Apr 28, 2015

3 groovy picks - Rugs, Typography, Illustration

A silent prayer goes out to Nepal in distress. In the wake of the horrific earthquake, this news about IKEA's flat-pack shelters for the displaced, is beautifully relevant. More power to socially conscious design!

That aside, here are three amazing creatives who should fire your creativity this week...
(1) Carpets by Faig Ahmed. Love the way he breaks down the conventional structure of traditional rugs and randomly rearranges the resulting components of the traditional composition.

(2) Dana Tanamachi a whiz in hand lettering and effortless typography. You've got to start with this video of her personal project called Flourish, and go from there. I am bowled away!

(3) Assa Ariyoshi's graphic illustrations. Captivated by the way she blends bold colors, straight lines, and just the right curves.


Apr 4, 2015

3 Groovy Picks of the Week

Come Spring and Bangalore turns to one of the most beautiful cities to live in in India (forget the traffic snarls, and the pollution)... most streets are dotted by wild bursts of flowering trees. My daily morning walk to work is less hurried these days, I have to pause and take in the Yellow Cassia and Jacaranda in full bloom... simply makes my day! Just go through these digital illustrations The Flowering Trees of Bangalore by artist Megha Vishwanath and you'll know what I am raving about.

Alright, I am yet to get over this trio below...

(1) Justina Blakeney's latest book The New Bohemians, and its cover illustration by artist Monica Ramos (swoooon!)

(2) Bhang! An online store based in Chennai, India creating bespoke.dropdead.gorgeous.sarees

(3) This Color of Curry post by Deb, the Nomadic Decorator. I love the way it sounds "curry color" :-) its not yellow or brown or orange or what.

Have a beautiful week ahead.
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Apr 2, 2015

In Awe: Elise Hanna Photography

Captivated by the simple yet striking compositions in Elise Hanna's photography!

Elise is a globe-trotter but now lives and works from Chennai, India.

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

I like what she has to say "Too many designers and photographers are hung up in creating and photographing perfect spaces, perfect people. Less is so much more. I’ve lived in three countries in four years and I’ve learned that no matter where you are in the world, a home is more than four walls and light can find beauty in unexpected places."

Her eye for patterns and striking color combinations in everyday scenes is delightful. 
She has photographed India's everyday in all its rustic beauty, (especially the food) so lovingly making the asymmetrical look symmetrical, loud colors subtle, and ordinary scenes look endearing without being overly processed. 

My FAVE is this Vada-kolam with Vadas, onions and curry leaves :-) Delightful!
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

Mango ice cream looks yummier through her lens
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

Saree weaving at Kanchipuram never looked as ethereal...

Masala chai in the making!
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

The spices that go into a Madras fish curry...
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

 Everyday scenes in Chennai... Parrys Corner  
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

Pondicherry
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

If you love 'em you could order her prints here, and follow Elise's blog too.

Feb 26, 2015

7 Beautiful Portraits and Artist Entrepreneurs

One inspiration leads to another, or it definitely is when you are browsing through art and design websites and the gazillion images on Pinterest.

I love candid portraits shot in peoples' natural environments... in their workspaces or homes, where they are just pausing for a breather from work. Here are some well shot ones, of enterprising, thriving artist entrepreneurs! I leave it to you to click on the links and explore the beautiful stories behind them.

Sabrina Ward Harrison in front of her painting

Richie Culver at home

Ani Alonso of Magia Pura

Polish artist NeSpoon in the middle of her street art

Yared Nigussu with this brilliant strokes

Print maker extraordinaire Cameron Short 

Khristian Howell in her studio

Inspirational, aren't they? 
Tweet: 7 candid portraits of enterprising, thriving artist entrepreneurs! Taking a breather from work in their studios http://ctt.ec/9Oanu+

Do check out these and plenty more on my Portraits Pinterest board

Feb 2, 2015

Inspiration: Brand: PAMPA

I'd consider it the world's best career option if one could travel the world, make money while doing so, and give back to society at the same time. Nothing beats that!

Here we're talking a brand, an offbeat, socially responsible one which aims at supporting dying art forms of indigenous communities... PAMPA... founded by an Australian-Argentine photographer couple - Vicky Aguirre and Carl Wilson - who have traveled wide and far.
"We are adventurers. We integrate cultures. We search nature. We preserve art heritage. We are Pampa."


