Dear Violet

The Green Revolution

2010-10-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

I own a spinning bike and use it frequently. I'm thinking I could at least cook my veggie burgers for free with this...

Your next spinning class could do more that tone your gams: A company called The Green Revolution siphons your effort on the bike and converts it into electricity that is used to power the gym itself or sent to a power grid to light up other locales. In a year, a class of 20 bikes pumps out enough energy to light up 72 homes for a month. The first systems were installed in New York City and Washington , D.C., in May, and the company plans to have 150 systems up and running nationwide within the next year.

Article from Women’s Health
November 2010

Photo: WatercolorByMuren on Etsy

New Save the Dates!

2010-05-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to my Etsy shop.

Best commercial ever...

2010-03-14T10:46:00.001-07:00

Just purchased this ring...

2010-02-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

...from Untamed Menagerie on Etsy. Can't wait for it to arrive :)

Diesel's New Ad Campaign...So Stupid

2010-02-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

LOVE the new Diesel campaign and website! Pure genius.

Beautiful Losers

2010-02-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

So I haven't really blogged in a while for the following reasons:

1. It's been a rough couple months. (Don't worry, it's better now.)

2. I haven't really felt inspired.

This, however, is very inspiring:

If you make or appreciate art and those who make it see Beautiful Losers.

New Full Length Alice Trailer

2009-12-16T07:22:00.001-08:00

The Fall

2009-11-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Beautiful movie. Visually stunning.

New TrueViolet Design - Amelie

2009-11-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished up this new design for my Etsy.

Play-doh Ads

2009-11-04T05:41:00.001-08:00

They say "Let Imagination Take Over".

Seimprejosefina on Etsy

2009-10-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

This Etsy seller has an extensive collection of dolls and puppets inspired from TV shows and cartoons. These patterns are excellent! So similar to the real characters. I'm impressed with her selection too... she even has a PigPen and Franklin!

J. Turrell

2009-10-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

Images from the portfolio of Jimmy Turrell. Beautiful.

Le Pied Léger

2009-10-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

Crocheted shoes by Le Pied Léger on Etsy.

She discovered these shoes in lago Atitlán, Guatemala and was taught to make them by a local.

So cute.

Shepard Fairey at the Warhol

2009-10-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand
The Andy Warhol Museum
Pittsburgh, PA
October 17, 2009 - January 31, 2010

Shepard Fairey, the Los Angeles-based street artist behind the red, white, and blue Obama campaign image that swept the globe, is the subject of an exciting new exhibition organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The 20-year retrospective, the first solo show of the artist's work, explores the breadth of Fairey's career. In 1989 the first Andre the Giant has a posse sticker was created and the OBEY GIANT project was born. Twenty years later, Shepard Fairey has a solo retrospective exhibition at The Warhol. Within that time, Fairey has gone from artsy prankster and skateboarders’ underground hero to worldwide cultural phenomenon for his murals, fine art prints, and street art poster campaigns.

By BeanForest on Etsy

2009-10-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hilarious

Things to covet...

2009-10-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Chanel Jade Nail Polish. It typically retails for $25 but is sold out on the Chanel website. Just out of curiosity I checked out the selling prices on ebay and one bottle of this Jade green is selling for over $100 a pop. Ouch! It’s hot but 100 bucks for a bottle of nail polish is a little out of my price range - even for a nail polish fiend like me.

Geek Chic

2009-10-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

From a series called ‘Bookworms Never Go to Bed Alone’ the new body of mixed media work by New Zealand photographer/illustrator Kelly Thompson.

RIP Irving Penn

2009-10-20T16:55:00.001-07:00

A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.

-Irving Penn

June 16, 1917-October 7, 2009

iStock Logos

2009-10-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

iStock has announced that logos will soon be available in their online collection. Clients will soon be able to download a unique logo to brand their business or organization. I don’t know how I feel about this... Yes, I could sell logos to iStock but will this cheapen the quality of logos used by certain business and eliminate the need for custom designs? As a designer, this may take clients from an already super-competitive field.

iStock’s point of view:
This is a huge opportunity not just for existing iStock contributors, but for our community of designers as well. If you’re a designer, you've probably created hundreds of different logos over the course of your career and we're offering you an outlet to start selling logos to the world’s largest community of creative buyers.

hmmmmm. Depends if you’re paying me more or less than a real client would. I’m still trying to decide what I think of all this. Probably a good thing for buyers, maybe not so good for designers. I’m curious to see what kind of logos will be available. To be continued.

Alice on Fred Flare

2009-10-20T16:51:00.001-07:00

Love this Alice T!

This Friday...

2009-10-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Wild Rumpus will finally start!

I know I posted this like three times now but I'm so excited I can't help myself! It's my favorite childhood book brought to life by Spike Jonze. I love this book so much I think I might get a little misty eyed at the movie. I'll bring plenty of tissues.

Christmas in the Woods

2009-10-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

October 10-11 & 17-18 from 10am-5pm
44337 County Line Road
Columbiana, OH 44408

This is the Christmas version of Shaker Woods. Traditional crafts are also available. It's a great show to find handmade gifts for your friends and relatives.

Last year, my two favorite Shaker Woods vendors were also at Christmas in the woods. It's worth going just to get some "Herbs for Healthful Living" Coconut soap :)

And to help you get into the Christmas spirit...

