animals!

I've had the great pleasure to work on a few projects with the oh-so-gracious and spirited author/illustrator Bob Barner over this past year, and here is a sneak peek at our forthcoming release! An ANIMALS! Matching Game, to be released by Chronicle Books in Fall 2011.

happy hues

For those days at work when my brain feels like a Sloppy Joe, when I feel jaded and overwhelmed by the influx of information on a screen, when few things seem inspirational or motivational, I often partake in a computer break, go sit in a quiet place, and pull out the Pantone swatch books. Call me crazy, but there are few things more soothing than the simple act of playing and pairing together those dainty little chips.


Last Fall, with that in mind, I came up with a concept for Pantone Swatch blocks, a set of square blocks featuring an array of happy hues that could be stacked and sorted in an endless amount of ways by both children and adults alike; a simultaneous exercise in the theories behind and healing powers of color. 


After pitching it to Chronicle Books during my design fellowship here, my idea was sadly not immediately picked up, though the general idea was well-received. At the very least I have planted a seed, and perhaps it is simply waiting to sprout...And with that, I will leave you with this: A colorful classic by Mr. Glass.

harvesting

Aimee With Corn, by Corbert Gauthier. May 2010.

A new season approaches, as well as a journey back to a place at once familiar and brand new. And with this impending journey comes a harvest, as I gather together the collected components of my reality, and consider all that lies ahead.

I only desire to find true purpose; to plant my feet in a place of meaning for awhile; to come to terms with the never-ending balance of work vs. life, of connection vs. disconnection, of the stagnant smell of an office air-conditioner vs. the freedom of green grass beneath my feet. Where does the sidewalk end?

grow together

I had the great privilege this past Saturday to spend a sunny Berkeley afternoon in Alice Waters' infamous Edible Schoolyard, surrounded by a community of warm, passionate, and energetic people who believe in the nurturing and educational power of teaching our children to grow, cook, and eat together. It made me long for a dirt patch to call my own, and a community of hands to get dirty with, working together in some small way to lift up and cradle our world...


"Most of all, we used this place to express a core belief: Beauty is not a luxury; it is a means of lifting the human spirit and of giving richness to everyday life."

-Alice Waters, The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea

For more information about Alice Waters, The Edible Schoolyard, and the Chez Panisse Foundation, look here.

easy handy attractive

My elderly shopkeeping neighbor had a yard sale recently, filled with odd assortments from her long and full life. This Webway Ticket System (made in St. Cloud, Minnesota, no less!) was an absolute steal, and I'm eager to find a use for such a quirky bunch of adhesive number forms. They seem ripe for some pattern-making and play!