RIP Otto

Today I learned that Otto Heino passed away on July 16th. When I was a little girl and my Dad was studying architecture at USC, I was taken to many of his friends’ studios and workshops because I loved anything to do with art and being with my father. He met Otto and Vivika Heino at USC and became fast friends. I have fond memories of peeking into vats of brightly colored glazes and watching Otto and Vivika work on their beautiful pottery while my parents carefully selected a few pots to purchase. Somehow these pieces made it through raising 2 children and countless moves without a single chip. I treasure these vases, bowls and plates left to me by my parents and am blown away by how valuable and collectable they have become. I feel so lucky to have known him in my youth and have a few of his beautiful pots.

Kicking It

Reebok has released two new tribute sneakers for their Fall collection in honor of the great artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Fall 2009 Basquiat Reebok Collection consists of two models, the Ex-O-Fit-Hi and Freestyle Hi and has the artists' imagery from two of his paintings — Untitled (sometimes called Crown or Beatbop), 1983 and Pegasus, 1987. Available from Colette. I LOVE the black high-tops!

Almodovar Love

I’m already worked up about the new Pedro Almodovar film Broken Embraces and it doesn't even come out till December 11th in Los Angeles. The release of a trailer in English and the wonderful Warhol-esque posters will have to be enough for the time being. I also just discovered his blog and look forward to reading it this weekend.

Sale Me to the Moon

This Saturday here in Los Angeles Modernica will have their 20th Anniversary sale with tons of vintage and new items marked down up to 80%!! An expansive collection of modern design including George Nelson Bubble Lamps, Noguchi Tables, fiberglass chairs, Case Study beds, daybeds and units at extremely affordable prices. You can also shop the Modernica sale online 7am-7pm (limited items only). The event will also include antique dealers, fashion designers, music and Scratch Lounge. Come hungry. Mobile chefs from the Green Truck (organic on the go), Don Chow Tacos (Chinese fusion), Bool (Korean fusion) and the Morrison Mobile Coffee House will prepare the tastiest food & drinks for hungry shoppers. An 80% discount is too tempting for me to pass up, hope to find some goodies and have some fun too!

Sky Writing

Spotted this summer in Prague: WE, by spanish artist Jaume Plensa is a white coated stainless steel sculpture carved by laser light. In the shape of a man with an open front and incorporating characters from various languages and scripts such as Latin, Greek, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese and Japanese, this is monumental in it’s beauty. This sculpture was part of the ‘Transparency” project which involved open-air light art shows celebrating the presidency of the European Community by the Czech Republic during the first half of 2009. What a sight this must have been at sunrise or sunset!

Found in France

Somehow vernacular typography is even more beautiful in French, Happy Bastille Day! From the delightful French site of found typography, Jules Vernacular.

This Skull's for You

Made me smile, these crocheted skulls and argyle skull socks. The crocheted skulls are from Dewy Decimal Crafts on Etsy and the socks are from Oberon Socks. These are for you Cece at Revolution Malibu, a woman who loves all things skull-like.

Playing with Light

I stumbled upon these amazing photos of Picasso drawing with a small flashlight by LIFE photographer Gjon Mili from 1949 and was taken with the simplicity of it all and the fact that his drawing is unmistakably pure Picasso caught for moment in time, on film. No Photoshop, no fancy digital cameras. Just the artist at play and a incredibly talented photographer. Pure and simple.

In the Fold

Simply stunning! These intricate artworks by German artist Simon Schubert are created by painstakingly folding, scoring and creasing a sheet of paper. They are absolutely beautiful, I can’t stop studying them! See many more pieces of his here.

Happy 4th of July

Have a wonderful Independence Day! Photo: John Reilly/Flickr

Dripping Type

Great concept for this typographic sculpture from the portfolio of Richard J. Evans exhibited at Free Range Graduate Art & Design Show.

Bunny Hop

Very reminiscent of a Mark Ryden painting, this pleather wallet by Dumpling Dynasty has a whole bucket of vintage charm and just a touch of the bizarre. I get a great visual every time I take out my wallet to pay for something and costing only $18, this is a true great find. Dumpling Dynasty was created by illustrator Fiona Hewitt and expert in Asian Kitschology, Andy Tainton. The Dumpling Dynasty brand was inspired by years spent living in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, endlessly trawling the flea markets and junk shops for inspiration.

