New sketch: Cate Blanchett

I loved this film

A great doc on the life of Roger Ebert.

One of the themes that really got to me was the power that art + work has to safe one's life.

Inspiration: Tomi Ungerer - One of the absolute best!

On Sept 6th I saw the documentary Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story

Tomi is one of my all time favourite illustrators (his economical line!! his humour! his fabulous kids books! his incredible political posters! his saucy erotic drawings!) and I can't recommend the doc enuf. Thanks so much to Glenn Sumi for the reco. :-)
Watch the trailer here.

Images from June

I've been away from my blog for a while... It's catch up time.
Here are some favourite images from June.

 Hijinks with great Artscape Neighbours Paula and Greg.

More hijinks with Artscapers including Robbie Grunewald above (and his Gin Fizz)

 Printing some more kitchen prints

Design salon!

Kim, Jessica and Donna

Jessica, peonies and birdie plates!

Colleen, Lynda and Heather.

Very attractive Tattly model: Photographer Jon Loek

 

 Sassy Sasha and my pear Tattly

Puppeteer Clea Minaker and her fabulous legs

from the amazing documentary

Look at what the light did now

I can't recommend this documentary enough.

Another screen grab from the documentary

Beautiful.

Watching Casablanca in David Pecaut Sqaure courtesy of TIFF

Toronto looked so beautiful that night.

FYI Free films every Wednesday all summer!
See the schedule here

Play it again Sam.

 Greg Oh and Drake breakfast. 

#Bestneighbourever.

Inspiration: Diana Vreeland

On the wknd I went to see this doc on legendary editor Diana Vreeland.
Inspirational. 

 Above + Below: Diana in her offices at Harper's Baazar and Vogue.

"There's only one very good life. That's the one that you know that you want - that you make yourself"
-Diana Vreeland
You can see the trailer here.

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.

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.

Whittle in Down

"There are too many people and things in the world. Having a passion whittles down the world to manageable size".

-Susan Orlean, The Orchid Thief

(I watched Adaptation last week and found a lot of comfort in this quote. There ARE too many things....)

My favourite apt from a movie ever

Meg Ryan's Manhattan apt in Kate + Leopold. SIGH.
Love the messy mix of vintage + modern.
Love the bench by the door, the rounded mirror + very cozy lighting.

I own this movie and every year or so I watch it so I can melt into Meg Ryan's wonderful apt.
It's an amazingly warm space full of a great furniture, rugs, mirrors, and art work.
(Stuart's apt upstairs is also fab with great vintage storage!!)
Watching the movie is the equivalent of wrapping myself up in a warm blankie.
I watched it again last night and it did not fail to inspire.
If you like these kind of interiors I can't recommend it enough.

In a Gertrude Stein state o' mind

Last weekend I went to see Midnight in Paris with my dear friend Eric. I thought some of the dialogue + acting was appalling bad! (This was written by the same man who wrote Annie Hall?!)


However I loved the middle section where the Owen Wilson character is transported back to early 20th century Paris and hangs out with all the famous expats of the time.
Above Zelda + F.S Fitzgerald.


The Art director did a great job of recreating the look + feel Gertrude Stein's salon.

I'm very familiar with this group of artists + writers because several years ago I illustrated a book about Gertrude Stein + her famous circle called "Charmed Circle". (Below) The art director was Raquel Jaramillo and it was published by Henry Holt.


From left to right:
Matisse, Picasso, Getrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Zelda + F. Scott Fitzgerald, + Hemingway

Below are a few drawings from the sketch phase of the assignment.




If you're interested in this period I highly recommend the book.

Film: Guest of Cindy Sherman

Director Paul Ho + Art superstar Cindy Sherman (who was soon to become his girlfriend)
Fashion note: Cindy Sherman has great style in this doc. Understated elegance.

Watched a very fun film with my neighbour Richard tonight: Guest of Cindy Sherman which chronicles director Paul H-O's five year relationship with art superstar Cindy Sherman.
In addition to hilariously showing the perils of being a famous person's "plus one" it also explores art's symbiotic (often absurd) relationship with commerce + celebrity. Fascinating + funny plus serves as a great crash course in the Art world circa 1995-2005. (Appearances by Eric Fischl, Tracey Emin, Julian Schnabel and more.)

