DRAWING ON AIR: LIX 3D PEN

This week I read about some crazy and deliriously exciting new technology: 3D pens. What does that mean? Well, these fabulous instruments are pens that dispense a synthetic polymer (aka a specialty plastic) literally in the air as you write. With them you can draw in three dimensions. Is your mind blown yet?

Apparently MoMA Store already has one in stock (how did I not know this, given my obsession with that shop?), but this prototype by Lix on Kickstarter looks even more amazing. The pen seems so sleek, cool and easy to use that my mind is having trouble computing all the crazy technology it must hold to be able to effortlessly 'print' your drawings in real time as the video above shows.

No wonder the project has received over ten times its funding goal—this thing looks like magic.

Anyway, if any of my nearest and dearest happen to be reading this and happen to put in an order in anticipation of a future gift-giving event I would be ecstatic. (Hint, hint!) And should you want to grab one yourself, you can head over to the Lix Kickstarter page here. As Tina, the lovely 'swiss miss' said, imagine the possibilities!

(My only beef: I wish the people in the Kickstarter video would look at the camera! Reminds me of this  2011 debacle.)

WARBY PARKER LOVE

Last week I went to the doctor to have my eyes examined. Recently I found myself squinting to read street signs and the scores scrolling across the bottom of the screen on ESPN (blame it on the hours of grad school reading!). Turns out I need a tiny prescription to correct this, which I took as an opportunity to buy some cool glasses!

I have been in love with Warby Parker for a while—they have an impeccable design sense, the fabulous mission to donate one pair of glasses for every pair purchased and (as of this summer) have several beautiful new showrooms in New York. I headed over to their Greene Street store on Friday to pick up my glasses and nearly swooned. Not only were the display cases gorgeous, but they had fostered an old-world library vibe, complete with gold reading lamps, library ladders and color-coded bookshelves (yes!!).

They even have a (free) photo booth so you can pose for a quick picture with your new frames! Love!

After much discussion with a lovely sales associate (a sweet guy who goes to the New School and majors in media studies; I wanted to befriend him instantly!), I decided to get the Welty in Whisky Tortoise. They are a little bit bigger/hipper than standard rectangular readers but still cool enough that I my face will appear stylish. At least I hope so!

And the bonus? All of Warby Parker's frames, including prescription, are only $95. Win!

Even one of my favorite artists, Jason Polan (who is trying to draw every person in New York), has hit up Warby Parker! All the cool kids are doing it!

Check out all the Warby Parker goodness here and find a store here.

p.s. This is not a sponsored post (I don't do those), I just like to gush about good companies when I find them. :)

THROUGH THE WIRE

How cool are these? Artist Gavin Worth creates beautiful line drawings out of wire and mounts them onto simple wooden bases (reminds me of these!). With just a few short strokes he can communicate the essence of human emotion and interpersonal relationships. The result is both moving and poignant and I would love to have one of these on my mantle.

Check out his gorgeous portfolio here.

And have a great weekend!

(thanks to This is Colossal for the tip)

NUMBERS NEVER LIE

Have you seen these amazing video clips by sports reporter Michael Smith for ESPN? Presenting stats through animated illustration, he creates these short segments for the show he co-hosts called Numbers Never Lie. I love them! And not just because I am a die hard Pats fan and this clip is talking about the trouble with the Jets . . .

Check more out here (and see more of my sports obsessions here).

STRIKING THE ARTISTIC FLAME

There is something simple and lovely about the tiny drawings Krista Charles does on the inside of matchbooks. She collects antique matchbooks and then revisits the location listed on them, drawing whatever exists in that spot today. Sometimes the restaurant or shop is still there, sometimes it is just a hunk of sidewalk. Either way the detailed mini drawings, combined with the wonderfully kitschy matchbooks, make the perfect package.

Learn more about Krista's work here.

(Thanks to Miss Moss for the tip.)

RAD AD

Love this: the music, the idea, the execution. Its advertising at its best! Way to go Faber Castell—a company that makes wonderful art materials and now wonderful commercials!


Thanks to DesignMom for the tip.

THE DELIGHT OF DRAWING

Oh my goodness, the new children's book 'Let's Make Some Great Art' by Marion Deuchars looks absolutely incredible.  I still remember getting this book as a little girl and filling up long afternoons by experimenting with its projects.  I would love to recapture a little of that delight and inspiration and have this book to flip through in my apartment.


Buy the book for $13.57 (a steal!) here and check out the beautiful website that accompanies it here.


(Thanks to Black*Eiffel for the heads up)

HISTORY OF THE TITLE SEQUENCE

Spectacularly beautiful video that I couldn't help but share. I wish I could think of (or execute) something this elegant. Sigh, perhaps in another life!


Made by Dutch creative designer Jurjen Versteeg, you can learn more about the work on Vimeo.


Thanks to Uppercase for the tip.

