Design*Sponge » artwork

we make carpets

Kate Pruitt — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:55 +0000

The clothespin is such a fantastic invention, one that seems to have hit upon the perfect combination of form, function and beauty. I’ve seen a bunch of amazing projects involving clothespins lately, including this ombre clothespin backdrop and these incredible sculptural pieces by artist Gerry Stecca, among others. But it was this bold, beautiful collection of clothespin carpets that sealed the deal, and I had to share. I discovered We Make Carpets a while back and fell in love with their witty, playful contemporary rug installations made from all kinds of common materials: Band-Aids, Q-tips, etc. Since then, their portfolio has vastly expanded — so many fun new carpets! You can check out their whole collection here — maybe it will inspire you to fashion a carpet from something fun and unexpected this weekend :) Enjoy! — Kate

francoise gilot

Grace Bonney — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:52 +0000

One of the most important moments in my life was when my printmaking teacher gave me a stack of books about women in art and design. Frustrated by my own lack of skill when it came to painting and drawing, I found a trusted mentor in this teacher who would routinely empty her personal bookshelves into my arms and send me home to be inspired by the amazing women who’d come before me. While I ultimately decided that my real skills were outside of creating art, I never forgot those little moments of discovery when I found a new artist to look up and fall in love with. One of those artists was Françoise Gilot. I remember naively assuming her friendship with Picasso was completely platonic and about a shared love of art (I know, I was young). Something about her early self-portraits felt raw and powerful and, at the same time, vulnerable. She had a way of painting people that seemed to stare straight through you. I was looking for images of her art the other day and stumbled upon two great posts at Style Court about her work (and other fantastic portraits), so I thought I’d share my favorite images here. If you’ve ever wanted to attempt portraiture in a looser sense, Françoise is a great artist to check out (there’s an interview with her here). Much like Picasso, her line work feels effortlessly brave and powerful. xo, grace

Images above via Gallery M

Images above: Photograph of Gilot and portrait of Gilot by Pablo Picasso

Image above via Gallery M

Image above via Artnet

handmade books by serena olivieri

Grace Bonney — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:38 +0000

The first time I visited SCAD in Savannah I got to visit a class making books by hand. I’d never stopped to think about how much goes into handmade books and those students’ efforts were a real eye-opener. These beautiful handmade books, agendas and diaries are by artist Serena Olivieri. She just started designing and while she doesn’t have a web shop yet, I thought her work was too beautiful to resist posting. Based in Madrid, Serena works with clients and friends to create custom paper designs that relate to their personal styles or occupations. I’m partial to the pieces with cut or shaped edges, but there are several pieces to look at so I definitely recommend clicking over to her Tumblr site to see what she’s up to. Thanks to Serena for sending this over! xo, grace

*To place an order with Serena just email her here…

More images of Serena’s work continue after the jump…

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david stark’s WOOD SHOP at haus

Grace Bonney — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:33 +0000

I will forever have a crush on the whimsy and humor with which David Stark designs. In addition to working with great charities and focusing on reusable and recyclable materials, David has always designed with such a sense of humor that it’s impossible not to fall in love with everything he does. And, starting next month, David is launching a new project that I immediately found myself crushing on.

For the entire month of February, David and his team are transforming Nina Freudenberger’s Haus Interior store into a fanciful concept shop called WOOD SHOP. The installation will showcase David’s take on all things (tools, materials, etc.) that you would find in a wood shop, but re-imagined as art and home pieces. David is the king of creating inspiring fantasy settings, so this shop is going to be a must-see. If you’re in town, be sure to stop by the shop (250 Elizabeth Street, NYC) to see and shop the full (limited-edition) collection. Prices will range from $5-$500 and goods will include everything from pillows, throws, vases, jewelry and tableware to clever Valentine’s Day gifts. If you’re not able to swing by, I hope you’ll enjoy this sneak peek of some of the pieces David and his team designed for WOOD SHOP. I can’t wait to see that chocolate box in person. If it’s my price range that sucker is mine. Thanks to David and his team for not only sharing this peek with us, but for continue to remind me why I fell in love with design so many years ago. Their ability to make everyday objects feel like fun always makes me smile. xo, grace

More images from WOOD SHOP continue after the jump…

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lulie wallace

Grace Bonney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:10:02 +0000

Good morning, guys! I’m still in a post-Alt Summit haze today so I’m trying to tempt myself back into work with some beautiful paintings. These gorgeous pieces from Lulie Wallace are right in line with my floral obsession and remind me of the sunny Southern days. Lulie is based in Charleston, South Carolina where she works from her space at Redux Contemporary Art Center. Lulie shares my love of floral compositions and has painted dozens and dozens of variations on the classic theme. My favorites are above and below, but you can check out Lulie’s site, blog and shop right here. Thanks so much to Kelci for the tip! xo, grace

More images of Lulie’s work continue after the jump…

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weekly wrap up + becca kallem

Grace Bonney — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

This has been an amazing week. It started with a dramatic kitten rescue and search to find her a home (we did!) and ended with a plane ride to Salt Lake City to join my friends on a book panel at Alt Summit. Tomorrow morning, I’m heading back to Brooklyn, but in the back of my mind, that little kitten face is still looking up at me. I couldn’t be happier that she has a new forever home, so furry friends are still foremost on my mind. As such, it’s only fitting to end the week with a story that combines three of my favorite things: flowers, furry animals and blasts from the past.

During the D*S book tour stop in DC, I was lucky enough to re-meet artist Becca Kallem. Becca and I actually went to William & Mary together and took some of the same classes with a rather infamous painting teacher. While I knew I would probably never be a fine artist, I remembered Becca’s work and was thrilled to see that she was still creating beautiful pieces and teaching art in the DC area. She has exhibited in galleries in DC and New York and has been fortunate to work with some very cool clients (like the Smithsonian Postal Museum) since we graduated. Today I’m excited to share some more of her work, which celebrates furry friends. Becca created a book called An Animal Compendium that features 90+ illustrations of animal characters, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Washington Animal Rescue League. In light of the fact that this week was all about supporting and celebrating our animal friends, I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up. You can click here to see more of Becca’s work, here to see (and buy) An Animal Compendium and here to shop for prints on her Etsy shop.

Thank you again for your outpouring of support during our kitten rescue. And thank you most of all to Tuesday and Pete (below) who gave little Mischka (her new name!) a loving forever home. Here’s wishing you all a safe and happy weekend. See you Monday! xo, grace

More images of Becca’s work and a summary of this week’s highlights continue after the jump . . .

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