JR Has a Wish

JR is an artist who pastes photos on the walls of the world, making thought-provoking art available to everyone--including those who may not ever have the chance to step into a museum. It also represents people who are hugely under represented.

 JR is winner of the 2011 TED prize, and in this TED talk explains his work, and his wish:

I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world…INSIDE OUT. 

Ten Indian Artists to Watch

Happy New Year!

Yummy! Apricot Jam Session

Canning in Rockridge
Originally uploaded by melonybravmann

I'm so lucky!

I won a silent auction and got to learn how to make apricot jam at a lovely woman's stunning home in Rockridge this weekend. She would not admit to being a teacher (her husband is a professor). Nevertheless, she managed to instruct even the most complex aspects of canning with ease.

As part of my effort to live more fully and more aesthetically, this project brought plenty of joy and color to my weekend.

Antidepressants for the Eyes

They happen frequently, they are pretty much unavoidable, and they are sometimes the reason for that icky, funky feeling that makes me want to retreat back to my bed for another eight hours…M O N D A Y S. Yep, some of them are just a downer. Since I’m rarely afforded the luxury of skipping Monday altogether, I need a happiness tonic to get me through.

Occasionally, that means a super awesome cup of coffee and my favorite shoes (converse). Other times, a good joke will make everything better. But today I need to look at some visual antidepressants, and that’s what I found this morning.

First, Mati (pronounced Matey) Rose McDonough’s newsletter appeared in my inbox this morning all full of summer joy and sweetness. Before summer is over, my baby's room is getting a couple of her prints. You can buy her work on etsy, and she is represented by Lilla Rogers Studio.

Then I hopped over to Little Paper Planes for a bliss fix. Julianna Swaney’s fairytale images put me in a kid state of mind, that seems to reverse signs of sadness and aging.

I also really enjoyed seeing Iris Schwarz , and her old-fashioned, chic little drawings.

That (OK, that and a cup of coffee) was enough to motivate me through the fog.

There’s much more out there - joyful, feel good, but not Hallmark sappy artwork - to help turn a frown upside down in a way that won't make you feel taken advantage of. Maybe I’ll start an regular Antidepressant Monday posting to keep us all in good spirits.

Smile!

AIGA Portfolio Reviews at CCA SF Campus

AIGA Portfolio Reviews at CCA SF Campus
Originally uploaded by melonybravmann
Multitudes of designers converged on CCA’s San Francisco Campus yesterday: Most of them young students and recent graduates laying their egos aside and their portfolios on the table, in hopes of improving the way they present themselves to the world, and more importantly, to potential employers. A range of willing reviewers from the professional world of design accepted free lunch in exchange for their time to provide portfolio feedback. Oh, and the after party was a nice perk, too.
As a reviewer, I saw an interesting range of work from the students who sat down at my table. From first year undergrads to recent grads, the styles and focus varied greatly, but my job was easy – everything was good from “my” designers. Maybe it’s that there is more follow-through than there was when I was in school. Yes, we hand-bound books, but ours looked a little rougher around the edges. These student books had a finished, polished quality – but not so polished that it looked machine-made. The maturity in that completion was impressive.
Seeing the work of young designers up close and hearing about their processes brought me back to the core of what interests me: Working directly with creatives, and being close to the professional optimism and immediate creative passion that defines artists just starting out.
And when I told them to never take jobs that aren’t true to their philosophy, I felt just a wee tinge of hypocrisy emerging. After all, I’ve always “gone where the work is” instead of analyzing my motivations and my clients and employers.
It was a lesson in self-reflection.

Brian Skerry's Ocean Horror

This is so incredibly eye opening, and an excellent example of how art can make a difference. I had to share it with you. I'm stunned...