last week, natural curiosities hosted another of their design lunch series, where industry trade professionals are invited to take a spin through the studio, have lunch, get design inspiration, network and experience the creative space where the art pieces are developed.
fill your space with inspiration
natural curiosities is known for working with all types of specimens and media. the art is the end product of ongoing explorations with collected artifacts that adorn the studio and experimental processes.
i’m excited to see so many great examples of sustainable food storytelling for the preponderance of naturally-raised and hand-crafted foods available today. see the whole brand package here.
not that it was ever much of a winter this year, but we did get a great snow day right after a light rain at the end of february. i’m standing on top of the snowy mountain you usually see in the distance above pasadena. beyond the hazy fog is san bernardino and los angeles.
the first acacia blooms have appeared in elysian park. i am so in love with these bright, yellow pom-pons. there are a couple of early blooming varieties, but in a few weeks they will be all over the park.
i just noticed these beauties down the street. i’ve been doing a lot more walking errands lately, which is really rewarding when the smell of sunshine and spring blossoms are in the air.
this year, mama’s sauce sold this pack of love letters to raise money for the hamilton wood type and printing museum–a beautiful set of letterpressed coasters. i’d encourage anyone to go buy more, but alas, they’re sold out!
the hamilton is an amazing resource—the largest collection of wood type in the country—a veritable living history of print and letterpress. you can still follow the link above and donate to them to help cover their move and operation costs before february 28, 2013!
so, what-all’s been going on during this blog hiatus, you might wonder? mostly work, but i found i needed some new creative outlets that had nothing to do with design. that’s where ukelele came in. awhile back, jason bought me one because i wanted a simple melody instrument to noodle around on, but i couldn’t seem to take the initiative to learn it on my own. thanks to barnsdall art center’s offering of ukelele class, i got started in the fall and really love it!
i also decided to return to sewing, which i only learned on my own with some help from my mom as a young woman. this time around, i went to a professional, taking classes and working on personal projects, and have been learning all kinds of techniques. the process of spending time on quality garments is very satisfying, in addition to getting a gift at the end. it’s opening up an area of design i haven’t experienced in a long time: personal fashion design—which is nothing like commercial fashion, because i don’t have to please anyone but myself. the other reality is, i’ve had to get really honest about measurements. ever by something on the smaller side, figuring you’re investing in the near future when you magically lose 10 pounds? umm, i have. you can’t really do that with sewing. you measure, you create garments that fit, and you let go of the future. alter when the time comes, in the meantime, live for today.
the cool thing about these 2 creative forays is that they are long-range. i’m only playing chords with occasional picked vamps in ukelele, but there’s so much to learn, and it’s got me thinking about banjo too. i’ve gotten to beginning pattern-making with sewing, which will open up all kinds of custom options, and then there are all the scraps, which seem to be screaming out QUILT US! so, maybe they’ll get their wish.
anyway, there you have it. and back to work i go, with a little more music and fabric patterns in my stride.
well, i said it and i meant it, i just finished my first project-based sewing class where we completed a simple yet very cute lined tote bag. i really enjoyed taking my time and doing everything right. this is easily the cleanest, strongest item i’ve ever sewn, due in part to having such a solid machine. and this print is so cute, i think i might have to find an excuse to buy a couple yards of all the prints i’m in love with and make a bunch of pillow cases.
i’m currently taking classes with sew LA, a cute fabric shop originally from silver lake which just moved to atwater village, offering classes in the back half of a boutique fabric shop. next month i’ll work on a simple skirt and a dress, and beyond that i’ll see if i’m up for pattern making. it’s so fun!
atlas of remote islands by trent edwards, image: designworklife.com
thanks to designworklife.com for featuring trent edward’s project to redesign and illustrate judith schalansky’s atlas of remote islands. these are beautifully technical, curios 2-color illustrations that lend an enjoyable flair to the map-as-art genre. see the collection here.
khuan+ktron
khuan+ktron, image: thefoxisblack.com
this is one of a series from khuan+ktron for the good life. from what i’ve seen so far, they bring a colorful, dimensional quality to the places they illustrate, whether mapped from above, or shown in depth scale. see the feature at thefoxisblack.com.
growing up: a landscape
growing up: a landscape, image: emilymcdowell.com
this map adds a scale of hilarity to a sense of place, something you can only enjoy by going to the post and studying the close-ups. i love the idea of overlaying a map with life stories, and emily’s encapsulations say just enough, like “high school isn’t everything street” and “that used van was a bad idea gorge.” see more of her fantastic work at emilymcdowell.com
the foodie alphabet by vidhya nagarajan, image: thefoxisblack.com
taking hand lettering a step further into full illustration, this foodie alphabet by vidhya nagarajan is both beautiful to look at and a great reminder of some ingredients you might not be using every day. see the whole alphabet at thefoxisblack.com.
heavy metal
heavy metal by tom davie, image: feltandwire.com
one for the things made of stuff files, this latest release from tom davie is part of a typographic poster series available at feltandwire.com.
letterpress daily
here there be monsters, image: letterpress.dwolske.com
i recently found a blog worth sharing for typophiles everywhere: the letterpress daily, where you can not only find great examples of letterpress and wood type prints, but all kinds of specimens of the blocks themselves next to the prints they make. amazing archive!
parlato design studio 