My Favourite Weather
Posted by Amy on Monday August 30, 2010
I think that the weather is getting better over here. For the past few weeks it’s been nothing but hot scorching sun that birds won’t even come out for lest they burn (I’m pretty sure that birds don’t really burn though…)
But I do hope that birds are chirping wherever you are!
{Bird Chirping Weather by Katie Daisy}
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The Pao Pao girls
Posted by Amy on Friday July 30, 2010
The Pao Pao Girls is a collaborative outfit of two Japanese artists: Aya Kakeda (featured previously) and Fumiha Tanaka who are currently having an exhibition over at the Alternative Cafe. Born in Japan and currently residing in New York, the combination of their work is best described as a mash up of APAK and Betsy Walton!
Their work on display is a mix of surreal fantasy landscapes that showcase their unique inhabitants. Guest curated by Kevin E. Taylor (another fantastic artist), the show is on from July 9th-Aug 12th, so if you’re in Monterey, California hop on over for a visit!
UPDATE: Read about Fumiha’s adventure in the course of running the show on her blog!
{Thanks Meighan!}
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Piktorama
Posted by Amy on Thursday July 15, 2010
Anyone hungry yet?
I’m looking at these deliciously sweet illustrations by Amaranta Martinez of Piktorama, an illustrator and designer who hails from Spain, and trying very hard not to munch on something! Grab yourself a limited edition Gocco print of these sinful goodies at her Etsy shop and see more of her work at her website.
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Of toys and dreams
Posted by Amy on Thursday July 8, 2010
The ever dreamy works of Jenny M (previously) is now available as OOAK* dolls and toys in her new shop named Toys Dreams! Handmade out of fimo and lovingly colored with acrylic, each piece is a beauty, with lovely little details accompanying each character.
It’s great news that she’s branched into making 3D toys as I’ve always noticed a tactile quality to her work, plus the fact that she loves making beautiful items that fit right into a diorama (see here). Check out the hands on the toys too — they can actually move!
See her original shop, Be Happy Now and discover more of her illustrations – if her work doesn’t make you smile, I’m not sure what will!
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Mr. Spoqui
Posted by Amy on Wednesday June 30, 2010
Mr. Spoqui is a blog run by four brothers; Amba (19 years old), B.B (14), Mi (17) and Ogait (11). I’ve been a fan of their lovely blog for a few weeks now and they’ve always managed to make me smile with their creations.
I think it’s beautiful how they support each others’ work – they seem to truly enjoy themselves, and they collaborate with each other too; and the results are fun experiments in art that they then document on the blog. They’ve just released their first family magazine for June and I can’t wait to see what’s inside!
How’s that for brotherly love and keeping it in the family?
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Sponsor giveaway: Corella Design
Posted by Amy on Tuesday May 25, 2010
As a corporate worker who has since ditched the cubicles for making art, Donna of Corella Design draws whatever comes to mind. Her work contains a mix of realism and whimsical characters, and she’s also available for custom orders.
As a sponsor on Pikaland, she’s giving away two prints to ONE lucky reader! I Love You Both and Morning Rain is up for grabs — just leave a comment by the 1st of June and I’ll email the winner after we go through random.org!
UPDATE: Commenting has now closed, thanks so much for participating. The winner of this giveaway is Camz.
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Anna Raff
Posted by Amy on Thursday May 13, 2010
Illustrator and designer Anna Raff has a blog called Ornithoblogical where she posts a drawing about a whimsical bird-related topic everyday (which are sometimes related to random national holidays). I’m especially loving her watercolor birdies!
Anna is a NYC based, award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in books, magazines, and television – to see more, head over to her portfolio site.
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Guest post: The Bumble Bear and The Grizzly Bee
Posted by Amy on Thursday May 6, 2010
Today’s guest post is courtesy of Anna Denise van der Reijden, who pointed me to Sandra Dieckmann’s work.
First off, I’d like to thank Amy for giving me the opportunity to write as a guest blogger and introduce to you one of my favorite artists out there. Sandra Dieckmann is an illustrator, graphic artist, and dreamer living and working in East London. She recently came out with her self-published book (in magazine format) The Bumble Bear and The Grizzly Bear. This book tells the story of the big Grizzly bear and the small bumble bee fighting, but eventually overcome their differences.
The story is heartwarming, but the illustrations really make this a spectacular book. Sandra used a delightful variety of color and texture throughout, focusing both on the biological features of both animals, as well as on the dreamy aspect of the story. “The characters are set in sceneries which are both assembled on my desk and sometimes digitally put together. [The multimedia] way of working was part of the concept. In a way the book really combined illustration with graphic information design. That was the aim anyway,” says Sandra.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of Anna’s review!
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Sponsor giveaway: Fric de Mentol
Posted by Amy on Wednesday May 5, 2010
I’m a huge fan of Fric de Mentol’s colourful characters and wonderful goods that add such fun for the home. One time, Ana slipped in a lavender sachet in her submission for the PikaPackage project, and it was heavenly! So for this week’s giveaway, I’m a little jealous of the winner because you’ll be getting ONE SET of a lavender sachet (featuring one of her most popular characters – Le Solitaire), and a travel bag to go along with it.
To be in the running, just comment on this post by 11th May, and I’ll email the winner next week!
UPDATE: Commenting has now closed, thanks so much for participating. The winner of this giveaway is Franky.
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Paper cuts
Posted by Amy on Tuesday May 4, 2010
Who knew the humble toilet roll can be a work of art? Anastassia Elias cuts out people and objects (with paper the same color scheme as the roll) and sticks them inside, so that they look as if they’re part of the toilet roll itself! See more at her portfolio site. The juxtaposition of light and shadow makes it a whimsical display of 3D art!
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