Langdon Graves is a double threat artist, completely gifted in both illustration and sculpture. I’m especially drawn to the former because of her experiments with illusion that employ plenty of realism.
Shop the work of Langdon Graves
I’ve had a rough time getting and staying focused yesterday as well as today, and when that happens I find that searching out art that’s semi-abstract helps. It forces me to dissect whatever is happening in front of me in a methodical manner, and that eventually gets me back on track. Right now I’m digging deep into the paintings of Talita Hoffman, an artist from São Paulo, Brazil.
If you follow Design Crush on Instagram you may have noticed our on-going quote project, where I’ve hand-written one a day for the past several years. Quotes are something that I’ve collected, first written in a journal and then on Pinterest board, since junior high school because when someone is able to capture a thought or feeling that I haven’t been able to put into words myself I like to hang onto it.
If you’re also into the smart words of others, you’re likely to enjoy Everything Grows with Love as much as me. This squat little book from Workman Publishing is edited by the co-founders and creative directors of Flow Magazine, Irene Smit and Astrid Van der Hulst. If you’re not familiar with the wonderful-ness that is Flow, it’s a magazine that celebrates creativity, imperfection, and life’s little pleasures.
Similarly, the pages of Everything Grows with Love are full of hand-lettered and illustrated graphics by twenty contributing artists covering musings on life, love, and friendship. The affirmations, motivational sayings, and quotes will remind you to appreciate the small moments, be present, think happy, and appreciate the people around you.
Valentine’s Day is known for being *the* day for romantic love, but it’s also the perfect day for reminding others just how much they mean to you. Everything Grows with Love makes a great little gift or alternative to a traditional card. It’s a book you’ll want to keep around and return to whenever you need a smile or a bit of inspiration in your day.
Take out your favorite pages to frame or hang on the fridge. Mail one off to your long distance BFF. Or play Secret Saint Valentine and drop a few copies in the mailboxes of unsuspecting neighbors. Everything Grows with Love is just one of those gift that’s good to have handy for birthdays, engagements, or just someone who just needs a little pick me up.
This post sponsored by Workman Publishing. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
Posted In behind the scenes, create, holidays, living, read up, sponsored post, valentine's day
One man’s trash being another’s treasure very well may be The Lost Object‘s favorite phrase. The anonymous artist works with discarded and abandoned materials to create installations and sculptures through a zen process where nothing is set in stone except achieving balance and harmony.
I make stuff from junk. I pick up messes and try to make them into something I think looks good. I use the junk from the city, I use the stuff from the field, I use the bits in the forest, and the things in the trash. I hunt, I collect, I gather, but only what I need for the work, for the play. Color, shape, composition. Some lost stuff gets found again.
I’d love to have one – or five – of these ceramic wrap vessels by Formantics in my hot little hands! Each piece is a bespoke handcrafted original artwork, with everything from the hand-drawn pattern to the glazing being completely unique.
Peace by Ampersand Design Studio
Pink Floral Bouquet I by Lisa Rupp
Pirkei Avos Quote by Grace D. Chin
Rejected La Croix – Male Tears by Kate Bingaman-Burt
Checkered Poster by Garance Doré
Dans le vent by Stephanie Rivet
Desert Poster by Linda Benziger
Measurements Poster by Chickpea Magazine
Kindah Khalidy is a California-based painter and textile designer whose fine art paintings are collected and exhibited the world over. She’s also partnered with some big brands to take her work to other realms and audiences. Oh, and then there’s Khalidy’s book A Playful Plan for Learning to Paint that shares a sophisticated look-and-learn approach to the craft.
There’s snow on the ground at my house, and these bright acrylic paintings by Chilean artist Javiera da Fonseca have me craving a tropical vacation! The vibrant background gradients have me dreaming of ocean sunsets and cocktails under looming palm trees.
French-born, London-based illustrator Malika Favre‘s work is often described as being part pop art and part optical art – I can definitely see why. Her use of positive and negative space, along with the large fields of bright primary color present in nearly every piece feel super graphic and full of energy.
