincente called Vanitas, which focuses basically on "the fading of beauty and the inevitability of death." While there is definitely a touch of the morbid to these pieces, I think they are strangely beautiful too. What do you guys think?
Via BoingBoing.
April 21, 2009
casey jex smith
Aren't these drawings and paintings awesome?! I saw them over on Booooooom, and when I went and checked out more of Casey's work on his/her site I was not disappointed! I could hardly pick just a few to share with you on here! Definitely check out the site if you liked anything shown above. Totally worth it!
April 20, 2009
the art of fashion illustration
Untitled Cocktail Party - Illustration by Eric. (1944)
The Bumble Bee Girl - Illustration by Karen Santry, oil on rosewood, mounted on rice paper. (2007)
J'Adore Coco. Illustration by Steven Broadway, gouache and pencil. (2009)
I saw these on an interesting little slideshow by NY Magazine's blog The Cut, and I had to be sure and share because I found all of the illustrations so inspirational! See the whole slideshow here.
ashley lloyd
I saw these pieces by Ashley Lloyd on The Moldy Doily, and I was sure lucky I did! These are so cool! I love Ashley's whole aesthetic, her work makes me think of like, dying flowers, or something else pretty and disintegrated...
See more equally pleasing work here.
color pad
I've been really enjoying these pieces from Klas Ernflo's set Color Pad. I love the texture! I realize it's probably paint, but for whatever reason these make me want to go and play with nail polish...
Via Design*Sponge.
April 19, 2009
water + ink
In order to get these photos, Shinichi Maruyama has to use extremely fast strobe light photography, which can capture things that happened within a 7,500th of a second! I don't think I can really wrap my mind around that one. If you look, you can see that he catches the water and ink at the moment before they mix into each other - you can see a little bit of just water and a little bit of just ink... Incredible!
Via Design Boom.
April 18, 2009
kamrooz aram
These beautiful paintings are by artist Kamrooz Aram, and I can't get enough! They just have a great feel! I was lucky enough to spot them on Beautiful/Decay, and I've been on Kamrooz's site ever since! Lovely!
April 17, 2009
liz tran
I think what I enjoy most about Liz Tran's work is her color palette. Those vibrant colors paired with the dreamy feel are enough to get me hooked! See her portfolio on her site.
bird dogs
I can't decide if these are kind of cute or rather creepy. I'm torn - maybe somewhere in between... Either way, they're really interesting, and original! They're made by Emily Valentine, and you can see them all on her site. It's worth looking at, there are quite a few and they're all different - I had trouble picking some to show you!
I will say that it would be fun to have a dog with pretty wings! He he!
I saw these on NotCot!
wolf & pig
I love this little stop-motion video! I don't want to bombard you all with videos, but it's really darn cute and it's really clever - it's put together using developed photos! Watch for yourself to see what I mean!
April 16, 2009
this will blow your mind!
Althea Crome knits things so tiny, you will hardly believe it even after you watch the video below.
Adding to her claim to fame is that she hand-knit all the little clothes that appeared in the movie Coraline. Awesome!
doily art
I love these heart, brain and lung doily drawings by Lisa Solomon. I had never seen her work before, and though I was initially attracted to her site for the organs, her other doily drawings are really cool too!
So pretty and delicate! Check out Lisa's site for more.
Via Poppytalk.
April 15, 2009
thomas doyle
Thomas Doyle, the creator of these incredible dioramas, says in his artist statement that he feels work done in such small scale allows for the intimacy one might feel peering into a museum display case or dollhouse. I completely agree - and I think that is one thing that is so appealing about these pieces! It is quite like looking into a dollhouse for me, except rather than wanting to jump in and join the scene, I am worried for the little people in these dioramas - they seem like they are in peril! Still, amazing work, and you can check out Thomas' site to see more.
pop-up trees
These tree pop-up books are wonderful! They're made of paper and a bit of wood by Lizzie Thomas of Brighton, UK.
April 14, 2009
monsieur/mademoiselle
These simple little prints by Blanca Gomez are part of a cute set she did called Monsieur/Mademoiselle. I'm especially enjoying the rainy ones, since it is so so rainy here today! See the whole happy set here.
April 13, 2009
tara donovan
These pieces by Tara Donovan are both minuscule and immense! As always, I love to see small objects put together to create something huge, but even cooler that the small objects are so normal - buttons, pencils, styrofoam cups... That stuff never ceases to amaze me. See many more of her pieces here.
