Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
6.05.2008
yippiee~Spoonflower invite
i'm thrilled, i got my much anticipated invite to join the beta site Spoonflower this week. i have been digging out my archive of designs and getting them ready to try colorways, determine scale and figure out which ones i want to print. here is a sneek peak of one. i'm having a hard time deciding how much i want to share so i will be taking it slow to start.
another exciting creative persuit of mine this week was attending an open studio night at a local art center. i found out about it just in time to attend this month. i have not drawn from a live model since college, or aprox. 10 years ago. this was never really my thing but since i draw all day long on the computer and rarely from life with actual pencil and paper i wanted to give it a whirl. what do you know, i can actually draw and doing so without being graded took some of the pressure off. it was quite liberating and i'll be going back now regularly! just to prove i mean it i'm posting a photo of one of the sketches i did. ordinarily i'd be too insecure to show this but i'm moving on, trying to be happy with what i did and not compare myself to others. i never use to draw the heads or faces of the models in school so for me, just attempting to draw the whole figure is huge!
get out there and do some drawing folks, we all can weather it's doodling, drawing people, flowers or landscapes, it's the process not the outcome that's important to practice. i'm going to publish this before i change my mind now.
another exciting creative persuit of mine this week was attending an open studio night at a local art center. i found out about it just in time to attend this month. i have not drawn from a live model since college, or aprox. 10 years ago. this was never really my thing but since i draw all day long on the computer and rarely from life with actual pencil and paper i wanted to give it a whirl. what do you know, i can actually draw and doing so without being graded took some of the pressure off. it was quite liberating and i'll be going back now regularly! just to prove i mean it i'm posting a photo of one of the sketches i did. ordinarily i'd be too insecure to show this but i'm moving on, trying to be happy with what i did and not compare myself to others. i never use to draw the heads or faces of the models in school so for me, just attempting to draw the whole figure is huge!
get out there and do some drawing folks, we all can weather it's doodling, drawing people, flowers or landscapes, it's the process not the outcome that's important to practice. i'm going to publish this before i change my mind now.
5.23.2008
All Around ABC Carpet
window display at ABC~this was very minimalist for them. i fell in love with their window displays when i first visited this store in 1996. they always amaze me and don't disapoint.
cute message board in the children's section. i love to look at the children's section for inspiration. these fun little vignettes are a complete, wonderful world of fantasy and make believe. who wouldn't want to live in that surrounding?
bright and fun display of Soolip products also in the children's section.
these blank journals were a favorite of mine in the stationary section on the first floor. i didn't write down the name of the bookmaker but i believe she is Danish? they are handmade, blank and have these little "bits" sprinkled randomly on pages throughout the book. if you happen to know the name of this book maker please get in touch or leave a comment.
love these~cork wrapped glassware.
these beautiful necklaces caught my eye among all the gorgeous jewelry. of course being a "fibers" major any unique use of fabric catches my eye and the lovely use of silk as cording was just stunning. the two on the outside of the display reminded me of the vintage necklaces with the big chunky beads wrapped in fabric~do you know the ones?
this tabletop display was so inspiring to me because of the mixture of old vintage looking teacups and china with more modern earthenware. i am always struggling to mix these two styles in my own home so i found this one of the more intriguing tabletop displays.
okay this funky, shaggy chair wasn't at ABC but was at a furniture store right down the street on Broadway btwn 17 & 18th...very fun!
PS. i take notice of bloggers who do and don't use capitals and i am switching to the latter for speed of getting things published. from here forward i will only use capitals for names of People, Places and Companies. i do hope no one takes offense!
cute message board in the children's section. i love to look at the children's section for inspiration. these fun little vignettes are a complete, wonderful world of fantasy and make believe. who wouldn't want to live in that surrounding?
bright and fun display of Soolip products also in the children's section.
these blank journals were a favorite of mine in the stationary section on the first floor. i didn't write down the name of the bookmaker but i believe she is Danish? they are handmade, blank and have these little "bits" sprinkled randomly on pages throughout the book. if you happen to know the name of this book maker please get in touch or leave a comment.
love these~cork wrapped glassware.
these beautiful necklaces caught my eye among all the gorgeous jewelry. of course being a "fibers" major any unique use of fabric catches my eye and the lovely use of silk as cording was just stunning. the two on the outside of the display reminded me of the vintage necklaces with the big chunky beads wrapped in fabric~do you know the ones?
this tabletop display was so inspiring to me because of the mixture of old vintage looking teacups and china with more modern earthenware. i am always struggling to mix these two styles in my own home so i found this one of the more intriguing tabletop displays.
okay this funky, shaggy chair wasn't at ABC but was at a furniture store right down the street on Broadway btwn 17 & 18th...very fun!
PS. i take notice of bloggers who do and don't use capitals and i am switching to the latter for speed of getting things published. from here forward i will only use capitals for names of People, Places and Companies. i do hope no one takes offense!