52 Aces

2009-10-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

Zeixs - a design portal created by a German based publishing house - has released this “52 Aces” deck of cards. Each card has been individually designed by 52 international designers and illustrators. A limited edition of 999 decks were produced.

It's like getting 52 unique little masterpieces.

Linda Zacks

2009-10-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Stumbled upon these beautiful murals today on Linda Zacks website. I like the collaborative effort and in turn, the mix of different styles on one mural.

From Zacks website:
Curius, a Paris-based design shop, invited me to contribute to a mural project on view at Gare Montparnasse. The theme of the murals is "What We Think About When We Travel"- the title in french is "J'avance, Donc Je Pense". Curius' inspiration came from Wim Wenders film "Wings Of Desire" when the two angels come down from heaven and listen to what people are thinking on the Berlin subway (without the black and white, of course). A handful of artists from Montreal, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, London and Paris also contributed to the murals which are giant collages. My work appears on the far right of each mural.

Every Little Counts

2009-10-04T18:22:00.001-07:00

What child of the 80’s wouldn’t love these shirts?

Youngstown Etsy - Shop Local

2009-09-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Out of curiosity, today I decided to search the “Shop Local” section of Esty for Youngstown vendors. Youngstown is up to four pages. I think when I started my Esty in 2007 there may have been two pages.

Here are a few of my favorite local vendors:

Toni Armeni Sculpture
Cradled Orb
Toni was one of my design professors at Youngstown State. He's an inspiring teacher and his work is top notch.

Bit of Whimsy Dolls
I have to admit, these dolls are adorable. I like the combinations of animals and people. In this case, pirate/bunny.

Julie Garland Jewelry

Cute jewelry that’s also reasonably priced.

And of course ME! I’m in the process of taking all new photos and starting a second Etsy strictly for my knitting projects. So far I have set up the shop but am still on the hunt for models to photograph wearing my knits. My invitation business and first Esty shop, TrueViolet, was named in honor of one of the most inspiring women in my life - my Grandma Violet. This new Etsy is named after the street that my Grandma Emma lived on when I was a child.

Stay tuned for Negley Street Knits.

Mickey Mouse Ears = Cute

2009-09-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Cigarette = not so cute.

But I still love this.

By Brian Viveros.

Dome Homes

2009-09-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I came across these Japanese Dome Houses today while surfing the net. They’re built from polystyrene, "the fourth-generation building material" after wood, iron, and concrete. Basically a type of styrofoam. The special expanded polystyrene is said to have multiple environmental and health benefits including “prevention of aging and the recuperation of your health. ”

Sign me up! Screw the fountain of youth, I need one of these Dome Homes.

Chuck Close at Akron Art

2009-08-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

In less than a week, The Akron Museum of Art will open it’s Familiar Faces: Chuck Close in Ohio Collection. Over 35 works by Close will be on display, including paintings, handmade paper pulp pieces, photographs, prints, and a tapestry.

Youngstown's very own Butler Institute of American Art, along with Ohio Museums from Cleveland to Cincinnati have contributed work for this exhibition. These public Close works will be joined by rarely seen pieces from private collections around the state.

Chuck Close is a top American artist who has overcome his condition as a quadriplegic to create beautiful work, mainly focused on portraiture. In the late 60’s he re-invented and re-invigorated portraiture, giving it relevance in an art-world focused on concepts and process.

This Collection will also offer a free film screening of Chuck Close on Sunday, October 4, 2009, 3pm. The film focuses on Close's process and features interviews with his famous friends and fellow artists Robert Rauschenberg and Kiki Smith.

Sounds like a must-see exhibit.

Bizarre

2009-08-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

I just found this while searching on Etsy. It's by Frosti. Her shop is one of the most bizarre I've seen. Check out this cleaver and dismembered finger thingy (what do you call this exactly?)

The first pic is kind of disgusting but cute however once they put it on this little girl's head it got a little too freaky for me. Who would do this to a child? The best part of this thing is that the description says " Blood splatter pattern may vary."

She also had some other bizarre but interesting stuff including a fried egg hoodie ornament and an LA County Coroners fake ID. Just what I've been looking for. hehe

PR is Back!

2009-08-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

22 minutes...

ilovedust

2009-08-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pics below are from the Ilovedust website.

Ilove dust is a multi disciplined design boutique located on the south coast of England. As you can see below, one of their specialties in illustration.

Stunning work.

Designer Bikes

2009-08-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Kaws, Kenny Scharf, Shepard Fairey, Marc Newson, Yoshitomo Nara, and Damien Hirst have designed six “STAGES” bikes as “a unique celebration of human potential inspired by Lance and dedicated to the fight against cancer.” On October 2nd, the bikes will be auctioned off in New York City with proceeds benefitting The Lance Armstrong Foundation.

These are all beautiful in their own way but I think the Shepard Fairey design outshines the others. Hirst is really a strange pick for this project considering his work usually focuses so much on death. Even though butterflies have been found in his work in the past I’m not really a fan in this case.

TrueViolet Menus

2009-08-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

A few images of my menus I'm in the process of designing and placing on my Etsy...

Veer Wallpapers

2009-08-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

You can thank Veer for these designer-friendly wallpapers. Yum.

March 5, 2010 - In 3-D too!

2009-08-04T16:46:00.001-07:00

Famous Ladies

2009-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

I find these portraits from American artist Christa Palazzolo interesting. On her website she describes her portraits "as a vehicle of mockery, isolation, discomfort, and objectification".

