INTERACTIVE DESIGN

I stumbled across Tim Fishlock's website thinking it was just a design portfolio and then BAM!  I discovered his "Moving Image" section and became entranced.  Just like Mr. Evans, Fishlock has an incredible sense of color (check out that bar graph-like image above) and an uncanny eye for detail.  I love that, upon entering his site, the mouse turns into a little red dot and when you click something that dot turns temporarily green (go!).  I also appreciate the fact that each word is typed as the page loads, complete with an accompanying typing "click".  I can promise his "Moving Images" will keep you happily occupied during a dull rainy afternoon like today.  Go forth and play!

FROM THE ARCHIVES: RAINING

Where is the rain I was promised?  Huh?  Huh?

I am in major need of a huge summer thunderstorm . . . .

FRANKLIN EVANS

    

There is beauty in colorful chaos.  That seems to be the mantra of Franklin Evans - an artist represented by both Gregory Lind Gallery in San Francisco (a home to many superstars) and the Julie Chae Gallery right here in Boston (my favorite Boston gallery and old stomping ground).  Evans' work manages to be loudly colorful and yet subtly intimate - something I wold willing stare at for hours and hours.  I want his sense of color and may use sections of his work as palettes for decorating my house . . . is that allowed?

WHICH ONE?

          -1-

      -2-

      -3-

I have decided to buy a new laptop case.  My current case, while awesomely bright orange and super protective, is irrevocably stained.  I have narrowed down my choices to three finalists: 1) Red Maloo's folding felt sleeve, 2) hard graft's "Butterfingers" felt snap-close case and 3) BUILT's cargo sleeve.  The prices vary, but I am willing to spend a bit of moola if the case proves to be truly sassy and functional (an irresistible combination!).  What's your take?

MAKE ME HOT

Can a coffee mug be sexy?  Because this is probably the hottest coffee mug I have ever seen.  On the outset the mug looks pretty normal - a black mug with white lettering spelling out the word "OFF".  However, as the mug heats up (from the warmth of the liquid inside) it turns white with black lettering spelling "ON".  How cheeky.  Good thing we humans don't have such telltale signs for when we get hot and bothered.  Wait . . . 

Find this and other deliciously designed things here (a website I will continually refer you to, as I am kind of obsessed).

FROM THE ARCHIVES

It's hot & dusty in my apartment.  Unfortunately, my apartment (in the midst of moving) isn't quite as cool looking as this vintage Italian tractor.  Stay cool today folks!

p.s. I think I am going to start periodically posting photos from my archives.  What do you think?

SODALITAS ADDS A GOLDEN GLOW

Sodalitas is very cool - a three person collective based in Texas.  As they describe on their website:

Sodalitas is three artists working together ina wide range of media, producing art under one as if it were created by a sole entity.  They began working collaboratively towards the end of 2002, shortly after creating a live/work space together inside a warehouse in East Austin.  By incorporating the styles, colors, media, and influences (both aesthetically and conceptually) or the three artists.

I love the gauzy yellow that washes over much of their work and admire the fact that it is impossible to differentiate the hand of one artist from another.  Go forth to their website and enjoy!

FELIPE OLIVIERA BAPTISTA ROCKS

I can't remember through which blog I first heard about Felipe Oliveira Baptista's designs but I am eternally thankful.  His work is elegantly draped yet playfully colored.  My favorite in the Spring/Summer Collection 2008 (top) is the center dress with the hexagon print - I love the patch of filled-in hexagons carefully placed on the hip.  Not to mention the fact that the dress looks incredibly comfortable.  The Spring/Summer Collection 2007 was apparently Mexican Wrestling themed - I love the inclusion of satin masks on each model and the bold patterning to match on each outfit.  Awesome.  Too bad I can't seem find a place to buy his work . . . although, to be fair, I probably couldn't afford it even if I could find it.  See more clothing-candy here.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 

What do you think?  I am redesigning my business cards and this seems to be the draft to which I keep coming back.  It will be a double-sided full-color card with a slight matte finish.  I wanted something that would show the duplicitous nature of my creative life - half of me focused on my own personal artwork, design portfolio and art historical scholarship; the other half focused on all things "obsessive imagist" from my store to this very blog - all while staying within my "trademark" hexagon theme.