Via beautiful/decay.
painted frames
I love these brightly colored frames that TotallyJuliaRAd paints. So clever! I love the old ornate frames with such eye-popping colors! She sticks illustrations from children's books in them for the pictures. I think I feel a DIY coming on...
chickie bookmarks!
I downloaded these awesome chick bookmarks from JinJurup, and I love them so much! I glued the printer paper to card-stock before I cut mine out, just to make them more sturdy. They are so cute! Get yours here, for free of course!
Via Folding Trees.
April 12, 2009
fire-tagging
Can you believe this graffiti? It's called 'fire-tagging' and the way it's apparently done is the artist writes their signature in lighter fluid and then sets the area aflame. Well for a moment anyway, presumably they put the fire right back out, he he! It looks awesome! Reminds me of those high-school days playing with hair-spray and a lighter on the pavement...
Via Nylon blogs.
April 10, 2009
bryan nash gill
Ah! How badly do you want one of these relief prints by Bryan Nash Gill? Amazing - I agree with Swissmiss when she says she would like to have one decorating her home...
in all the world i dream in paper
This video gets better and better! Paper art by Petra Storrs.
Found via Style Bubble
marieke van der bruggen's "garden of delight"
This installation by Marieke van der Bruggen is really interesting, and really pretty! All the hanging twigs, branches and leaves are made out of colored glucose - in other words, they're basically hanging lollipops, and visitors to the installation are allowed to pick of parts of it and eat them. The show doesn't open until next week though, and to boot it's in Milan. But, if you do happen to be in Milan, you can check it out! It's the Jewels and Joules show, being presented by the Design Connection Brainport and Design Academy Eindhoven. Sweet - literally!
Via Moco Loco.
birdies and treats
I love these illustrations by Kate Wilson! I love that they all feature birdies and sweets, but I love the cute little sayings that go with them even more! Too adorable! Kate also has a fun blog that's worth checking out, Peonies & Polaroids.
Via BettyJoy.
April 9, 2009
dried flower easter eggs
These gorgeous Easter eggs were decorated by Pam of Gingerbread Snowflakes. She hollowed the eggs first (tutorial for that here) and then used Mod-Podge to glue some flowers she had already dried onto the eggs. They sure do look beautiful!
See more of Pam's Easter decor ideas here.
A Cloud of Bags Visit the Prado
These shots are from an interesting installation by Madrid-based art group Luzinterruptus. They took many plastic bags and affixed them to lights and sticks in the front yard of the Prado Museum in Madrid, creating a field of soft glowing lights. It's cool to see plastic bags, which I often see flying around in the street outside my Philly apartment, used to create something that, in my opinion, looks really pretty!
April 8, 2009
holger pooten
I'm loving these photographs by Holger Pooten - the pieces and bits suspended have me staring! More on his site.
Via FFFFound!
April 7, 2009
timothy hon hung lee
I love these beautiful drawings by Timothy Hon Hung Lee. They are so so detailed and very dreamy! See more here and here.
Via BeautifulDecay.
April 6, 2009
antoinette fleur
Very in love with French illustrator Antoinette Fleur! I like sketchy style mixed with the bright colors. Check out her site for more of her work, some of the girls clearly set in Paris.
found via cyanatrendland
lauren levy
I love these intricate scissors by Lauren Levy - especially that they're made of buttons! They almost don't look like buttons anymore...
Via Design Sponge.
April 5, 2009
jacob livengood
I'm so intrigued with these works by Jacob Livengood - they're just so interesting to look at! I'm a big fan of dots making up designs, so of course I love his use of them! See more here.
April 4, 2009
logos
These creative logos made by Wolff Olins really amuse me! I love the pretty flower one of course, but who doesn't love plastic farm animals? More logos on their Flickr.
Via for me, for you.
April 3, 2009
dan-ah kim
These ethereal pieces by Dan-ah Kim are too much! I just love the unworldly feeling of them, and the use of textures and sewing with the paint. Gorgeous! Check out My Love For You's post about her to see a cool music video she worked on as well.
April 2, 2009
linda solovic's owl collages
I adore these collages by Linda Solovic - the colors, the printed papers, the shapes - they are so cute! You can see more collages here, and of course check out Linda's website as well!
Via Design Related.
April 1, 2009
anna bond
I love these whimsical illustrations by Anna Bond! I especially enjoy the bush monsters... scary! See more on her site, Rifle Design.
Via NotCot.
colored smoke
These pictures take me to another place! They're from a neat little set from HELMO called Colored Smoke. See more here.
Via It's Nice That.
might be better than fireworks...
