Category: Art & Design

October 20 2016

Colorful Shadows Reveal Child’s Superhero Within

Do you remember the series Super Shadows? It’s the fun posters where artist Jason Ratliff showed us the superheroes within every child. He’s back with the second installment in the series and this time he shows us that children of all races, genders and abilities can be a superhero. Jason wanted to bring children hope, empowerment, and the idea that the impossible is possible through this very special series. (I just love that!)

As he states, “First, the release of my second installment of Super Shadows. The response from my first set was overwhelming. The letters I received not only showed me how much people connected with my work, but also showed me how the series could improve. People identify with these characters on a very personal level and I wanted to expand the series in a way that would make it more inclusive. Hopefully, with this new set, I was able to do a little of that.”

For the first 48 hours of the series release, 50% of all sale proceeds will benefit Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. “I was extremely touched when they wanted to decorate their urgent care office with my first Super Shadow series,” he said, “so I’m very happy to partner with Curioos.com to offer a little support in return.”

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Which one is your favorite? I like Iron Man. You can pick up your print at Curioos.

October 19 2016

New Refreshingly Honest Notebooks by Emily McDowell

You can always count on Emily McDowelll to deliver honest messages on everything she touches, whether that’d be on her greeting cards, her journals, her mugs, her tote bags or her enamel pins. There are six new journals (five are featured here). On the covers you’ll find meaningful messages that will remind you to live an authentic life. My favorite is the first one: Notes for My Future Therapist. The journals contain 125 lined pages, with screen printed chipboard covers, gold foil on the front, and painted page edges.

Recently, Emily came out with enamel pins, too. They’re little badges of things that you’ve conquered in everyday life. (Hence the name Everyday Bravery Pins.) You’ll find pins like Put Myself First, Didn’t Please Everyone, and Survived Indescribable Grief. Why not celebrate the big and small things you’ve accomplished throughout your life?

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October 14 2016

Fun Links of the Week

If you’re in LA and you’re a businesswoman looking for some inspiration, make sure to check out this event. (It’s on Monday.)

This aurora light kit is so pretty. (Buy it here.)

Interesting interview with the guy who helped design the headquarters for Google and Amazon.

Are you at a career crossroad?

April Gornik’s paintings of stormy skies are breathtaking. See them up close in New York.

New companies are looking to revamp sleepwear. (That’s my jam!) I need some pretty/comfy pajamas.

This graffiti chocolate bar is almost too cool to eat.

If you’re into styling your home, pre-order this book now.

Moms, have you heard about the new Toca TV app?

Though I’m more of a dog person, I want to adopt every one of these blind kitties.

23 design blogs leading the pack in 2016.

These photos of a rescue dog and a baby boy make my heart melt.

A simple idea but well-executed. I like Pockitudes. (Good name, too.)

If you love alternative music, you should check out this print.

This enamel pin can read my thoughts.

Watch this for one minute. It’ll make you appreciate this Earth.

Here’s step-by-step instructions on how to draw a rose.

These float frames by Artifact Uprising are pretty cool.

Art by Maud Vantours.

October 13 2016

Hyperrealistic Paper Sculptures of Everyday Objects by Makiko Akizami

These hyperrealistic paper sculptures of everyday objects are tripping me out! Artist Makiko Akizami is exhibiting these works at hpgrp Gallery New York from now till October 26, 2016. The objects are all made from precisely cut and folded paper.

Makiko Azakami has shown her work in more than 40 exhibitions throughout England, Finland, the United States, and Japan, including exhibitions at the Bristol City Museum, the Fukushima Museum of Art, and the Ise Museum of Modern Art. In addition, her work has been employed in book jackets, magazine covers, fashion spreads and billboards across Japan. She lives and works in Tokyo.

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October 12 2016

Clever New Street Art Piece by Oakoak

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French street artist Oakoak is back to his clever ways. He recently put up a piece titled The little girl and the little Apple tree which shows a silhouette of a girl reaching up to grab tiny “apples.” Love how whimsical this one is.

For more works by Oakoak, make sure to check out his website.

October 12 2016

Fun New Prints by Christopher David Ryan

Artist Christopher David Ryan has just come out with a new set of prints and they’re sure to make you smile. I love how simple but sweet they are. While Quite a Pair is cute, in a sassy kind of way, Doing My Best, is hilarious, with the poor guy lying completely flat on the floor.

