Yao Cheng Design

Blue Waves

I was cruising around the internet the other night looking for inspiration for a silkscreening class I am doing and came across the beautiful work of Yao Cheng.  I just love the pretty pinks (never thought I would say that!) and soft watercolours paired with her beautiful hand lettering.  Her patterns and prints are just lovely as well.  There is so much talent out there it constantly amazes me, and just when I thought my days of blogging might be done, I find a slew of incredible artists I feel like I just have to share.  Also, I would like to take a watercolour course next!

Abstract Circular Shapes

Floral Wreath

Colorful Dots Falling 

Landscape Forest in Indigo and Green

Triangle Shapes Light

Free Father's Day Printables from Hello Lucky

I love these great labels and cards for Father's Day from Hello Lucky.  It's a nice way to snazz-up that bottle of wine you ran out and got at the last minute because you forgot Father's Day was coming even with all the advertising because advertising is just noise and now you feel badly that you didn't even force the kids to make a card let alone buy him anything that truly honours what an amazing dad he is but maybe if he drinks the whole bottle he won't feel so sad - don't you think?

Beer labels too. Nice work Ladies - I owe you one.

Lara Cameron Proteaflora Prints

I love these beautiful graphic prints of the protea flower by Australian designer Lara Cameron.  The bright colours, graphic shapes, and striking typeface on the softly graded background are so eye-catching, and the choice of protea is so unexpected (at least for us North Americans).

I had actually never sean a protea until I lived briefly in South Africa (the King Protea is South Africa's national flower).  We lived there during the South African winter in 2000, and one of my favourite memories is when it SNOWED high up in the mountains around Cape Town and everyone went berserk. It was nuts. We joined the throngs of cars and people parading up into the hills to take a look at what was really a light dusting of snow. There were hundreds of people who had never seen snow in their lives, many taking handfulls back to their car (to take home?) while Chris and I watched in amazement.  One of the images that has always stayed with me was people picking proteas and using them to carry the snow back to their cars - packing it in to the middle of these huge, beautiful, strange flowers and carrying it like gold down the hill.  It was just the most bizzarre combination... and it is sort of representative of our experiences living there.  Since then I have always had a strong attachment to proteas!

Lara has a great post about how she came to design these works, and you can purchase eco-friendly prints in her store Ink & Spindle.

Found via DesignWorkLife.

Susan A Cooney

Mark Island, 1999

I haven't been on the blog of a bit, thanks to a lovely virus that made the rounds at our house this week. We are now (hopefully) on the mend, and I for one am happy to have my mostly-smiley kids back!

Since I haven't been scouring my usual sites this week, I went through my bookmarks to see if I had any goodies I hadn't shared yet and found the gorgeous pencil drawings of Susan A Cooney.  My dad sent me her website a while ago and at first I didn't realize they were pencil - I thought they were black and white photos.

Lime Island, 2000

Cooney worked and sailed on tall ships all over the world before setting in Maine with her boat-building husband.  They live on board their 25-foot wooden sailboat and her studio is in Belfast.  Having grown up on the coast on New Brunswick (which is essentially the same coast as the Maine coast) I am amazed at how perfectly she captures the spirit of the landscape - the light on the water, the splash of a wave on the rocks, the scrubby and hardy trees that face the elements year-round - all using only graphite and shades of silvery-grey.

Cloudy Day, 2002

Eastern Mark Island, 2006

Owl's Head, 2000

My Penobscot Island, 2000

Southport View of Boothbay, 2004

Seal Bay, Vinalhaven, 2011

Oak Island Passage, 2004

Gosh, they make me homesick!  Not sure I could live on a boat (especially with two kids) but some days I am very tempted.  Imagine waking up to the sound of the waves and the pinging of the lines, coming up to feel that ocean breeze on your face...not bad!

Petra Börner

The international publishing company Bonnier Pocket is releasing these new covers for some classic novels in Sweden designed by Petra Börner, and I think they would be lovely as posters.  The one for Emma in particular stands out for me (probably because I love that book).  After seeing these covers on La Maison D'Anna G (a blog I highly recommend), I set out to find more about Ms. Börner.  It turns out that this Swedish artist living in London is a Jill-of-all-trades.  She not only does book covers, but packaging, stationary, ceramics, fabric design, drawings and prints.  Her breadth of talent is quite staggering.  Here are some of my favourites among her many works:

To explore more of Petra Börner's work, visit her website here.  Can you imagine being able to work on so many interesting projects?  Or do you think it is too much?

Change of scenery

I finally framed the print I bought from weiden + kennedy, where the proceeds went to help the relief efforts in Japan after the earthquake. Then I had to figure out where to put it.  It didn't seem to fit anywhere downstairs, so I thought I would try it over the bed.  Can't decide if I like it or not.

Here is what was there for a reference point.  I do love my Fred Ross print, but the proportions didn't work for me.  I think I also was unconsciously referencing the room by Emily Henderson below (I saw it again recently on a blog and thought ohhhhh yeahhhhhhhh.....)  I love this room below, maybe I need a deep blue velvet bedspread...

So the Fred Ross print joined its friends over on the random photo wall and he seems to be fitting in rather well.  And I finally got around to hanging the mom thinger I made eons ago.  It had been sitting on this shelf for ages and I thought it would look better hung.  

So there you have it, earth-shattering changes in my life...can you stand the drama?

Mountain Calendar

It seems MUCH too early to be thinking about 2012 calendars (although maybe it isn't - I have a very tenuous relationship with time and lose track of it very, very easily.  For example, someone told me next week is the last week of October - I find that insane.)  Regardless of timing, these mountain calendars from Toronto-based etsy seller Pam Lostracco are just beautiful, and what an original design. She took the inspiration and forms from her travels in Thailand and Laos, and has the days of the month  navigating the rugged ridges.  It also comes in red and turquoise colour-ways.  Beautiful!

More Alphabet Art

I have posted about my own alphabet art here - along with a round-up of some of my favourite alphabets out there.  William loves having this one in his room - he often wakes up singing "ABCD" in the morning, I think because it is next to his bed.  Ohdeedoh just posted another round-up of great children's art, including the print below, which can be downloaded for free at My Poppet blog.

I love the texture of this one, with the felted letters.  I may try to put it on a T-shirt for Will...

By the way, if you would like a copy of the one I did (I have had a few requests!) just leave a comment and I would be happy to send it to you.

Portraits

Sometimes it seems the blogosphere exists in perfect harmony, with everyone on the same wavelength, almost in collaboration.  I saw the above photo by Eden on Melanie's blog (who saw it on Kirsten's blog, etc.) and filed it away as a look I would love to replicate.  The next day Gabrielle (don't you love how I make it sound like I know these ladies?) did a post about Debbie Carlos, who prints large format black and white posters, and included the observation that Debbie will print custom photos.  And voila.  Now I just need someone to take the photos.  But I am sure the blogs will send that person my way too... I'll just wait here.  :-)