PER YOUR SUGGESTION: ALESSANDRA BALDERESCHI

How fabulous is this outdoor furniture? It's a series called 'Fildefer' has been designed by Alessandra Baldereschi for Skitsch to resemble line drawings of tufted couches and chairs. Cool right?

Learn more here.

Thanks to Courtney (and Apartment Therapy) for the heads up.

WATERCOLOR WONDER

My oh my, the work created by artist Sasha Prood is stupendous. I love the custom typography, pretty patterns and bright colors (of course). Do yourself a favor and check out more of her work here.

(recommended by seesaw)

SOL LEWITT: WALLED IN

Have you heard about the Sol Lewitt wall drawing retrospective at MASS MoCA? It looks absolutely beautiful and is up for twenty-five years (until 2033)! Here are the details:

Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective comprises 105 of LeWitt’s large-scale wall drawings, spanning the artist’s career from 1969 to 2007. These occupy nearly an acre of specially built interior walls that have been installed—per LeWitt’s own specifications—over three stories of a historic mill building situated at the heart of MASS MoCA’s campus. The 27,000-square-foot structure, known as Building #7, has been fully restored for the exhibition by Bruner/Cott & Associates architects, which has closely integrated the building into the museum’s main circulation plan through a series of elevated walkways, a dramatic new vertical lightwell, and new stairways.

LeWitt—who stressed the idea behind his work over its execution—is widely regarded as one of the leading exponents of Minimalism and Conceptual art, and is known primarily for his deceptively simple geometric structures and architecturally scaled wall drawings. His experiments with the latter commenced in 1968 and were considered radical, in part because this new form of drawing was purposely temporal and often executed not just by LeWitt but also by other artists and students whom he invited to assist him in the installation of his artworks.

Having gone to college very close to MASS MoCA, I can attest that the museum already has a fabulous collection and incredible buildings/grounds. But with this long-term exhibition in a newly-renovated building, I think I we now have even more incentive to make the trip up to the Berkshires!

Read more about the retrospective (and watch some great time lapse installation videos) here.

DRAWN OUT

I got up at 3am this morning to pre-order the Verizon iPhone (which I have been drooling over for a while now; see here, here, here and here), so I am keeping it low key today. I thought I would share this amazing stop motion video created by Adam Vhoores and Will Bryant for the digital magazine Signature. I love the idea of taking advantage of the digital media and making it move . . . So cool! Enjoy.

(found via design work life, of course!)

HOLLA!

Hi all! How was your weekend? I had a fabulous time in Toronto and my presentation on Friday went super well. I got some great feedback and am looking forward to refining my text, presenting it again and trying to get it published. All good, right?

I still have to give you guys a sneak peak into my argument for the paper—I can promise I will do that tomorrow! Until then, I am using this awesome hand-drawn text by Brad Simon (taken from his Tumblr series here; found via OK Great here) to give myself a proverbial pat on the back. Is that too much? Either way, I needed an excuse to post his awesome type drawings; brighten up your Monday and go check them out!

OBSESSIVE TENDENCIES

Design for Mankind featured the crazy installations by Heike Weber a while ago. But really I could not pass up something so clearly in line with my obsessive tendencies! The top and bottom images show drawings completed entirely by hand with permanent marker. The middle two photos are works made only with cording tied around pins stuck into the wall. Intensely awesome.

See more of Heike Weber's work here (I particularly love the drawings on paper!).

JIM DENEVAN

A couple months ago I discovered the beautiful, breath-taking work of the land artist Jim Denevan (I can't remember where I read about him; if it was on your site please jog my memory!). I am particularly enthralled with his sand drawings--huge, sweeping geometric studies that are soon washed away by the incoming tide. Isn't that concentric circle drawing just spectacular? How fabulous would it be to stumble across one of these while heading out for a swim?

Read more about Jim Denevan on his website here.

PER YOUR SUGGESTION

I am been really impressed with the amazing comments by you all, my lovely readers, recently. I love the fact that you know my style and often send me links to stores, artists or designers I might like. Even better? Every tip is awesome! So, I thought I would start a new series composed completely of your recommendations. I am calling it 'Per Your Suggestion'.

After reading my post about the Etsy store sprinthread, the lovely Kathryn sent me a link to the store stone&honey. Absolute jewelry lust immediately ensued. She sent me right to these beautiful gold pendants that feature different permutations of 'pinwheels' and 'honeycombs.' There are many versions of these delicate necklaces, each changing the number or orientation of the pinwheels or honeycombs, and for $65 they seem like a steal.

Check them out here.

A week or two ago the sweet Karen Oleary wrote me an email suggesting I might like her shop. Clearly, she has noted my undying love of maps. Her Etsy shop, studiokmo, is chock full of beautiful map creations: city maps made totally from thousands of tiny parallel lines (or "hatching" if you are in the art biz) or from endless cut-outs, leaving only the brightly colored streets behind. The prices span a wide range, depending on the amount of labor involved, but I can assure you that her prices reflect a quality and artistry that makes every piece unique and beautiful.

Check out studiokmo here.

Thank you for all your suggestions! Keep them coming!