Thanks to Prairie Mud Studio for including me in her lovely prairie-themed treasury! It’s an honor to be included along with such lovely pieces.
If you’ve never explored the treasury feature of etsy.com, you’re in for a treat (or new addiction, if you’re like me). Etsy users post collections of their favorite handmade items, often centered around some sort of theme or color scheme. It’s a great way to shop — almost like having a curator for your shopping experience!
I had the pleasure of spending last night at my alma mater. Each spring UWSP’s Art and Design department hosts NOWhere, a conference which features workshops and presentations by two high profile designers as well as presentations by alumni (me!).
Last night’s featured designer was Chase, a Belgium native who originally began painting murals throughout Los Angeles with the simple intent of spreading his message throughout the world.He has since been recognized for his unique style and has created custom pieces for big companies and licensed his work to be used on everything from housewares to skateboards.
He uses two basic motifs over and over, each with a well-defined concept behind them. My favorite is the “Awareness Geezers,” which are these characters with very large eyes who have gained a wisdom of sorts. When Chase paints these he finishes the piece by spraying stenciled “truths” on top.
Some of my favorite pieces are the ones that consist almost wholly of these spray painted “truths.” When I saw the installation above during his presentation, all I could think was “I want that in my house!” Luckily, Chase was kind enough to give us all a tiny piece of his work — after the presentation, we all went outside and he painted anything we wanted. I got my purse painted with his signature eyes!
top two images from http://theartofchase.com
Another local company, Orange Moon Toys (seriously local: Meredith lives in Madison and Robin lives in my hometown of Milton, WI) just hit it big with an appearance on The Martha Stewart show. See their segment here.
The duo creates fabulous shadow puppets with their original designs and the ingenius use of some everyday materials. They even offer kits to make your own!
At long last, I’m happy to show you what I’ve been totally absorbed with the last couple of weeks: my first stationery collection of 2009! Below are just a few of the new designs (check out my etsy shop for the rest — and everything is available in any color!) and the press release I sent out with it.
Hot on the tails of its popular holiday line, 622 press has just released its first stationery collection of 2009. Showcasing the signature luxury for which 622 press is known, the collection includes influences from contemporary designer fashion, 17th- century culture and modern home décor, reflected in metallic inks, rich plum damask and feather motifs.
Madison, Wisconsin-based graphic designer Kristin Joiner successfully created and executed her first piece on her antique 1882 Pearl Old Style letterpress in June of 2008 and has been printing and artfully experimenting ever since. Each of the five new core designs is manifested in a variety of colorways and arrangements, and all offer the elegant handcrafted style of a small boutique press.
Hailed as “distinctive and unique . . . they are not merely paper, but also a piece of art for the mantle,” by Megan Larson of the Isthmus Daily Page, 622 press goods make the perfect addition to one’s inventory, whether for penning a personal note or for making a statement on an otherwise blasé wall.
622 press utilizes only the finest materials including hand-mixed oil-based inks, 100% recycled cotton letterpress paper and other quality art papers and creates every piece using earth-friendly processes.
For wholesale pricing, custom orders or further information visit http://www.kristinjoiner.com/622 or contact Kristin at six22press@yahoo.com.
Sandra and Jim of Beehive Kitchenware both hold a Masters of Fine Art, and yet their work, while beautiful, thoughtful and perfectly executed, consists of pieces anyone can identify with. The one that first attracted me was their signature heart measuring spoons — they are so adorable and so clever! I love the simplicity of their style (probably because it’s so similar to mine) and the fact that they make everyday tools so much fun!
622 press | LETTERPRESS GOODS MADE BY HAND 