Full circle

Some days you start checking something important on the web, and then you find a link that looks interesting, maybe an image that intrigues you, and then before you know it you have visited more than 20 blogs and websites that you had never seen before.

Today was such a day and somewhere down the line I came across some extremely neat and interesting work by Swiss designer Rosario Florio. Clean layouts, plenty of white space and beautifully crafted typography, I'm glad I took a web detour.

If you have a spare couple of minutes do take the time to check the website, in the meantime here is one of the featured projects: Printed In, a magazine made from blog entries, blog articles given the editorial treatment they deserve (or aspire to deserve) and restored to a physical medium... Call me sentimental but I find this project quite touching. As much as the immediacy of the internet cannot be disputed, there is a cultural disposition to printed matter that I cannot -and in all honestly, do not want to- avoid, and that inclines me to appreciate and trust the content further.

And if you don't really care about my melancholic disposition, just enjoy the work...

found via Print & New Media blog after a few twists and turns...

*all images from Rosario Florio's website.

So much to catch up with

That I hardly know where to start. Let's consider this post something of a three course meal:

Our starter, I think, should be enticing enough to open our appetite without spoiling it completely. So, how about a piece of delicious and dreamy work by Maria Fischer, in particular her book project Traumgedanken ("Thoughts on dreams"), a collection of literary and scientific texts on the subject of dreams. Connected networks of threads and words form vague and fragile patterns representing the elusive nature of dreams.

Then, for our main course the amazing 10 minute animation The Thomas Beale Cipher by Andrew Allen, an intriguing story as beautifully detailed as stylish. A feast of textures and vintage patterns that will delight the senses and while engaging the brain since it includes 16 hidden messages to help you solve the riddle, a challenge that cannot be refused!

And finally for dessert, some letterpress eye-candy from the expert hands of Studio on Fire designed by canadian collective Point Form. Printed to perfection on duplexed French Poptone Sweet tooth and Lemon Drop card, as tasty as it sounds. Yumm!

*image credits in order: Maria Fischer from her website, Andrew Allen via Vimeo and finally Studio on Fire from their blog.

Simple ideas are often the best

Bianca Chang makes exquisitely simple paper sculptures with the help of a pencil, a ruler and a scalpel knife, no computer or laser cutter is involved in the process. She uses plain 80 gms photocopy paper and delicately cuts layer after layer to compose her three dimensional pieces. In case you are intrigued about the process she has kindly filmed herself while working on one of her pieces. Enjoy!

*all images and video by Bianca Chang from her website.

The alphabet by hand

...it made me smile.

*video and calligraphy by Job Vouters found via his website

...before I forget

I am usually really bad about remembering the dates for particular events and even worse when it comes to posting about it on time... this time however I've managed to post about it the day before, close one! If you are in Edinburgh or nearby Christopher Bettig (The Mountain Label) is exhibiting at Analogue Books from tomorrow (opening reception 4th June, then from 5th June to 10th July). I don't exactly know what type of work he will be exhibiting this time, some of his collage and mixed media work I guess, in any case I'm sure it will full of colour, variety, texture and pattern. One not to be missed.

*all images by Christopher Bettig from his website

Printing with threads

So, you decide to research the possibilities of combining crafts and new technologies, printing and colour theory and you have excellent skills with a needle... add quite a bit of patience and dedication and ...ah yes! your name is Evelin Kasikov, now you have all the key ingredients for these beautiful and intricate books, craft at its best.

And as much as the finish work is a thing of beauty it's always interesting to see the process and sometimes if we are lucky to get a peek at previous work and experiments that lead to it. I find the work in her sketchbooks equally fascinating, maybe due to the unfinished and less controlled nature of sketch work.

all images by Evelin Kasikov, obtained from her website

(via It's nice that)

Woodtype Now!

An interesting and inspiring research project by Dafi Kühne for his visual communications Bachelor, where he combines digital composing and production methods with traditional letterpress techniques. A very thorough piece of research with beautiful results, Dafi has experimented with a variety materials from cardboard to plexiglas, adhesive foil and thread on plates.

*all images by Dafi Kühne from his research catalogue (presented in website form).

breaking the silence

Stop frame beauty by Andersen M Studio, a promotional piece for New Zealand Book Council. What better way to come back from this long silence.

*images by Andersen M Studio via It's nice that

Doing it for the kids

Some lovely nursery rhymes posters by Sub-studio I specially like the retro look of the illustrations and the simplicity of the two colour approach, moving away from the habitual over-use of saturated colours in materials for children. I would very happily own one of these.

And, even though the style is completely different, these prints got me thinking of illustrators from when I was a child and I recalled the work of Pablo Ramirez (Linares, 1926 - Jaén, 1966). At the time I didn't know his name only that I quite enjoyed the books and illustrations. It is quite hard to find images of his work on the internet but he pretty much illustrated every single book I read as I was growing up. He was extremely prolific in his short life and I'm sure his work influenced the aesthetic values of various generations of children in Spain.

*top images by Sub-studio from their shop website

a bit of entertainment...

Life is a bit hectic right now, and though I had a list of wonderful things to post about time has passed the exhibitions are gone and now it seems a bit ludicrous to talk about them. However I leave you with this beautiful interactive animation to keep you happy and busy until I can return with more printed matter goodness...

Painting a song "Soy tu Aire" by Labuat

*animation by Jossie Malis from an idea by Herraiz Soto & Co. ,programming by Badabing. Music of course by Labuat (you may have heard of them, I hadn't)

found via We Made This

discover America...

...best by car, indeed, how else?

I've been meaning for a while to post about the above wedding invites by all round designer and 'renaissance woman' Melissa Bluhm (landscape architect, illustrator, occasional printer...). Sorry, no link to a website showing her work yet, hopefully this will change soon- I've already been talking to her about the joys of Indexhibit, see if she gets the hint. However, in the meantime I thought I would share her extremely informative invitations -the back of the map is full of details, from how to get there to what to wear. The vintage theme will also be continued in the reception and I know she's planning other bits and pieces to match the invitations, but I won't spoil them here just in case any guests are reading...

This is where we live

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

A city made out of books, cut-out paper and stop frame animation... my kind of heaven. You'll need to watch it more than once to see all the little details happening in the background. Published at Christmas but I have just found out about it... oops, sorry about the delay,  a charming stop animation film produced by Apt Studio And Asylum Films to celebrate the 25th anniversary of publishing house 4th Estate (an imprint of Harper Collins). 

*video by Asylum Films

ABC 3D

Back at Christmas -you may remember- I mentioned the ABC 3D book by Marion Bataille, well I have just found this short video demonstrating how all the letters come to life as you pass the pages. Enjoy!

*unfortunately I haven't been able to find much about Marion Bataille so I have no link to her work.

All things Victorian

Doing research for a project I found some images of work by Dan Hillier, I remember having seen them before but this time I checked his website and blog. I most definitely prefer his altered engravings (images above) where he combines original Victorian engravings to achieve an unexpected and quite eerie effect, which -as I'm finding out- is something that the Victorians themselves would have approved of.

*all images from Dan Hillier's website

De Plastilina

I have just found out (checking old posts by Drawn) about the work of Irma Gruenholz. She creates these remarkably unaffected yet detailed illustrations with soft clay. I think it is the sculpted element that really makes it special for me and the way she uses other materials to add texture and depth. Don't you wish you had sticked with play-doh when you were a kid... sadly I never passed beyond the 'everything will eventually become dodgy brown' stage.

*all photos by Irma Gruenholz taken from her website