On a side note, sorry I’ve been spotty with the posts lately. Yesterday we drove down to San Diego for an interview for Parker’s kindergarten so I couldn’t be at my computer. Hope today’s barrage of posts makes up for it!

Above: Doing My Best

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Right Here Right Now

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Quite a Pair

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Sounds Like Us

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Coffees

October 12 2016

Audrey Kawasaki’s New Solo Show in LA

I’m so excited about this! I know I throw around the word “favorite” a lot on this site but Audrey Kawasaki is really one of my favorite artists of all time. She has a new solo show coming up called Interlude beginning Saturday, November 12 and running till December 3 at Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City. Can’t wait for this! In the same project room will be Stella Im Hultberg’s exhibition, Hollow Resonance. The two together!? Now this is a must-see.

October 12 2016

Beautiful New Paper Artworks by Peter Callesen

One of my favorite paper artists, Peter Callesen, is showing new works at the Faaborg Artmuseum in Denmark. From now till March 12, 2017, come see the exhibition Suspended Death, where he interprets the artworks of three artists who are all connected to the Faaborg Artmuseum as a part of the permanent collection.

The artists Peter was inspired by are Kai Nielsen and his stone sculptures ‘Marmorpigen’ (The Marble Girl) and ‘Granittøsen’ (The Granite Lass), Anna Syberg and her watercolor paintings of flowers: ‘Blooming Phyllocactus’, ‘Wild Rose’ and ‘Apple Branch’ and finally Johannes Larsen’s delicate illustration ‘Woodpigeons’.

According to Callesen, “The exhibition thematizes death and decay, as well as it deals with oppositions between lightness and weight, between soaring and falling.”

The first work in this post, an installation of a dove flying, is my favorite.

Above: ‘Dead Dove’ 2016, Installation, Faaborg Artmuseum, Fåborg, DK. 385 x 258 x 75 cm 120 g. paper and glue. photo: Kirstine Mengel

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‘Apple Blossom’ 2016, 44 x 44 x 9 cm Acid-free 120 g. paper, pencil, water colour, glue and oak frame

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‘Wild White Roses’ 2016, 120 x 100 x 13 cm Acid-free 120 g, paper, glue and ash wood frame photo: Kirstine Mengel

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‘Girl’ made from small notes, 2016, Installation, 200 x 200 x 155 cm, Small sheets of 34 g. Zairei Japanese paper and glue. photo: Kirstine Mengel

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‘Flying and Falling Sparrows’ 2016. detail, Installation, 250 x 150 x 45 cm 120 g. paper and glue

October 10 2016

Su Blackwell’s Whimsical, Fairy Tale-Like Dresses

Opening this Sunday, October 16, at Museum Sinclair-Haus in Bad Homburg, Germany, artist Su Blackwell will be presenting two ethereal works. Called The Grass Grows between her Toes and While you were Sleeping, two beautiful dresses appear intact, until you notice the shredded at the bottom. The resulting trains appear like something you’d see out of a fairy tale. Blackwell combines textile, in the form of the Victorian dresses, with her traditional papercut art, to create something extraordinary.

Here’s the meaning to one of them. “While You Were Sleeping is a dress with thousands of cut-out moths escaping from its skirts. It was based on the Burmese tradition that people’s souls turn into butterflies while they sleep and if you wake them up the soul doesn’t have time to return to the body so they die.”

These works are part of the exhibition Second Skin. It’s where international artists, explore our relationship between skin, clothing and nature. You can see these up close and personal until February 12, 2017.

October 7 2016

Fun Links of the Week

Two of my favorite illustrators, Dave Perillo and Tom Whalen, will be in a two person show, opening Thursday, November 3rd at SPOKE SF.

A selection of art by Banksy will be on exhibition at Andipa in London starting October 13th.

Love that these new candy jewelry-inspired tattoos smell!

Music to shake your booty to.

Do we live in the Matrix?

I’m eyeing this new coat (in pink).

I’d give this guy a chance just for his creativity.

This glow-in-the-dark bicycle path is otherworldly.

Cool, single-trace animal illustration. (via Quipsologies)

I liked these suggestions, starting with Be present.

How cute is everything on this Instagram?

These father/daughter watercolor illustrations make my heart full.

This futuristic office pod got my attention!

Canon, what an idea! Four photographers were given a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and then asked them to capture images for display in the Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC only 24 hours later.

These well-traveled sketchbooks contain beautiful works of art.

Photo via Bored Panda

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