svensk design

oh my, it's been a while! hi!

my latest acquisition:

i didn't know about olle eksell before coming across this book. i really love the playfulness of bold colouring and lining in his designs!

his work is an impressive example of how apparently "dated" vintage design becomes timeless precisely because it captures the spirit of an era, in this case, an era thrilled with the idea of progress, expansion, buying power, and the pursuit of witty and refined leisure.

there are so many basic elements in eksell's work that --when mixed together daringly, as he does-- show the perfect dose of style necessary to enhance the desirability of a commercial product as an equally pleasing work of art (something which comtemporary design and illustration seek so much nowadays, i think.).

i can look at each page of this book for hours! it's a visual knockout, definitely. check it out at PIE books.

bookish scenes

from wilbur wants to kill himself.

viewable notes.

dos mil trece.

2013! it feels so much more relaxed than last year, so much more natural, don't you think? 

my life changed completely ever since my last post: my marriage came to an end; i moved to live on my own for the very first time in my life; i'm teaching full-time now; and there's a whole lot of tiny every day etceteras that keep me busy and amazed and around.

starting a new life so abruptly has given me all these multi-dimensional views about so many things, and yet, my soul feels warm and ancient, essential, all mine. i feel sad, but very blessed, very fortunate to be able to start a new chapter in my life even if things didn't work out as i had hoped they would.

anyway, i'm still in the process of letting things settle down, so i suppose it will take a while for me to get back into this blogging business again. but while that happens, i leave you a pinch of photos i have instagrammed. i can't believe how fun and practical my mobile camera has turned out to be! i do, however, miss "regular" photography (whatever that means nowadays!), but in the meantime, this will have to do.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also, i have the best friends in the world! i think i had never gotten such awesome christmas presents before!

hope your year has gotten off to a great start!

♪ bob dylan - don't think twice, it's alright 

"The up-and-coming Japanese women trendsetters."

look what i got last night!

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

i had wanted this for the longest time, but it was sold out since the beginning of the year and now gandhi seems to have a good number of copies in stock again (well, 3, in the miguel ángel de quevedo store, in case you're interested).

this book is basically a catalogue of up-and-coming japanese women dedicated to all sorts of design, photography, and illustration art. it features a little over than 100 artists on a two-page spread with portafolio-like samples of their work.

here are some photo-scans of a few of my favourites:

i really have nothing more to say other than IT'S FANTASTIC!, gorgeous!, super inspiring and smile-inducing! i'm eager to go over it thoroughly and find out more about artists that i honestly didn't even know existed.

hurray for awesome finds! \(◕▼◕)/

p.s. PIE books definitely seems to have a great selection of books -- check it out!

俳句

i think i mentioned in a previous post how amazed i was at all the zine production in the united states. there are only a handful of writers and artists who actively and continually engage in publications of the sort in mexico. there aren't any specific places that carry zines in mexico city, for example, and i've noticed that most people still don't "trust" anything that is not "properly" bound and "backed up" by a more or less known publisher. there are currently many tiny presses popping up here and there, but the rustic photocopies+staples thing has been something that has never really caught on here.

my first contact with zines was through the internet years ago, over at zine-scene @ livejournal. i was quite excited to see the huge amount people that were really into the whole diy publishing biz. i remember buying maybe one or two, wishing that one day i would actually make my own just so i could trade it for as many other zines as possible.

it wasn't until this recent trip to chicago that i finally got to see what all the zine hype has been about for decades and decades now, first at chicago comics and then at quimby's. i seriously could not believe the amount of zines available from all over the country! from art zines to craft zines to zines about politics or extraterrestrials or breaking up with a boyfriend for the gazillion time, you can always manage to find something that tickles your interest.

in my case, i picked up this wonderful chapbook (at quimby's) from a small garlic press:

it's a small collection of haiku by paul david mena, based on a trip he made to new york.

i've always thought of poetry as the written "equivalent" of photography, which in essence would make the haiku the most perfect of photographs due to its brevity, conciseness, vividness and power. however, i don't think i've ever read any haiku that has made me feel, i don't know... moved? truth is, i haven't read much haiku (traditional or modern), so i'm pretty sure it's ignorance speaking on my behalf, but anyway, i absolutely loved the ones in this chapbook!

each haiku reads so well, so clear, every single emotion beautifully conveyed. you can sense the author being super alert and wanting the reader to see exactly what he did. the whole collection did feel like a personal and unique mini-trip to new york! i really recommend it!

this is the author's first book, btw. you can read his daily haiku project on twitter.

y pasa que...

another great find from chronicle books. look!

this was another chicago find. i'm normally really picky about collage art, but this book totally blew me away! it's amaaazing! every piece featured is so whimsical and unique and vibrant. i hadn't seen mixed media art that had spoken to me so happily and honestly and intensely as this did, and i really recommend it to anyone for inspiration and playfulness overload.

the author even included cut-outs for her readers to use in their very own art projects!

the wonderful artist behind these gorgeous creations is sabrina ward harrison. check out her her website; it's packed with all things beautiful :)

what i wore today: the lopsided bow edition.

hey, long time no see! i've been terribly busy for the past few months. i went back to teaching junior high, so now i'm teaching kids from 12 to 18, on a really wonky schedule and super crazy non-stop stresssss. still, i'm getting by. the junior high kids are so much fun to work with, and it's always a happy thing to get a little more income going. i've been dedicating the little free time i have to my incredibly awesome karate lessons and getting my current yuck-filled health to cooperate with me. all in all, i must admit that, even though it's a demanding period in my life, i feel pretty great about it. still, i wish i had more time to... i don't know... just be able to sit down and unwind and not have to think about anything at all. there's a pile of books waiting to be read, a load of notebooks that need attention, anime series to get obsessed with, music and movies and art exhibits to catch up with... i need to get organized, yesss.

anyway, here's proof of how i never keep my word, ha! i swore that i would adopt a more grown-up, professional look for work, but godammit, i can't. peter pan forever, yo! i've also been fantasizing about being 20 again and going back to the whole obnoxious goff look, which i'll end up doing (i know myself too well!), but i suppose i still have some shame left in me and will try to do it as "accordingly" as possible ^O^

♪ noblesse oblige - seaside suicide

p.s. i had missed updating this blog! does anyone even read it? oh well. i always say this, but i really try to post as frequently as possible. at least that's my intention! i was kind of forgetting how much i like documenting stuff and sharing it with others. so, if anyone is reading, take care, and thanks a bunch for stopping by! ❤

viewable notes.

  

 

color palette

wow, it's been a while since i last posted! life has been super busy, but i'll write about that some other time :)

here's another book i scored during a recent trip a few weeks ago:

i picked this up at blick, a great little art store in downtown chicago. it was my last day in town and i had practically no money left, but i saw this and was like, "aw, man, this is so coooool... i have to have it! i can totally survive on bread and water for a month when i get back home!", which is what more or less ended up happening, heh, but this is probably one of the prettiest, most amazing books i own, so no regrets! anyway, it's basically a collection of photos taken on the streets of paris by nichole robertson and arranged by colour!

i took a photo-scan of my favourites from each colour.

and if you think i've spoiled it for you: guess again. there are still so many more photos in the book to seriously go crazy for -- as if paris in the flesh wasn't gorgeous and dreamy enough already!

you can visit the author's blog here, and don't forget to check out her turquoise&red entry if you're a combination nut like me.

btw:

best beach "read" ever. goodbye, summer!