Posts Tagged ‘Inspiration’

Somewhere

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Sofia Coppola returns with Somewhere, the 4th feature film addition to her modest, yet accomplished body of work. The film stars Stephen Dorff as bad-boy actor Johnny Marco who lives at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and gets an unexpected visit from his 11 year old daughter, played by the stunning, Elle Fanning. I loved all 3 of Sofia’s feature films (despite her fascination with casting Kirsten Dunst) and I’m looking forward to December when this latest gem hits theatres. There are already whispers of another Oscar nomination for Sofia, while other critics are cringing at the decision to cast has-been Stephen Dorff in the lead role (come on, everyone loves a come-back story). I predict that this film will be much like her previous 3, full of breath-taking visuals, emotional performances and perfect musical scoring. (I can’t wait to hear what Phoenix comes up with for the score.)

somewhere_sofia_coppola

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Colour Me Wonderful

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

“Colour is infinite, you can always split the difference between 2 colours.” And with that statement Pantone throws 566 new colours into the mix with their new Pantone Plus Matching System. If only we had Pantone’s 28 spot colour press at our disposal, and if only our clients had the budget to print 28 spot colours. Until then, we’ll have to settle for more modest 2 or 3 spot colour jobs or hope that printers can match these wonderful new hues via CMYK processes, but I won’t hold my breath. My favourite line from a print rep: “Ooooooh, gee, i don’t know… hmm, orange (or purple, or black, or ‘insert colour here’) is a really difficult colour to match.”. I’m of the opinion that more colour=more awesome but printers may not agree.

pantone-plus

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Calm Down

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Finally, after years of coveting these prints, I can finally relax because I have purchased a screen printed Keep Calm and Carry On poster of my very own. This morning while walking past Hoopers, I just happened to look up at their window display and noticed the posters in the background. They still have black, red and perhaps even a yellow one left. Sorry friends, I bought the last mint green one.

keep_calm

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J’adore Jessica

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

I need it, I want it, I have to have it! There is no doubt that Jessica Hische has created some beautiful work, but her limited edition Letterpress Drop Cap print might be my favourite so far. If I wasn’t saving every spare penny for my friend’s wedding in Hawaii, I would be ordering her limited edition print this second. This has definitely made my wish list and I’m crossing my fingers that there will still be one left for me to buy in April. (Photos courtesy of Jessica’s website.)

drop_cap

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What Type Are You?

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

I found a link to Pentagram’s type quiz on Design Sponge this morning (while reading her post about Parliament, who we blogged about a few weeks back). The quiz determined that I am Archer Hairline, a charming slab-serif typeface designed by Hoefler & Frere-Jones and Tyler is Architype Van Doesburg, the geometric sans-serif typeface originally designed by Theo Van Doesburg, co-founder of the DeStijl art movement. In my opinion the results were bang on. If you’re looking for something to do, head over and see what type you are. (password: character)

what-type-are-you

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A Walk on the Wild Side

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

I will admit, I am not a huge reader. I’d like to be, but the reality is I am a bit out of practice. It took me about as long to read this book as it took Bill Bryson to actually complete his journey through the Appalachians. That being said, it was literally a “laugh out loud” journey, with Bill and his friend Stephen providing the comic antics. At the time they were plodding miserably through forests, over mountains and in icy streams, I’m sure they were not thinking “this is freakin’ funny”, but trust me, it had its moments of true hilarity. A highly recommended read.

There was talk in the office the other day about what inspires each of us (I was actually absent for this discussion but I was brought up to speed later). In consideration of this topic, this book came to mind. Even though there was more trials and tribulations in this story than there was jubilation, it made me want to throw on a pack and go hiking. As I thought about the idea of inspiration a little more, I realized it wasn’t so much this book that inspired me but the idea of doing something out of the norm (at least for me as I haven’t been hiking for several years). New experiences of almost any kind are inspirational to me, so this year - call this my new year’s resolution - I am going to make an attempt to try new things. Goodbye countless nights in front of the TV and hello to a new and exciting 2010!

a-walk-in-the-woods

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The Impossible Cool

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

There are just some people on this Earth that are inherently cool. While I may not be one of them, I certainly agree with many of the subjects chosen for The Impossible Cool.

impossible_cool

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A Wild Ride

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

I’m sure there are many of you out there feverishly anticipating Spike Jonze’s upcoming interpretation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” It’s OK, you’re not alone. If you’re a fellow designer, you can appreciate the process of creation no matter how large or small the project. Check out this interesting article on the director’s unique process to creature creation. And as a cherry on top, check out the making-of featurette over at Apple if you haven’t already.

wildthings

wildthings2

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Guilty

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Love this poster from Danny Jones.

danny_jones

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Container Homes

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

With a surplus of shipping containers filling ports all over the world, it’s no wonder people are using them as a green alternative to building. Shipping containers are durable, inexpensive and can be stacked up to 9 containers high, which makes it easy to start off with a modest size home and add on later down the road. Check out these examples of modern-style shipping container homes. (Even the pool in the second photo is made from a shipping container.)
container_homes

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