Some of the other portrait paintings in her online portfolio are incredibly realistic. For example, this image below is an oil painting called Bubbled. Pretty impressive.
Contact: christaleep@gmail.com

Evian Roller Babies

2009-07-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is worth sharing...

Josh Keyes

2009-07-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Rise Above by Josh Keyes.

Love the antlers.

Esra Roise

2009-07-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

These are by Esra Roise, a Norwegian freelance illustrator. Pretty.

The Crafty Hedgehog

2009-07-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

So I’m not joking when I say this but I’m terrified of frogs. I’m talking full-blown panic attack, ranidaphobia fear of frogs. Real frogs, pictures of frogs, statues of frogs - they all freak me out. The only frog that doesn’t scare the poop out of me is Kermit.

I blame my mother for my frog phobia. It’s kind of a long story but basically it involves her repeatedly buying tiny frogs for my childhood aquarium even though I cried and begged her not too. These things were like tiny little Houdinis, escaping from the tank and crawling all over me at night while I tried to sleep peacefully in bed.

Ok that last part about the bed never happened but you get the idea.

Although, one did try to sneak attack me and my childhood dog, Rags, one day while I was home alone. Poor Rags, she just stared at me while I stood on top of the couch screaming. I don’t even think she saw the thing hopping across the living room floor.

I think I actually dissected a frog in high school. I wonder now how I managed to get through that without having a nervous breakdown. I think it was the gloves and the fact that it was clearly dead.

This has a Kermit type effect on me. It’s such a cleaver idea and the knitting really takes the edge off.
It’s by The crafty hedgehog on Esty. She also has rats:
And this:
It’s basically a little knitted Halo. Props for having a tortie instead of a boring, normal colored cat. If I added a little tan knitted scarf and a ribbon coming out the butt it would be perfect.

In a Dream

2009-07-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

Just read an interesting article in the August issue of Print describing the movie In A Dream, which will premiere in August on HBO. The movie documents the life of Isaiah Zagar, an artist who creates “obsessively detailed mosaics of mirrored glass, ceramic, and paint” in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. Isaiah is said to suffer from “manic creativity” (which is the part that I really find intriguing). The film was made by Zager’s son, Jeremiah to “document his father’s psychological battles and tug-of-war with the rest of the family”. Looks brilliant.

Don't Forget...

2009-07-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Youngstown State University’s Annual Summer Festival of the Arts is next weekend, July 11-12. Hours: Sunday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Saturday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The Summer Festival of the Arts is a collaboration between Youngstown State University and the local and regional arts community. Designed to promote the diversity of art in the Mahoning Valley, the event equally welcomes regional and national fine and performing artists. Participation by area ethnic and cultural institutions makes available opportunities for positive interaction between patrons and the community.

It’s pretty much the same thing every year but usually I do find a couple things to buy, which is more than I can say about the Three Rivers Art Festival. Also, it’s free and there are perogies, haluski, and kettle corn... yum.

Wind Powered Knitting

2009-07-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

With the power of the wind, a knitting machine knits from the outside towards the inside of the building. The knitted material is harvested from time to time and rounded-off in individually packaged scarves. Each scarf has its own label which tells you in how much time it has been knitted and on which date.

This video is awesome!!
Click on the link above to see it.

Lorenzo

2009-06-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Communication Arts featured this Italian artist, Lorenzo Petrantoni, in the June 2009 issue. Petrantoni says he’s influenced by French culture and late nineteenth century graphics. His philosophy is “to bring old books back to life, discover their stories and tell the present through the past”.

I LOVE this illustration. It’s an “illustration on the topic, old books on the modern market”. So intricate and beautiful.These aren't too shabby either...

Just about the cutest story ever...

2009-06-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Antoine Helbert

2009-06-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

This French artist, Antoine Helbert, has a series of portfolio links ranging from these hypersexual superhero paintings to creature-human hybrid images - even a series of religious “Passion Works”.

All very different and interesting.

I like this one as well...

Very Charming Indeed

2009-06-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

I found this website today called charmingwall.com that you must check out. It’s a New York gallery that specializes in a curated selection of open-edition prints. They feature over 20 different artists and prints go for only $20 a pop. That’s an incredibly reasonable price and some of the work on here is pretty fab too. Here are some of my favorites:

Bailey Saliwanchik, Delivery & Marie

Devon Kelley-Yurdin, October

Matthew Doubek, Fauna in the Forest

Heiko, Rationality

Less Chimps more Puppets

2009-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

I don't like basketball (especially now that the Cavs aren't in the finals) but I love this.

In general, puppets are not used enough. I vote for replacing all chimps in commercials with puppets. Thus ending the need for people to dress up wild animals in human clothes and avoiding anyone else from being attacked by chimps drugged with Paxil.

I guess this is borderline hypocritical of me considering I abused the hell out of Monk-e-mail.

Live and learn...

Good Time Ring

2009-06-04T20:17:00.001-07:00

How cute is this?

By Yellowgoat on Etsy.

Inspired by Polaroid photos.

Alexandros Vasmoulakis

2009-06-04T18:24:00.001-07:00

Wow. This guy is amazing. The amount of work on his website is insane. The images above are from his building projects.

I’m in awe.

From his website:
Alexandros Vasmoulakis was born in Athens in 1980.
He studied fine arts and works as a freelancer.

His main purpose is to communicate.