4.14.2008
NYC Art Blitz~Part 1
I've been absent due to my recent 5 day whirlwind tour of lots of art in NYC. I had a business trip up last week and added a couple days on to that for my own art, shopping and food enjoyment. As usual I pushed myself to see as much as possible but this time I felt I made my choices wisely and the pace was enjoyable.
This entry is heavy on text but hopefully you will do more exploring of the visuals available through the links.
First I walked from my hotel to FIT and saw two exhibits the first of which was Sole Desire: The Shoes of Christian Louboutin. It doesn't cease to amaze me how timeless every pair of shoes on exhibit were! The exhibit chronicles his career, gives insight to his inspirations and influences and showcases some of his most spectacular designs.
The other FIT exhibit Exoticism also ongoing (hurry it ends May 7)at FIT is a fashion retrospective of the last 250 years with a focus on some of the most exotic clothing (and what makes it so) around the world. It was intreguing to see how the daily life and times of each culture was reflected in the garments that were worn. One of the most intresting aspects of this show to me is how increased global trade has influenced fashion and textiles and obviously early on only the more wealthy individuals could afford imported textiles and garments or replicas. Their were spectacular examples from France, Africa, India, Japan, India and other designers around the world.
Continuing in my Art Blitz (Eastside)I decided to cancel my intended trip to the Whitney Biannual which I knew would include some wonderful, controversial, up and coming art but I had my heart set on seeing a couple of smaller exhibits. Off next to the Cooper Hewitt to see a few exhibits with my main interest being "Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product". As a student in college I became enthralled with a large sample book of textiles from the 1940's that I stumbled upon at the Chelsea Flea Market and now as an industry designer I understand what a valuable tool samples are too clients. This exhibit had samples of everything from textiles to paint, leather and wallpaper. A small but comprehensive show with some stunning examples such as the books of 18Th Century French buttons. I found it fascinating also to see how the format of these sample books, envelopes, sheets etc. evolved and were totally changed due to the requirements of the product being sold.
While there I also walked through both of the other current exhibits. Rococo: The Continuing Curve explores the style of Rococo from 1730–2008. The show highlights the immersion of this style in traditional decoration worldwide, as well how Rococo has influenced design and and styles such as Art Nouveau and the Pop Art movement. The exhibit from the permanent collection was curated by the Brazilian design duo The Campana Brothers. They wisely chose from a variety of medium to highlight pieces that showcased something about design, process and the way that materials speak to individuals. Every piece in this exhibit speaks to the process of a well designed object weather it be furniture, a book or a piece of jewelry. I am never disappointed in an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, head over to their site for more on these shows.
From here I walked along Central Park East on the warmest day so far of the year. It was beautiful, people were out in droves to soak up the warmth, walk their dogs and enjoy the first day that really felt like Spring. The Gustav Klimt exhibit at Neue Gallery is one I had wanted to see for the past month since I saw it mentioned on the CBS Sunday moring show. I've heard that this exhibit didn't get the best of reviews but I loved it! I knew that it would not include many of his paintings but it did included study drawings for many of his paintings and a replica of his studio set up. I was not disappointed. I admire him so much as a talented and traditionally trained artist and even more now that I have seen some of his earlier works. Many of his paintings can appear flat in areas with their heavily patterned layers of clothing. I have always loved the way with wich he contrasts between this stylistic approach and the ethereal lifelike faces of his subject matters. I feel I now have a better understanding of how he arrived to combine the two styles so successfully. A little gem of a show in my humble opinion.
NYC Art Blitz II will continue with my visit to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and some of it's current exhibits.
This entry is heavy on text but hopefully you will do more exploring of the visuals available through the links.
First I walked from my hotel to FIT and saw two exhibits the first of which was Sole Desire: The Shoes of Christian Louboutin. It doesn't cease to amaze me how timeless every pair of shoes on exhibit were! The exhibit chronicles his career, gives insight to his inspirations and influences and showcases some of his most spectacular designs.
The other FIT exhibit Exoticism also ongoing (hurry it ends May 7)at FIT is a fashion retrospective of the last 250 years with a focus on some of the most exotic clothing (and what makes it so) around the world. It was intreguing to see how the daily life and times of each culture was reflected in the garments that were worn. One of the most intresting aspects of this show to me is how increased global trade has influenced fashion and textiles and obviously early on only the more wealthy individuals could afford imported textiles and garments or replicas. Their were spectacular examples from France, Africa, India, Japan, India and other designers around the world.
Continuing in my Art Blitz (Eastside)I decided to cancel my intended trip to the Whitney Biannual which I knew would include some wonderful, controversial, up and coming art but I had my heart set on seeing a couple of smaller exhibits. Off next to the Cooper Hewitt to see a few exhibits with my main interest being "Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product". As a student in college I became enthralled with a large sample book of textiles from the 1940's that I stumbled upon at the Chelsea Flea Market and now as an industry designer I understand what a valuable tool samples are too clients. This exhibit had samples of everything from textiles to paint, leather and wallpaper. A small but comprehensive show with some stunning examples such as the books of 18Th Century French buttons. I found it fascinating also to see how the format of these sample books, envelopes, sheets etc. evolved and were totally changed due to the requirements of the product being sold.
