PAWS NY 2015 Calendar - done!
I've been working with PAWS NY - a nonprofit organization based in SF and NY - on a 2015 calendar featuring select NYC clients, pets, and volunteers. I'm really proud of what we've put together and hope you'll consider donating to their cause by purchasing the calendar - who can resist cute cats and puppies...we all know you look at Cute Overload every day.
Simple Sharpie Studies
A few sharpie illustrations for Friday - have a great weekend!
- Sarah
| Barcart essentials
| Cups, bowls, plates and spoons
| Carrots
Time Out NY
I recently designed a PAWS NY ad promoting their volunteer program for Time Out NY's website - It's live, but you'll have to browse through TONY's many pages to find it. Happy browsing!
For more information on volunteering with PAWS NY, visit their website.
- Sarah
Bauhaus Meets New England
In 1934, Walter Gropius and his second wife Ise, fled Germany during the rise of Hitler, landing in London for a short time before moving to a home in Lincoln Massachusetts (a stone's throw from my family home). A German architect, Walter identified with the Bauhaus movement along with fellow designers Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier, becoming the founder of the Bauhaus School and one of the great pioneers of modern architecture.
Bauhaus combines elements of fine art and design into functional pieces for home and everyday living, through various crafts like metalworking, cabinetmaking, weaving, pottery, typography and painting. With an emphasis on mass production, the school eventually took on the slogan "Art as Industry" and has produced some of the most iconic homes, furniture and everyday accessories that are still in use today.
Walter and Ise moved into a traditional Colonial-style New England home and quickly discovered that the layout and style didn't match their needs or furniture. As a professor of the Harvard School of Design, Walter had many connections and through a fellow architect, ended up receiving a plot of land and financing from philanthropist and supporter of the arts, Helen Storrow. The Gropius family (including a 12 year old daughter currently in boarding school) set about building a new home in the Bauhaus style, leaving us with what we know today as The Gropius House.
Oct 14, 2014 | I've just learned that Walter's adopted daughter Ati has recently died at the age of 88. Ati was an illustrator and design teacher, while also being an adviser to The Gropius House. This article by the Boston Globe reveals a lot about her unique character. I find a lot of similarities in her and admire the way she saw the world.
“She loved nature and loved light. She was so sensitive to light. She would always say to me in August, ‘Don’t you see how different the light is?’ She saw all of that.” - Ati's Daughter
Image Credits: Bauhaus School / MR Armchair / Kubus Stacking Containers / Bauhuas Poster / Gropius House Photos
WIP: PAWS NY x Time Out NY
The organization I've been a long-time volunteer for has become a client of mine which means I get to creatively engage in something that means a lot to me. Win win!
Rachel recently came to me with a new project for Time Out NY so I thought I'd share with you some of the progress we've made. They wanted something bright, friendly and direct so I came up with these options:
I'm really excited to share with you the final design and see the work live on Time Out NY, so stay tuned for more :-)
Weekend Links: Art Book Fair, Watercolors & Globetrotting from your desk
I've been reading the articles on this new app I discovered, Prismatic. You can adjust the feed to feature all your favorite interests, so naturally mine is full of design related themes. A few of this weekends links come from Prismatic, with a few more discovered during my daily web surfing.
Have a great weekend!
- Sarah
- Really excited for people watching and book buying at the PS 1 Art Book Fair this weekend
- Hen Chung of Rad & Hungry has gathered some of the coolest office supplies from around the globe
- I love these watercolor illustrations by Mat Gustafson
- My friend John told me about this Italian movie
- Starting research for a new project and digging this infographic
Magic Monday: "Back to School" Free Mobile & Desktop Wallpapers
Inspired by the new school year (and this really cool 3D graph paper), I created 5 wallpapers each featuring your go-to back to school and office supplies. I've always been drawn to repeating patterns so I had a lot of fun putting this project together. Hope you enjoy these free downloads - place one of these color combos on your laptop screen or mobile device and be reminded to stay young at heart (even if you're not in school)!
The colors are inspired by paper maps : )
Have a great week!
- Sarah
Instax Take 2
This past weekend I took my Fuji Instax out to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. After my indoor experiments, I discovered that the camera worked best under natural light and decided to capture some Fall beauty in one of my favorite Brooklyn hideouts. These are some of my favorites from the day.
Weekend Breakfast | Blueberry & Coconut Buckwheat Pancakes
I've been off gluten for over a month now so it was time to reintroduce to see how my body reacted. I've always loved pancakes so trying out Bob's Red Mill buckwheat pancake mix was an easy choice. I substituted the dairy and oil to make these a little healthier and added in blueberries and toasted coconut for flavor and texture. I loved the outcome. Fluffy, naturally sweetened, hearty and flavorful pancakes - I cannot wait until next Saturday morning!
