Thursday, March 31, 2011

(image via MelanieBilenker)

Probably the most modern and sophisticated way to transform a traditional keepsake
and tradition I've seen in a long time. In keeping with the practice of Victorian lockets,
jewelry maker, Melanie Bilenker uses her own hair to create line art / photographic images
to remember the "quiet moments in her life." Kinda creepy. But, sooo beautiful.

(via ElephantsAndJuniper)

(image via MelanieBilenker)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

(image via AledLewis) person work - "The Meaning of Life"

Totally inspired by this. These images are all from London illustrator Aled Lewis's personal
project Make Something Cool 365. Basically, he illustrates/photographs/designs something
cool everyday. Creative, fun, and very self-improvy-like – something the three of us are
gonna try to be better about doing daily, too.

(via Juxtapose)

(image via AledLewisFlickr) "Nobody Likes A Showoff"

(image via AledLewisFlickr) "Murder Mystery"

(image via AledLewisFlickr) "Pugs + Drugs"

(image via AledLewis) person work - "so humiliating"

(image via AledLewis) person work

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Just had a great chat with the super sweet and enthusiastic Raul and Michael from Pedallas
for the event they're organizing - The Night Shift: Alley Cat race this Friday night, April 1st,
at 8:00pm. These guys have put a ton of hard work and thought into this to making it really
fun for everyone, so make sure you come out!

Starts at 8 and in the parking lot behind our shop located at 1902 N. Henderson Avenue.
See you here!

Monday, March 28, 2011

(image via Paul via Alyssa)

Yeah! Here's Paul Windle of Winners! Press second blog post for us (click here to read his
first post for us on zines)! Great interview with the amazing illustrator Alyssa Nassner.

Alyssa Nassner is an amazingly driven and talented illustrator / designer based out of Baltimore.
Some of her clients include Chronicle Books, Dwell studio, and Uppercase Magazine. I’ve been
following her work for a while now, and recently had the chance to talk with her about the difference
between foxes and dogs, cartoons, and how she juggles freelance illustration with all of her other
projects and interests.  
 
PW:  I guess we should start with a little background info: name? where you're from? school?
favorite animal?
Alyssa:  Well. My name is Alyssa Nassner, I was born and raised just outside of Baltimore,
Maryland. I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore majoring in Illustration.
My favorite animal, if you couldn't guess, would probably be a fox, I also really like sheep, and
pretty much all dogs, always.
 
PW:  Are foxes dogs? How does that work?
Alyssa:  I think they're in the same family… I'm no expert haha.

PW:  You just like looking at them and drawing them. I get it.
Alyssa: Yes, I mean I know more about dog species if you need to quiz me lol. I've wanted a
dog pretty much my whole life, and I bought mine with my first pay check after graduation,
a very happy day.

PW:  I don't know even how to begin quizzing you on dog species. I don't know anything about
dogs.  Okay, I'll ask some art questions… What go you interested in art? Did you always want
to be an illustrator?
Alyssa:  I've always been interested in art, I was always good at it in school, and would doodle
for fun, but I never really wanted to pursue it fully. I actually wanted to be a programmer up
through high school, that's what my dad did. I took a lot of classes in school and I decided I
wasn't so cut out for that. Art just kind of happened for me, I guess. I didn't know illustration
existed as a career until I started pursuing art schools.
 
PW:  So, were there any specific artist or illustrators that you admire that sort of pushed you
towards doing illustration?
 Alyssa:  As silly as it sounds, I'm a huge fan of Nickelodeon and I had a subscription to the
magazine until it went out of business a few summers ago. I always dreamed of doing work
for the magazine, and illustrators like Meg Hunt, or Brian Ralph (who was actually one of my
professors at MICA) who did work for the magazine were my first big influences, I guess.
I've never been particularly interested by fine art, but more cartooning and commercial illustrations.

