Designskool.net

winter’s shroud

by Justine on February 5, 2013

Jesup Path by Jennifer Steen Booher of Quercus Design; restored antebellum dwelling by John and Carolyn Malone via Garden and Gun

I am not a fan of the cold. No, this Aries would always rather head towards the heat.

But designwise, I do love winter. There is something about all that thin, reflected light that gives the world (inside and out) an ethereal air. Quiet, like death, but also serene. It makes me feel like I’m living inside a veil.

crocheted snowflake by Post/Modern Amina O.; Goddess of Nature by Paul de Luna via Forever Boho

tea via Balkan Vibez; bedside via Vampire in the City

dining room by tinekhome; snowflake

breakfast table by Bodie and Fou; Fragile Shelter by Hidemi Nishida via Designboom

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snow totems

by Justine on February 1, 2013

in kid serendipity

One of my first posts on designskool featured this quirky snowman made in preschool by Oliver. Two years later, Solvi has the same teacher, and thus she exclaimed as she came through the door one day, “Olie, I made a baby for your snowman!” Last week, parents picked up the rather delicate creations after the class play, “The Mitten,” in which Solvi had the female lead. (Incidentally, two years earlier, Oliver had the male lead in the same play.)

Adorable apart, these two snowmen are even better together. First, they represent those comforting rhythms of life that become all-the-more evident when one has kids. But mostly I love how these two tiny clay figures so completely capture the individual personalities of my children. Oliver’s snowman is somewhat messy, but also totally expressive and imaginative. (His was the only snowman with “hair.”) Solvi’s, on the other hand, is more polished. (I’m sure she used her advanced fine motor skills to tie the scarf herself.) Though certainly cute, it also carries itself with a confidence rarely seen in one so small. Just like she is, Solvi’s snowbaby is totally relational – designed to be part of a social unit. And though Oliver’s snowman has more sharp edges, he none-the-less leans protectively over his little sister.

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starling brood – quiet everyday

by Justine on January 30, 2013

in art/crafts,clay,sculpture

Sometimes after a big adventure, what’s needed is a little quiet. And often, what arises out of this period of reflection is something, perhaps not quite so spectacular, but ultimately more personal and authentic.

In 2010, artist and designer Mihaeko embarked on a collaboration with Björk, creating larger-than-life instruments for the singer’s world tour. Though these were impressive and dramatic, Mihaeko longed to return to a more intimate form of expression. Thus, setting up shop in New York, the largely self-trained artist started Starling Brood.

Starling Brood is quiet collection of deeply personal, small-scale pieces, designed to be enjoyed one-person-at-a-time. Pocked tea cups with a resting place for your thumb; rustic, soft sculpture lap cats curled up in a ball; or porcelain mushrooms that fit in the palm of your hand, these are the stuff of moments of calm. And yet they are not unlively. Quietly dynamic, the artistic process is tangible in the pinches and prints which mark each with its own distinct character: some jaunty, others more languid. Fluid and organic, these pieces possess an understated energy. Like the slow beat of nature’s biological rhythms, their daily vicissitudes are no less palpable, though they may be indistinguishable to the naked eye. Neither conspicuous nor grand, Mihaeko’s Starling Brood may not impress from a stage “enthronged.” But to the individual, these small gifts of everyday life are no less breathtaking.

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fideli sundqvist – tasteless feast

by Justine on January 28, 2013

in art/crafts,paper,sculpture

Last week, I featured the breathtaking work of Swedish paper artist, Cecilia Levy. Today I bring you another talented paper artist from Sweden: Fideli Sundqvist. Working in the same medium, the work of these two artists shares a deep sense of story. And yet, in many ways they are quite different. Where Cecilia’s pieces tend to be more ethereal and introspective, Fideli’s work, especially her fantastical paper cuts for kids, is more often bright and jubilant. Or, in the case of her still lives with food, a little dark and downright succulent.

To achieve this kind of sensual lusciousness with paper is quite a feat. And it sets up a fascinating paradox between the senses and the mind. Intellectually, you know that it’s dry, tasteless paper – in fact the title of this series is “Tasteless”. Even so your eyes and tastebuds urge you to take a big bite!

And then there are the bugs. Natural and low, they enhance the earthiness of these pieces, as well as the ick-factor. And yet it’s all so intricate and lovely that you can’t look away. Beautifully styled by Joanna Lavén, Sundqvist’s still lives may indeed be tasteless, but they are nonetheless a feast for the eyes… and mind.

Originally from Uppsala, artist/designer Fideli Sundqvist grew up in a creative household. After high-school she moved to Stockholm, studying first at Nyckelviksskolan and then at Konstfack, from which she obtained a degree in illustration and graphic design. Today this prolific artist’s work includes, paper cut, prop-and-graphic design, as well as illustration.

Still life: “Smaklöst” – Photographer: Olivia Jeczmyk; Stylist: Joanna Lavén

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accordion book with angela liguori

by Justine on January 25, 2013

in art/crafts,paper

Hi Everyone,

Don’t forget to check out my DIY accordion book on Remodelista today. This was a great little project that Angela showed me how to make last week. Easy and fun, accordion books make wonderful mini sketchbooks for kids. (See Angela’s son Hani’s book below.) You could also use them as a mini photo display, travel journal, event program, or as a wedding favor.

