ANALOG GIRL...DIGITAL WORLD...

I guess that's why I'm so drawn to these overwhelmingly charming hand-crafted works of art by French/American artist Christopher Bettig.

I discovered his work while searching for art to hang on my living room wall. I love the patterns, colorful bursts, whimsical paper pinwheels...there's a very obvious child-like sensibility.

It seems the world has already caught on, as his client list includes The Standard Hotel, Urban Outfitters and Converse, just to name a few. 

Check him out here.

All photos courtesy of http://www.themountainlabel.com/

  Image courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (photo by Marion Brenner)

Image courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (photo by Marion Brenner)

Photo courtesy of The Architect's Newspaper Blog

 

Block cutting instructions. Original Thom Faulders image appears on dwell.com.

THOM FAULDERS / BAMscape

I don't know what it is, but I've been somewhat obsessed with orange lately. So naturally, I had to crack a smile when I came across this.

Faulders Studio, headed by architect Thom Faulders created this group of undulating orange waves to fit in with the new vision for Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive's central atrium gallery. Its purpose is to serve as a space to convene for lounging, watching live performances and film screenings. And it doesn't just look playful and light. The sculptures are 93% air, made of rigid foam structural substrate and laminated with painted plywood.

The result is a sea of orange happiness. Like Tang!

Just some sticks. That have been painted. Painted sticks. Painted sticks by Ginette Lapalme that I'm obsessed with at the moment.

BEETLE + JUICE...

Simultaneously cute and unsettling!

BEETLE CUP: Designed and produced by Idee Liu, crafted by Ching-Tian Cai. See more of Idee Liu's work here.

RABBIT CUP: Designed by Hsiao-Ying Lin, crafted by Jun-Ching Tang

This black clay cup is a representation of a well-known Chinese tale of a rabbit on the moon, which is celebrated every year with the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Taiwan. See more photos here.

These two pieces were on view as part of the Taiwanese sector of Dwell on Design's "Asia Now" June show in LA.

SIDEWALK FINDINGS: CUSCO, AREQUIPA, LAKE TITICACA AND COLCA CANYON, PERU

I'm baa-aack. And with lots and lots to share.

It's impossible to sum up my journey to Peru in one concise blog post, but I'll try my darndest. I think this calls for list format: 

1. Arequipa, dubbed the "White City", is chock-full of buildings made of volcanic ash. What's volcanic ash architecture good for? It's ability to withstand earthquakes, for one. Two, for it's ability to be carved into. Arequipeños create wonderfully chiseled type and ornaments on building facades, much to my delight.

2. Cusco, with its narrow and hilly winding streets is a wonder at night. A photographer's heaven.

3. Colca Canyon...immense and picturesque! The incredible hues of blue and green left me salivating.

4. The people? Probably some of the most warm, selfless, humble, yet PROUD that I've come across in all of my travels. 

5. Color, color everywhere.

6. Pisco, pisco everywhere.

7. Little old me. In awe.

ANTHONY ZINONOS

Try your best not to giggle. Just try.

See more from Anthony here.

MANGA PLANTA

So, I'm nnnnot really sure what to make of this. Something about it is slightly unsettling to me. However, it is an interesting concept, so I thought I'd share.

Koshi Kawachi, a Tokyo-based artist, created these "planters" out of repurposed manga. The examples above are radish sprouts.

He calls it "Manga Farming". I call it weird.

BUT, in a world where we all need to learn to become a bit (lot) greener, this project is very inspiring. And there is something nice about how the delicate sprouts play on the surface of the super graphic black and white manga.

Check out his site here (and fall completely in love with his logo, as I have....SO cute.)

JANE JOSS, HOW DO YOU 

KNOW ME SO WELL?

Sort of odd, but I sort of love them.

Jane Joss (an alias for sisters-in-law Alyssa and Joslyn Krismer) creates these strange little guys that I can't seem to avert my 

eyes from...

For someone like me, who sadly, has a very un-green thumb, 

these creations are perfect.

I'll take the houndstooth, please!

See/buy here.