Dressed in sheepskin coats and hats, locals in Nuanquan China celebrate the Lantern Festival each year by flinging molten iron at a wall to create beautiful showers of sparks. The tradition reportedly started 4 or 500 years ago when a blacksmith was too poor to buy fireworks to celebrate the festival. A little dangerous, but so so beautiful! Check it out!
Via Neatorama.
March 31, 2009
cassette tape scarf
So, the sweet cassette tape art above has been around the internet enough lately that I'm pretty confident you guys have all seen it...
(If you haven't, or haven't had your fill, check out this page, which has a variety of the pieces, some of which you might not have seen.)
But look at this other cassette art I came across today...
A cassette tape scarf - pretty interesting right? I don't know how long it would last being worn, but shoot, I'd wear it!
I wonder what we'll do next with tapes!?
March 30, 2009
early emoticons?
I came across these on Made you Look. Neat, right? I can't decide if I think they are legitimately from the 70's or not. Perhaps! Either way, I like them, and that they're "films." A tiny drop more of information at Made You Look.
March 29, 2009
a small world
The author of Mission Mission spotted this little installation attached to the wall of the building across the street from her/his apartment. I love it - I'd like to imagine some little person actually does live in there! See more pictures here.
March 27, 2009
carlo van de roer
I'm crazy about these images by Carlo Van De Roer, aren't they fabulous!? I'd love to have a giant mural of one for a wall in my living room. The feeling of these pictures is like another world!
Via Beautiful/Decay.
shiraz fuman
I just spent way too long looking at everything on Shiraz Fuman's site and Flickr feed. Her stuff is so awesome - I love the style and how it's a little bit surreal!
Via Meathaus.
beautiful granny square blanket
I am so inspired by this beautiful crochet blanket from the ladies of The Purl Bee. I love the idea to just make one giant Granny Square as a blanket. The colors are gorgeous too! But the best part is that they have a really good tutorial for making Granny Squares! Now I just need to graduate to making giant Granny Squares.
March 26, 2009
doub's glove project
One of our former design team employees, Michelle, recently dug up our Art Director Doub's glove project from many years ago, and posted it on her blog! You can see it above, it's pretty fabulous - I couldn't resist sharing it with you guys as well!
Here's a little note from Doub about where the inspiration for this project came from:
Well what became fascinating for me when I started the glove project was how elaborately detailed each pair of gloves were. And with each glove it's delicate little details really dictated each design. I had become obsessed with gloves and was scouring the city for them mainly for the strange need to cut one of the pair up into a silhouette. I still have such an appreciation for the amazing craftsmanship and design of gloves.
It really is a very inspiring project! And speaking of inspiration, our friend Michelle's blog is called Inspiration Resource, and aptly so! You should definitely check it out if you feel so inclined...
March 25, 2009
embroidered silver platter
I am totally amazed by this piece by Lynette Andreasen! She found an antique silver platter and embroidered an outline of an old image of her father's family onto it. When I first saw the top picture, I thought it was embroidered leather and that it was very cool - so you can imagine my reaction when I found it was a silver platter - even cooler! Check out Lynette's pictures too; she has an interesting little artist's statement there.
the seed
This little video by Johnny Kelly follows the life of a seed! It's really neat; I love the style of the animation! Give it a spin, I think you'll enjoy it too!
The Seed from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.
Via Neatorama.
March 24, 2009
salt art
Motoi Yamamoto creates these amazing designs with loose salt, or salt baked into bricks for large structures. He started using salt as his only medium when his sister passed away from brain cancer twelve years ago, and he looks at his labyrinth-esque art as at once futile yet necessary to his healing. It's also interesting to note that in Japanese culture salt is often considered a symbol of purity.
L.E.D. Sheep!
There are no words for this video other than totally awesome! Samsung paid these guys to go to Wales and put some LED lights on sheep and herd them into patterns to make different displays! The sheep were probably kind of confused, but boy did they help make some cool visuals! Check it out, it is just amazing!
P.S. Props to the sheepdogs too!
March 23, 2009
zoe regoczy
I love this beautiful work by Zoe Regoczy! Aren't these so awesome!? See more on her site.
Via Happy Cavalier.
March 20, 2009
springtime collages
These collages by Anna Kunz may not be intentionally spring-y, but they sure do look wonderfully springtime to me! I love the colors she used, as did Dear Ada, where I saw the collages! She actually painted the papers first, then cut them up to make the collages. They're so appealing...