PBS Video

Tons of great video here.

Images from the Weekend

My favourite barista at the Drake makes it a good morning.(Check out that latté art)

This is my new favourite restaurant.
Wonderful food + interiors: lots of wood + metal and wine bottles used as a decor element.
The manager is gonna get back to me with the name of the interior design firm.

Dinner at Mercatto. So lovely.


Documentary by Corinna Belz on the German painter Gerhard Richter.
I found it amazing that she was granted access to his studio.


It was incredible to watch him push this enormous squeegee across the underpainting. It is what created the magic as it made all the colours schmush together. (Do you like my profound art historian terminology? :-))
Also so interesting to watch his earnest assistants prepare for the exhibitions with elaborate maquettes + see the great gallery scenes in Berlin, London + New York..
You can watch the trailer here.

An evening with the Eameses tomorrow

Presented by Design within Reach. Sounds interesting. See you there.

Atom Egoyen at The Drake

Atom's Egoyen's talk at the Drake tonight was great.

He chose to focus on some of his lesser known side projects which he explained inevitably inform his commercial work. (A favourite theme of mine)
We saw some footage from his film Krapp's Last Tape (based on Samuel Beckett play) and also slides from 2 of his multimedia installation pieces: 'Steenbeckett' at the Museum of Mankind in London and 'Out of Order' from Musée d’art contemporain in Montréal.

Themes discussed:
The virtues of analog vs digital technology
The fact that documenting every moment of our lives is now a give in.

For young filmmakers he lamented the fact that there is no longer a process of apprenticeship but celebrated the fact that through the internet it has never been easier to get your work out there and to learn from other great filmmakers. (He singled out David Fincher's DVD commentaries as exceptionally instructive!)
Inspirational.

Page One: Inside the New York Times

Last night I went to see Page One: Inside the New York Times by filmmaker Andrew Rossi.

Through footage of the Times' story-pitch meetings, newsroom deliberations, journalist profiles + various interviews — all shot over 14 months starting in November 2009 — the doc profiles the paper as it tries to stay vital, financially sound and evolve.



The film is filled with many great characters such as the salty David Carr - but my favourite NYT staffer was media desk editor Bruce Headlam (above) who comes across as the kind of guy who cares deeply about his work and stays at the office way too late. I found him adorably earnest.
Fun fact: he's Canadian and originally worked at the now defunct Saturday night magazine.

Journalism geeks will love the fly on the wall insider footage and design geeks will appreciate getting a peek at the both the exterior + interior of the NYT's building. (Don'tcha love those intense red walls?)

Anybody interested in the changing landscape of media + the future of print should see this doc.

Beginners by Director/Graphic Designer Mike Mills

I went to see the film Beginners last night.

Was attracted to the film initially because of this great lettering in the poster (which I suspected was done by one of my all time fave illustrators Eric Hanson.)

Turns out it was done by the writer/director of the film Mike Mills who began his career as a graphic designer. (!) Mike graduated from Cooper Union and then went on to work at M + Co. with Tibor Kalman. Coincidenza.

The film is very autobiographical with Ewan McGregor playing the main character of Oliver who - yes - works as a graphic designer. (yay)
I adored the drawings in the film which were all done by Mike Mills.

Below Oliver sketches "A History of Ex-girlfriends". Adorable.


Love the Princess Leia hairdo and Mill's broken line.

I think this ex girlfriend did alotta drugs.



Was excited to discover that a book has been published with the drawings from the film.
Add to cart. :-)

This Poster is from an earlier film by Mike Mills Thumbsucker.
Isn't it great?
ps. I am honking.

The film was wonderful in many ways - the performances of Christopher Plummer + Ewan McGregor are note perfect + heartbreaking... but for me Mill's entirely fresh + inventive direction is the big deal of this movie. For insight into it you can read a great interview with the director on the AIGA website here.
Strongly recommended - especially if you're designer/ illustrator sort.

ps. Fun fact: Michael Mills is married to Miranda July.
I think that = Mr. + Mrs. Quirky USA.