urban, part 2.

One more update on the prints I currently have at Urban Outfitters - a third print, all i need, is now for sale on their website, in a new larger 18"x 24" size.  Yet again, I love the way the print looks alongside their other awesome furniture and home decor items (particularly those fun hanging planters).  Check it out here!

merry christmas!

A Very Merry Christmas to everyone!  Hope you have a fantastic holiday! 

the grand budapest hotel.

The trailer was just released for Wes Anderson's next film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and I could not be more excited.  Inevitably, any time he releases a new movie it becomes one of my favorites of the year (if not all time - I'm looking at you Royal Tenenbaums), and this one looks to be no different.   The film seems to cover the usual themes - murder, friendship, drama, romance - with the requisite absurdity and attention to detail and style that Anderson is known for.  Aside from what promises to be a stellar cast, story, and soundtrack, I'm loving the rich, jewel-toned colors too. Since it doesn't come out until March of next year, I now have to wait several months in anxious anticipation, but in the meantime I may have to pick up The Wes Anderson Collection to get my fix.  

you're just my type, lee jung.

seoul based photographer lee jung is just my type, and her project aporia is both visually striking and incredibly moving.  in greek, aporia means "coming to a dead end," or "impassable," which i think is a fitting title for the project.  she uses traditional neon signs to create phrases that speak about love and longing, but places them in quiet, isolated places, as if to send a meaningful message that nobody is there to receive.  i find them to be both beautiful and lonely at the same time.  see more from lee here. 

you're just my type, dominique falla.

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. 

note to self.

<<<found by jordy huinder via anothemag>>>

beauty is embarrassing.

i've been a fan of tennessee artist wayne white since i saw his work in miami several years back, although i suppose i was subconsciously a fan much earlier in life when i was obsessed with peewee's playhouse, a show for which he was the set and puppet designer.  throughout his career he has been successful in a number of fields including illustration, sculpture, film, comics, set design, and more recently, painting.  it was his word paintings that caught my eye years ago - i loved the way he imposed colorful sarcastic statements over traditional vintage landscapes - therefore i'm stoked that a documentary is being made about his very interesting life.  the film beauty is embarrassing, narrated by white himself, chronicles his life and work, as well as the highs and lows that come with pursuing art as a career. as somebody else who doesn't like to take things too seriously, i really appreciate his focus on making fine art fun.  can't wait to see it!  learn more about white here. 

in love ... with chris silas neal.

i'm in love with texas-born, brooklyn-based illustrator and designer chris silas neal.  chris seems to be a man of many talents, as his work ranges between painting, illustration, video, editorial, and book design, and despite the often commercial nature of his projects they still retain a unique and personal hand.  i particularly like his sense of color, attention to characters, and hand-drawn typography, all with a modern but slightly retro-inspired vibe.  also, he did the fantastic design for the kate spade video campaign, navy, seen above.  consider me a fan!  learn more about chris here.

note to self.

agreed.

respect the law.

the law of the campfire that is. 

in love ... with ben newman.

i'm in love with british illustrator ben newman.  he has a particularly powerful way with color, shape, texture and composition, and his work nods to midcentury influences like charley harper, jim flora, and saul bass that i am always drawn toward.  that said, his work still feels fresh and modern.  my favorite?  the public display of affection sign based on a challenge to create a sign that you think is missing from the world.  ben, this is my pda to you. see more of his work here. 

note to self.

simple words of wisdom, courtesy of swiss artists fischli & weiss on an office building in zurich-oerlikon.

vintage camp invitations!

i am so stoked to finally share some pictures of another project i worked on last month - designing the wedding invitations for my good friends oliver and naya!  of course it doesn't hurt to work on a project for someone you already know, especially when they are planning an epic weekend-long wedding party set at a vintage summer camp, so there was no way this wasn't going to be fun.  naya and i have very similar color inclinations to begin with, a good starting point, but the rest of the inspiration really came from the camp itself - the rustic cabins are tipped in bright teal paint, and the archery targets pop out of the natural setting with their yellow, red and blue concentric circles.  vintage camp ephemera and signage also helped define the mood and typography choices. 

aside from the main invitation, everything was digitally printed, cut, and folded in house by me! the invite was printed on maple veneer by the lovely folks at cards of wood, located in western michigan.  the veneer is flexible, but sturdy enough to survive the journey that invites have to make through the mail, and the wood was a perfect material for the theme. the maple was nice because it had a distinct, noticeable grain that made each piece unique.

my favorite parts to work on were the fold-out map and wedding weekend checklist.  since this is a days-long event with loads of activities sprinkled throughout the gorgeous camp property, i thought it would be most fun to create a map and legend that guests could bring with them on their stay.  the layout was inspired by vintage travel postcards, though i took a more modern approach with the illustration itself.  for those staying at the camp, i created a small checklist with hand-drawn illustrations of the items needed to survive the weekend.  my favorite?  outdoor finery.  my feathery fascinator is lined up and ready to go.

last but not least, the icing on the invitation cake was a custom return address stamp, designed by me and made by los angeles based company paperwink (their made-to-order stamps are great as well!).  so now that the invites are out and there's less than a month to go, all i have left to do is sit back and look forward to the big event!  that, and practice my archery stance.  in heels.

a san francisco wedding!

i've been so excited to share a project i worked on recently - a set of wedding invitations for my coworker teresa, a super sweet girl planning a laid back san francisco-themed wedding.  teresa is classy preppy, but also very casual, so she wanted these to have a friendly and fun vibe.  we decided to go with a hand-done look, and there is literally no part of these invites, type or illustration, that i didn't draw out on paper first!  luckily she had already chosen a tight palette of red, blue, gray, and navy, with pops of yellow, so that dictated the colors for the invitations.  the san francisco theme (and location of the ceremony) made it incredibly easy to pull iconic landmarks for the illustrations.  the main invite was digitally printed with pigment inks on velvet matte fine-art paper, while the details and RSVP cards were printed on premium matte card stock.  

in addition to the invites, i also helped create some of the decorations for the reception and ceremony!  i'll update later with some of her professional pics from the big day, but for now i'll give you a sneak peek of one of the four banners that i worked on (carried by the flower girl!)...

i am increasingly more and more excited by the projects i take on in my personal creative business and can't wait to continue on at this pace.  keep posted, as i will be sharing more goodies soon!

you're just my type, anna garforth.

english artist anna garforth is just my type, using unorthodox materials such as tape, moss, plants, leaves, and even cookies, to make bold installations with simple typographic statements.  while her work is clearly well-thought out and has a refined finish, it still feels loose and organic.  and seriously, those cookies, with the slightly browned edges?  now those are making me drool in more ways than one.  check out more of her work here.