john hawke abstract paintings

wonderful linear and shapely work here form new york artist john hawke. this series expresses his interests and ideas about the perception, genesis and shrinking away of outdoor urban spaces.

see much more on his website - he has a great drawing and monoprint collection too!

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hide and seek illustrations

kelly spotted these lovely illustrations on etsy and i love the childhood fairy tale motifs and this spooky/enchanting feeling they give off. they created by uk artist hidden eloise, aka hidenseek. these pieces start out as hand drawn images and then are digitally colored.

see more compelling visual storytelling at eloise’s etsy shop and be sure to check out her website too.

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frucci jewelry design - let’s chat!

(ed. note: welcome first-time readers! if you enjoy this article about fru, please click on the other categories to the left to enjoy even more posts about other talented artists and designers. better yet, feel free to be impulsive and click on subscribe to the right, and i will bring the good stuff to you instead! thank you for visiting!)

i had to remember to breathe when i saw these wondrous paper creations from california artist francesca vitali, aka fru. this talented designer from rome, italy crafts stunning jewelry from folding and weaving layers and layer of papers, then integrates them with other materials such as copper and leather to create her gorgeous frucci design collection. everything is so precise and pristine, with well defined edges, but still soft and wearable. and i love her color combinations and finishing details. let’s have a chat with fru and find out more!

q: where do you live and where do you make your jewelry?
a: at the moment i live in southern california. i’m here because of my work. i’m a penitent scientist trying to transition into art. i make my pieces mostly at home, i have set up a little corner studio, but to tell you the truth i generally spread my work in progress everywhere. i also have access to a jewelry studio at my school, where i work with metal…especially soldering metal, which is something i’m not allowed to do at home!

q: what is your background, and did you ever study art formally?
a: for the longest time i’ve regretted not pursuing my creative nature by studying art! my formal education background is in science. i got my “laurea” in chemistry in italy and my phD in organic chemistry in switzerland. since then, i’ve being working in research as structural biologist at a different university, but something changed since i came here (to the united states). i started thinking again of my art education, and last summer i attended my very first formal class in metal, at penland school of craft. that experience changed my life! after penland, i signed up for a class at calstate fullerton taught by a great metalsmither, christina smith, and next spring i’ll attend an intensive two month jewelry course in san francisco. and i’m also considering applying for grad school.

q: can you tell us a little bit about your collection?
a: i started this new line of woven/folded jewelry almost three years ago, when my sister, who knew how much i enjoy working with paper, got me some pre-cut paper strips. she knew one day i would come up with a good use for them…and i did! i like to repurpose old techniques with new media. one of my preferred techniques at the moment is weaving. i’m still experimenting with new paper shapes, new paper sources and new combinations of materials. i use shopping bags, old magazine pages, old catalog pages from my lab, coupons, old maps, museum newsletters, and new paper too. so far this has been a great creative process that is still evolving!

q: do you think there is a connection between art and science, and do you find inspiration in the combination?
a: i definitively think art and science are connected and the link is nature. for me, it is interesting to attempt to both understand and describe nature. i’ve been creative all my life, and for some time i thought science could be creative too…but there is nothing in the world that gives me as much pleasure as working on one of my pieces!

i get inspired by everything surrounding me, i guess. i never really know exactly where my inspirations come from, because normally they all come during the night while i’m sleeping. sometimes i wake up in the morning with an idea and i can’t stop thinking of it until i make it happen! kind of crazy, no?!

q: does it come naturally to you to blend the left brain analytical type of thinking with the right brain creative way?
a: i don’t know if it comes naturally, because i’m dyslexic and so to me left or right makes little difference! i will say that while my “right brain” background is self-taught, luckily i come from a family of great crafters (my mum is a great knitter, and my grandma was an excellent embroiderer).

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: i like to give my customers lots of choices, so i have a broad price range ($9 to $250). people can just “taste” my paper jewelry for few dollars buying the cubetto earrings, or they can select very elaborate pieces that of course are more expensive.

purchase fru’s collection at her etsy shop, and be sure to check out fru’s flickr stream to see more beautiful things.

thank you fru!