Contact:
vasmou@gmail.com

tel: +30 6945 075 876 / +49(0)1731992642

Inspired by Aubrey

2009-06-04T18:17:00.001-07:00

These images are from illustrator Hana Ogai. The style reminds me of Aubrey Beardsley’s work with a fashion-oriented twist.

This is my very favorite Aubrey Beardsley illustration, created in 1894 and called The Peacock Skirt. Slightly less erotic then some of his other work and beautifully detailed.

Three Rivers Art Festival

2009-06-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

JUNE 5-14, 2009
803 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

“The mission of the Three Rivers Arts Festival is to connect the community to the arts.”

This show is considered the region's largest multidisciplinary showcase of visual and performing arts. Along with an artists marketplace, you will find entertainment including music, performance & film, and fun for kids. This year’s 50th anniversary marks the return of Three Rivers Arts Festival to the newly revitalized Point State Park in addition to the usual venues of Gateway Center and the Cultural District.

Image from Toby Fraley, exhibitor at Plaza Booth 86.

Image from Mark Traughber, exhibitor at Plaza Booth 5.
Image from Olga Mihaylova, exhibitor at Plaza Booth 13.

Rachel Alexandra in Vogue

2009-06-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Vogue’s latest “it girl” has a horse-face indeed.

In fact she is a horse.

A Preakness champion called Rachel Alexandra that inspired Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, to crown her the latest fashion icon.

Fashion photographer Steven Klein shot photos of the horse for the magazine’s August issue. Thoroughbreds are beautiful animals to begin and combined with Klein’s experience it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a stunning image.

Young@Heart

2009-05-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the most incredible and inspiring movie. It's a documentary called Young@Heart, which tells the story of a choir that originally developed from an elderly housing project in Northampton, MA. The members range from 70-80 years in age and are directed by Bob Cilman, an obvious music lover who is passionate about the performances of his choir members. Bob teaches them songs ranging from the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated" to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark".

The people in this film have the most brilliant spirits. It's amazing to watch. Through most of it I had a huge smile plastered on my face but there are a couple sad parts. Two beloved members of the choir pass away during the filming. One was planning a duet of Coldplay's "Fix You" with fellow retired singer Frank Knittle, who dedicates this heartbreaking performance to his friend, Bob Salvini:

Young At Heart - Fix You

Before their final performance the choir visits a local prison and sings for the inmates. They also performs a song for them in memory of a member who had just passed away that morning. The reaction of the inmates is absolutely beautiful. I cannot gush enough - You have to see this movie.

Young@Heart is a Walker George film distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Amuse yourself with the Crappy Cat

2009-05-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Use your arrows to navigate the Crappy Cat through a land of destruction featuring penguins, a french maid, eyeball ping pong, multiple darth vadars, a banjo band, and lots of alcohol. After defeating the monster at the end, Crappy Cat rides off into the sky like a little E.T. with his basket of liqueur. How cute :)

Sam Weber

2009-05-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Images:
Masked
The Guardsman

Prints are available for purchase online. Most of his work is painted by hand and then digitally manipulated. I like the muted color palate.

New McGinness

2009-05-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Two new books are on the horizon for McGinness fans in addition to what sounds like a large scale installation at Deitch.

From the article in Paper about the upcoming projects of Ryan McGinness:

First up are two new tasty books for his product-hungry fans – No Sin/No Future (Ginko Press) and the bound, two-volume package, Aesthetic Comfort (Arkitip). Next comes the concurrent presentation of a major exhibition of his latest painting and sculptures at Deitch hProjects, and a volume of his hybridized graphi-art achievements taken from the past three years (Rizzoli) — both aptly titled Ryan McGinness Works. The Deitch exhibition includes a monumental mural grid of 45 individual panels, bent laser-cut acrylic sculptures, a stunning suite of seven color spectrum painting, the mesmeric black on black monochromes and a black-light installation that amps up his most eye-poking fluorescents to a psychedelic frenzy.

McGinness continues to push the experiential dimensions of installation while investigating the modular and serial dynamics of the multiple. “I choose the restriction of formalism to create a kind of design problem-solving in my art,” he admits, “but working on the computer where there is no original drawing and everything is infinitely scalable, reproducible and re-combinative, I’ve also become interested in the overlap between the production and reproduction of art.” If anyone can translate that overlap in visual terms, it’s McGinness.

Organic Typography

2009-05-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

If I had $200 to spare I’d probably splurge on this collection of hand-drawn, digital typography. These are just a few samples shown above. The full collection comes with 20 original typesets, 6 uppercase and 14 lowercase.

Arn0

2009-05-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

A Flowering Tree by Arn0

R.I.P. Bea Arthur

2009-04-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Golden Girls... they just don't make 'em like they used to.

WANT IT!

2009-04-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

For their Spring 2009 marketing campaign, Saks Fifth Avenue has collaborated with iconic designer Shepard Fairey to create a series of stylish shopping bags. Clearly inspired by Russian graphic design and the propaganda spirit of Constructivist art, these bags are a homage to Rodchenko along with the other founders of Constructivism.

Once again, props to creativity in everyday products.

Happy Earth Day!!!

2009-04-22T09:38:00.001-07:00

Image: Mother Earth by Xx-RA-xX

Celebrate our earth through art with DeviantART!

Earth Day is an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew commitments to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for everyone. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, and over the years has grown into a major event which is celebrated simultaneously around the globe by more than half a billion people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.