PW:  That doesn't sound silly to me. It makes sense that cartoons and Nickelodeon influenced
you. Your work is pretty playful. Where you into comics?
Alyssa:  No, not in a traditional sense. I only own a few and they're just recent, and I have a
ew anthologies I enjoy. I've just been really into cartoons for my whole life. I actually just packed
up all my seasons of Sponge Bob on DVD for my move!  Brian Ralph though, I love his work...
comics for kids…I really enjoy.
 
PW:  Yeah that's what I really like about your work! I just feel like I'm looking at a kid book. It's
ike a nostalgia thing. You also seemed to be pretty interested in fashion. Can you talk a little bit
about your textile design stuff?
Alyssa:  Of course! Yeah fashion has always been another passion of mine, not that I consider
myself particularly fashionable or anything. Before I made the decision to pursue illustration, I
considered school for fashion and merchandising, and it's funny now that my interests have
come full circle. I just really want to create work for products, I like ability to make work that can
exist in someone's every day instead of just being stored on a bookshelf or something. I guess
these days I'm less interested in fashion as apparel, but more in home decor.
Alyssa:  I had the opportunity to work with Dwell Studio this year, and I spent a month in NYC
this past summer working under their textile designers...just the whole process of research to
production it's incredibly fascinating. Although I love working as a freelance illustrator, ultimately
my goal is to work in some sort of design / production position within a home goods company,
or the gift division of a company

PW:  Any dream clients?
Alyssa:  I REALLY want to design a Target gift card, or do anything for Target. I'd also really
love to have a stationary collection through Galison or Chronicle Books. I really kind of want
to design an umbrella too actually, haha I think that would be great.
 
PW:  You've designed some really great stationary already for your little company Small Talk.
Are you working on more stuff for that?
Alyssa:  I would like to! It's been pretty successful for me, more so than I expected. I've been
too busy the past few months but I'm hoping over the summer I can really concentrate and get
together a nice new collection for craft fairs and wholesale.
 
PW:  How is your attention split between Small Talk/personal stuff and you client work. Like,
what's you're typical day? Do you have typical days?
Alyssa:  Right now my attention is mainly just client work because I've had some big projects
with shorter deadlines, I'm working on two books for Chronicle that should be done probably
today, the one was due last week, and the second is due today. That's eaten up a lot of my
time...I've been asked to participate in a few shows that are upcoming so I think I'll be spending
more time on personal work really soon. Small Talk has been put off since early winter, that's
something I've had to decide if I wanted to continue to pursue or not, but I'm planning on coming
out with a new line over the summer!
Alyssa:  As far as a typical day goes, they're all pretty much the same. I wake up maybe 9:30
(depending on how much work I have to do) and just work all day until maybe 6 - 7. I usually take
a bit of time around lunch to run errands... usually the post office… they know me there by name.
I'm there so often. I have weeks where I get a bunch of orders online, and I like to send everything
out promptly. One thing I'm excited for about moving is that there is a post office on the end of our
block, so I can just walk over and drop things off whenever I like!

PW:  Oh cool. Yeah talk a little bit about your move. Please?
Alyssa:  Well. I've been living at home since my graduation this past spring, and I've been
wanting to move out. I love Baltimore, but as far as the art world I'm involved in, there isn't much
going on there. Philadelphia is almost just as close, and it's a wonderful city that has a lot more
going on. I'm also considering pursing my masters in textile design at the University of Philadelphia...
and it's a dream of mine to work at Urban Outfitters home office, which is based in Philly as well.
I'm moving with another illustrator, and a designer, so we're all just going to try and make it happen
I guess. Who knows! It's kind of just a change of scenery, but there are a ton of opportunities I'd
like to pursue once I'm settled in.

PW:  That sounds exciting. Are you guys gonna have a studio space outside of home?
Alyssa:  No, we're setting up our downstairs as a joint studio space, which means it will be a little
cramped but it's all we can afford right now. Although I couldn't be more thrilled because I've been
working home alone in the basement for however many months. They're both going to have full time
jobs, I believe, I'll be the only one home during the daytime Just me and the dog haha.

