Images from Weekend

Gallery night at Clint Roenisch and mocca.

Albert Zuger Jewelry Trunk show.

Cozy Parkdale home.

Albert Zuger.

Sasha modelling her partner's wares!

Close up of necklace. Beautiful.

Dinner in.
(Sooo much nicer than being out at a gallery I must say)

A visit with Colleen.

My Empty belly Print in Colleen's great space.
(from Colleen's Instagram)

A beautiful bottle used for dish soap. What great solution for a normally rather unsightly item!
Yes I get excited over this type of thing.

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.

Great booth design and How I love Pinterest

Jennifer Kreyssig of The IDS show sent me this photo of a great booth design today. (She is tracking down the source... she knows the company is French!)

I love the scaled up fabric and etched looking door with the "Alice in Wonderland' vibe. Also love those pendant lights. The photo went straight onto my Pinterest Board of murals + window display.
I am continuing to find Pinterest a great (and very speedy!) way to neatly organize one's inspiration + all the visual goodness one finds on the web. Highly recommended!
ps. Anybody have a great source for these kind of pendant lamps? :-)

A triptych for Penguin Canada

President of Penguin Books Canada Mike Bryan has just purchased three of my prints for the Canadian head office. The triptych contains the very last Blue penguin I had for sale! I can't think of a more worthy recipient.

The photo is from the weekend as I put the finishing touches on the tea stains and coffee rings.(Yes i paint in the livingroom sometimes... I know outrageous)

ps. I will be doing some new book titles in the new year. Please write in with your suggestions for what book title you'd love to see hanging on your wall. Thanks!

Comfort

"You caught me on a funny day... I'm not feeling very confidant today."
- Chris Martin on Q this morning

New Print No. 2 for Bata shoe museum: Librarian shoe

Here is the matching sister shoe to the t strap shoe which I screened last week.
It also measures 5" X 7".
It is signed and numbered from an edition of 60 and is 60.00.

Below as always a peek behind the process.

Mixing the ochre ink = yellow + brown + titch of red


After pass 1

Applying the black ink

Completed print.

Sunburst mirror

Love this sunburst mirror from Chair Table Lamp. These mirrors always remind me of Tommy Smythe. That's a very good thing. Unfortunately by the time I spotted it - it was sold. Hopefully Kevin will find another!

Ian + Carl Beam

On Sunday I visited Telegramme prints and owner Ian showed me some new stuff which he just bought at auction. Here he is holding up an amazing new Carl Beam print.

Bella Foster's Central Park

Bella Foster's Central Park. Gorgeous.
Sold through Wayne Pate's shop. Check out the shop - his work is also great.
Love the complete monochromatic palette and looseness of her work.

The Arthur

On Saturday I visited The Arthur: a new vintage decor shop run by Liz Ikiriko. I'd been meaning to visit the shop ever since seeing the pics and reading about it on Emma's blog.

The Arthur is named after Liz's grandfather who was a collector of many wonderous things. The shop began as an online venture before finding it's bricks and mortar home at College + Euclid.


Loved this giant A.
Liz said they actually had to chop off a foot to get it in the door!

Wonderful display.

The shop is crammed with great items sourced from estate sales + auctions and is beautifully displayed on wonderful shelving made by her talented + handy partner Clay. Lucky Liz!!

This Junghans Bedside Clock is from their online shop and I think I need it now.
Love that red second hand.

I bought a great hat form with lots of patina which will be a perfect new holder for my bike helmet. Will be back for Christmas shopping...

The Arthur, 550A College St., 416-972-0725. Highly recommended.

Creative Morning Toronto 1

Here's the details:

When: November 25th 8:30am

Where: The beautiful Design Exchange.

Speakers: Helen Kerr + Nigel Smith, of KerrSmith Design

New Print " T strap shoe" for Bata shoe museum

I have a new print "T strap shoe".
It measures 5" X 7" and is 60.00. It is from an edition of 60.
Here is a bit of the process behind the print.

This print was commissioned by the Bata Shoe museum to coincide with their Roaring Twenties exhibit.

So.. Naturally Step 1 was to visit the exhibit!

Our Beautiful Bata Shoe museum designed by Raymond Moriyama.

This is an amazing show -- and it runs till June 2012 -- so still plenty of time to see it!

Some great boots.

Groovy t straps very popular in the 1920s. (I wish they made shoes like this now!)

Check out these floral beauties. Gorge!

Many shoes in the exhibit were created by Andre Perugia a French designer discovered by French fashion designer Paul Poiret. (who I find very fascinating)


Here are some incredible gold shoes designed by Andre Perugia in the 1920s. The roses show the influence of Paul Poiret.

And... here is Andy Warhol's interpretation of the Perugia shoes above created in the 1950s. (Neat eh?)

Step 2: Filled with visions of shoes in my head I begin doing sketches.

Step 3: I decide on the t strap and librarian shoe and get a screen made.

Here is the screen.

Step 4: I cover over + tape the portion of the screen that I'm not using.

Step 5: Mix the pink ink.
Formula = white + magenta + red + retarder (which slows down the drying process)

Step 6: Apply the pink ink with spatula and pull with squeegee.

Ta da. First pass.

Step 7: Apply black ink for layer 2 and pull with squeegee.

Whoosh.

Completed print.

ps! This week I am working on a 2nd print "Librarian shoe" to match this one. It will be same size + price and methinks they would work nicely as a set.
Did I mention Christmas is coming?

Grace Bonney in Toronto December 7th

Connected to yesterday's post: Grace Bonney will be in Toronto December 7th for the launch of her book Design Sponge at Home.

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.

Another great Design women evening

Interior Designer Jennifer Lawrence, Textile artist Heather Shaw (owner of Pi'lo) and Janet.

Art director Colleen Nicholson and Photographer Donna Griffith

Food: Janet's Veggie curry + Heather's homemade cookies.:-)

A-mazing: 'Outside the box' by Joseph Pelling.

How adorable are these espresso sipping characters?

I like to think "Outside the box"


Animated short film Outside the box by UK based Joseph Pelling.
One of the best things I've ever seen.
Love the illustration, animation and writing.