In celebrating Earth Day 2009 at deviantART, we have chosen to support The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Working in more than 30 countries including the United States, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5000 rivers worldwide, operating in more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.

With over 9 million artists, deviantART is the largest online art community in the world. We’re delighted to present a showcase of environmentally themed works from artists who have been deviously creative in an attempt to raise awareness of environmental issues in the world today.

In support of Earth Day, deviantART will donate 10% of all prints sales from our Store The Nature Conservancy. We invite you to support this cause as well as supporting your favorite artists.

Let Your Dreams Fly!

2009-04-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, I'm looking forward to attending the Jessica Moorhead Foundation for Hope "Let Your Dreams Fly" Kite Festival. The Festival runs from 10am-5pm at Austintown Park, 6000 Kirk Road. The cost to attend is $5 per car load and all proceeds benefit pediatric cancer patients in our community.

The Kite Festival Features:
• A 100 Foot Long Octopus Kite
• Professional Kites/Events
• Rok Battles, Stunt Kites, Running of the Bowls
• A Kite Workshop Where You Can Make Your Own Kite
• American Idol Contest
• Face Painters, Clowns, Henna Tattoos
• Life Size Candyland Game
• Bounce A Round Games
• Pony Rides
• Food Vendors and much much more!!

For more information visit www.jessicafoundationforhope.org.

Image: Kite Dream by nosurp

Teeth

2009-04-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just watched one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. Teeth.
Very well done. I still feel a little sick to my stomach...

Teeth was directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein, son of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.

Beautiful Boy

2009-04-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Beautiful Boy by David Sheff this morning. Truly an amazing book. It's the story of a father dealing with his sons addition to drugs, mainly meth. It's sad. Painful and frustrating to read at certain points. But worth the time due to the fact that we have all know someone with addition problems at some point in our lives.

Synopsis from Dave Callanan:
From as early as grade school, the world seemed to be on Nic Sheff's string. Bright and athletic, he excelled in any setting and appeared destined for greatness. Yet as childhood exuberance faded into teenage angst, the precocious boy found himself going down a much different path. Seduced by the illicit world of drugs and alcohol, he quickly found himself caught in the clutches of addiction. Beautiful Boy is Nic's story, but from the perspective of his father, David. Achingly honest, it chronicles the betrayal, pain, and terrifying question marks that haunt the loved ones of an addict. Many respond to addiction with a painful oath of silence, but David Sheff opens up personal wounds to reinforce that it is a disease, and must be treated as such. Most importantly, his journey provides those in similar situations with a commodity that they can never lose: hope

I also just discovered that Nic Sheff has written a book called Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines. I think it might be interesting to read both books, this way you get the parent's and child's perspective. Nevertheless, it's a good sign that he has remained sober enough to not only write a memoir but also have it published.

SJ Vitsky

2009-04-13T18:29:00.001-07:00

Sally Jo Vitsky's illustrations can be interpreted a form of paper sculpture. The cut paper medium creates a dimensional effect that forms natural shadows. I love the monochromatic effect mixed with a bright pop of color.

I bet she makes a mean scrapbook.

Click here to watch as she create paper illustrations of the four seasons.

House of Cards

2009-04-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

In Radiohead's Video for "House of Cards" no cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies were used to capture 3D images: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Geometric Informatics scanning systems produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity, while a Velodyne Lidar system that uses multiple lasers is used to capture large environments such as landscapes. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes.

Thom Yorke's vocals in this song are so haunting...

How the video was made:

Sigh...

2009-04-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

If this was mine it would say "I'm trying to eat away the part of the day that I cannot drink or sleep away".

My ass concurs.

Pretty soon I'm gonna need one of these scales...

Yellow Wedges :)

2009-04-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Not bad for Keds. I love the yellow!

The black shoe reminds me of my grandma Sudzina. She used to wear those crappy canvas shoes that you buy at some po-dunk store like the Dollar General. I think they were called Grasshoppers. I guess Grandma Sudz was a fashionista after all! Who knew??

P.S. Surprisingly yellow, not violet, is my favorite color.

Every picture tells a story…

2009-04-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Or in this case, part of the story of Romeo & Juliet.

This spread, by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, ran in the December 08 issue of Vogue. The stunning images feature model Coco Rocha as Juliet and ballet dancer Roberto Bolle as Romeo.

Her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light.

-William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet. ACT V Scene 3.

BTW, Coco Rocha became a redhead a few months ago and I have to say it looks absolutely beautiful. It really suits her.

WTWTA Part 2

2009-04-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Where the Wild Things Are trailer, directed by Spike Jonze.

OMG... I'm giddy

Great Shows at Akron Art

2009-03-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Akron Art Museum has some interesting shows on the horizon, including William Wegman and Chuck Close exhibits starting in May. Nice. Right now the Lee Friedlander’s Factory Valleys exhibit seems interesting. It runs until May 31...

Lee Friedlander’s Factory Valleys series, conceived 30 years ago, has come to be recognized as a milestone both in the artist's career and in the history of documentary photography. The Akron Art Museum, which commissioned the work, revisits the project by exhibiting around 50 vintage photographs, all from the museum’s collection. This exhibition coincides with a major Friedlander retrospective at the Cleveland Museum of Art, also on view through May 31, 2009.