March 19, 2009
line drawings by kosuke ikeda
I can hardly believe these are line drawings, they're so detailed and patterned! They are the work of Japanese artist Kosuke Ikeda, who uses gel ink ball point pens to create these unique pieces. He has many other visually interesting works on his site as well, worth checking out!
March 18, 2009
running the numbers
Running the Numbers is an interesting set of photos by photographer Chris Jordan, in which each picture has a specific quantity of a mass-consumed item. For example, one photo features fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of average paper use), and another shows 106,000 aluminum cans (about thirty seconds of can consumption). As you might imagine, in real life some of these pictures are huge, like 10 feet by 25 feet! Below are a couple of shots from the set; see more here, they're amazing!
Via CubeMe.
biscuitlove
I adore these prints by Joseph over at Biscuitlove! Our Web Marketing Manager, Heather, bought the top print the other day and hasn't stopped talking about it! I can't blame her, they're all so cool!
March 16, 2009
grafiske
I am really into Jason Fiske lately - I love the surreal nature of his work and the variety within it. When I look at his art I feel like I'm traveling! See lots more here!
March 13, 2009
paper heart press
I can't get over the cute customizable kid's party invitations that Paper Heart Press makes!
I won't be turning 1 any time again, but I am tempted to get some of these for my next party, even though they're supposed to be for kids! Too cute & clever! See more here.
March 11, 2009
cindy riccardelli
I am obsessed by Cindy Riccardelli's jewelry right now! I love the huge masses of beads and how textured and chunky her work is. As much chunky jewelry is out there these days, I haven't seen any quite like these - they really make a statement! I love the colors too, especially the first one! Cindy also paints and makes dolls- you can see all of her work, including a lot more jewelry, here on her site!
March 10, 2009
megan whitmarsh
I'm loving these embroideries by Megan Whitmarsh! Aren't they awesome? See more on her site.
barcode revolution
Barcode Revolution creates these specialized barcodes for a number of major Japanese brands. I love them! I have often wondered why we don't do something creative with barcodes - I hope this idea makes it to the US!
Also, don't you think one of these would look cool as the graphic on a tee-shirt? Maybe the castle one...
Via HoobyPrincess.
March 9, 2009
painted castle
This is Kelburn Castle in Scotland, which in June 2007 was partially painted by the Sao Paolo Crew, who are Brazilian graffiti artists. It looks so cool! I love to see a castle that is over 500 years old covered in some modern graffiti art! And it's so detailed! What do you guys think?
March 6, 2009
unique matryoshka dolls
I'm really feeling these Matryoshka dolls by Irina Troitskaya. I've always loved Matryoshka dolls, and these ones are so cool and unique! All of her sets have a specific theme - for example, the top set is naturally white animals, another set is called the most popular animals from Russian fairytales. I love it! See more on Booooooom!
March 5, 2009
Do-Ho Suh
I find these pieces by Do-Ho Suh really interesting! His work mostly deals with questions of individuality and anonymity, or the transience of existence, reportedly inspired by his time in the military. There is something about all the small parts building up a whole in the first two pieces that is really fascinating to me. What do you guys think? See more of Do-Ho's work on Design Crisis.
erika somogyi
I am loving Erica Somogyi's paintings lately! I saw some of them on My Love for You, and since then I have been on her site looking at everything! I love the colors and the dreaminess!
Coincidentally, Erica's work has been making the rounds lately, and on this Friday night at 7pm you can see her work at Space 1026 here in Philly! For those interested...
March 4, 2009
the sketchbook project- tour!
Ever heard of The Sketchbook Project? It's awesome! Something like 2,000 people from around the country signed up, and were sent a blank Moleskine sketchbook. The only instructions were to send the books back by Feb 15th, and fill them with "everyone we know." Art House, which is a group dedicated to bringing art to the masses, is responsible for the creation and managing of the project. I think that is so cool! I only wish I would have known in time to participate! But maybe next time?
For now, the books that Art House got back are going on tour, and tonight they stop in Philadelphia! Head over to Chris' Jazz Cafe at 1421 Sansom Street tonight for a chance to flip through all the books. The books will be making the rounds at a bunch of other cities as well; click here to see a list of all the places and dates! Below find just a few pages of the many many books - click here to see a gallery of the submissions!
jill gallenstein
These amazing pen and ink drawings are by Jill Gallenstein of Columbus Ohio. They are so intricate and pretty! I love them! See more here!
Via BettyJoy.
