February 8, 2010
In
art, creativity, design, illustration
Week 24: "52 Weeks of Peace"
A light-hearted treat for Cupid’s favorite holiday … just couldn’t resist …
Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet ~ and Peace is too.
January 16, 2010
In
art, fine art, illustration
An Old Piece Made New
Sometimes it’s just as rewarding to bring new life to something old as it is to create something entirely new – as both efforts work that magnificent tool called imagination.
Here’s a pencil drawing I did a few years back, made new with color.
January 11, 2010
In
art, creativity, design, illustration, inspiration
Week 20: "52 Weeks of Peace"
A slam-dunk? … or maybe you just dribble and pass it around for a while.
All peace designs are shown together under the “52 Weeks of Peace” tab above.
January 4, 2010
In
art, creativity, design, illustration
Week 19: "52 Weeks of Peace"
Dive right in …
All peace designs are shown together under the “52 Weeks of Peace” tab above.
December 28, 2009
In
art, creativity, design, illustration
Week 18: "52 Weeks of Peace"
2009 has been many things, but one word that comes immediately to mind is “tiring”. There’s been the good and the not so good, and all seemed to require lots of energy.
It also seemed like a year of great drama for many people – at home, in business, as well as on the world stage … much of which helped launch new levels of uncertainty and insecurity, fear and frustration. But, as if ordained by nature, these same attributes raise a fierce desire for their opposing equals ~ those of confidence, hope and success ~ and I’d personally prefer to focus on the latter as the new year approaches.
So let’s all get our rest (ah, to sleep like a cat!), and here’s hoping for some individual and collective peace, rejuvenation and cause for grand celebration in 2010!
Cheers to all.
December 27, 2009
In
art, creativity, design, illustration, typography
Exquisite!… Type, Art & Design
Thanks to a spontaneous visit and a link on the I Love Typography blog, I stumbled upon one of the most exciting and inspiring pieces of design I’ve seen in a long time. It’s absolutely fantastic. And entirely fun.
According to the “One Hundred” website (celebrating 100 years of Australia’s State Library of New South Wales), a Design Agency by the name of Frost collaborated with and utilized the treasures of the collections of the State Library of New South Wales and the Mitchell Library to create an entire alphabet. It’s nothing short of exquisite.
The One Hundred site itself is impressive too, with letters A-H explained in glorious, color detail, showing the elaborate art, history and sheer cleverness that lovingly went into each creation. This is the kind of thing that given the chance I would drool over with eagerly rolled-up sleeves. It’s a pure slice of design heaven, and marvelously executed.
Enough teasing. Here’s a look at the art. (I admit I wish the whole alphabet were available ~ but to see more, it looks like one might have to go to Sydney.)
December 21, 2009
In
art, creativity, illustration, inspiration
Week 17: "52 Weeks of Peace"
“Peace on earth.”
During this season of hustling and bustling, of bright red bows and snowmen, when angels sing and church bells ring and children listen for reindeer on the roof, I also like to remember what it’s fundamentally about – which to me, is love, and joy, and peace. And when you find a moment to be still (in my experience, the magic usually takes hold sometime in the evening of December 24), you may actually feel what this holiday yearns for, sings to and praises … Peace on earth; goodwill towards men.
And wouldn’t it be wonderful if peace could stretch itself across the land beneath our stormy, hopeful skies… and for all of us to feel that peace, in heart and mind and deed.
This particular piece takes a bit of a design detour from the rest of the series ~ but given the season, and the heady sentiment of “peace on earth” I figured a style deviation would be okay. : )
December 8, 2009
In
art, books & stuff, children's books, creativity, illustration, inspiration, words and language
Art, Books & Red Rocks
Horsethief Basin. Happy Valley. Snowflake. Deadmans Wash. Bloody Basin. Rainbow Trail. Bumblebee. Cornville. Dead Mexican Creek. Dead Cow Gulch. Deadman Creek. Skull Valley Wash. Jackass Basin (am I allowed to say that?). Rattlesnake Canyon (yea, I want to go there, don’t you?). Yankee Doodle Trail. Moonshine Spring. Onion Mountain. Monkey’s Eyebrow. Big Bug Mesa.
The list of Arizona’s colorful geographic names goes on. While there seems to be a propensity for dead things, you have to admit they’re original.
Fresh from another journey to Sedona, I’m reminded that I never come away uninspired – not necessarily by the unusual names, but the rugged, compelling landscape. The drive from Phoenix to Sedona being one of my favorites, you go from Phoenix’s palm trees and rather uneventful, flat urban sprawl towards rolling hills and twisting roads, scrubby bushes and tall cactus, past black mountains and on up and up to the rich red and green gem that is Sedona.
This trip was no different in terms of my spirit soaking up the magical air, but different with respect to my agenda. There was little time to do to more than drive by the gorgeous rock formations, as most of my time was spent inside the Andrea Smith Gallery in Sedona’s famed Tlaquepaque Art Village. Different, but well worth it.
Friday night was the opening reception for my book signing and exhibit of limited edition prints from A Book of Fairies and The Book of Mermaids. Bitter cold by Arizona’s standards, it was warm inside the gallery with lots of great people coming in, a wonderful spread of yummy hors d’oeuvres provided by Ashley, one of the gallery’s gracious keepers, and beautiful guitar music provided by my very gifted brother, David Saxton.
Saturday was also cold, but the chill still didn’t keep away the nice crowds who made the event a success. In fact, we sold out of Fairies books … one woman even joked that I was giving some stiff competition to Sarah Palin. It was certainly a good kind of competition.
My thanks to everyone who came – I enjoyed meeting each and every one of you. As for the rest of you, if you’re ever in Sedona, and can drag yourselves away from the natural outdoor beauty, stop at the Andrea Smith Gallery where they’re sure to treat you well.
But of course, all good things come to and end. Driving east out of Sedona, saying my good-byes to one of my favorite spots – Cathedral Rock – I felt that sense of renewal emanating from the morning sun-tinged clay-red temple … and knew I was already looking forward to another visit.
And I’m thinking, maybe Arizona should add another name to its grouping of unusually named things; something like “Mermaid Mesa” or “Fairy Dust Springs”. Has a kind of charm to it, don’t you think?
(you can read more about my past travels in Arizona at http://www.saxtonstudio.com/patriciasaxton/arizona.html )
December 2, 2009
In
books & stuff, creativity, design, graphic design, illustration, inspiration, words and language
Alphabet Books Rethought
Maria Popova of “Brain Pickings: curating eclectic interestingness from culture’s collective brain” (gotta love her blog name!!) posts endless varieties of creative workings from all walks of thought. Hers is a blog definitely worth a visit, a follow, maybe even a subscription. So, not to steal from you Maria (how do you actually find all this neat stuff?), but I too thought the alphabet books you posted were absolutely brilliant. They’re candy for designers. I want to make one. But in the meantime, here’s the link for the rest of you to take a look, and feel inspired.
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