Mike Mills sketch

Sketch done while listening to a great interview with director Mike Mills + Terry Gross on Fresh Air.
Mike Mills was taking about his new film 20th Century women based which is based on his mom.
I so love her interviews. Excellent company.

Sketch is very much influenced by Saul Steinberg and contains an homage to him.
That is his brush and pen cup in the middle of the sketch.

#drawing #illustration #saulsteinberg #inspiration #mentor  #artist #art #illustrator #stilllife

Inspiration: Dorothea Lange

Am listening to a documentary on Dorothea Lange.
She's the photographer who took the iconic Migrant woman photograph during the depression.

Inspiring, Kick Ass woman.

Jonathan Adler is at the DX tomorrow

 

 Tickets available here.

Tyler Brulé At OCAD

Tyler Brule's talk at OCAD last week was funny + inspirational and served as a big kick in the ass reminder to always be brave, original + THINK BIGGER.

Some favourite lines:

1. "Can we all be present in the room here tonight? I don't wanna see any tops of heads."
(In other words... turn off your phone)

2. "I worked at Movenpick in Yorkville and I spent all my tip money across the street at Maison de la Presse. That's where I got my education."

3. "Toronto needs to change it's residential vernacular. In terms of architecture it needs to raise the bar". Yep.

4. "Rather than looking south all the time Canadians should look East + West"
(After that I wrote in my notebook... LESS MAINE.... MORE SPAIN!")

Thanks OCADU for a great night.

Uppercase magazine + my friend Scott

The latest issue of Uppercase magazine arrived yesterday. It was filled with all sorts of juicy features as usual but my favourite part was seeing the sweet face of my friend Scott Linder beaming from the contributor's page.

 Scott drew upon his own incredible collection of books to write his thoughtful + funny article.

Readers of this blog will have seen Scott's face several times in the past as he is my constant companion whenever I am in New York. With his saavy sense of the city + a deep knowledge of literature, art, and design - he is truly the ultimate tour guide! 


Scott Linder in his natural habitat: rifling through treasures at the Strand bookstore.

Scott maintains a fantastic tumblr called bookshelftherapy.
It is quirky and wise and wonderful.... just like him.

Hillman Curtis 1961 - 2012

Shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Designer, Author, Filmmaker Hillman Curtis passed away on Wednesday. I wrote about him several times on this blog and was lucky enough to hear him speak in Toronto in 2007. He was one of my favourite creative thinkers. Incredibly generous with his ideas and so modest. He will be deeply missed.

Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day

Am still deep in textile work this wknd.
Found this film by Design Onscreen on Vimeo:
Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day.

(Was played at the IDS on Friday night)
Really great.

Good design for the masses

"I like the idea that people might not be able to afford a painting for the wall but can have a fabulous pair of curtains."

Lucienne Day

Inspiration for Textile designs

I've been working on some textile patterns the last couple days.
Can't show any sketches cuz the project is secret for now but can show you some of my inspiration.

Calyx by the incredible Lucienne Day
A big hit at the Festival of Britain 1951.
The abstracted flowers were inspired by Paul Klee.

Perpetua also by Lucinenne Day
So great.

By Terence Conran (yep Sir Terence) + David Whitehead 1950

If ya wanna know what's on my mind... check my Pinterest boards

I'm working on a bunch of illustration assignments this week so won't have much time to blog.
In the meantime if you wanna know what juicy things I'm thinking about you can always check out my Pinterest boards!
Here are a few faves this week.

Pinned onto "Books to Order":

The new tome on Alexander Girard by Todd Oldman.
Girard is best known for the bold colourful textiles that he created for Herman Miller - and he has long been a Total Mentor. Todd Oldman is a Mentor too. :-)


Pinned onto "Inspiration":


These adorable Stag + Hedgehog lampshades by UK based Lush Designs.
(Discovered thru Living Etc magazine)
Lush design = Marie Rodgers + Maria Livings. They seem like my kind o'women! Hilarious.

Pinned onto "Funny Writing":

Yep two.
I find this to be quite true...

See you in Pinland!

Inspiration: Unzipped

Over the holidays I rewatched one of my favourite docs: Unzipped.
The doc follows designer Isaac Mizrahi as he plans his fall 1994 collection.
Directed by Douglas Keeve.

Very inspirational + a great peek inside the creative process.

Isaac Mizrahi drawing + deeply focused. I LOVE this photo.


In his Manhattan apt kvetching to a friend and freaking out re: his upcoming show. (Classic creative person!) Decor note: Love the salon wall!

One of my favourite people in the doc is Issac's producer Nina Santisi. (Above in headset) She is so grounded, organized + supportive - ie. what every zany creative person needs! When Issac's show is a success she is the first person he calls. Significant.

Man i love sofa

by Jonathan Adler

LOVE the juicy colour, vintage design + high back.

One of my all time fave interiors designers Ilse Crawford believes all couches should have high sides + backs. She says they're like "a room within a room where we can feel protected + safe". Agreed.

ps. When did Jonathan Adler start designing furniture?

Creative Morning 1 was Fantastic

Helen Kerr and Nigel Smith of Kerr Smith Design.

The Design Exchange setting was A+, the Helen Kerr/ Nigel Smith talk was fantastic,
and the danishes + coffee delish!
Congrats to Behrouz Hariri for organizing all.
Added bonus: The 2011 Design Exchange Awards Exhibit was up and was quite great.
Much to write about - but am dashing out! For now see some pics at the CM blog here.
Will write a longer post about it tomorrow.

Apt therapy Evening with Grace Bonney of Design Sponge

Grace Bonney and Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
(Two Pioneers of the Design blogging world)

Wow just watched this fantastic video of Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan interviewing Grace Bonney of Design Sponge. The evening was part of Apartment therapy's monthly meet up series.

I was really impressed with Grace's articulate and thoughtful answers.
Topics included:
The diverse jobs which Grace held before starting Design Sponge.
Ethics in blogging ie. Her belief that one should write about what one honestly believes in - rather than being bribed by free pillows! Right on.
The wonderful Biz Ladies series which Grace created to assist women starting out in business.
The future of blogs + publishing.
The background behind her new book Design Sponge at Home.

I think it's quite great that Apt therapy tapes these talks! The next best thing to being there at ABC Carpet in NYC!
*Highly recommended - especially if you run a small design related business.

Writer Chris Hedges

A must watch video :
Pulitzer Prize writer Chris Hedges eloquently takes down Right Wing Embarrassment to Canada Kevin O'Leary while discussing the Occupy Wall Street movement.
I found Hedges' intelligence + composure under pressure complete admirable.
He's a new favourite nerd.

Addendum!

Mina from Sending Postcards let me know that the cbc budsman found O' leary's remark to a breach of policy and offered a formal apology to Chris Hedges. yay.

Read the satisfying article here.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

From his 2005 Standford Commencement Address. Quite moving.
You can watch it here.

"Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.”
- Steve Jobs

Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim. No words for how I feel about this guy.

I'm painting a mural this afternoon and when I do I need to listen to intense broadway tunes!
Just found this BBC Sondheim celebration on You tube. I can never ever listen to his lyrics and not cry. Especially from Sunday and the Park with George.
"Look I made a hat... where there never was a hat." Killer.

Jack

Here is the transcript of Stephen Lewis' eulogy at Jack's funeral.
Rev. Brent Hawkes's eulogy was also wonderful.