March 3, 2009
map-like quilts
I saw these gorgeous map quilts by Leah Evans on Design Crisis, and I am really impressed with them! I love maps, I love quilting, it's a great combination! They sure look like they'd be difficult to make, though worth it! To see more of Leah's work, check out her site, and for more interesting quilts, see here, here, and here.
kirsten lepore
I really love this video by Kirsten Lepore! It is so adorable, and it uses food as the characters! Enjoy!
"Sweet Dreams" from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.
Via Booooooom!
March 2, 2009
arbor sculpture
These trees manipulated into sculptures are so interesting! They can be found at the Tree Circus of Axel Erlandson. Erlandson passed away in 1964, but people are still enjoying his trees at their home in Gilroy, California. More about arbor sculpture here, and more about Axel Erlandson here.
March 1, 2009
notgeld
I am obsessed by the graphics on these antique German notgeld, or emergency money. Notgeld was printed by small municipalities and town banks in Germany from WWI through the 1920's and 30's. Though it was not legal currency, it was generally accepted, and actually proved useful due to the outrageous inflation in Germany at the time. These scans are all from Flickr user Iliazd, who has an awesome notgeld set with something like 900 different marks in it! If you love sweet graphics or history, or both, be sure to give it a browse.
Via Dark Roasted Blend.
February 28, 2009
kenichi hoshine
I'm really taken with these pictures by Kenichi Hoshine! There's just something about the way the paint looks... when I first saw the tree one I thought there was pretty fabric torn all over it or something. See more at DesignDig.
February 27, 2009
paper craft
I love all these crafty ideas for printed paper! They really inspire me to go do something with all those old newspapers I have laying around...
February 26, 2009
crayons
Take a closer look at this picture...
They're crayons!
How creative is that!? This crayon-pixel art is the work of Ohio-based Christian Faur. You can see lots more of his crayon art, as well as his work in other mediums, here.
Via MetaFilter.
sinem erkas
These pictures that Sinem Erkas did for Exit are really interesting. See more shots (and more sets featuring balloons) here.
Via Unique Lapin.
February 25, 2009
10 year old graffiti artist
Check out this work by 10 year old graffiti artist Solveig. I love it!
That fresh tat is also by Solveig! Some guy had seen a lot of her work around and really liked it, so he requested a tattoo! I'm so impressed! There's a little picture article about her on Telegraph UK, and it has a little bit more information about her in the blurbs. I couldn't figure out where she's from, though I'm sure it's in there somewhere. Whatever, she's awesome! Make sure to have a look at Solveig's Flickr too, she has a ton of terrific pictures!
cool heart
So I recently bought a copy of Kris' latest zine, Cool Heart, and I love it so much! I seriously look at it like 10 times a day. And I've had it more than a week now! It's so good, and really cute, I recommend it to anyone! Below, find a couple of pictures cut out from the zine. If you are a fan of Kris' work you should definitely check out her site, she has lots for the eyes there! And if you want a copy of Cool Heart, get one here!
wrapped
German artist Pierre Kracht created these objects out of thread, and yes, they are hollow inside! Pretty cool huh? I really like how they look, especially the chandelier. See more here.
Via Dezeen.
February 24, 2009
a visit to bibliodyssey
These gorgeous pictures are from the Collectanea Botanica, a series of monographs by John Lindley issued between 1821 and 1826. I love things like this! I saw them on BibliOdyssey, which is becoming one of my favorite sites to visit lately. The guy who works on it finds pictures from all kinds of old books, ones that have been posted online and ones out in the library, and then posts all the best pictures from them.
amy bennett
These paintings by Amy Bennett really intrigue me, because they look to me like miniature models, not oil paintings! There are a few little places on each piece where I can clearly see it's paint, but for the most part it really tricks my eye! Don't they look like little figurines to you?
Via Design Crisis.
mona lisa chair
How do you guys like this Mona Lisa folding chair? You could put it on your wall, or sit on it! I really like it, weird as it is, it catches my eye. The frame is so cool! Created by Korean designer Kwang Hoo Lee, you can read more about it here on CubeMe.
February 23, 2009
flocked deer mount
I am obsessed with these little mini-deer mounts! This is the only kind of deer mount I want in my house. They are so colorful, tiny, and well-sculpted! I would like one in each color, for each room of my apartment! Find them at Johnny&Stacie's Etsy shop.
Via for me, for you.
February 20, 2009
hilary berseth's amazing sculptures
These amazing beeswax sculptures were created by Hilary Berseth, with the help of many bees! To get the bees to build their combs in the shapes he would like, he constructs basic frameworks out of wire and wax, and then puts them into a closed box in the spring. After that the bee colonies take over, filling out his templates with wax cells, then stuffing them with honey. Check out NYMagazine for more information and a really nice little slideshow about it!
