well, i officially have a girlcrush. it's on singapore artist izziyana suhaima, who aside from having one of the coolest names i've ever heard, is also an incredibly talented illustrator and embroiderer. incorporating all things i love, her style is one part fashion illustration, one part embroidery, with a dash of watercolor and glitter thrown in for good measure. i love the play between the areas of white space and the dense and detailed areas of thread, while the portraits themselves have just the right amount of restraint. i'm feeling a commission coming on! see more from izziyana here.
i'm in love with artist and illustrator stuart kolakovic, a rather young lad from england with a keen sense for visual storytelling. i actually feel a kinship with his work because some of his characters and color palettes remind me a bit of my own, perhaps with a more european bent.throughout his work there are numerous references to eastern european folk art, something that emerged after researching his own serbian heritage. however, his quirky hand and clean lines keep the work feeling modern. beautiful stuff! see more from stuart here.
actually, i'll need more like a hundred of these incredible striped taper candles in every color. they have all the party spirit of a classic birthday candle, but blown up and slightly more sophisticated for everyday use. i want them everywhere! snatch your own set up over atleif.
i still have marble on the brain and this time it's manifesting itself in jewelry, specifically that of the extremely talented ms. kathryn blackmore, aka the vamoose. i have long appreciated the delicate and sophisticated touch she has with her design, and i love that even with an unusual (for jewelry) and rugged material like marble she is able to create pieces that still feel quite feminine and new. i'm struggling not to order it all! see more from her collection here.
australian artist dominique falla is just my type. she creates beautiful typographic installations using string or embroidery floss, in many cases incorporating numerous layers and colors, and the results are both tactile and sculptural. her pieces are clearly a labor of love, and also - clearly worth it. learn more about dominique here.
check out this spectacular pendant lamp from the fantastic design house of iacoli & mcallister! while i have always liked everything they do, i am particularly fond of this frame cluster lamp in shiny aqua. i love that it's linear, but also not too stiff with the arrangement of the various cubes. i'd hang that over my table any day. see more from them here.
these aren't necessarily new, but that's not stopping me from loving this photo series persistent pyramids by russian designer anatoly zenkov. he takes traditional landscape images and crystallizes them so that the light, texture, and movement in the environments take on a life of their own. learn more about anatoly here.
well these scarves are awfully pretty. normally i'm a magpie for color, but every now and then i love the simplicity of black and white, especially if it involves beautiful landscape photography and something soft. these "light as a feather" digitally-printed silk scarves by toronto company fieldguided create a lovely abstract pattern when draped and would make a perfect accessory for any outfit - or a wall hanging! see more from fieldguided here.
oh man, this made me laugh out loud. thank goodness for these photos from a 1942 life magazine, otherwise how would we know how to kiss properly?! and to think i've been awkwardly cradling people's heads this whole time.
i just came acrossshelter co., a genius business idea that creates pop-up lodging complete with fully furnished canvas tents (and very nicely, i must say) for parties, events, or any other crazy reason for which you might need a fancy yurt. i've never been a huge camping person, but if it's done like this then sign me up. honestly, if there were a way to just buy one of these setups to live in, i would! and they work in the bay area? uh oh. learn more about shelter co.here.
now that we're getting into summer i'm constantly craving bright pops of color (even more so than usual) and i love these screen printed leather clutches by toronto-based falconwright. the company, comprised of sandi falconer and danielle wright, sticks to a formula of simple silhouette, interesting color combination, and handdrawn pattern with a result that is a truly lovely accessory. see more from them here.
i always appreciate when art is not only visually captivating but it also brings a smile to my face. i can't help but grin when i look at the beautiful work of los angeles artist megan whitmarsh, whose "paintings" are actually meticulous hand-stitching and embroidery that are part abstract, part pop-art, and part collage. the neon colors and quirky characters are spot on. i also don't know the meaning of the furry ape with the boombox, but i love that he always manages to show up somewhere! learn more about megan here.
today i'm swooning over the pre-summer 2013 collection from alice by temperley, and while like many she is embracing the trend toward geos and native-inspired patterns, the pieces all still feel very feminine and flirty - the temperley signature! i'll take one of each. learn more about the brand here.