Blueberry & Coconut Buckwheat Pancakes
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle whole grain mix
- 1 brown egg
- 3/4 cup of rice milk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
Combine whole grain mix, egg and rice milk until smooth. Heat coconut oil on medium in a cast iron griddle, rotating to coat the entire surface. Using a large spoon or ladle, pour batter onto griddle in your desired pancake shape or size. Quickly arrange blueberries on each pancake, then sprinkle with coconut. Once bubbles begin to appear in the pancake batter, flip and allow the blueberries and coconut to toast. Serve alone or with a high grade maple syrup.
New Reads
Picked up a "few" books at Strand this past week - 100lbs to be exact (talk about a workout!). Can't wait to start delving into these bad boys over the weekend.
Book References: Warhol / Decorative Logo Design / Fingerprint: The Art of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design / Mid-Century Ads
Fuji Instax 210
Crazy camera crush! I recently purchased the Fuji Instax 210 when I was traveling in Oregon and it's finally arrived. Fuji offers several sizes, but I opted for the panoramic body because I love shooting landscapes and more conceptual images. These are a few test shots I took today just to get a feeling for the output - automatic flash is a PITA, but overall I'm really happy with the look and feel. Film is forever! Never let it die.
See more of my film photography here and stay tuned for more polaroids.
p.s. if you're interested in experimenting with disposables, this article by Photojojo is awesome. Exploring and shooting with disposables is one of my favorite soul-lifting activities - so much to see, so many outcomes!
WIP | Devoe TV
I was recently approached by a good friend to rebrand his family business, Devoe TV. I love working with small businesses and especially ones with roots in the 50's - one of my favorite eras! These past few weeks I've been digging in to my coveted Taschen books on mid century ads and have begun developing their logo and printed material. I'm excited to share more with you soon!
Super Snack | Sun Salutation Apricot Buddha Balls
I've been changing the way I eat for the past month now and have been learning a lot about the connection between food and health. This had led me to eliminate and change a lot of the foods I've been eating and it's left me craving dessert - strange because I don't usually have a sweet tooth! Luckily I learned about Treats by Aura via my foodie friend and writer, Tina Picz, so I decided to take a swing at their Sun Salutation Buddha Balls - I put my own twist on it and I think they came out fantastic. Cravings cured!
Sun Salutation Apricot Buddha Balls
- ¾ cup cashews
- ¾ cup almonds
- 1 ½ cups apricots*
- ½ cup Goji berries
- ½ cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of celtic sea salt
- splash of rice milk
Instructions
If the Goji berries and/or apricots are dry, soak in water for 15 minutes, set aside. Dry roast the shredded coconut in a frying pan on med-high heat until lightly golden brown. Process the nuts in a food processor or blender until they are ground into a fine crumb like texture. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined and a sticky mixture is obtained. With clean hands, roll 1 tbsp of the mixture into small balls. Place in evenly spaced rows on a flat tray and refrigerate 1 hour before serving
* You could substitute dates for apricots.
Mfa Boston
I visited the Fine Art Musuem in Boston a few weeks ago and was lucky enough to see two exhibits that were truly inspiring. On display were 50 WWI wartime posters from the United States and Europe—including select examples from Britain, France, Germany, and Russia and an incredible solo show featuring the work of Jamie Wyeth. Oh, and the Magna Carta was there too, no big deal.
I’ve always loved screen-printed posters for their use of color, negative space, hand letting and quirky language. It was really interesting to see how each nation approached wartime and how the designers thought best to encourage citizens to enlist or support the war. France went with a subtle palette and messages that pulled at the heartstrings while the U.S. charged forward with bold colors and brazen imagery. I’m personally a fan of the Victory Garden poster for its message; a message I see very relevant for today as well.
The earlier work by Jamie I found more appealing for its bold expression, off cropping and sentiment. His later works had an eerie and macabre undertone that I was intrigued, but visual uninspired by. Learning about his relationships with Andy Warhol and wife, Phyllis through his art was really beautiful. I love the painting of Phyllis walking with her crutches, catching snowflakes on her tongue.
No particular place to go
Some of the best weekends are the ones with no particular plan in mind. This is how fellow designer and book cover genius, Catherine Casalino and I spent our Saturday. Here are a few of my favorite shots from our walk through Soho.
Currently up at the New Museum (Chris Burden)
I love the use of negative space in this type based logo.
Red velvet for the birds, too.
Emily Bronte
“If I could I would always work in silence
and obscurity, and let my efforts be
known by their results.”
Flowers & Lightning
Been listening to Blood Orange lately and was inspired by their song, "It Is What It Is," to make this quick drawing. Sometimes life is really confusing...this concept makes life easier to deal with. Accept, rinse, repeat.
Materials: Tombow 098, 603, N89, 245, 993 // Graph paper // Itoya doubleheader calligraphy pen