See Remodelista for the complete how to. Meantime here are some pictures.

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a present from pikku

by Justine on January 25, 2013

in paper,wood

I’m supposed to be vacuuming. I finished all my deadlines for the week, so now it’s time to banish the dust bunnies that have been multiplying under the bed.

Instead, while catching up on emails, I was distracted by a lovely gift that arrived in the mail yesterday: this beautiful calendar by Valerie at Pikku. Sitting at the edge of my desk, where one can clearly discern the grain of the wood and impressions of the letterpress, it’s even more striking in person. Love the playful bubble pattern and the warm gray (perfect for my New England-historic, Scandi-modern home). Really, who would resist playing with such an exquisite new toy?

Couldn’t help pairing works by two friends: Angela’s accordion books with Valerie’s calendar.

It fits right in with personal possessions like Oliver’s water buffalo, which he made for me two years ago.

light striations on the desk

Trying my new calendar out all over the house. This is the first time that I noticed Oliver’s drawing on the dining room wall. I can’t be mad; it’s too fabulous. I’m leaving it.

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cecilia levy – paper stories

by Justine on January 23, 2013

in art/crafts,paper

Stunning, no? Safe to say that when I first saw these paper boots by Swedish artist Cecilia Levy, they took my breath away. Such wit and liveliness, you can just picture the jaunty little gnome that sports them, pausing in his errand for a quick survey of the wintry landscape. At least that’s the image that comes to my mind.

And these wooly wellies are just one of Levy’s many storied works. Others include magical tea cups, as gossamer as faery wings. Do they reveal your fortune as you drink? Or desiccated thistles waiting to be taken by the wind, the seeds of a new tale wrapped in their stems.

To make these creations, Levy uses old books from the beginning of the last century. These, she notes, “carry their own history, not only in the words, but also in the stains and dog ears,” or perhaps the notes in the margins. Taking her cue from the paper itself, creamy whiteness or brittled browns, she lets the materials guide her. Ripping, shredding and cutting she destroys in order to conjure a new form.

The results are a new kind of ephemera. A push/pull between life and death. Organic and fluid, Levy’s sculptures remind of Nature’s bounty. Yet dry and faded, husk-like, they conjure images of fall. Dynamic, their translucent hulls dance in the light. They are light, airy and free, but also fragile. This powerful dichotomy is further enhanced by the fact that the artist never lets us fully forget the material’s previous form. Texts remain like phantoms of the tomes they once were.

Thus to me, Levy’s work reminds us that all is transient, but never completely lost. Though we may try and guarantee our immortality with weighty words or even lofty works of art, time will eventually wear away at these. And yet in some sense our imprint remains. As Cecilia herself, so deftly puts it: “The story continues, but in a different form.”

Hailing from Stockholm, Levy received her MFA in graphic design at the School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg. Seeking more hands-on work, she then went on to study bookbinding at Leksands Folkhögskola. Today she gives regular workshops on bookbinding and exhibits her work in and around Sweden.

detail Daily Thistles, 2012. Public commission for Gottsunda Library, Uppsala

Intet är som väntans tider, “Nothing is Like Expecting,” 2012

Mermaid, 2010

Hobo – Homeward Bound, 2012

Intet är som väntans tider, “Nothing is Like Expecting,” 2012

Daily Thistles, 2012. Public commission for Gottsunda Library, Uppsala

Colony 2011

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good morning from new england

by Justine on January 22, 2013

in fauna,Our House

The view out our kitchen window this morning had the whole family enthralled.

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copirates

by Justine on January 21, 2013

in ceramics,textiles

I’ve come to realize that I have a thing for stitch. Whether sewn or merely implied with a painted line, there is something about a cloth or canvas traversed with thread. Like tracks in the snow, these pricks and tucks are echoes from another time. Traces of a different story, weaving their way across a pristine landscape, they add textured, dimension, and a bit of mystery. Present but vague, these ghosts are not to be ignored. Their identity revealed after only the most carefully scrutiny.

Perhaps this fascination with the subtleties of stitch, explains the allure of the small and intimate collection of copirates. Another find from Ms. Beau, my source for everything French and fabulous, copirates is a collaboration between artists Myriam Balaÿ Devidal and Lydia Rump, who share influences and experiences in fashion, theater, and textile design. Featuring handmade items by the artists themselves, or by their friends and fellow creators, copirates is an unusually personal selection of sewn and other goods – storied gems, adding character to the person and home.

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sage solvi

by Justine on January 19, 2013

in kid serendipity

It’s not pretty, but it’s beautiful.

Here’s a little story about my four-year-old daughter. Yesterday when I picked up Solvi from “lunch bunch,” she told me that together the class had fashioned a paper chain. While she was helping to make it, she thought to herself, “This would be a perfect gift for Mama. I hope I get it.” In the end though, Solvi, who said she was bored and couldn’t keep her feet still, did not earn the chain as a reward for quietest sitting.

“I was so disappointed, Mama, I couldn’t move!” she stated emphatically.

“But then I thought, wait, I can make one myself.”

And so she did. Immediately upon coming home, she gathered all the materials she needed and, rather than be paralyzed with disappointment, she proceeded to create her own destiny.