In 1979 Akron’s director, John Coplans, invited Friedlander to photograph America’s industrial belt. Although once a prime source of the nation’s wealth, the industrial Heartland was spiraling into an economic recession in the late 1970s. The artist decided to focus on Ohio and Pennsylvania. Steel mills and tire plants were closing, but it was not yet evident that this was a massive permanent decline in American manufacturing. Not until 1982, the year that Factory Valleys was exhibited, did the terms “Rust Bowl” and “Rust Belt” first appear.

Friedlander photographed the components of an industrialized region: the countryside, towns, steel plants and factories, workers’ houses and the roads and railroads that transported both raw materials and manufactured goods. He captured workers’ symbiotic relationship to their machines, ennobling their labor while stressing its machinelike repetitiveness. Although he photographed in all four seasons, the land does not appear hospitable, lush or fertile. It seems fragile and ravaged, reflecting a new sensitivity to the environment that was awakening in the late 1970s.

Friedlander also used the Akron Art Museum commission as an opportunity to advance radical compositional solutions. The visual chaos of his images of the factory towns echoes the emotional and social disruption he found there. Factory Valleys melds formal experimentation, documentation and personal expression to produce a statement that sums up its time and its creator’s experiences.

I wonder if there are any Youngstown photos included?

The Akron Film Fest is also coming up within a week (April 2-5). The film festival features submissions from countries including Brazil, Australia, Greece, England, Canada and all over the United States. Tickets for individual films and short programs are $6. Full festival passes are $24.

The Vader Project

2009-03-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Star Wars nerds rejoice! This is the show for you. The Warhol Museum currently has an exhibition featuring 100 works by contemporary international artists utilizing scale authentic prop replicas of the Darth Vader helmet used in the Star Wars films. This is similar to the Youngstown Penguin and Chicago Cow Parade projects in that each helmet was blank when given to the artists.

The show runs February 28-May 3.

From the website:
These iconic helmets of the notorious movie villain were created by some of the biggest names in today’s pop surrealist and underground art scene including Shag, Peter Kuper, Attaboy, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Dalek, Paul Frank, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Michelle Valigura, Frank Kozik, Wade Lageose, Joe Ledbetter, Alex Pardee, Suckadelic, Cameron Tiede, Michelle Valigura, Sunich, Mister Cartoon, Marc Ecko, Amanda Visell, and many more. The Vader Project was curated by Dov Kelemer and Sarah Jo Marks of DKE Toys, one of the largest designer vinyl and art-toy distributors in the world.

In addition to The Warhol’s grouping of these iconic helmets, approximately 15 works will be on view at The Carnegie Science Center during the duration of the exhibition.

My New Toy

2009-03-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

The Lotus :)

It's a square flip phone but has a full key pad. As far as cell phones go it's pretty darn cute. Now if I can just figure out how to work it I'm in business!

Tim Dinter

2009-03-03T18:14:00.001-08:00

Yum. Wish there were prints.

UPDATE: Per Tim's comment, you can find his work online here.
Thanks for the link!

Font Furniture

2009-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

This functional furniture, complete with hidden built-in shelving, drawers and racks, is shaped like the 26 letter alphabet. Letters are available in 6 colors and coated with environmentally friendly paint.

Love it.

Follow the Dot

2009-03-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

This work is from German artist, Mone Maurer. I don’t quite understand the website (everything I click on launches me into macmail) but the work is fascinating.

C O N T A C T
mail@monemaurer.com

Famous, Talented, and Broke

2009-02-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well this is quite shocking and sad...

Famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz is broke. The woman who shot John Lennon on the same day that Mark David Chapman did, the one who has done portraits of everyone from Queen Elizabeth to a pregnant Demi Moore, has had to sign away the copyrights, negatives, and contracts for all her work to a high-class pawn shop. That includes everything she's going to shoot in the future. In return, she gets $15.5 million to pay her debts, given at an interest rate of between 6-to 16%.

Many press reports are tracing the photog's money woes to 2004, when her partner Susan Sontag died and left her more properties and debt than she could handle. Certainly, the added financial pressure put her over the edge, and you have to wonder how things might have been different had Sontag and Leibovitz been granted the property rights and benefits that heterosexual couples get.

Read the full story click here.

Image from the Disney Dream Portrait Series project.

Lisel Jane Ashlock Illustration

2009-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Nico and Patty Hearst by Lisel Jane Ashlock.

Erin Petson

2009-02-22T17:04:00.001-08:00

Illustrations by Erin Petson.

Pretty.

Dogs in Hats = Cute!!

2009-02-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

These are from Beantown Handmade on Etsy.
I don't know what's cuter, this dog or the knitted pieces it's wearing. The first piece is called "The Blue Blossom Dog Hat" and second piece is called "The Shakespeare". (hence the stack of books).

I've been meaning to knit my cat a little necklace. She would never let me put stuff like this on her though. I would look like a cutter from all the scratches she'd inflict to my arms.

We also have a Boxer but somehow I don't think this looks the same on an 70lb beast. One day, I'll get a Boston and do torturous stuff like this to it too!

C. Dawn Davis

2009-02-21T14:49:00.001-08:00

Images: Solde & Beribboned
(mixed media on vellum)

C. Dawn Davis creates figurative mixed-media paintings in which her female subjects, posed in elaborate costumes and sometimes wearing masks, gaze back mysteriously at the viewer. Often these figures are accompanied by birds or monkeys, creating an eerie, arresting effect. Painted in the tradition of classical paintings, Ms. Davis’s work is as astounding for its technical genius as it is for its fascinating subjects.

