Drawing Dr. Seuss in the Desert

I just came back from a trip to Phoenix, AZ and got to spend a little time in the desert.  Coming from the lush NW I thought it looked so barren at first but the more time I spent wandering around the landscape, the more I grew to love it.  I got really excited to draw the plants, which look like they came out of a Dr. Seuss book — so much quirky character.

My 4-year-old daughter was with me and one of the things I love to do is to draw collaboratively with her.  I draw something, she draws on top and so on…  the results get goofy but that's the fun of it.  The drawing above is one of those.  She named the plants (in case you're wondering why I wrote "crazy sparkle shirt" and "lined butterfly tattoo" next to the cacti).

Here's another (non-collaborative) drawing.  I'm loving colored sketchbooks these days.  I think it's 108 degrees in Phoenix now so I'm glad to be back but it was so beautiful I'll definitely return!

Porch Perfect

Some time this winter we plan to fix our back yard/porch situation. I want my porch to look like this. Sorry I can't credit the pic, it's from Pinterest — looks like it was scanned from a magazine (?).

A Far Flung Mix

This photo is from Elle Decor. I'm struck by the Indian-style painting sitting against that beautiful, busy wallpaper—something about the mix of complex and simple shapes.

Ancient Tulips

The pattern and color on this 16th-century Turkish textile are just plain stunning. In case you haven't noticed (if you follow this blog), I'm obsessed with red and turq. 

Divine Bath

I can't imagine a better place to take a bath than this amazing bath house at Hammam-e Vakil in Iran. Photo from Detengase on Flickr.

Ah, Africa!

Gemma Orkin Floral Serving Bowls

Source Kudu Table Lamp

Wola Nani Trays

Sometimes I get really bored with the design direction out in the marketplace. Often the big stores are so afraid to take risks that they recycle the same themes over and over. Ugh. But recently it seems like there are some cool things happening out there, especially in the home dec world. West Elm recently launched a project collaborating with South African designers which hits on two important themes: African inspiration and indie design.

As cool as some of the big-box stores can be, it's becoming clear that people are interested in more unique, creative options (hello, Etsy!). For a place like West Elm to feature a group of indie Designers is a stroke of marketing genius.

As for the focus on South Africa, it's about time!! "Ethnic" trends have cycled through Europe, Asia and Southern America over and over again. Africa offers so many rich textures and designs (beyond zebra stripes and cheetah patterns), I'm glad to see it being taken more seriously... or whimsically as the case may be. Here's some great info on West Elm's recent collaboration.

Kantha Stitches

Kantha Chevron pillows by West Elm

Kantha quilt by Jaisalmer Handloom on Etsy 

Chakki Ottoman by Pottery Barn

Vintage Kantha Upholstered Chair by Vivaterra 

I've been seeing a lot of traditional textiles being repurposed in creative ways, especially ikats and suzanis, but I just started to notice the same trend with kantha fabrics. Kantha is a style of embroidery practiced in Bangladesh and parts of India that is most often seen as a simple running stitch on patterned fabric. Kantha stitching can include simple border patterns as well, but the common element is the running stitch. Above are some fun examples of home dec using kantha-embroidered fabric. I like them all but I think my favorite is the simple quilt.

A Scandinavian Home?

I happened across this book at a local craft store today: "Scandinavian Needlecraft: 35 Step-by-Step Projects to Create the Scandinavian Home" by Clare Youngs. It's full of beautiful projects that look fairly simple and rewarding for a basic-skills crafter such as myself. And, although I don't really have a Scandinavian home, I see no reason I shouldn't let Scandinavia grace a pillowcase or purse here and there.

Uppercase

Look at this great image of carved crayons! From the cover of a Canadian magazine called Uppercase. Übercool!

The Naturalist

I know it's not a new trend, but I've been checking out boutiques that specialize in the ye-olde-naturalist look. The above items are all from Jayson Home. Clockwise from top left: Petrified Wood Trays, Ceramic Urchin Box, Spouting Whale Tray, Round Horn Plates.

Rust and Metal

Random texture I found on the street. Love the woodgrain-like rust against the polished metal.

