Art in Unexpected Places

Really loving the latest collection of artist beach towels from the Art Production Fund and Works On Whatever (WOW).  The 2009 collection features contemporary artwork by Karen Kilimnik, Raymond Pettibon, Julian Schnabel and Ed Ruscha reproduced on large soft 100% cotton, 50" x 60" beach towels. The four limited edition beach towels will be carried by Target (online only, free shipping) and also available online from the WOW link above.

The Artist Towel Series 2009 is part of Art Production Fund's WOW (Works on Whatever) project, a unique collection of everyday items designed by artists. APF invites artists to experiment with the latest commercial materials and techniques to bring art off the walls and into homes as everyday objects. WOW introduces contemporary art to a larger community with revenues from sales supporting their non-profit mission. WOW works conceptually with APF's program of expanding art audiences and helps fund additional major civic artworks.

Happy Thanksgiving

Vintage photos from 1938 of Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Happy Thanksgiving! Top photo from Ziegfeldgirl. Felix the Cat from here.

No-Cook Turkey

This bronzed roast turkey is a papercraft project Creative Techs found on a Japanese site. They've bundled the templates into an easy-to-download PDF. Very amusing. (Via SwissMiss)

Dangerous Brew

Unfortunately hard liquor just doesn't agree with me, I’m much more of a red wine lover. But oh how I wish I drank something as mysterious and legendary as absinthe. This beautiful bottle design from Pandor says it all.

Playing Tag

The creative tornado and design diva that is Project Ecoart has  kindly tagged me to list “Six Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy.” The word ‘unimportant’ throws me a bit, so I ended up listing seven ordinary things that cause extraordinary happiness for me. I guess nothing is unimportant but there are many simple mundane things that make me reel with bliss.

1. Growing anything from seeds. I still can’t get over the joy of a new seedling popping out of the ground with the promise of providing flowers for the house, herbs for cooking & vegetables to eat.

2.  Beautiful typography

3.  Riding a horse, especially during the years of my double life as a cowgirl and art director (more on that at another time).

4.  The desert

5.  The warmth of a purring cat next to you

6.  Marshmallow Fluff, as Rachel Zoe would say, I Die!

7.  Gut-wrenching and beautiful architecture & the space it creates. It can literally take my breath away.

The rules of this are that I tag a few more sites to do the same and I look forward to seeing what they list: Krysta ......, La Bloga

Green Graffiti

A very green approach to unauthorized street art, moss graffiti art from Edina Tokodi (aka Mosstika). Love the whole idea of guerrilla gardening!

Fragile Armor

Beautiful concept for a series of garments from artist Li Xiaofeng, do check out the collection, it’s stunning on actual models.

Keeping it Simple

Instead of killing a tree for holiday decorations, why not opt for a 100% recycled, non-toxic raw cardboard wreath? The clean modern design has just the right amount of seasonal cheer without being gaudy. They also have skull, deer and moose head trophies that might find a home on my bookshelves past Christmas. From Cardboard Safari.

Culture Club

Global awareness, social responsibility and helping out charities benefiting impoverished communities throughout the world have become a part of our lives. Dr. Allan Bernstein, a working surgeon with a flair for fashion and a big heart is the vision behind Ethnicitee, a clothing line “inspired by passion, fueled by compassion and socially conscious through fashion.” The line of whisper-soft shirts celebrate the diversity of global cultures with designs inspired by postal stamps from around the world. The best part is 10% of Ethnicitee’s profits go to Charity: Water, a non-profit initiative bringing clean water to communities suffering from extreme poverty. No amount of medicine can help these communities without clean water, so basic, so important. Give a dual-purpose gift this holiday season. it just feels right.

The Halo Effect

The latest cover of the first issue after the election of The New Yorker magazine, illustrated by Bob Staake. Stunning.

Stuck on It

Truly inspired and just fabulous, a magnetic curtain! Designed by Florian Kräutli, a Swiss designer, studying in The Netherlands. The curtain will be available from Droog Design in the future. Contact designer for more information. (Via SwissMiss)

Yo!

I’m starting to think about holiday gifts already and want to try to find gifts that are eco-friendly. Designers Ben Floeter & Natalie Wright of "Suddenly, It's Real!" live in a tiny tree house in a forest in the mid-west. Their beautifully crafted handmade Yo Yos are made with various sustainably harvested woods from their own tiny forest. The wood is carefully selected, hand cut, meticulously sanded and finished with natural shellac, then assembled with the utmost care. The strings are 100% cotton, professional Yo Yo strings! Each YoYo measure approximately 2" diameter. Before leaving the shop, they must pass rigorous testing by Ben himself, to insure that you will receive a quality product that works like a charm! From Fawn & Forest.

Obamabats

Designer Jeff Domke created Obamabats, a  collection of 24 high-quality dingbats featuring our President-Elect and various design elements for free download and use. Inspired by the Obama graffiti and posters seen in his neighborhood of Brooklyn, this just further proves how iconic Obama is to us.

Sustainable Radios

Singgih Kartono chooses wood for his radios not just based on aesthetics but on his appreciation of wood's simplicity and organic vitality. The Magno radio combines the most current mp3 player compatible electronics with sustainably grown woods. Really love the design of these and like the combination of a vintage looking radio with mp3 player. From Design Public.

Right On!

Beautifully executed animated short done in typography on the universal declaration of human rights. From the Human Rights Action Center, created by Seth Brau. 

See-Through Wood

Being a sucker for wood grain patterns, this timber side table from Gus* Design Group speaks to me. Almost invisible, so cool. (Via Design Milk)

A New Dawn

I am overwhelmed with optimism and tears of joy. Our country finally had an epiphany. 

Portrait in Words

Wonderful portrait of Obama done completely in typography, in an algorithmically based word program similar to Wordle. This is it everyone, if you haven't voted yet make sure you get out there tomorrow. I'm taking a stool, an umbrella (we expect rain) and book since I expect & hope there will be long lines. 

Pillow Talk

These pillows go way beyond decorative.They are for me, a lover of typography, pieces of art for a sofa or chair. Surreal compositions of letter characters & photos, they are available in a range of letters from Bonjour Mon Coussin for 39€.