Annick Poirier

2009-02-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

Annick Poirier describes her style as the sum of her past experiences and that of its values. Her style is modern yet the color palette gives it a vintage type vibe. Very nice online portfolio.

Stay Golden

2009-02-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

I think this would make Barbara Kruger proud.

Smoke on Paper

2009-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

“Smokes” by Rob Tarbell. Very ethereal.

Smokes consist of images that are created by capturing smoke on paper as evidence of a transformation and preservation of the ephemeral. During the process, credit cards, grocery cards, gift cards, photos, and slides of my artwork are burned to remove their growing presence in daily life, an ironic nod to a self-help technique of burning sentimental things to remove their emotional burden.

The performing animal images in the Smokes parallel the drawing process. The trainer must recognize and respect the innate nature of an animal when trying to modify its behavior to achieve a desired outcome: e.g. training a bear to dance or training a horse to walk upright. The same is true in working with smoke. The inherent properties of smoke must be respected, then permitted to - and yet discouraged from - acting naturally.

yoYo.

2009-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Endless amounts of design and creativity are produced on a daily basis. I find myself constantly inspired. But, every once in a while, I see something that makes me absolutely giddy.

This is one of those times.

Two words: Knit Graffiti.

Yes, that’s correct, Knit Graffiti.

Concentrating at work today was a challenge because I was too busy imagining the possibilities.

So this is my idea (consider it a homage to Knitta Please and the other graffiti knitting crews):

Knitting patterns are written in abbreviations of knitting terms. For example, knit is “k” and “p” is purl. A common knitting term is yarn over, written as “yo” in patterns.

I propose a knitting group in Youngstown called yarn over Youngstown which will be referred to as yoYo.

I imagine some people would be offended by this type of graffiti, I guess technically it may be considered vandalism. Who cares though, it would make me and I believe a handful of others happy for a fleeting moment. To me, something that’s bright, creative, flat-out hilarious, and causes no permanent damage is not offensive.

I concur with the label of “the world’s most inoffensive graffiti”. As they say, “who in their right mind would come face to face with a sweater-wearing tree and do anything but smile?”

So just one question... who wants to join my crew?

In the meantime I’ll be cooking up a yoYo. logo.

Luminatti

2009-01-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Trace the Red Light
By Olena Shmahalo or Luminatii on deviantArt

I’m usually not intrigued by traditional pencil drawings but I just love these. It’s truly subjective, but this is not only drawn beautifully but so emotive. It has a sadness about it that provokes that feeling of wishing to escape.

The wanting-to-jump-out-of-your-own-skin emotion has got to be one of the worst feelings ever. Yet this is so beautiful.

Travel Faster
I think bicycle images, especially illustrations, rank right up there with antlers and zebras. And that is purely a formal preference even though I love spinning and biking.

Prints are available online.

Typography - Alive & Kicking

2009-01-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

"The definition of a typographer is outdated. I don’t see myself as a scientist or an artist, just as a typographer who wants to break barriers."
-Oded Ezer
Helvetica Live! is Oded Ezer's interpretation to the famous typeface:
"...formal intersections between the famous Helvetica letters and various object silhouettes. Consciously ignoring "logical" context, I was influenced by Dadaist methods and contemporary virtual hybridizations of animals and human beings. These typo hybrids suggest a more playful and humorous attitude to typography, a field that often suffers from an unjust reputation of an overly strict and serious one."

I love Milton is Oded Ezer's homage to Milton Glaser's I heart NY logo:
"This 70x100 cm poster is a homage to Milton Glaser, whose famous I heart NY logo is one of the things that stuck into my mind forever. Glaser's design is simple and direct, and I felt it will be still recognisable even if I will make it more complicated."

The End: Analyzing Art in Troubled Times

2009-01-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

The End: Analyzing Art in Troubled Times

Date: February 7, 2009 daily until May 3, 2009
Time: All Day
Cost: Free with Admission

At the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

The End: Analyzing Art in Troubled Times is a large group exhibition of contemporary artists that seeks to analyze the power of art in troubled times. As the stability of the United States economy continues to erode and as talk of a prolonged economic malaise spreads, everyone from the ruling elite to the man in the street worries with ever-increasing frequency about what might happen should this country—and perhaps the world beyond—spiral into economic collapse. The End confronts this hard-edged topic head-on. In addition, Warhol’s Death and Disasters, Skulls, Jackie, and Electric Chair series will be on view in the permanent collection galleries to explore Warhol’s own fixation and fascination with the theme of disaster.

The contemporary artists included in the exhibition are Lida Abdul, Beth Campbell, Luis Camnitzer, Daniel Canogar, Castromori (Hiroshi McDonald Mori + Stefano Castronovo), Davis/Langlois, David Deutsch, Mary Beth Edelson, Karen Finley, Roland Flexner, Daniel and Geo Fuchs, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Lukas Maximilian Hüller, Rashid Johnson, Cary Liebowitz, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Jonathan Meese, Trevor Paglen, Hirsch Perlman, Raymond Pettibon, Jane Philbrick, Martha Rosler, Diane Samuels, Shelly Silver, Susanne Slavick, Althea Thauberger, Mitra Trabizian, Banks Violette, Hugh Walton, Lawrence Weiner, Christopher Wool, and Aaron Young.The exhibition was curated by Eric C. Shiner, The Warhol’s Milton Fine Curator of Art.