Red Wallpaper

Along the lines of designing my aforementioned bedroom, I think I need a red wallpaper in the closet. I've landed on the above two options...

Top design is Lavinia from Anna French. Beautifully bold.

Bottom design is Lotus from Farrow & Ball. Love the tonality and the curvy organic shapes.

So different... which one to choose?

Loulouthi

I am in love with this new(ish) print collection by Anna Maria Horner called Loulouthi. The eclectic mix of artwork styles is the most interesting textile design trend I've seen in a long while. I'll have to hunt down a local fabric store with her prints!

Enlightenment

curiosity, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Look at that, if I get through this paragraph I'll have posted two days in a row! Yesterday I was mentioning the Enlightenment Room at the British Museum. This little drawer full of fiddly objects is a tray from Sir Hans Sloane's pharmaceutical cabinet. It reminds me of those house drawings where the house is cut in half and you see what's going on in each room.

The fascination during this period with science, culture and the natural world led to a craze of categorization and display. Even if you don't understand what's in each compartment, it's hard not to be drawn in by the variety of colors, shapes and textures.

Curiosity Cabinet

'Curiosity Cabinet' Repeat Pattern Design, originally uploaded by Tōsuto desu!.

OK, I know I've been on hiatus for a while with this whole blogging thing. Blame it on the baby, but TODAY (no promises for tomorrow) I am going to steal a few minutes and tell you how much I like this "Curiosity Cabinet" print I found by Tosuto Desu. I love the simple colors and orderly shelf layout but mostly I love the theme. I was in London a few years ago at the British Museum and I went crazy over the Enlightenment Room. The room covers the exploration of knowledge from the 1600s-1800s and a lot of the exhibits show weird little curiosities displayed in tiny, repetitive cases, much like this print. But I'll save those details for tomorrow!

Pillars of the Earth

Pillars of the Earth - Tv-series Intro (title-sequence) - The top video clips of the week are here

Adding to the theme of animated intros, I recently checked out the Pillars of the Earth TV series and, although I wasn't so impressed by the actual show (I only got through the first five minutes before needing to escape the inane dialogue), the animated intro was very well done. Check it out above.

Rango's Rockin' Owls

Rango Credit Animation, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I love what studios are doing lately with the intros and end credits for movies and TV shows. I recently saw the movie Rango-the film itself was good but my favorite part was the way they handled the animation during the credits. Above are some still shots but it's worth watching the full video here.

Mother and Child Flakes

Mother and Child, originally uploaded by CaptPiper.

We had a massive snowstorm here in NY for the holidays, which made holiday travel very exciting. I wish I had taken this photo but it's from CaptPiper on Flickr. She caught a slew of gorgeous snowflakes in her Michigan yard before they melted. It's worth taking a look at the whole collection of photos.

Details, Details...

Italian building details, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

While wandering the streets of Italy, we made a point of photographing the beautiful door handles and building details. It's these details against the weathered 500+ year-old bulidings that make it such a feast for the eyes.

Legend of the Guardians: Awesome Helmets

head gear from Legend of the Guardians, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

We went to see Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole this weekend… in IMAX. The animation was stunning. Between expansive backgrounds and painstakingly detailed owl animation it's difficult to wrap my head around the hours of research and labor it took the artists to put together a full-length movie.

One of my favorite details are the helmets for the battle owls. Above you see the lead good-guy/bad-guy owls and their respective head gear. I want this to be my job-to research battle dress for owl armies, designing little helmets and metal talons for them.

The plot of the movie was just OK-predictable in a big-box-office kind of way. But for me it was worth the time and money just to marvel at the craftsmanship involved in detailing out each feather and how it bends and sways in the wind, scenery reminiscent of Hudson River School paintings and, of course, the little owl props like the helmets. Thumbs up from me.

P.S. Apparently there's been some talk that Legend of the Guardians isn't for kids due to the violence. Of course you need to know your children and what disturbs them but I didn't think it was any more horrifying than what most kids see on TV... but I don't have kids, so you don't have to believe me. Just my two cents.

Top image from Online Movies Hut.
Bottom image from SMH.