Nicework Ramble

May 9, 2012

Swan Lake

Posted by Cath

Ping Zhu is an illustrator from Los Angeles, who is currently based in London. She graduated in 2010 with Honors from the Art Center College of Design. Her latest project is an illustrated concertina book, published by Nobrow, that is inspired by Tchaikovsky’s most famous ballet Swan Lake.

“It features the experience of going to the ballet- one side shows the performance while the other shows the backstage. Side story: I obsessively watched the Swan Lake ballet as a child, had a dream of becoming a ballerina, failed at that and became an illustrator instead. In a way, I got the best of both worlds!”

May 9, 2012

Stitched Portraits

Posted by Cath

Evelin Kasikov is the London-based artist and designer behind these stitched portraits and her famous CMYK embroidery.

“The Portrait Project is a set of 10 stitched portraits, all based on the same grid. Images are created by using different stitching methods and thread thicknesses. The grid consists of squares, crosses and diagonal lines. Each image is created by using some or all of the layers.”

May 8, 2012

R.I.P. Maurice Sendak

Posted by Cath

You will be sorely missed.

“Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83 and lived in Ridgefield, Conn. The cause was complications from a recent stroke, said Michael di Capua, his longtime editor.” (via: New York Times)

Here are some of the amazing images he has produced:

May 8, 2012

Game Time

Posted by Cath

Bold graphic backgammon and checkers boards designed by Fredericks & Mae, an art/design team consisting of Jolie Mae Signorile and Gabriel Fredericks Cohen. The look and feel of the boards are inspired by the Shahr-e Sokhteh archeological excavation site, where a similar game was known to be played.

May 8, 2012

Sangwine

Posted by Cath

A rad wine packaging concept by illustrator Lydia Nichols that celebrates the California lifestyle. Each bottle features something quintessentially Californian from the PCH to the Redwood Forest.

May 8, 2012

Poncelet Cheese Bar

Posted by Cath

Gabriel Corchero Studio designed the facade and interior for this cool cheese store in Madrid, Spain. The design is inspired by nature and makes use of sustainable, environmentally friendly materials. The interior features a vertical garden and custom made chestnut wood furniture.

via: design boom

May 7, 2012

Jackson Gilmour

Posted by Cath

Magpie Studio created this slick identity for Jackson Gilmour, an award-winning catering company whose staff includes Michelin-starred chefs and whose list of clientele includes the Queen. Here is a rationale behind the design treatment:

“Focusing on their unique offer as a chef-led catering firm – we devised a brand language reminiscent of cookery books and recipes. Add a dollop of typography inspired by copper pot hallmarks, a twist of the diagrammatic language of family trees, a tablespoon of very luxuriant print techniques, heat at a high temperature and enjoy.”

May 7, 2012

Hummm Cafe

Posted by Cath

Brazilian graphic designer João Ricardo Machado this bright and friendly visual identity and packaging for Hummm Ice Cream Store. The visual treatment is inspired by Hummm’s catch phrase:

“There’s this beautiful land where everything is sweet and the rain drops are made of Ice Cream, Milkshake, Coffee and Chocolate. Hummm”.

May 7, 2012

Dana Tanamachi

Posted by Cath

The Wall Street Journal recently did a video profile on Dana Tanamachi, a Brooklyn-based typographer and graphic designer who works exclusively in chalk. This video provides some insight into her creative process. We hope you like it.

May 4, 2012

Slow Fast Food

Posted by Cath

I really like the simplicity of this packaging designed by Korefe for Slow Fast Food, a brand that supplies seasonal fruit and vegetables conserved in hand-filled glass pots. The packaging combines modern presentations of fresh fruit and vegetables with the type of design used traditionally for conserved foods.