2014 calendars: part 6

This week is all about a multitude of flowers of the Scandinavian, perennial and watercolor varieties.

To start, we have this lovely year-at-a-glance Scandinavian floral calendar, from Brittany Jepsen of  The House That Lars Built. Starting with a traditional painted Scandinavian folk pattern, Brittany took the original design and replaced all of the florals with photographs for a calendar that's as pretty as a picture.

Then there's this gorgeous collaborative perennial calendar, from Brown Parcel Press and one of my favorite florists, Saipua. Rather than simply creating a traditional 12-month or year-at-a-glance calendar, these two teamed up to produce a collection of 6 letterpress prints containing carefully detailed illustrations and naturally inspired colors from Saipua's seasonal arrangements.

And finally, we have an annual favorite with Bookhou's 2014 calendar. This is one that hangs above my desk at work all year, and never fails to make me smile. This year's version, with lovely floral and nature-inspired watercolors is definitely my new favorite.

Cecilia Paredes

Peruvian-born, Philadelphia-based artist Cecilia Paredes' work is quite unique. While one aspect of her practice involves building intricate objects out of discarded natural elements, the work I'm truly interested in are these images of some of her photoperformances.

Using makeup and body paint, Paredes blends her subjects into their surroundings, capturing the end result of hours of work through photography. All of the above images are from her Landscape Series, but you can see some incredible animals, warriors, and more on her website.

(Via Katie Armour)

if I had a million dollars

I would buy...{the floral edition}

Petal Pusher Wallpaper, by Joy D. Cho. Available at Rare Device.

One of Jeff Campana's grey and lavender twisted lotus bowls.

A flower seed ring, from Blanca Monros Gomez.

Kari Herer's Magnolia Bug print.

And an Ophelia pleated skirt, from Mrs. Pomeranz.

flying over the tulip fields

I've seen plenty of aerial photographs in my time, from the boxy green fields of farms to row after row of suburbian houses, but I do believe that Bruxelles5's images of tulip fields of Northern Holland are my first aerial look at flowers.

Don't they remind you of something out of a coloring book? See more stunning color-blocked landscapes on Bruxelles5's photostream.

(Photographs © bruxelles5. Via designboom)

Diana Scherer - nurture studies

Photographer Diana Scherer's Nurture Studies (2010-12) series of photographs reveals the typically hidden side of plants, presenting an archive of flowers grown from seed over a six-month period.

Rather than letting the flowers grow in open soil, she has forced each plant to develop within the confines of a vase. Only at the end of the process does she remove the plant’s corset, exposing roots that retain their shape as an evoc [sic] of the now absent vase...Scherer’s photos are carefully rationed, showing a single moment as the culmination of a long process of growth. She documents the flowers at their peak, just before they begin to shrivel as the plants start to die.

I particularly love the way the root systems for each of these are highlighted by the shape of the vase that each had to conform to. You can read more about this series, and Scherer's work, on her website.

I'm sorry to say that I'll be on vacation all next week, and don't have any posts planned during that time. I'm really looking forward to the time away though, and can't believe that it will already be the end of December when I get back. So, friends, until the 24th, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'll see you again soon!

(Via The Design Ark)

2013 calendars: part 2

Well, wouldn't you know it, but so many of my favorite artists who've created calendars in past years have decided to go for it again in 2013, with wonderful results, that I'm dedicating an entire second post to them. Not that there probably won't be a few more repeats to pop up in future posts, but for now, these guys are wowed me in the past and seem to have done so again this year.

Ah, Whimsy & Spice. Your confections taste as incredible as they look, and your prints are paper goods are calling me to be placed all over my home. What a combination. For 2013, the lovely Jenna Park has done it again with her beautifully photographed Year in Food calendar. Perfectly styled and photographed, I absolutely love this year's highlighted food choices.

And then, there are the beautiful papercut calendars of Nikki McClure. Although she may no longer be my default calendar of choice, I always love to see what illustrations and related words she puts together each year. A perfect choice for anyone looking for a full year of inspiration.

And finally, Leah Duncan's at it again with her charmingly illustrated 2013 12-month calendar and floral wall calendar. Both feature a muted color palate of grey, pink, yellow, orange, and black, with the monthly calendar mixing florals with geometric and naturalistic shapes and patterns.

Kristine Five Melvær - bloom

Don't you just love the way that a good lamp can completely change the feel of a room? I can image any one Norwegian designer Kristine Five Melvær's Bloom lamps, or even all three, as the perfect accent to a kid's bedroom, an office, or even a living room.

Unfortunately, these don't seem to have been commercially produced, but I think that their welded steel and printed canvas construction are an absolutely lovely concept.

Bloom is a series of three table lamps inspired by forms from the nature. Like big drops, the shades may be associated with buds, fruits or water, while the seams in the construction are reminiscent of fibers. The steel structures have different heights, which contribute to the association of organic bodies.

Check out more of Melvær's beautiful product design work on her website.


(Via sfgirlbybay)

design soil - fadeless

I've always loved the Japanese tradition of the single flower vase. While a big, bold flower arrangement is always thrilling, there's just something so simple and delicate about the display of a single, perfect blossom. Nobu Miake, of the group Design Soil, has taken the concept of the single flower vase one step further with fadeless, a lovely series of single flower vases designed for dried flowers.

Using brass, wood, leather, and a rubber band, these vases serve a dual purpose, with the live flower first hung upside-down to facilitate drying before it's either flipped or reconfigured to allow it to be displayed indefinitely. According to the description from the designer:

Stop the time. The vase for dried flowers hung upside down and slowly dried. Although flowers fade eventually once they are picked, this vase can defy the fate. The upside down flower slowly stops the time and start a new life with its dedicate beauty.

(Via Spoon & Tamago)