Anna Hrachovec's solo show at gallery hanahou looks like it is going to cute and awesome! Hrachovec used over 200 balls of yarn to knit a wacky 10-foot installation filled mini-unicorns, a rat infested city, knit monsters and much, much more. The show opening is October 7 and it runs through October 29. RSVP for the opening at the gallery hanahou website.
Have you heard about Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is a way to fund creative projects. You can basically crowdsource funds for a project. Its an all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. That means, if you need $5000 to get your project off the ground and you only get pledges for $2000, no money exchanges hands. That way, you don't have to try to get a $5000 project off the ground with only $2000 and no one will be expecting you to try.
On the other side, do you have a spare $10 you would like to invest in a worthy cause? Pledge to support a fledgling book project, film or other venture. You'll feel good and you'll be supporting someone who needs funds to make their dreams a reality.
Ana and I were saddened over a year ago when it was announced that Gocco silkscreen devices wouldn't be made any more. Both of us own and love Goccos so we were devastated when we heard the news. I didn't think anything could fill the Gocco void until I saw the Yudu. The Yudu looks pretty amazing and seems to improve upon the Gocco. I like that the Yudu process mirrors the real process of silkscreen printing. I'd love to get my hands on one and try it out, but I'll have to wait since it's $300 price tag will keep it out of my reach.
Some fun reworked vintage china by trixie delicious on Etsy. Love how the type works well with the vintage china patterns.
Gallery hanahou opened a fabulous and fun show today in Manhattan called Luv-able and Hug-able which showcases amazing and adorable plushes from over 30 artists from around the world. All the plushes are for sale and if you can't get to the gallery, you can always check out their shop online and snap one or two of the cute little critters.
In conjunction with the show, gallery hanahou is offering two hands-on workshops where you can learn the ins-and-outs of plush creation. The first is December 5th with the Ossu! Syugeibu design team from Tokyo where for $20 during your lunch hour you can churn out a little buddy. The second event is on December 13 where you can make a holiday plush with plush artist Jenny Harada. Email the gallery to RSVP for either event.
The trailer for Died Young, Stayed Pretty, a documentary about silkscreen posters artist and the community around them. I saw part of the film on Friday night and it was a bit disjointed, but if you are a poster fan like I am, you'll be excited to see and hear from Art Chantry, Jay Ryan, Brian Chippendale and a bunch more.
[Keds designed by the talented Ms. Robyn Fabsits-Grine using vintage circus clip art and scanned textures to create some seriously fabulous footwear!]
I think its official that we have a sneaker fetish, particularly DIY sneakers. Ever since we posted about the Converse One customizable Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells, it seems that DIY sneaker designs are the only way to go.
Now, Keds (in collaboration with Zazzle) is offering customizable designs on their iconic footwear at the Keds Studio. The options include the classic lace-up or slip-on styles and offers the option to choose trim colors, stitching, rubber edging and even the option to upload your own artwork to be printed on the canvas fabric. This is a huge step forward in customizable designs since Converse has limited users to its (red) artwork, colors and some standard patterns.
Go forth and let your footwear speak volumes about you, your artwork and your fetishes!
[Thanks to Cathy for the tip. She also recommends checking out Retail Me Not for coupon codes for free shipping if you decide to order your own designs.]
Lab Partners has provided a little step-by-step demonstration on how they use the Gocco to create some of their limited edition prints, often seen on Etsy.
The finished product, on sale on Etsy:
Bear Skin Rug, AKA UK illustrator Kevin Cornell, has graciously provided information about the tools he uses to create his illustrations. None of his tools are magic but each is a clear example that simple tools and persistence are the key to creating quality artwork. Kevin's provided three articles covering the basics and accompanied by stunning drawings to illustrate each phase.
Part One: Pencils
Part Two: Inks
Part Three: Color
There are two new books that bring printmaking to the masses using simple designs and techniques that can be duplicated without large presses or expensive materials. First is the eminently marketable Lotta Jansdotter with her book Lotta Prints which uses her simple botanical and geometric designs with techniques like rubber stamping, stencil and screen printing. Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin uses similar techniques or stencil, screen printing and rubber stamp in her book which will be released on July 16.
Seeing Ana's post about friend Jeffery from Threadless in Inc. magazine, reminded me that we know someone else that had graced a magazine recently. Pica + Pixel's friend and great designer John Giordani and his boyfriend Conn Brattain were showcased in the newest issue of Readymade magazine. It is a great article about how the couple moved from NYC to Maui to create their own sustainable off-the-grid domestic paradise. Go John and Conn!
P.S. – also be sure to check out their blog to find out about their new, cute feathered pet.
Frank Chimero kindly took the time to show the steps he goes through to create a finished illustration. From sketch to preliminary drawing to final piece, he carefully documents his process in images and text. Thanks, Frank, I believe that by sharing our processes and tips, we can all become better artists and designers.
[Khoi Vinh's Lulu.com-produced book, Art Direction Goes Digital]
A year or so ago, I discovered Lulu.com and its world of self-publishing. A photography forum in which I was actively participating decided to create a book of members' work and publish it via Lulu.com. I was skeptical that the quality wouldn't live up to expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. The first issues of JPEG magazine were also initially sold via Lulu.com.
Khoi Vinh of Subtraction very succinctly described the value and experience of print-on-demand book publishing in a recent article.
Since these initial experiences with Lulu.com, my advice to any designer or illustrator looking to promote themselves has been to build a portfolio and then publish it as a Lulu.com book. For under $10 each, these mini-portfolios will make an impact, look professional and can be left with prospective employer or client without breaking the bank. After losing a portfolio via FedEx and having one destroyed by over-zealous art directors, Lulu.com is the only way to do a portfolio.
For us over here at Pica + Pixel, we have a weakness for small fuzzy animals such as squirrels and bunnies so we were super excited to see super cute DIY felt animal kits on reprodepot. Our favorites are the squirrel, bunny and monkey kits.
Typography Needs You is an online presence for a series of 3-day font development workshops in Porugal. Working with modular shapes, students reach draw and digitize a typeface in three days. Quite remarkable.
Judy Lee of Five and a Half worked with Photojojo to create a step-by-step, video annotated tutorial for creating your own journal or notebook. Her process is a great way to combine your photos with recycled office paper and scraps to create something unique and one-of-a-kind and thoroughly useful.