While there I also walked through both of the other current exhibits. Rococo: The Continuing Curve explores the style of Rococo from 1730–2008. The show highlights the immersion of this style in traditional decoration worldwide, as well how Rococo has influenced design and and styles such as Art Nouveau and the Pop Art movement. The exhibit from the permanent collection was curated by the Brazilian design duo The Campana Brothers. They wisely chose from a variety of medium to highlight pieces that showcased something about design, process and the way that materials speak to individuals. Every piece in this exhibit speaks to the process of a well designed object weather it be furniture, a book or a piece of jewelry. I am never disappointed in an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, head over to their site for more on these shows.
From here I walked along Central Park East on the warmest day so far of the year. It was beautiful, people were out in droves to soak up the warmth, walk their dogs and enjoy the first day that really felt like Spring. The Gustav Klimt exhibit at Neue Gallery is one I had wanted to see for the past month since I saw it mentioned on the CBS Sunday moring show. I've heard that this exhibit didn't get the best of reviews but I loved it! I knew that it would not include many of his paintings but it did included study drawings for many of his paintings and a replica of his studio set up. I was not disappointed. I admire him so much as a talented and traditionally trained artist and even more now that I have seen some of his earlier works. Many of his paintings can appear flat in areas with their heavily patterned layers of clothing. I have always loved the way with wich he contrasts between this stylistic approach and the ethereal lifelike faces of his subject matters. I feel I now have a better understanding of how he arrived to combine the two styles so successfully. A little gem of a show in my humble opinion.
NYC Art Blitz II will continue with my visit to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and some of it's current exhibits.
Mosaic Mondays
1. Le tour Eiffel, 2. Honey , 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. candle, 6. Earthshine, 7. Millennium clouds, 8. C365 / 215 - Pincushion tops, 9. four, 10. Untitled, 11. Spring Pond Lattice Nuno, 12. Untitled
4.07.2008
Mosaic Monday
1. Bridge, 2. Blossoms, 3. here comes the sun, 4. Crafting 365 - Day 40, 5. masako onodera5, 6. YIP ~ Day 89, 7. Untitled, 8. crafting 365: 139 Lu Summers, 9. collections } teacups, 10. vintage button boutonnieres, 11. Lavender, 12. unexpected, 13. sketchbook.swatch, 14. green baby hat, 15. P3160031.JPG, 16. feijoas
3.24.2008
Monday's Mosaic Favorites
Pinks, Yellows and Blues signal springs arrival at last!
1. boots, 2. Needle Roll Ups, inside, 3. embrace, 4. goldfish, 5. paint by numbers, 6. little blooms, 7. paper flower, 8. Hard Candy Easter, 9. old Moxie bottle
1. boots, 2. Needle Roll Ups, inside, 3. embrace, 4. goldfish, 5. paint by numbers, 6. little blooms, 7. paper flower, 8. Hard Candy Easter, 9. old Moxie bottle
2.21.2008
Winter Tendency~Daily OM
I just loved the following exerpt from a recent Daily OM. If you don't know about them, check out their site, or sign up for their daily emails or horoscopes.
"We humans have a tendency to yearn for the light, for the coming of spring, and for the more visible phase of growth that all things express in coming to be. In our love for what we can see with our eyes we sometimes lose patience for, and interest in, the world of darkness that nurtures and protects the seeds, bulbs, and babies of the world for such an important part of their life cycles. It is a perilous and mysterious phase of growth, and one that we have little control over, and perhaps that is why we don’t celebrate it with quite the same passion as we do the lighter and brighter phases of life."
"We humans have a tendency to yearn for the light, for the coming of spring, and for the more visible phase of growth that all things express in coming to be. In our love for what we can see with our eyes we sometimes lose patience for, and interest in, the world of darkness that nurtures and protects the seeds, bulbs, and babies of the world for such an important part of their life cycles. It is a perilous and mysterious phase of growth, and one that we have little control over, and perhaps that is why we don’t celebrate it with quite the same passion as we do the lighter and brighter phases of life."
1.21.2008
Love these Fabrics
I recently stumbled across the following fabrics that I really love. I am really drawn to bright colors again right not, must be the long dark days of winter.
Aqua Cloisonne by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Blue Persimmons by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Turkish Delight-Jewel by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Ochre Grandiose by Philip Jacobs (above)
Green Lichen by Kaffe Fasset (above)
Tree Ring by Martha Negley (above)
Bottle Island by Kaffe Fasset (above)
Gold Tulip by Philip Jacobs (above)
Gold Bold Stripe by Kaffe Fasset (above)
Aqua Cloisonne by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Blue Persimmons by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Turkish Delight-Jewel by Kaffe Fasset(above)
Ochre Grandiose by Philip Jacobs (above)
Green Lichen by Kaffe Fasset (above)
Tree Ring by Martha Negley (above)
Bottle Island by Kaffe Fasset (above)
Gold Tulip by Philip Jacobs (above)
Gold Bold Stripe by Kaffe Fasset (above)
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