PW:  Do you get lonesome working on freelance stuff all day without really seeing too many
people?
Alyssa:  Yeah, I mean I can't complain, I'm doing what I love... but I like to be social, so sitting at
home alone can get really lame. What can you do, you know? I'd like to work from a studio space
one day, but that's why I try to work on client work during normal work hours, and I'll go out and
do something after "work" normally. I'd be doing personal work in that time but I have to get out
of the house.

PW:  So you've been out of school for almost a year now... What do you think is the most valuable
bit of info you've learned since graduating might be?
 Alyssa:  I think It's important to set goals, and be proactive! If I'm not getting work I'll do my own
stuff and promote that. There were a ton of things I wanted to accomplish outside of just getting
client work...such as participating in craft fairs, and being in group shows, and organizing projects
with friends, and I took a lot of time after graduation to put effort into those goals and I've gotten
a lot of recognition and attention from clients just for doing the things I wanted to do.
Also.... It's SUPER important to stay organized and keep track of everything for taxes.

PW:  Awesome, Thanks! any last words? Shout outs?
Alyssa:  Shout Outs?! Haha

(image via Paul via Alyssa)

(image via Paul via Alyssa)

(image via Paul via Alyssa)

(image via Paul via Alyssa)

Monday, March 28, 2011

(image provided by the Fairmont's Artist In Resindence Program)

If y'all are free this coming Thursday, March 31st, make sure you check out our friend
Sean Springers new show, AGGRESSION : COMPASSION : An Urban Tree Mash Up
at the Ross Akard Gallery.

Back in October, we hosted a trunk show for Sean. During the beginning of this year,
Sean joined the Fairmont Hotel's prestigious Artist in Resident Program. Can't wait to
see what he's come up with. Pretty sure, like the rest of his work, it's gonna be meticulously
crafted and beautifully thoughtful. So proud of Sean.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Screenprinting with Holding Pattern

Thank you, AGAIN, Mike and Brian of Holding Pattern for coming back and teaching
another amazing screenprinting workshop. Hope our matching jorts didn't scare y'all.
It was such a great night and not only did everyone walk away with the know-how and
techniques but also the equipment (desktop press, lights, etc) to set up their own studio
and start printing from home. Looking forward to see what everyone comes up with next.

Also, for everyone already on the next waiting list, we're talking about something in the
summer. We'll post up dates and details as soon as we get them. (And, we'll post the
rest of our pics on our fb album in a bit.)

So easy to carry! Every student got a beautiful handmade desktop press made by Holding Pattern.

Thanks for the gun show, Brian...

...you too, Mike!

Tape time!

Do it!

Hold the light to expose the film. Hold the beer.

Holding Pattern's MacGyver style hanging dry line contraption with (hotpink!) cord.

good job everyone! lots more pics on facebook!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

(image via Terada Mokei)

Ethereal and stunning model toys set from Japanese model toy maker Terada Mokei of
the cherry blossom, Japanese symbols of good luck, fortune, and love. Also, their short
seasonality during the spring is often used to represents the ephemeral way of life.
Just feels like an appropriate symbol in light of everything happening in Japan.

(via UponAFold)

(image via Terada Mokei)

(image via Terada Mokei)

(image via Terada Mokei)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

(image via Ribbonesia)

This is the happiest DIY ever! Just came across Japanese artists and illustrator Baku
Maeda's amazing ribbon art project (after spending 4 hours on the coolest blog ever)!
Beyond DIY craft, his work, basically ribbon origami, is so elegant and Japanese.
Make sure to check out his blog, too!

(via HelloSandwich + Ribbonesia)

(image via Ribbonesia)

(image via Ribbonesia)

(image via Ribbonesia) Love how Japanese design has such a strong sense of whimsy and lightness.

(image via Ribbonesia) Think this is him. How cute is his mushroom haircut and mustache!?

(image via Ribbonesia) Perfect.