Iced Type

For all those typography obsessed designers out there Fred Flare has type soap, looking as cool as an iceberg on a hot summer day! I myself couldn't bear to get it wet but would find it a home in my studio. Via Swiss Miss

I’m All Ears

Normally I do not care for protruding things on my rings since I am extremely clumsy and just can see an accident waiting to happen. The Mickey Mouse Ears ring in oxidized silver might just change my mind. I love anything well-designed and with a sense of humor. It is worth noting how good it looks on the hand. $121, from Pixie Market.

Nomad Spray

Karim Rashid has teamed up with Kenzo to create these sleek airline-friendly, pocket-sized nomad sprays that fit in the palm of your hand. The Ryoko (which means travel in Japanese) sprays come in 5 scents and are available at KenzoUSA. The modern organic shape is very appealing both to hold and to look at. Nicely done.

An Abundance of Type

It was love at first sight upon viewing these typographic mixed media artworks by Sarah Bridgland. See more of her visually exciting works here.

Playing with Your iPhone

The apps for the iPhone just get better and better, now I have another reason to be distracted from work today with the app Type Drawing. You write some copy, pick a font and a background and start drawing. At 99 cents, all the creative pleasure you could want for a few pennies! (Thanks Omar).

Sunburnt

Summer solstice and Father’s Day, enjoy! Photo by Gary Owens.

You’re Glowing!

When I first saw some of these lamp fixtures at a friend’s house, I fell in love on sight. I had seen them online but in person they are more beautiful than one could imagine. Michele Tucker of Riding High Lighting has just opened a pop-up shop online offering a wide selection of these stunningly modern and organic fixtures from Angus Hutcheson’s Angoworld line. Designed and manufactured in Thailand with a keen balance between nature and form, these fixtures are made using natural, highly renewable materials including mulberry tree bark, silk cocoons, rattan and hand cast polymers. I am especially fond of the lamps made from silk cocoons and am battling a shopping urge as I type this. See more of these organic beauties at Riding High Lighting.

Surrounded by Critters

While I await anxiously the birth of my grand-niece/nephew I can’t help myself poring over all the great modern children's furnishings and accessories. I am quite charmed by this Beastie lamp shade from Habitat, an acid etched metal shade featuring critter silhouettes dancing all around. I'd hang this anywhere, not just in a child’s room!

Secrets De Design

I also swooned when I saw this beautiful typographic poster for Designer Days 2009 just wrapping up today in Paris. I have no idea who designed the poster, but I love it! The event sounded wonderful with many design salons opening their doors and sharing secrets of their product design from an insider’s point of view. Some of the participants were Baccarat, Christofle, Kartell, Lafayette Maison, La Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Pleyel, Dyson, Stéphane Plassier and La Suite Elle Décoration par Maison Martin Margiela.

Orange Crush

If I ever need to go to to San Francisco my hotel of choice will be Hotel Vertigo. The landmark site of a famous scene at the Empire Hotel in Hitchcock's film Vertigo, this recently renovated boutique hotel is designed with flair and an amusing nod to the color palette of Saul Bass’ famous poster for the film. I LOVE those custom orange wingback chairs with VERTIGO screened on the seats! 

Surf City

I am still in a state of small beach town mentality from my time in Hanalei. To help me stay in this frame of mind, I plan to venture down to Venice beach this weekend and pay a visit to Surfing Cowboys, a most inviting vintage store — fully loaded with old surfboards, mid-century furniture and objects paying tribute to surf-culture. The owners, Wayne & Donna have recently released a Surfing Cowboys signature leather sling chair, the Santa Cruz Chair, a perfect example of the spirit of southern California beach style!

Arm Candy

Another beautiful example of nature-inspired body adornments is this bangle from Lazerian. Made from high quality polypropylene and brass fittings, this piece is beautiful, modern and visually stunning. Lazerian is a creative practice that began in 2006, set up by Liam Hopkins, a Manchester born designer. Based in an ex-hat factory in Manchester, the practice is focused on the creation of functional objects through playful investigation of materials and processes, and seeks to imbue objects with a bit of soul. The company works on a variety of projects, including furniture, interiors, and jewelry. 

Forces of Nature

After spending eight days surrounded by nothing but nature and water in Kauai, I’ll admit reentry into my life in the city has been greeted with not too much enthusiasm on my part. All I can think about is the exotic colors and shapes of tropical flowers and the beautiful designs of sea life I saw in tide pools. Which leads me to introduce Iris Saar Isaacs and Jane Barwick of InSync Design, two Australian designers taking contemporary jewelry to a new level. Fresh, modern and drawn from botanicals and graphic design, these beautiful powder-coated stainless steel pieces are a breath of fresh air! I am in love with their bangles and those poppy earrings. Check out more at InSync.