With that explained, I need comments!  Do you like it?  Any changes need to be made?  I want to send them to the printer this week - so get your votes in now!

BACK IN ACTION!

I am back in Boston after my short foray in New York and a weekend at home in Connecticut.  Woo!  It was so nice and relaxing that I can't even begin to start sharing all my little experiences.  My first stop in New York was to m0851, a store in Soho which sells beautifully crafted leather products - everything from clothing to handbags and wallets.  I was in the market for a business card case (which I found!) and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a huge sale of their (brightly colored!) summer collection.  Every product is from the highest quality, most supple and longest lasting leather, and is dyed in such a way that the colors will never fade.  Check out all of their products here.

IN NEW YORK

. . . doing cosmopolitan things.  Cool things which I want to share with you.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera cord and I can't seem to make the internet work on my computer where I am staying.  Soooo, it seems that you will just be kept in suspense (at least until Monday) as to my goings-on here in the big apple.

In the meantime, I will do my best to muster up the energy on do some unrelated (but cool) posts.  Sigh.

WHO ARE YOU?

In rereading my past blog posts I have realized that I have no idea who you, lovely readers, are.  So I am asking a favor: when you like a particular post - tell me!  Write a comment, tell me what you like and voila!  There will be more posts along that vein.  I like hearing from you, so don't be shy!

FLOATING

Having spent 95% of my weekend either swimming or with my feet in the sand, I feel a strange draw to the other-worldliness of Asako Narahashi's photographs.  She has a show "half awake and half asleep in the water" at the Yossi Milo Gallery in New York through August 22. 

HOME, JAMES

I am headed home to my family's house on the ocean in Connecticut (with a quick stop over in New York to sign my new lease and have dinner with my man).  Hope you all have a sunny weekend!

SWEET SITES

I just discovered these two insanely useful and very cool websites: Mint.com and Wikitravel.  Mint.com is a FREE online money management service that will link up all your bank accounts (in five minutes!) and proceed to track and itemize all of your spending.  No more hiding from that the latte addiction - Mint.com will remind you exactly how much you spend at Starbucks each month, year etc.  Truly a fabulous website for persistently poor people like me (Damn you non-profits and school tuition!  Damn you!) who always mean to keep a detailed budget but somehow can never manage it.  All FREE!  (And their graphs are pretty!)

Also incredible is an offshoot of the ever amazing wiki - Wikitravel.  Type almost anyplace in the world and you are guaranteed a bevy of information on fun outings (I bet if you type in your city you will find new things to do), accommodations, food and getting there details.  An awesome place to research my wish list trip to Greece . . . All, obviously, also FREE.  Wow, free tastes good.

PHOTOBOOTHS

    

. . . are awesome.  I want one at my wedding.  I want one in my house.  Unfortunately, they are kind of hard to come by.  Thankfully, there is www.photobooth.net to provide a detailed map of all known photobooth locations in the U.S. of A.  I plan to hit up as many as I possibly can, amassing a photobooth self portrait collection to put in one very long, beautifully made frame.

[In checking out the NYC locations I came across the Lake Side Lounge - a restaurant/club so dedicated to the photobooth cause that it has an online gallery of photos left behind, like the photos above.  See more here.]

ALISON CARMICHAEL IS MY TYPOGRAPHIC SUPER HERO

Alison Carmichael is a genius!  I can't believe the diversity of her typographic repertoire - it makes me want to bust out my sketchbook and start designing fonts again . . .

Check out her extensive portfolio - poster, press, book and commercial designs - on her website here.  Careful though - you might fall in love!

MEASURE ME!

I am loving these measuring tape accessories series by Erin Originals.  The mixture of colors, measurements and styles is lovely - plus it helps that its all recycled!  Woohoo to well-designed green products!  Find more of Erin's work at her website here.

TRAVEL IN STYLE

My current dream trip involves two major components (well three, if you include the company of my favorite man): British Airways and Globe Trotter luggage.  What better way to travel in style than first class on British Airways - with full beds, turn down service and the ultimate in gourmet food - with an armful of elegant leather bags?  It helps that the Globe Trotter website is beautiful (check out that store map!) and that British Airways flies to Athens (oh how I want to see the Greek Isles!).