{ Arrested Development Valentines }

Since it is the season of love, with Valentine's Day just around the corner the Loon and I spent the morning having way too much fun making Valentines Day printable cards of our favorite show, Arrested Development. They are post below and feel free to print and share! ctm.

 

{ Knoxville Murals: Sprucing Up Dead Space }

It looks like those Dead Spaces under the interstate by-passes are getting some love in north knoxville. A mural project was started a few months back by the north knoxville communities (Fourth and Gill, Parkridge, old North, and Knoxville) and led by Parkridge resident Lynne Sullivan and artist (chosen via contest last winter) Per-Ole Lind, also an East Knox resident. But it seems like the murals are finally taking shape and coming together and additionally bringing the communities together!

“It’s done more than create art,” Sullivan said. “It’s created community. And I hope it’s just the first of many projects the neighborhoods can do.” 

For additional pics see link {via}

{ Apparently Artists and Cats have a Bond }

While I'm no stranger to the benefits of having some great kitties. It's always nice to find others (artists I admire no less!) who share the same love for felines as me. Similar to the Freddie Mercury article, I'm in love with Dali and his beautiful Ocelot, and Warhol and his 25 kittens all named Sam.


The elusive, self-sustaining nature of the cat finds its human reflection best in the personality of the artist - as they often seek inspiration from their feline companions. similar to ancient egyptian culture - in the sense that they revered cats as borderline deities - cat domestication owed to the clear depictions of house cats in paintings from over 3,600 years ago. being viewed as both an object
of worship and an adored pet, the animals frequently were adorned with jeweled necklaces and gold earrings.{via}

{ Handmade Love }

had to share this video I came across. Love the textures, and I think it goes without saying I'm always a fan of the handmade. Love this! Doesn't it remind you of the movie the Eames made, I believe it's called Goods?
We were asked to create a film about bespoke tailoring for the Handmade issue of Wallpaper*. They hooked us up with the famous italian tailors of Brioni. We came up with the idea that a hand would be the ultimate customer to prove the skills and craftmanship of a brand as Brioni. {via}

{ Eye Candy: Streetscapes on Cardboard }

I just had to share this little piece of eye candy! These Streetscapes are spray painted on cardboard! I can hardly believe how beautiful some are... I've included my faves, but the imposition of the cardboard text (most look like ikea boxes, tehehehe!). Done by German street artist... I think that's a fancy word for graffiti artist... Evol, uses stencils to display an uncanny attention to detail using light and shadow on mundane consumer packings. {via}

{ Type Hype: Handmade Type }

transformation of A to a

Yay for a well deserved Type Hype post! It's been a while since I've crushed on a type/font, but luckily Colossal is dishing out the eye candy today! I've always had a soft spot for process and transformation, and Tien Mao-Lien does not disappoint with her Handmade Type: a typography experiment. I mean, just look at all those .gif's! Love 'em!
Lien drew shapes with ink on one or both of my hands, manipulating my gestures into the corresponding shape to signify an upper-case letter. Then, using the same shape on my hands, I manipulated my gesture or changed the perspective through which the shape is viewed in orderto transform the upper-case letter to a lower-case of the same letter. Removingor redrawing the darkened shape on my hands is not allowed in the experiment. The only way to make the model transform from an upper-case to a lower-case (orvice versa) is changing the gestures or the perspectives. {via}

{ look at this curious post }

Someone has missed a sweet love connection, and right in the ol' A+A (art + architecture building) the einstein bagels moved in the year after I graduated, but I do know the ladies working in that building were sassy to a whole new level! my next bagel is dedicated to you, mr and finding your miss blueburry. {via}

{ Eye Candy: Plaid Love }

Totally reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright (at least for me)... These Plaid Benches by Raw Edges use interlocking colored wood to create a delightful "woven" pattern with wood ::swoon::  

( My Boyfriend: the Loon }

John, the Loon, with The Bean.

Yes, I suppose it's true, my baby's daddy believes the earth is flat. I know it sounds crazy, but isn't everyone entitled to their few crazy ideologies?... let's say it keeps things interesting. When we first started dating, I did what any normal girl would do and googled, john davis, and to my amazement I found a BBC article about a 'flat earther' scientist from Chattanooga (originally Canada) who does in fact believe this idea of a 'round earth' is just a conspiracy by the government.

Now, I know that confirmed his crazy, but really what kept me around was this quote, "I came to realize how much we take at face value," davis says. "We humans seem to be pleased with just accepting what we are told, no matter how much it goes against our senses." This stuck with me, I think because it's something that is beat into us in academia (my first love). Too often, we just agree with what we are told and move on, but is it not how we progress or learn to be constantly questioning? But that's for a whole 'nother day. For now, here's my boyfriend, the Loon's interview on American Loon. 

{ Bow Chica Bow Wow }

Congratulations are in order for good ol' Knoxville! Apparently Amazon.com has ranked Knoxville as the #2 most romantic city in the US.  After compiling sales data of romance novels and relationship books (Kindle Books and print books), romantic comedy movies (digital movies and DVDs), Barry White albums (CDs and MP3s), along with sexual wellness products, since Jan. 1 of this year on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents, Knoxville was the most improved and zoomed up from number 14 to number 2! woot woot! so I bet we can all expect a good V-Day.{via}

{ Making of Empire Strikes Back }

Vanity Fair has released a few pictures from the upcoming book, The Making of the Empire Strikes Back. Some of these are too great. The pillows below Luke's 'death' is probably my fave. {via}

When Darth Vader (David Prowse) revealed his secret to Luke,
Hamill was hanging onto a pinnacle above mattresses
placed on cardboard boxes about 30 feet off the ground.

Oh how I struggle with you...

Space, often referred to as White Space or Negative Space. Giving you plenty of 'breathing' room is easier said than done. I've always struggled with holding back, not going, balls to the walls in anything (life, designs, love). But this morning thinkvitamin.com had a great link on the importance of space.