Initial experiments with natural dyes derived from plants and spices. Some of the colors are surprisingly vivid!
Top row: blueberries on silk
2nd row: yellow onion skins on silk
3rd row: yellow onion skins on wool, turmeric on wool
Bottom row: turmeric on silk
natural dyes, textiles in CRAFTS, FOOD, NATURE ;)
I love this bag. It's a vintage piece by British interior designer Nicholas Haslam. I stumbled across it on ebay and, after several days of anxious lurking, it was mine. Quite a bargain too! While it's not exactly the most practical bag for everyday use (it's rather giant and likely meant as a travel bag) sometimes I can't resist. (Dear fellow rush hour subway commuters, my apologies for encroaching upon your already limited personal space.) Oh, and my favorite bag feature is that it's made from an old kilim. Bohemian luxury!
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[ also featured: my current uniform, the denim shirt. ]
kilim bag, nicholas haslam in ANTIQUES, FASHION, VINTAGE, WHAT I WEAR 
At this moment, my body might be huddled next to the small fan that blows coolish evening air (and a perceptible quantity of city grime) in through my bedroom window, but I assure you, my mind is taking a vicarious vacation to the Welsh countryside. Blodwen, a site which sells and celebrates all manner of traditional Welsh handicrafts, provides the necessary visual stimuli.
Doesn't that final wooly duo just kill you? Also loveable: Blodwen's manifesto.
Antique baseball cards, circa 1910.
[ those shoes! ]
[ those stripes! favorite! ]
[ that composition! ]
[ Images from the Library of Congress ]
baseball cards in ANTIQUES, ILLUSTRATION ;)
[ click images to enlarge ]The lookbook for The Lake & Stars' Spring/Summer collection makes me want to:
A. go camping.
B. acquire one of these bathing suits.
C. be a redhead.
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[ Photography by Tom Hines. ]
More intimates and swimwear by The Lake & Stars here.
PS: Speaking of camping/fashion/redheads, the title of this post is a nod to the original wilderness girl.
spring/summer 2010, swimwear, the lake and stars in FASHION, NATURE, PHOTOGRAPHY color palette, yellow and white in ART, PHOTOGRAPHY ;)
[ click images to enlarge ]
I love it when contemporary artists employ old world techniques. Alison Elizabeth Taylor's wood veneer "paintings" are exquisite examples of marquetry, a traditional craft similar to inlay, historically used in the decorative arts. You can see a few of these pieces (including my favorite, The Breeder, above) at James Cohan Gallery until Saturday (hurry!) and I highly recommend doing so. One needs to see Taylor's work up close to appreciate her thoughtful, painterly manipulation of grain and the gorgeous palette provided by hundreds of varieties of exotic wood.
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All work by Alison Elizabeth Taylor. Images via James Cohan Gallery.
1: The Breeder, 2009-10. Wood veneer, shellac. 56 X 45 inches.
2: The Good War, 2006. Wood inlay, shellac. 60 X 46 inches.
3: The Pyrographist, 2009. Wood veneer, pyrography, shellac. 46 X 40 inches.
4: Room, 2007-08. Wood veneer, pyrography, shellac. 96 X 120 X 96 inches.
5: [ see above. ]
6: [ see above. ]
7: Security House, 2008-10. Wood veneer, shellac. 93 X 122 inches.
8: Security House, 2008-10. (Detail)
gidget, indoor surfing in CINEMA, FASHION, VINTAGE ;)
[ click images to enlarge ];)
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[ I want a pair of these oxfords! A modern twist on the classic saddle shoe. ];)
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choreography, janelle monae, menswear, oxfords, tightrope in MUSIC ;)
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[ click images to enlarge ]
I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I certainly enjoyed spending some time outdoors with friends old and new. Funny how, when one lives in the city, simply breathing cool, beach air for a few hours can be such a transcendent experience. Sigh... let's all remind ourselves to take more field trips, okay?
beachcombing, bottles in FOUND OBJECTS, NATURE, PHOTOGRAPHY 
Here's a quick and easy way to wrap up a plain gift box:
1. Cut heart shapes out of various paper scraps. I used parchment paper, old playing cards, wood grain contact paper, and the inside of an envelope.
2. Wrap a band of colored electrical tape around your box. I wrapped a single piece around both parts of the box since I needed to close it securely, but you could wrap just the top of the box (tuck the ends up under the lid) which would make it easier to open and reuse.
3. Affix a few hearts over the band using a glue stick (or if you're in a hurry, just use a small loop of the electrical tape).
Simple and lovely!
Here are some stills from a short animation by Takuya Hosogane entitled "Vanishing Point." (The only exception is the last image which is from "Guponae 02.") Compositionally I think they make strong 2D images but you really should see them in action.
PS: The first and sixth images are of a noticeably higher resolution because I got them here.
[ Thanks, Matt! ]
takuya hosogane in ANIMATION the frock, vintage evening gowns in ANTIQUES, FASHION, VINTAGE 
A new Grizzly Bear song serves as the soundtrack for this surreal ad for the Washington Lottery. I love the concept and the choreography ( the latter is courtesy of Michael Rooney whose work you may have seen before ). While the ad doesn't inspire me to play the lottery, it does make me want to do an upside down dance on a drop ceiling.
[ Thanks, Keller! ]
choreography, grizzly bear, lottery ad in MUSIC, WEIRD 
I've been twisting crepe paper streamers for a photo shoot. Hello, carpal tunnel syndrome!
They do look pretty all piled up though... like a colossal mound of salt water taffy.
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