Happiness

I guess today is Article Day...
Here's an Op-Ed article from the NYTimes about what breeds happiness. The article isn't particularly profound or eloquently written, but the message is pretty much in line with what I generally have to say about the subject...and provides some research to back that message up.

The vacuum of enthusiasm

Alexandra Lange urges us to "be meaner." This article on Design Observer about design blogs is at least partially accurate, and I've been thinking the same myself lately. Essentially, the author argues that most design blogs just enthusiastically point out pretty things for people to buy, but rarely talk about the critical, more negative side of things. She also points out a lack of historical context and true experience (i.e., most posts are based upon the viewing of a 2D image on the internet).

Master at work.

Tony Dispigna demonstrating a freehand sketch of Spencerian script. So Very Excited to do this myself.

More letterforms

Here are some more hand-drawn ligatures I've been working on for my Letterforms class.

Impossible

A fantastic little quote.

Broken Social Scene

More Broken Social Scene releases! Woohoo.

Collar bones

I can't stop listening to this song.



[North Highlands, "Collar Bones"]

Alexa Meade

Alexa Meade paints on flesh, but the results are much different than anything I've seen before. Pretty awesome.

What is tangibility?

You shall soon find out.
(Working hard on my thesis these days...)

(Photo + handcut type by me.)

70 Million

Art history via music video.

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

(via Kitsune Noir)

Lisztomania

A video of the awesome kids of PS22 Chorus singing Lisztomania by Phoenix. For the Glee-lover in you, check out their blog for a bunch of other songs.



(via Kitsune Noir)

Leftovers for the eyes

Beautiful unpublished visual experiments at Triboro Design Leftovers. These are the kind of leftovers you're happy to have around.

(Their work is pretty great, as well.)






(via Swissmiss)

Carpuccino

Cool! The Carpuccino is a car that runs on coffee grinds.

(via UO)

Stellar

Oh hi, pretty.

Burritos!

Perhaps the most random thing I've ever posted on this here blog, but I just saw this video and it made me crack up. Enjoy...

The sixth sense.

Have you heard of synesthesia?
Literally meaning "union of the senses," it's "a neurological condition in which two or more sensory experiences are inextricably linked in an individual." For example, some people see the alphabet in colors (certain letters being certain colors), while other can taste the shape of things or see the color of a sound. Incredibly fascinating. Read more about it in this article by frog design.

*I don't know. Just a computer doodle when I was bored.

No Fear

Illustrator Brian Rea noticed that those living around him in New York had a lot of fears. In 2008, he began taking note of these worries and cataloging them by type for his project Murals. In the exhibit, he filled a huge wall with these fears, organized by type (political, emotional, etc.) and they look truly overwhelming as a result. The mural is located "appropriately, along a long, dark, scary hallway." Very cool.

Vintage Sesame Street

Wow, I totally remember this Sesame Street video on letterpress. Maybe my love for letterpress was born at an early age?



(via Studio on Fire)

PercusiveArt

Beautiful paper art by Charles Clary. Hand-cut paper, I should add.




(via Fubiz)

Amazingly Practical Tote Bag

I love this Amazingly Practical Tote Bag by Devicious and Richard Perez (SkinnyShips). The copy is quite funny, and the design is great.


(via Kitsune Noir)

Well-(RED)

For this awesome series, Penguin and (RED) (the AIDS awareness organization) teamed up to create redesigned covers for 8 Penguin Classics. Each features a quote from the book in a typographic treatment across the front.

For the record, I loved The House of Mirth when I was in high school...
Click above to see the whole series, including Great Expectations, another of my favorites.

Won't you please?

I will be forever yours if only you'll take this very short survey of mine about gossip for a project I'm working on. It will only take a couple minutes and will remain completely anonymous.

Thanks in advance!

Antonello Silverini

I really love Antonello Silverini's illustration style—it's so full of texture and quirkiness.