Via For me, for you.
animals made of continents
Dog.
Rat.
Sheep.
Horse.
Chicken.
All these animals were created using the land masses of the Earth, and without changing the shapes or dimensions! They're a little rough, but I like them! Does anyone know who did them? The site where I saw them doesn't say...
February 19, 2009
art cars
Just for fun, I thought I'd post these pictures of random art cars. They have been giving me so much inspiration lately! What do you guys think?
Via. Yes, those are cameras...
February 17, 2009
amazing
Wow. When I first saw the top picture, I thought it was real for a moment before realizing it was one of those sidewalk optical illusions. Knowing that, the last picture still kind of freaks me out! Edgar Mueller is apparently who is responsible for this coolness, but the site is in French so I can only gather so much...
Via all the good things.
confetti graffiti
Spanish street artist Eltono uses confetti and paste to make his cool graffiti art. Check out his blog for more pictures and information!
Coriandoli - Eltono - Cripta747 from EltonoVideo on Vimeo.
Via Hooked.
February 13, 2009
ice & snow
Hongtao Zhou, an art student from University of Wisconsin, made this awesome ice and snow furniture on the currently frozen Lake Mendota in Wisconsin! It looks so delicate and pretty- like something from an ice queen's castle!
Via Dezeen.
February 10, 2009
watermarks
These cool projections have been popping up on the sides of buildings in Bristol, UK, thanks to the Watermarks Project.
From their website:
Sea levels are rising due to climate change… but how much could they rise and how quickly? And how could this affect the city of Bristol?
Watermarks is a public art project that will use a series of large-scale projections at sites across the centre of the city to explore these questions.
Interesting!
For a gallery of the projections, see the Watermarks Project's website.
Via It's Nice That.
le ballon rouge
Do you recognize the little boy and his red balloon? When I was a little girl I had this book, Le Ballon Rouge, and I loved it so much! It's the story of a little boy and his best friend, a red balloon. It has fabulous pictures, and the story is really cute and touching!
However, I did not realize it was also a movie! Not only is it a movie, (looks just like the book, must have been one shoot for both the book and movie) but you can see the movie on Google video! I doubt it will last, movies never stay up for free for long! So if you are interested, you should go check it out! You'll enjoy it!
Via Oh Joy!
February 9, 2009
our city dreams
I'm really excited about this documentary called "Our City Dreams" about 5 female artists in New York. I won't pretend I can explain it better than this, so here is the description from the Film Forum site:
CHIARA CLEMENTE’S AFFECTING LOVE LETTER TO THE CITY STRINGS TOGETHER THE SELF-TOLD NARRATIVES OF FIVE WOMEN ARTISTS (ages 30 – 80), each of whom has a passion for making art inseparable from her devotion to New York. Swoon, the youngest, exhibits cut-outs directly on city walls and subways, and exudes idealism and energy while carrying a two by four the way some women would a briefcase. Cairoborn Ghada Amer mixes media — embroidering with painting — to confront sexual taboos that cross cultural boundaries. After experiencing The New York Dolls in San Francisco, Kiki Smith realized she needed the energy of the big city to create her wildly influential paintings and sculptures; Marina Abramovic, originally of Belgrade, is a performance art pioneer who often uses her own body as a canvas. And Nancy Spero returned from Paris with artist-husband Leon Golub in 1964, to meld art and activism during the Vietnam War and become, in her own words, “a woman warrior.” Ronnie Scheib in Variety writes that the film is “exquisitely crafted” and “ranks as a work of art itself.”
There's an exclusive clip on The Moment blog, and you might recognize one of the artists, Swoon, from a post on the free people blog a while back!
plastic life
I am obsessed with the Flickr set Plastic Life by Vincent Bousserez! There is just something so interesting about these photographs! They look half-real to me, like the little people are nearly alive. What do you think?
Thank you Yatzer, for showing me this set!
February 5, 2009
lok ming fung
These beautiful ceramic boxes are part of a collection called Oohhh, by recent Central Saint Martins graduate Lok Ming Fung. The set itself is inspired by Russian dolls and Japanese Inro boxes, while the decorations are more barnacle/lichen inspired. They're all gorgeous. See the rest of the set here.
Via Yatzer.