Image: Enredos 1, detail by Daniel Canogar

Alexander Calder's Circus

2009-01-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

The great man is he that does not lose his child's heart.

Theodora by TrueViolet

2009-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Another new invitation set added to my Esty today.

Also at the Butler

2009-01-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Area Artists: 72nd Annual Exhibition
January 25, 2009 through February 22, 2009

The Area Artists Annual, a juried exhibition of works in any media, is open to any artists 18 years of age or older, living within a forty mile radius of Youngstown.

A predict a trip to the Butler sometime in my near future.

Visit the Butler Institute of American Art
The Beecher Center
524 Wick Avenue
Youngstown, Ohio 44502
330-743-1107 Ext. 123
info@butlerart.com
www.butlerart.com

Hours:
11am to 4pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday • Noon to 4pm Sunday • 11am to 8pm Wednesday • Closed Monday & major holidays. No admission fee. Donations accepted.

Speaking of Andrew Wyeth...

2009-01-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

The Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown, OH) will be hosting a special exhibition of Wyeth’s work January 16, 2009 through February 28, 2009. The exhibition is drawn from the permanent collection and private holdings and includes work from both Wyeth and his son, Jamie Wyeth.

Cool. If only Christina's World could be there.

Image: Pumpkinhead
Self-Portrait by Jamie Wyeth, 1972

Incredibly Close

2009-01-20T18:06:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite painting of all time and I’ve wanted to see it in person for years. Currently it’s “not on view” at MoMA. I’ve been to MoMA before and was disappointed that it wasn’t on view at that time either. WTF MoMA?

I and the Village
Marc Chagall. (French, born Belarus. 1887-1985). I and the Village. 1911. Oil on canvas, 6' 3 5/8" x 59 5/8" (192.1 x 151.4 cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. © 2009 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Painted the year after Chagall came to Paris, I and the Village evokes his memories of his native Hasidic community outside Vitebsk. In the village, peasants and animals lived side by side, in a mutual dependence here signified by the line from peasant to cow, connecting their eyes. The peasant's flowering sprig, symbolically a tree of life, is the reward of their partnership. For Hasids, animals were also humanity's link to the universe, and the painting's large circular forms suggest the orbiting sun, moon (in eclipse at the lower left), and earth.

The geometries of I and the Village are inspired by the broken planes of Cubism, but Chagall's is a personalized version. As a boy he had loved geometry: "Lines, angles, triangles, squares," he would later recall, "carried me far away to enchanting horizons." Conversely, in Paris he used a disjunctive geometric structure to carry him back home. Where Cubism was mainly an art of urban avant-garde society, I and the Village is nostalgic and magical, a rural fairy tale: objects jumble together, scale shifts abruptly, and a woman and two houses, at the painting's top, stand upside-down. "For the Cubists," Chagall said, "a painting was a surface covered with forms in a certain order. For me a painting is a surface covered with representations of things . . . in which logic and illustration have no importance."

I also want to see this in person before I kick the bucket and this one is “on view” at MoMA.
Christina’s World
Andrew Wyeth. (American, born 1917). 1948.
Tempera on gessoed panel, 32 1/4 x 47 3/4" (81.9 x 121.3 cm).

The woman crawling through the tawny grass was the artist's neighbor in Maine, who, crippled by polio, "was limited physically but by no means spiritually." Wyeth further explained, "The challenge to me was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless." He recorded the arid landscape, rural house, and shacks with great detail, painting minute blades of grass, individual strands of hair, and nuances of light and shadow. In this style of painting, known as magic realism, everyday scenes are imbued with poetic mystery.

I want these...

2009-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

From undeadmushroom12 on etsy. Today I got my "knit or die" key ring in the mail, which I love. It's made out of an old spoon and hand stamped. As I was leaving feedback I noticed these...

$8 well spent.

Thomas Meyer must love redheads.

2009-01-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

From Top: Lily with Circles & Westwood

From Meyer's website:
The use of female portraiture as gathered from current culture, regardless of time period, has always provided an insight, no matter how subtle, into the world condition. Whether it be Singer Sargent at the turn of the century, or Alex Katz throughout the 60’s and 70’s, we gain an insight into the world situation during their time. It is for this reason that I find it relevant to continue the act of reproducing the image of current feminine haute couture in order to make sense of and at the same time critique our world as it is. My use of classical methods of drawing, “with a twist”, and simple painting methods that leave paint as paint, are intended to remove the magic or mysticism from the act and leave the work and its statement in a simple and readable form.

PAPERgraphic

2009-01-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Russian-born and London-based artist and designer Yulia Brodskaya says “my greatest passion is to explore the ways of combining illustration and typography”. These images are definitely successful in doing just that. Dubbed “PAPERgraphic” by the artist, they also take on a sculptural quality. Beautiful.

More Demetri Please!

2009-01-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, I still have a crush on Demetri Martin so I’m super excited about this... I just read in the February issue of Elle that he has a new sketch-based series coming soon to Comedy Central. It’s called Important Things with Demetri Martin and according to him focuses on an “important” topic each episode, “like chairs”. If you didn’t see Demetri Martin. Person. yet wtf are you waiting for?! It’s hard to explain, but I’d say it’s a comedy show with music and sketches. H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.

Antoine Et Manuel

2009-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

Images from French designers Antoine Et Manuel. Stunning work.

From top:
Graphic Design Museum, Breda, Netherlands, Gods
RATP (Parisian Metro), Carte Intégrale