If you’ve ever visited Brooklyn you’ve probably walked by a bodega or ten, and in the process maybe noticed a cat who looked right at home. Sunny Eckerle captures these felines in an ongoing illustrated series, Brooklyn Bodega Cats, that captures and celebrates this unique part of the city and tells a bit of their stories.
Tomás Saraceno is a new name to new in the interactive art world, but man, I’m loving everything of his that I lay eyes on. My favorite is Becoming Aerosolar. All of Saraceno’s work is an exploration into humanity’s environmental impact on the planet. Becoming Aerosolar‘s ethereal, airborne vehicles are created from recycled plastic bags that are heated by the sun to a certain point until they start to float. This installation is currently on view at 21er Haus.
(via Anthology)
Posted In create, installation
Satsuki Shibuya brings her watercolor paintings to life in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Intuition, energy, spirit, and exploring the realms of the unknown are the base upon each piece is built. They leave me feeling very introspective and calm, how about you?
I’m so happy to reveal Design Crush’s new site as well as our fresh identity! Over the last several months I’ve been working with CooperHouse for the fourth time to create a design that reflects what we have evolved into over the past eight years. (Yes, EIGHT YEARS! I missed my own blog anniversary last month – whoops.) We’ll be working out some kinks through the days, so hold tight if things don’t look 100% at any given time. I want to point out some of the new features, but first a big fat THANK YOU for reading Design Crush. Right from the bottom of my minimalist heart.
I’ve been antsy for a refresh, but knew that also meant a new brand identity because DC had simply outgrown our old one. A graphic designer creating anything for themselves is the equivalent of the cobbler’s children having no shoes, it’s the last thing you want to do or have time for at the end of any given day. With our first logo I overthought it so much that in the end I asked a designer friend to have a go at it. This time I had a clear vision – I knew I wanted both the logo and site designs to be clean, modern, and efficient – and went with my instincts.
Erin Cooper, half of CooperHouse and an artist in her own right, painted my portrait for the About section. (Talk about something that’s equal parts exciting and terrifying!) Roll over her handy work for a snippet or click for more in depth background on me and Design Crush. Below that you’ll find social media icons and our RSS feed so we can connect on other levels.
We added an Instagram widget in the sidebar that will pull in recent photos from my account for a peek behind the scenes, as well as events DC is associated with and the more personal side of life.
While there’s still a handy Press menu in the main navigation, there’s now also an Elsewhere section in the sidebar. It will visually showcase some of Design Crush’s recent articles elsewhere on the web, as well as my favorites that will be updated periodically.
Right below this section I’m happy to finally offer the option for you to subscribe via email! Just fill in your email address and you’re set.
As a reminder, you can also follow Design Crush on:
• Pinterest – find an extension of our aesthetic and modern products, clothing, and food
• Instagram – get a peek behind the scenes and see the more personal side
• Facebook – like our page and see 3 to 4 extra links of awesome finds daily
After years and years of lamenting my black thumb things have finally begun to turn around. I have about fifteen plants of varying sizes thriving in my home right now, and I’m quickly running out of horizontal real estate. That’s where the Pot Cradle would be a huge help. More modern than a macrame holder, these little bags would also help eliminate spills during watering (at which I’m basically a pro).
(via Design Milk)
Posted In accessories, house and home, living
Watermelon by Lu West Studio // Figure No.1 by Steven Beckly // Black Folk Circle by Yellowlion // Leather Tools Taxonomy by Mandy Mohler Photography // This Ain’t My First Time At the Rodeo by Baron von Fancy
National Parks from Schoolhouse Electric // Rock Hand by Strawberry Moth // Sea Green Ocean by Tricia McKellar // Spring by Boyoun Kim // The Anatomy of a Cactus by Rachel Ignotofsky
Posted In create, graphics, illustration, painting, paper goods, photography, prints
01/ Notifly lets you know about a scheduled meeting by blowing a bubble!
02/ Get CallerID for your front door with Peeple‘s wireless camera.
03/ A handy chart sharing how long fresh produce will last once you buy it.
04/ This year’s Serpentine Pavilion honors the London Underground with a secret corridor.
05/ The Mason Watch is like is basically a sculpture for your wrist.
06/ Stefaan De Croock (aka Strook) uses discarded doors to create giant street murals.
07/ Gum, not just chewing these days – check out Maurizio Savini‘s sculptures.
08/ Meet Mr. Head, a vacuum cleaner turned artist.
09/ Jon Alameda throws the tiniest 1-inch scale miniature pottery.
10/ A Philadelphia church was transformed thanks to lots of paracord and Aaron Asis.
This week on Design Crush:
Mixed media photo and sketch collages by Joe Rudko.
I’ll be dreaming of these Weekend Sunbeds all summer long.
Colorful, geometric asphalt jewelry from The Good Machinery.
Make your own footwear with Pikkpack.
Stunning pastel female portraiture by Hsiao-Ron Cheng.
I’d love to fill my kitchen with pieces from Fringe and Fettle Ceramics.
Incredibly realistic watercolor hands from the brush of Martha Ossowska Persson.
Loving the pins and prints coming out of The BlkSmith Co.
The blueberry upside-down cake I’ll be making until the little guys run out.
I must be a masochist at heart, because my desire to bake strikes at the most inopportune time of year. Summer. What could possibly make me want to turn on the oven when the temperature rises? Only all of the fruit at the farmer’s market. This week I found myself with the burden of two pounds of luscious blueberries that I knew would ripen before I could eat them all. I took a basic upside-down cake recipe and used a full two cups of blueberries, basically putting the fruit to cake ratio at a solid 1:1. (I’ll add my ingredient substitutions in parentheses that helped make this a bit more diabetic friendly.)
Ingredients:
• 3/4 C melted butter, divided
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 2 C blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 C granulated sugar (1/4 C + 2 Tbsp Truvia)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 C milk
Set oven to 350º. In 9-inch square cake pan, combine 1/4 cup melted butter and brown sugar. Distribute over bottom, then spread blueberries evenly over top. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
With a mixer cream remaining butter. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light. Add in egg and vanilla. Sift or mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Spread batter evenly over blueberry layer. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out cake onto a large flat plate.
Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-9.
David M. Smith is the self-described nostalgic romantic behind San Francisco’s The BlkSmith Co. Getting his hands dirty and creating things that will outlast him are both goals, while his mantra is Live fast, die often. When not designing identities, lettering, and illustrations David can be found making patches, pins, prints, and more.
If you’re an artist, or if you’ve ever talked to one about their craft, you’ve likely encountered the complaint of just how difficult human hands can be to depict. But you’ve probably never met up with Martha Ossowska Persson. She has flat-out mastered the creation of watercolor hands in every pose imaginable, taking them right out of ordinary to the extraordinary.