February 4, 2009
Gunta Stölzl
These patterns are just so incredible! The first two are actual wall-hangings, the last is a sketch of ideas for wall-hangings. All are the work of Gunta Stölzl, a German textile artist from the early 20th century. She entered the famous Bauhaus School as a student in 1920, and ended up as a teacher there in 1928. Still, I'd never heard of her until today when I saw her on Now Voyager, who is also real impressed. If you are interested too, check out this website, it's got a detailed biography and quite a few pictures of her work.
Something about Gunta's designs reminds me a little bit of the Gee's Bend Quilts. What do you think?
January 29, 2009
joachim lapotre
These delicious-looking candy plants are really pleasing to the eye, don't you think? I can't tell if they're photoshopped or not, what do you think? I know they're by Joachim LaPotre, but I can't find too much on his site of how he makes his photos. Either way, they sure are appealing and inspiring!
Via I ♥ Photograph.
January 28, 2009
joetta maue
Joetta Maue is making beautiful statements with vintage textiles and needlework. She also makes these encouraging banners (ok, some are not so encouraging) that are inspiring me to make a permanent banner to hang in my apartment!
Any suggestions on what my banner should say??
Check out Joetta's other artwork and her etsy shop. Found via Love Forever.
January 27, 2009
greed
Inspired by Marcel Duchamp's Eau de Voilette and starring Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman, this short art film is an advertisement for a ficitional perfume and sure to be beautiful and interesting. If that doesn't already get you thinking, the film is directed by Roman Polanski and was conceived by Francesco Vezzoli. I can't wait for the online screening on February 6th on Dazed Digital.
Head over to Dazed now for the trailer, and then mark your calendar for the 6th!
valentine swap deadline
Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for our Valentine's Day Craft Swap! Sign up here and read this for all of the details. Happy crafting!
pants optional
These little cards from a set by Your Psycho Girlfriend really crack me up! Plus, I love the artwork. See more here.
January 26, 2009
new FP desktop wallpaper!
Our graphic designers have created a new desktop wallpaper for you! I love how it hints at spring to come! The days are getting longer, after all! Click here to download it! I already have it set as my desktop background! :) Enjoy!
all the small things
These incredible works of art are real, and so so tiny! Willard Wigan of the UK carves grains of rice or sugar into his miniature-sized sculptures, and then uses a hair from the back of a housefly to paint them! When they are on display in a gallery, each of his works has a microscope so you can see them - but when Willard works on them, he does so with the naked eye! I can't even imagine, since most of his work is on the head of a pin or the eye of needle! I found a really cool video interview with him on Metacafe that you should have a look at; I posted it below!
stephanie metz
I can't imagine how much time it must take Stephanie Metz to felt wool into these amazing sculptures! The teddy bear skull at the bottom is part of an interesting set she did called Teddy Bear Natural History, which seriously looks like a museum exhibit!
January 25, 2009
polly verity's wire skills
How about these cool wire sculptures? I'm really impressed by them. They are the skilled work of Polly Verity, who makes them using wire, tissue paper, and occasionally some folded regular paper. Her site has photos of a lot of her work, including some life-sized wearable paper dresses, which are pretty cool. I'd rather have that unicorn mask though, or maybe some wire shoes! They look almost like glass slippers...
January 23, 2009
felice varini's optical illusions
These are real!
Viewed from one angle you see this...
But from just the right angle you see this...
And so on...
They're so amazing! I can't imagine all the work involved to figure out exactly where to place each part of the design! Check out Felice's website for more.
Via Fraiing.
January 21, 2009
sam bassett
These awesome photos are by New York City photographer Sam Bassett. He seems to do more portraits than anything else, but as you can see, they are really unusual and interesting portraits! I have been wandering around his site for a chunk of this afternoon, and if you liked these pictures at all, you will definitely enjoy looking around it yourself!
Via It's Nice That.
L Filipe dos Santos of Corcoise
Don't you love these pictures? I think they are so gorgeous! They are the work of L Filipe dos Santos of Corcoise, and if not for Penguin & Fish I would never have found him! If you are into them too, be sure to check out his blog and his Flickr photostream- there are a lot more beautiful pieces to be found there!
January 20, 2009
silhouette masterpiece theater
These humorous and dark silhouettes are from Silhouette Masterpiece Theater, by Wilhelm Steahle. I love how he uses old paintings as the backgrounds! If this kind of stuff tickles your fancy, check out more here!
January 18, 2009
brendan monroe
Ever since I saw this picture on Booooooom, I can't stop looking at it! I'm not sure if it's the really textural stuff the people are standing in, or the total lack of stuff in the top part of the picture. (Other than the bits flying off the person's hands.) I just really like it! It's by Brendan Monroe, and if you are intrigued too, you should check out the post Booooooom did about him. You'll find many more interesting works with lots of movement in them.
