Suspension, 20 x 15 inches, ink on paper, 2010
Portland, Maine-based artist Joe Kievitt’s abstract works are what he describes as “drawings with ink and acrylic on paper.” I call it colorful patterning at its best. He uses tape that he cuts at various widths with a custom-made tool to isolate areas for ink and paint washes to be applied. The patterns in each piece are perfectly imperfect (which happens to be my favorite kind). The asymmetrical works are done by hand and become an anxiety-ridden process due to working with unforgiving mediums such as ink and liquid paint. The outcome, however, is well worth it.
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Pegotty, 2011, acrylic on cut paper, papier-mâché, wood
We’ve featured the work of Brooklyn-based Lauren Clay before and we decided to check out some of her latest work. Update: it’s still awesome.
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San Francisco-based Soft Cities creates blankets and napkins, or Mapkins as they call them, which feature a map with a location of your choice. The company then prints your map with special markers that you’ve chosen (like “I was here” or “Mom’s house”) and prints them locally on a soft fleece for the blankets or 100% Kona cotton for the napkins. They are completely customizable and the options are endless.
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Illuminated Icon #3, 2011
Dallas and New York-based artist Jay Shinn mixes light, projections, metal, and paint in his work. While he uses various mediums in his art, one constant is his exploration of geometric forms. No matter the medium, each piece has a three dimensional quality and really focuses on perspective. I really love his use of light in the pieces and how the repetitious patterns completely draw the viewer in.
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There are always plenty of reasons to say thank you and now you can do it in a less Hallmarky kind of way. Here are 30 (yes 30!) of my favorite modern thank you cards:
The Retro Dot letterpress card from Night Owl Paper Goods brings one of my favorite color combinations together: turquoise and red. The eco-friendly card is printed on 100% cotton paper made from the textile industry’s recovered fibers.
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Artist Jennifer Maravillas was inspired by her many travels to US metropolitan areas, creating artistic cartography that feels more like abstract artwork than layers of urban space.
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Karte Design Fabrik is back with six new card collections, two of which have tickled our fancy — the Herringbone and Stripetown collections. We previously featured Karte Design Fabriks’ Scandinavian-inspired holiday collection and I love these new collections even more. Liz Mckeown has given these classic patterns a new updated and modern twist. All cards are designed and made in Berlin, Germany and come with a thick, flecked brown envelope.
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David Saunders, more commonly known as David David, began with a fine arts background and eventually moved into fashion in 2005. Well known for his geometric patterns and graphic prints, the London artist began his foray into fashion by hand-painting t-shirts for himself. People began to take notice and he eventually digitized his designs for production. In addition to his clothing, he features his designs on umbrellas, prints, notebooks, and scarves, just to name a few, and often collaborates with other designers and companies.
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Swedish designers Marit Lissdaniels and Angelica Utterberg are the creative minds behind Little Studio, a company that makes graphic prints, pillowcases, trays, and cutting boards. The duo is inspired by how children view the world and the way they think outside the box where, as they say, “a triangle could just be a triangle – but it can also be a mountain.” Their happy and colorful designs are playful enough for children but will work equally as well for adults.
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Emily Dumas is a graphic designer that runs Flowers in May, a design company north of Boston. She has a series of fun and colorful prints that feature collective graphic illustrations of a particular theme. Each 11 x 14″ design is printed on high quality archival paper and is signed by Dumas.
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