Crayon Scupltures

Storytelling Crayons by Diem Chau.

FOUND: Etsy

1. and 2. Little People Dolls by Hasenpfeffer Incorporated.
3. Brontosaurus by bluebutterflyshop.
4. Girl and Boy Head Pillows by vintagejane.

Running With Scissors

I read this book yesterday. I was at a Christmas Brunch with my family this weekend, and my stepmother suggested I read it, she said it would remind me of my own family. It was good, but also put me in a bad mood.

Interestingly, there was a lawsuit brought against the author by the family portrayed in the book, even though he changed their names.


"The defamation lawsuit filed against St. Martin’s Press and Augusten Burroughs by the Turcotte family for the author’s characterization of the clan in his bestselling memoir Running with Scissors has been settled, with both sides claiming at least partial victory."

FOUND: Textures

1. Unknown.
2. Unknown.
3. Elisa Strozyk.
4. David Galletly.
5. Peter Gregson.

“How can we have missed these beautiful compositions?”

This is work by Carmen Herrera, a 94-year old artist who is finally being discovered by the art world. The NY Times just ran an article on her: At 94, She’s the Hot New Thing in Painting.


"Last year, MoMA included her in a pantheon of Latin American artists on exhibition. And this summer, during a retrospective show in England, The Observer of London called Ms. Herrera the discovery of the decade, asking, “How can we have missed these beautiful compositions?”"

How indeed.

Winter Break Has Come.

I hope I get a glimpse of snowflakes as beautiful as this during these next two weeks. I love making paper snowflakes. I decorated an entire window at school with them!

Yarbleck.

What I've Been Reading.

This is a wonderful fairy-story about a princess who has no gravity. (In both senses of the word, one of the best things about this book is the language and puns, not to mention the illustrations by Sendak.)

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is one of the first books I remember my Mom reading to me, and she's been one of my favorites ever since.

I've seen the Disney movie, but this is the first time I've ever read the book. It's very different from the movie, for the record.

I really didn't enjoy this book. In fact, I stopped reading it, which is something I don't do very often. It seemed like a poor imitation of 20th century British children's lit.

 

A Person's a Person, No Matter How Small

Small Magazine is so cool.

Fantasia 2.0

This is a really beautiful animation. It reminds me of a more modern Fantasia. Someone should make a new full-length film like Fantasia. Fantasia 2000 didn't really cut it.


PRESS + from benjamin ducroz on Vimeo.

New Clothes?

Mmmm, I really wish I could have this t-shirt. It's from Polarn O. Pyret, a kids clothing shop.

Quilt Cravings

I am really in love with quilts right now, and I want one for my bed. I also want to make one... (along with all the other things I want to make!)

November 10th

Today I am sick. I think I may have the flu. I've been in bed, just constantly reading, and I'm on my third book of the day. Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes, by Gerald N. Callahan, PH.D. After I read Pink Brain, Blue Brain, I was really interested in our society's response to people who aren't easily definable as male or female. This book's really interesting so far, and it has lots of first-hand accounts from people who are intersex, although I haven't gotten to them yet.

And yeah, I know the blanket above has nothing to do with this, but it just looks so amazing and cozy.

A New Friend

I like this guy. He looks friendly.

Rising Tide!

Yes! Rising Tide now has a blog!

This is the school I work at, a democratic Sudbury-model school for kids ages 5-18. Yay!

Making Things

I recently picked up two books by Steven Caney at the Library's book sale. Play Book and Toy Book. They're both really amazing, with tons of fun activities and toys for kids do do and make on their own. I really like the recipe for "curds and whey" and the ideas for building toys, like using paper plates to build geodesic domes. 

I also have another book like this, called Things to Do on a Rainy Day. My favorite part of this one are the illustrations in the book itself, which are a unique combination of photos and drawings. I was looking through a book at school yesterday published by Better Homes and Gardens (I think), called Things to Make for Children. It had some great dollhouse and fort plans in it. I love the idea of making all your own toys, or making toys for your children. I don't think I'll be able to go without buying them playmobil though, if only because I want to play with it. No, I'm sure my kids will want plenty of ugly plastic cheap toys, but maybe they'll like some handmade ones too...

Hmmmm...

I am thinking about posting on here for my class, (which would basically be posting about what happens at school, and the books I've read). I'm not sure I want to combine all that into this site though. Also, I'm actually not sure that I should be posting about the school at all without permission. ...maybe I should just cross-post my class stuff to here, and then also cross-post school stuff with an official school blog? That sounds better. Okay. It helps to think "out loud".

Today I Feel Like This

Currently/Recently Read:

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

Fables (Issues 1-51) by Bill Willingham and others

Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

At a Crossroads: Between a Rock and My Parents' Place by Kate T. Williamson 
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan 
Natural Childhood: The First Practical and Holistic Guide for Parents of the Developing Child  by John Thomson
Our Bodies, Ourselves: A Book by and for Women by Boston Women's Health Book Collective 
Ourselves and Our Children: A Book by and for Parents by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective 
Stories for Free Children edited by Letty Cottin Pogrebin 
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

yeah, I've been reading a lot... 

Photo on Booooooom!

My photo of a fort kids made at school got posted in Booooooom's Wild Things’ Forts VIII! It looks cool up there with the others... but really it's a shitty grainy mess I took on my camera phone. My name's up there though!

FOUND: Cozy

It's getting cold here in Olympia. I went and bought a coat Tuesday after work. This kind of weather makes me want to curl up in my bed under layers of blankets. In fact, that's where I am right now...

1. Arnaud Loumeau

2. cosas mínimas

3. Gunta Stölzl

4. Patricia Urquiola

5. taklu4she on flickr

Long Time

I haven't posted in a month. I've been so busy, and just haven't had the drive to write anything. I think I'm getting more into the rhythm of my schedule now, and hopefully be able to return to frequent postings.

The Birth of a Letter

Abi Huynh's font Arietta was featured on but does it float. His "process and specimen book" is posted on his website. It is really interesting because it shows how the font was created, and the permutations it went though. It feels like I'm watching a secret camera in his head.

FOUND: Dwellings

1. Sarah Applebaum

2. Brian Rush

3. Edward McGowan

4. "Villa Julia", Javier Mariscal

5. space 1026

FOUND: Stefan Kanchev

From grain edit:

"Absolutely stunning work from Stefan Kanchev (1915-2001) who was a Bulgarian graphic artist. During his prolific career he designed hundreds of logos, posters, stamps, book covers, labels as well as graphics for TV. Much of his work is inspired by Bulgarian folklore and traditions.

In 1994 Stefan Kanchev was recognized as one of the top ten designers of trade marks in the world along with Paul Rand, Saul Bass and etc."