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mayuko fujino paper art - let’s chat!

look at the beautiful, delicate work of japanese artist mayuko fujino! these are not illustrations but paper cutouts with additional collage work. i love the organic themes and joyful compositions. her techniques are precise and eye for color admirable. i think you could just dive right into some of these and land on a fluffy cloud. let’s have a chat with mayuko and find out more!

q: where do you live?
a: tokyo, japan

q: what inspires your artwork?
a: i think what inspires me most are the challenging technical restrictions of paper cutout. sometimes when i have an idea it does not fall within the conventional rules for my method… and when i see something then the rules decide 1) if i can actually craft it or not and 2) how to go about making it. it’s fun for me to see how far i can go within the limitations. to do that, i always have to make the best use of inventiveness, and sometimes unexpected ideas occur. sometimes i think it almost acts like a guide for me to understand the world. and of course music (like moondog) and literature inspire me a lot. a sound body with storing of memory in five senses.

q: can you tell me a little about your technique?
a: they are paper cutouts and i color them with magazine pages, papers and collage. i use a special cutting tool (not scissors) to make the special cut shapes.

q: how large are these finished pieces and are they for sale?
a: they range in size from 10cm x 10cm to 79.0cm x 54.5cm (about 4″ x 4″ up to 31″ x 21.5″). i am preparing to sell them.

q: are you currently in any shows, and is there anything else special you would like to mention?
a: i will have an exhibition from february 6 through february 10th at fall gallery in tokyo, and on february 9th i am going to perform a new shadow show titled “mr. and mr.mysteries” there. i sometimes act as the “georama” or shadow play unit. also, our short film is available at myspace here.

be sure to look at mayuko’s flickr stream for more gorgeous work.

thank you mayuko!

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cotton bird designs

flying birds, excellent birds. watch them fly, there they go.

i like these super cute handsewn paper birdies from the uk’s cotton bird designs. they are fashioned from recycled maps, vintage textiles, sewing patterns and other ephemera. they are stitched by hand and have embroidered eyes and little wire feet.

i love the naive feel of these pieces and you already know i like birds. sculptural birds - even better, because they won’t fly away if i get real close to examine them.

oh dear, better get my credit card.

see the full selection the the cotton bird etsy shop.

via modish

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rainy prints art

i love these positive feeling, hand pulled prints from taiwanese born, michigan-based artist yu-hsuan (sherry) lin. she uses a linocut technique and makes her fun prints in limited editions.

i am pleased to say i have a few of these happy guys in my house, and i never get tired of looking at them (never)!

find her work on her etsy shop and see what else she’s doing on her blog too!

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red cap cards and letterpress

i love the whimsy and beautiful details in these illustrations for red cap cards. created in beverly hills by artist carrie gifford and her husband hal mertz, the collection includes multi colored letterpress and work from michael morrison and francesca montanari. all the styles merge to set a festive tone and easy, colorful way to communicate.

see much much more on red cap’s website!

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dna letterpress

look at these lovely letterpress cards from local graphic designers andrea burke and dana bowers. you can see from the examples below that each of them have a unique approach to their letterpress art. their printing and design methodologies, however, are shared, as is a workspace in chicago’s lincoln square neighborhood. they’re one step closer to their dream of participating in the new york national stationery show now that they have been selected as exhibitors.

clearly there are two disparate styles here, which translates into a wider net cast for new buyers at the show. i like andrea’s sense of humor and dana’s clean illustration style. and i like the color palettes in both lines.

to offset the high costs of getting there, andrea and dana are holding an old fashioned bake sale! it will be held this saturday the 15th, at the photography studio of kipling swehla, from 12 pm - 3 pm. all proceeds from the sale will help them to achieve their goals of getting their dna letterpress off to a good start - a very worthy cause indeed.

find contact info on andrea’s site and see more designs on dana’s website too!

good luck girls!

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