Unmasked

| October 28, 2009

ware_450

The incomparable Chris Ware delivers a Halloween-themed cover and comic for the New Yorker. (Cover, first page, second page.) All the Ware-isms are in evidence.

  • Not 1mm of wasted space
  • The flatly modernist feel of isometry
  • A wintry desolation that savors of Chicago
  • Pools of Hockney cerulean + a southwestern palette of pink-gray-browns
  • Keen visual wit (viz., the children’s masks = the iPhone-lit faces of the parents)
  • The quick frissons of loneliness, neglect, and distrust
  • Patterns of intergenerational friction and inertia

TGIF

| October 24, 2009

10_23

And TGIS. Last week was long and tiring due to a combination of a variety of things: weather, Homecoming Week at school = crazy students, workshops, trying to stay healthy, late buses etc. Late Friday night, we were both in a funk, just got off of work, but everything quickly turned around after making plans for some frozen pizza, Dark n’ Stormies, Double Chocolate Stout, Dots, and grilled T-bones. MMMmmmm. We capped the night off watching Grey Gardens with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.

Btw, RISD girls, I thought of y’all and the Wild Colonial after mixing my own Dark n’ Stormy. Even BJ liked it!

some of the best things to receive

| October 19, 2009

lena_corwin_print

Lena Corwin’s Travel Poster from BJ. The mail gods were interfering with our plans to get this poster in our hands, but Lena persevered, and it finally got to us! The poster is basically a tour of European architecture—italicized!

mikeperry_untitled2

Some of the best things to receive, buy, share are Mike Perry‘s printed works. I snagged Issue #2 (Swimsuit Edition) of Untitled, a zine devoted to his shifting interests. I admire how each element of it—the pictures, clothes, drawings, etc.—belongs to a collaborative effort and one does not outshine the other. Anna’s poetic black-and-white photographs and Mike’s innocent injections of color are the perfect complements.

mikeperry_untitled3

Untitled Issue # 3 One Photo Shoot

mikeperry_mold

This poster was tucked among the zines as a nice surprise. It looks like a dog-pile of monsters made out of sherbet. I think it’ll go perfectly in my classroom!

side projects

| October 10, 2009

console
Table design by Geoffrey Keating
pebbles_web

Snippets of a few side projects I’m starting to work on. And tonight, we’re eating at Feast! And there’s a cold front in Houston and we got to wear jackets. And there’s a student holiday on Monday so I get to work in a quiet room. And…I love weekends.

more maija

| September 20, 2009

maijalouekari_regina

I love learning about illustrators like Maija Louekari. I first was drawn to this album cover in the Musikraphics book, and when I checked out Maija’s website I was happily surprised to recognize her other work for Marimekko. Some of my favorite images I posted a long time ago were her designs. Like these two:

textile1

And I bought a set of towels a year ago with this print, but I never knew who designed it until now.

merimekko_bird

For my class, I’m thinking of showing her work as a visual reference for a hand drawing + design exercise. She actually makes it look fun!

the ones that got away

| September 9, 2009

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42_hello_you_apart2

Super sad I missed out on the the Dream collaboration between Camilla Engman and Karin Eriksson. My favorite piece is Hello You picture above. I love how they managed to create charming and beautiful designs that are still simple- something I find so hard to do!

Studio Violet_Circus Collection

So when I found out that Studio Violet would be releasing another Circus porcelain collection, I had my eyes set on the prize. I made sure I would be available during the 12:00am Switzerland shop update; I memorized the number I wanted; I refreshed the page  constantly 10 minutes before the time. Nothing happened and then SOLD OUT. Whaaaa. There must be some trick to snagging these up?