January 16, 2009
yumm
I am so into these little cake rings by la boite a couture! What is it with me and accessories that look like food? See more here.
January 15, 2009
book cover archive
I had lots of fun flipping through this online gallery of book covers and designers! I love seeing the different versions of the same books and seeing covers I've never seen for books that I have read.
Have you ever bought a book based on the cover? Did the book live up to the art? Leave us a comment with the link to your favorites!
I'm loving this cover I spotted today. Maybe I'll give it a read...
sparkleball!
So pretty, and so colorful! Don't you love these sparkleballs? It may be after the Holidays but I would still like to make one! Would you? Learn how here, and see more neat pictures here!
January 8, 2009
takashi amano's beautiful water worlds
Believe it or not, these incredible scenes all are within aquariums! Takashi Amano, who many of you may already know of, (though I didn't!) is the creator of the above aquascapes, as well as countless others. A very well respected photographer and aquarist, Takashi was one of the main people to introduce Japanese gardening styles to the aquarium hobby. His aquarium scenes are always very carefully arranged and yet very natural looking! See more photos of his stunning work (and it is a lot of hard work) here, here, and here.
January 7, 2009
Richard Hogg
I am loving these surreal and colorful designs by Richard Hogg. The centaurs totally rock my world, and the seals are so comical! There is a lot more cool art on his site, including, to my delight, a few desktop backgrounds and a (scandalous) screensaver! So right now I have an extra fun and very hirsute Richard Hogg desktop! :)
January 6, 2009
labels labels everywhere
Pruitt and I both did posts recently about different clothing label related art projects (here and here), and then I spotted this! These are custom designed Doc Martens by Fake London for the project Original Since1460.
Doc Martens asked designers across Great Britain and the world to customize boots. Some of them are completely wearable and awesome like the Chrome Hearts ones, and others are more artistic or fun, like the Barbie cars by Jason Kirk.
Found via Bleach Black
carolyn alexander
One look at that eating utensil family portrait and I flipped! Carolyn Alexander is an illustrator from the UK, currently living in France. Her site is full of treats for the eye, and she has a cute little blog too, if you feel so inclined!
January 5, 2009
winter craft swap photos
The Free People Art of Giving Winter craft swap is coming to a close. Some of the swappers have posted photos of their beautiful handmade gifts in our flickr group. They look so amazing!
Thanks to everyone that participated. I hope you all had fun:)
Check out the flickr group to see all of the gifts, and leave these crafters some comments if you love what they made. There should be more photos posting all week, so check back too.
Who would be interested in a Valentines swap??
January 4, 2009
girls & boys
I love these cute prints by Little Paper Planes, don't you? Especially the little girl - the pines trees are perfect!
January 1, 2009
Won Park's origami art
I saw these dollar origamis on Yatzer, and I am quite impressed! They are the work of a man named Won Park, whose love of origami began when his mother took him to a Japanese paper shop as a boy. It was there that he got his first origami folding book. Now, at 38, he is an origami expert!
You can see some more of his creations right here on Yatzer, and below is a video I found where you can watch him fold a paper rose!
December 31, 2008
Kate Bingaman Burt
I am sooo very inspired by this q & a with Kate Bingaman Burt over on My Love For You. Kate did the handlettering in Handmade Nation and writes the blog Obsessive Consumption. She DRAWS all of the things she buys, and draws all of her credit card statements.
You need to read the interview and check out her blog. It will change the way you think about shopping, consumption, and your general relationship with money. Oh and art and craft too:)
labels project
Ever think about how far your clothes have traveled? I like the way artist Luca Pizzaroni is approaching clothing labels as a cultural symbol.
From the Labels Project site:
"The Labels Project Sculpture sets out to serve as a metaphor of travel, capable of taping memories of time and place to reveal a sense of unspoken collective identity.This installation sculpture relies on the conventions and familiarity of clothing to communicate and uncover a greater sense of self. Label-gazing, becomes here, a valid geographical-psychological challenge. The viewer’s interpretation belies his personal notions about geographical provenance, time and memory."
December 30, 2008
Valerie Hegarty
What do you guys think of these pieces by Valerie Hegarty? I am partial to the last one myself! Very organic, less destructive. Though the cracked wall and painting are nice too. All very interesting... I couldn't find too much information about Valerie herself, other than that she lives in Brooklyn, but you can see more of her work here, if you're intrigued like I was.