This brand has one of the most beautiful websites and products (fantastic range of art rugs hand-woven by native South American communities) I have come across. Through Pampa, Vicky and Carl have provided a growing market for the otherwise local artform which might never have crossed the surrounding mountains. These rugs now retail at several stores across Australia and New Zealand.

Here's a completely rustic, earthy brand that I am tempted to idolize. 


Watch this video for starters...
The rugs lined up...

Some of my favourite one-of-a-kind rugs from their collections:








 



And their creators...





Read about the weaving and dyeing process here.

Pampa's Instagram and Tumblr feeds are to die for, filled with stories of horses, sweeping landscapes of Australia and South America, woven rugs, weavers, and yes, Lamas.

All images from the Pampa website. You must go there!

Jan 29, 2015

Inspiration: Artist: Satoshi Kawamoto, garden stylist, chalk artist

'Garden stylist'
'Chalk artist'.

Sounds utterly delightful, 
Got me "curiouser and curiouser", 
And I took a deep dive in...

Satoshi Kawamoto a botanical artist from Tokyo who conceptualizes and builds beautiful living worlds using plants, illustrations, and handwritten typography. He founded Green Fingersa lifestyle-oriented plant and design brand based in Japan.
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog
His garden styling is far, far from neatly manicured lawns, trimmed hedges or a ton of flowering plants. 

And that's what draws me in... even though he works with potted plants, they seem to be out on their own, wild.
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog
You see what I mean?

Are you bowled over yet? 
Here are pictures of the stores/cafes/homes he has styled. 
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

Here's Satoshi's instant industrial + botanical makeover of a lampshade... how cool's that!
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

If you too love the way his garden styling sounds, and if you ever visit NYC or Tokyo, don't miss out visiting his Green Fingers stores. I definitely won't! :-)
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

Satoshi's book "Decorating With Plants" also promises to be a treat, with ideas galore for all of you with a green thumb!
An Indian, bohemian art and design blog

(All pictures are from the artist's website.)

Jan 22, 2015

4 Ways You Can Create Gorgeous Gallery Walls

A tad late into the new year :-) 

Nevertheless here I am with a guest-post useful to anyone who's looking to spice up their walls or dress up a nook in their home... 

Modernize is a US-based firm giving homeowners all the inspiration to create their dream home. It also helps you connect with a professional who will make your dream home a reality.
 

The concept is interesting, and I am happy to have Jane Blanchard of Modernize talk to you readers with some fresh, interesting tips to work around a common idea... Creating Gorgeous Gallery Walls!

Over to Jane...
Visiting the local art gallery inspires you to create your own masterpiece, but where to begin is the question. If you're like many people, you have hundreds of photos saved in a computer somewhere or stacked in a storage box. Start sorting those favorite pictures and give them a chance to shine. Gorgeous gallery walls are possible when you adhere to a few loose rules.

Mix or Match?

Strike a chord with visitors using matched frames. This decorated living space uses the black frames to accent the leather couch below. White margins surrounding the photos give each image a visual punch as you walk in the room. You want to take a look at these photos because of their prominent role. Alternatively, try mismatched frames for a more eclectic look. Mixed frames are more appropriate for a casual living room with a bright color palette. Frames often complement unusual furniture in the room to bring all the elements together, for example

Pick the Right Wall

If you have a narrow hallway, don't hang your gallery where it could be struck down. Pick a wall that is prominent yet away from major traffic. This decorator chose a back wall in the living room for their gallery. As you enter the sitting area, you enjoy the pictures without ever needing to physically walk past them. You can always get up for a closer inspection, but it's not usually necessary because of the close proximity of the seating.

Stick with a Theme

You don't want a hodgepodge of photos gracing the wall so choose your theme carefully. This room has a black-and-white theme, but you don't have to limit yourself to just color matching. Your theme could be a subject, such as flowers or horses. Stick to this theme to make the wall tell a story. Your guests will respond well to a themed wall rather than a collection of random thoughts across the space.

Change it Up

Once you create the gallery, you don't have to keep it as a permanent fixture. Art museums are constantly rearranging and adding new artwork. If you have a huge collection, swap out some pictures every season, for instance. This process refreshes the wall's appearance and encourages visitors to view the gallery again for all its changes. You want to be excited by the gallery to keep it updated as much as you like.

                                                                    ************                                                                    
Thanks for these pointers, Jane! 

So, bring out all those paintings, photos or posters which are lying rolled-up in your cupboards, and treat a wall or two in your home to a dramatic facelift!

(Click on the pictures to visit their sources)
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