Showing posts with label illustration. Show all posts

a [belated] ten-year blog birthday

This is another blogpost that has languished for far too long.

I started this blog in November 2008 when I was a freshman in college. When my ten-year blog birthday rolled around, I'd intended to post this, and now I'm not entirely sure what it/I was waiting for. Below are some internet findings that were part of my creative psyche circa November 2008 (it was easy to go back to my flickr favorites, back when I'd been an avid user, to find these) and the early years of my blog. Although I feel that my tastes have been refined over the last 10+ years, it was fun to reflect back on the visual culture that has been influential and to see that to some extent, the kinds of things that inspire me have not changed.

 . . . . 

vintage travel posters and magazine illustrations
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

clockwise from top left: + quilt, cabinet globes, tissue paper petals, 'global swarming'

from left: Geometric Garden at Herning; Rodney Smith fashion photography; Audrey Hepburn, Head up, Paramount Studios


and noteworthy though not collaged here: all things Eero Saarinen: tulip table & chairs, college dorms!!!, college dorm interior, St. Louis Arch

NPS Centennial + Google

I love the National Park Service (my sister thinks I should work for them--not a bad idea!) and today is the centennial of its creation. I love the Google doodle, as always, and the awesome search results that appear after its conclusion: a list of National Parks and from there, even sample itineraries!!


Google maps also has some hidden gems:
I love that even the Google maps street view icon is a nod to the NPS! Isn't the little ranger figure is so cute?!


And beneath the search bar for Google maps, there is a link which takes you to a hidden exploration of the National Parks (so cool! I love that Bryce Canyon is featured). I think this is such an amazing way to celebrate the Park Service, particularly for people who may not have a chance to visit such amazing places to see and learn for themselves. This also reminds me of the Google maps Yosemite feature a while back. Bravo, Google, and Happy Birthday, NPS!

Happy birthday, Lucy Maud Montgomery!

I love love love today's Google doodle.

truth in a flowchart

ban.do does it again—awesome (and accurate) print by Becky Simpson.

Alan Fletcher

I love this illustration by Alan Fletcher—it made me laugh aloud. So clever.

(also I want to go to Ireland someday)

introverts

I laughed at many of these because I am guilty of a number of these.

Also I love Gemma Correll in general (she illustrated this).

[via/source]

the mean reds, sort of

[source]

[the mean reds]

This is just perfect. I love the many reassuring and empathetic things Joanna writes on her blog about anxiety.

spring.

Happy first day of spring! [family, I hope you're eating free Rita's.]
Today's Google logo by Marimekko (one of my favorite Scandinavian textile companies) made me smile. Love.

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter

The Free Library of Philadelphia has a collection of Beatrix Potter's letters, first editions, photographs, and watercolors—the largest collection of her original works outside of England! It's currently on display, so my cousins Cat, Becca and I went to see the exhibit the other day.

I grew up watching these Beatrix Potter movies and reading her stories from our BP anthology, as did my cousins, so we were ecstatic to find out from my dad about this exhibit in the rare books collection at the library.

(from "The tale of Two Bad Mice")
I loved seeing these familiar illustrations up close; they're so lovely and detailed.
("The Tale of Benjamin Bunny")

("The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher")

("The Tale of Tom Kitten")


I love the first part of this letter:
Dear Mr. McKay,
I return these by first post. You may probably have received suggestions for [legends? I'm not sure] already. They do not suggest anything specially bright. I agree with all your corrections, except possibly “fatter er!” Of course there is no such word, but it is expressive! If you don’t like it, say “fatter and fatter and more fat.” It requires 3 repeats to make a balanced ending.

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit" -- first editions of Potter's privately printed book (which was not in color, but in black and white!) and the commercial printing.

Some unexpected treats at the library were the Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth originals hanging on the wall just above a few of the display cases! I love early 20th-Century illustration, so it was such a treat to see Beatrix Potter's work plus original pieces of these American illustrators.


We also snagged fabulous free parking [better than monopoly, because this saves you real money!] behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art and took a stroll through the lovely azalea garden of Fairmount Park on our way to the library. Not only did we get to spend the afternoon in the city, but other than the bridge toll, we didn't have to spend any money to do so!

illustrations

I love both of these illustrations, there's something about the simplified and stylized forms, the suggestion of details, that endears them to me.
source: via small magazine [1] [2]

discovery

I just discovered this blog and I'm slightly obsessed.




(Ladurée is where my friend Ashley recommends getting macarons!)


I really love these stylized illustrations. Despite their simplified nature, they still communication so much with regards to a city and culture.

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

ohhh!

i just discovered these illustrations on etsy and i am in love with them!! the tiger lilies are my favorite (second illustration below), probably because i miss those flowers terribly. in the summer, they grow on the sides of the road in nj. aaand in my yard.

there's just something about botanical illustrations...they're usually my favorite. especially when they are more of a suggestion that captures the essence of a plant, like these do.
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )