I love children’s picture books. Lately it seems as though the books I buy are equal parts children’s and thick “grown-up” books.
There are piles of great books out there, old and new. And one of my favorite artists/authors making picture books today is Oliver Jeffers. If you’re not familiar with his work or have not heard of him here’s a great look into his world:
How about you, dear readers? Which picture picture book artists do you like best?
During the course of his life, Vincent Van Gogh wrote hundred of letters to his beloved brother, Theo. Lately, I’ve been reading some of their correspondence and came across a letter last night, part of which caught my attention:
“Ah, mon cher frère, quelquefois je sais tellement bien ce que je veux. Je peux bien dans la vie et dans la peinture aussi me passer de bon Dieu mais je né puis pas, moi souffrant, me passer de quelque chose plus grand que moi qui est ma vie, la puissance de créer.
Et si frustré dans cette puissance physiquement, on cherche à créer des pensées au lieu d’enfants, on est par là bien dans l’humanité pourtant”
Translation:
“Ah, my dear brother, sometimes I know so clearly what I want. In life and in painting too, I can easily do without the dear Lord, but I can’t, suffering as I do, do without something greater than myself, which is my life, the power to create.
And if frustrated in this power physically, we try to create thoughts instead of children; in that way, we’re part of humanity all the same.”
Interestingly enough, Vincent composed this letter a hundred and twenty-four years ago today…
…I was in Stockholm attending an opening with one of my neighbors. We were there to see a piece of my work on exhibition, one which earned me an award that night. The evening was freezing and strangely solemn but there was champagne and a few laughs –not too shabby, really. Time flies…
Whether you received any red envelopes this year or not, it’s officially the year of the rabbit now–yay! Which gives me a perfect excuse to share another piece by ROA:
Loving this open-source map of street art around the world–Street Art Locator
Find galleries, installations, graffiti, sculptures, paintings and even stencils and stickers worldwide. Add your own findings as you come across them. Check it out. Very cool and handy, I just wish they had a smartphone app to upload finds on the go…
I don’t usually plug giveaways on blogs, but there is a first for everything–
This month the talented Cecilia, the Swedish artist behind Veja Cecilia, is holding a giveaway on her blog sponsored by Letraset. Up for grabs is a set of Letraset Tria markers and a few other goodies from Cecilia’s own collection of prints and products:
Leave a comment on her blog by January 30th for a chance to win!
This one reminds me a little of Swedish artist Alexandra Hedberg’s recent Snow White drawings and explorations…
Founded in 2006 by Arnt Jensen and Dino Patti, Copenhagen-based Playdead is an independent game studio. Due for release this August, LIMBO is their first production.
The original concept trailer for Limbo from 2006:
Game trailer:
I love the atmospheric quality and moodiness of their simple, almost dreamy artwork.
And here’s the in-game teaser:
Next week holds the promise of the US release of the first film by Banksy. Last week, an extended teaser for the film was released which begins to outline Thierry Guetta’s (aka Mr. Brainwash) pursuit of the mysterious artist. Check it out:
A list of venues and showtimes across the US is available on the film Web site.
A brief video of the current installation at the Barbican in London by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot which explores the unexpected rhythms of daily life.
This weekend the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will play host to the Contemporary Print Fair. Visitors to the event can enjoy and purchase prints from fourteen major contemporary art dealers, galleries and presses. The two day event will also feature guided tours, artist lectures and a panel discussion.
Consult the event Web site for a full list of scheduled events and participants
The Baltimore Fair for Contemporary Prints & New Editions
Saturday and Sunday, 27–28 March 2010 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
at The Baltimore Museum of Art 10 Art Museum Drive Baltimore, MD 21218
I tweeted about this months ago but somehow overlooked sharing this wonderfully fun artwork here.
On display at the British Library in London is a painting by British artist, Patrick Hughes:
Beautiful!
As a jump-start to the week, here is a gorgeous piece to get your creative juices flowing, dear readers:
Today finds Charm City buried once again, in a blanket of sparkling white. The effect is beautiful, bewildering and even a little inspiring though at some point after hours of shoveling, the snow will become less than charming. In the meantime, here is a piece of visually stunning eye/brain candy straight from Japan for you, dear readers, snowbound or otherwise:
Doesn’t this just make your eyes smile and the snow a little more fun?
Ever wonder what the process of giving form to something looks like?
BMW has an idea and shares it with the rest of us through the kinetic sculpture installed at the BMW Museum in Munich. Employing the use of over 700 individual metal spheres and stepper motors, the mechanical wonder covers six square meters. Over the course of seven minutes, it dances out a hypnotic, mechatronic narrative that visualizes the process of form-finding. Here is a brief sample of the sculpture’s performance:
A trip to Munich may be in order…
While I’m on the subject of artists whose work gets my creative tail wagging this week, these videos of Lucy McLauchlan working just blow my mind. It makes me want to lock myself in an empty room with a gallon of paint or ink and have at it; though somehow I doubt the results would be comparable. Check it out:
WOW, I love this woman! The density of the illustrations she generates are incredible, and the intensity with which she works is so inspiring. There is so much work to be done…
Lately, I’ve been generating increasingly more work after having lapsed into a brief creative coma of sort earlier this year. As I shake off the creative cobwebs and jitters, I feel more compelled to work and tend to have more ideas than I can make good on or even record or realize.
Typically, when I get into this state of mind, I tend to pay even more attention to art, and find myself seeking out new ideas, inspiration, artists, etc. Recently, a friend turned me on to She One and not surprisingly, the cogs in my brain are turning and cranking out of control:
I’ve been dreaming of letterforms and just haven’t made good on the pictures in my head. Perhaps it’s time to roll up my sleeves and dig in… Where have you found inspiration lately, dear readers? Has it been from new stars in your own field, or seemingly more abstract sources? Talk to me people.
A few months ago, I blogged about the William Kentridge show, Five Themes, at SFMoMA. In that post, I described my introduction to Kentridge’s work ten years ago at the Carnegie International Show. Since that first encounter with his work, I have been a fan. This evening, I thought I’d post a copy of the original film that caught my attention:
The film has a soundtrack, but I was unable to find a full-length copy of it with the sound. Here is an abridged sample featuring the sound:
I love the raw quality of line and gesture; this piece still captivates me. What do you think, dear readers? Seen any great animations or art exhibits lately that you just can’t get out of your mind?
Watching this video leaves me dumbfounded– the amount of work and artistry that went in to this collaborative production is just incredible. Take a look at this piece created by Blu and David Ellis at the Fame Festival earlier this fall in Italy.
COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.
WOW!
This was stuck in my head while working on the most recent daily portrait, Maybe Sparrow by Neko Case. The video was done by Julie and Paul Morstad.
