From Paris
Artisanal Ansatz x Bic
T-shirts by illustration duo Artisanal Ansatz in collaboration with Bic (yep, the pen company) which are being exclusively offered at Colette in Paris. Each tee comes with a Bic pen and notepad. See the rest of the tees here. -Bob
From Los Angeles
Natasha Ghosn
Sparkle and shine, Natasha Ghosn's work is so fine. Her artwork goes by the name of Mondo Mondo. It's also darling, it's so special, and it's oozing with the sweetest of the sweetest.
Where are you from and what are you doing now?
I am from Texas. I live in Los Angeles now. Right now I'm winding down from a long day of hand modeling.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. We didn't have majors so I got to study all sorts of things. I focused mainly on fashion history, fiber arts, and drawing.
What is Mondo Mondo?
Mondo Mondo is my website. It started out as a T-shirt line. The word "mondo" connotes sensationalization. It also means "world" in Italian. I could say its my sensationalized view of the world.
Can you tell me about the mind blowing rave T-shirts you were making a while back?
Haha, cool, thank you. I made them about four years ago. In 2008 I think. At the time I was living in New York and the trend was being spooky; upside down crosses, studs, leather, etc. So I went out on a limb and made something for the marginalized flower power people. They are a mix of digital collages and a lot of hand dyeing and painting on a heavy cotton t-shirt.
Do you feel like your artwork changes according to where you live?
No, I think my artwork changes according to where my heart is.
How would you describe your experiences form each city and what inspired you when you lived in Chicago? NY? L.A.?
I love Chicago for its authenticity, New York for its romance, and L.A. for the peace of mind and the weather. I will say that most of my dreams take place in New York.
What were you wearing as a little baby?
I have a picture somewhere of me wearing a yellow bikini. I just googled "baby bikini", it's really cute.
What was your favorite outfit when you were a child?
I was really inspired by the Olsen twins when they were detectives.
How about when you were a teenager?
I was lucky because my mom had a really cool store. She carried brands like Miss Sixty, Fiorucci, and Fornarina. So I wore a lot of that. I was also pretty into the mod thing back then.
As a young adult?
Like a sixties-nineties thing inspired by
Lady Miss Kier from Deee-lite.
And now?
I feel like I'm doing me from the heart. I've moved away from looks that are decade derivative. Less of an idea and more of a feeling. I try to buy things that are high quality that I'll love for a long time.
How do you imagine yourself when you're elderly?
I hope to be healthy with a lot of energy and surrounded by the people I love. I wouldn't mind having suede Gucci loafers in every color.
What is your work ethic when you're making drawings and collages?
I'm lucky to have my studio at home. First I make a coffee or a tea. I usually listen to a comedy or a spiritual podcast while I work. Music usually distracts me. Sometimes I forget to put anything on and then I realize I've been sitting in silence for 6 hours!
Top three scents:
Sunscreen, sweet grass, and the smell of bread baking when you walk by a Subway.
Top three records:
Paris by Malcolm Mclaren, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Music Selector is the Soul Reflector by Deee-lite.
Top three novels:
My Antonia by Willa Cather, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathaniel West.
If you were a fabric or material, what would you be?
Rayon. Semi-synthetic, semi-natural.
Can you tell me a story about LUV?
Is that an acronym? Is it kind of like SUV? I drive a Nissan Versa. I love it. It has great gas mileage. But for fun sometimes I drive my boyfriend's Volvo station wagon. I pretend like I am driving a boat down the streets of Los Angeles. The end.
HAHA!
What are you looking forward to next in the world of Mondo Mondo?
More and more.
Thank you Natasha! xo, -Maggie Lee
From Portland
Corey Thompson
We came across Corey Thompson's work when we Google Image-searched "you are awesome" in an attempt to find a photo to send to Hazel. Best Google find ever! Be sure to check out his illustrations and scroll through his fun Daily Doodles.
From Elsewhere
Becca Stadtlander
Get lost in Becca Stadtlander's beautifully illustrated world filled with rich colors, brilliant patterns, and a touch of sentimentality. It should come as no surprise that her charming work has been featured in such magazines as The Saturday Evening Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. Read her blog to keep up with new projects or shop her Esty for a print of your own.
From New York
Antonia Kuo and Anjuli Rathod
Antonia Kuo's landscape drawings are of the most lush marshes and
Anjuli Rathod's drawings are of the most unkempt bedrooms. These two have come together to create an overly stimulated collaborative drawing of great detail. You can distinguish each artist's hand by the careful line work. Close up, Kuo's style is forming dark and wild activity, then Rathod's illustrative poetic hand comes in to develop the perfect balance of light, line, and space. -Maggie Lee
From New York
Susan Belle
Susan Belle (yep that's her real name) comes from the land of pastry puff where she lays on a bed of marshmallow cream pie and wears a dollop of meringue on her head with a maraschino cherry sitting on top, and some sprinkles. I bet she nibbles on heart shaped chocolates that have a winking face on them and fruit marzipans when she makes her sweet drawings, and I bet her sweet drawings only smell of the sweetest gumdrops. What a treat it is to look at her illustrations, yum! -Maggie Lee
From New York
Decathlon Books at Printed Matter
Wiggle yer little book worm tush over to Printed Matter (195 10th Avenue) because it's T.G.I.Friday. Tonight marks the launch of Padraig Timoney's book, which is also the last piece of the Decathlon Books puzzle we have all been waiting for. Risograph posters of the artists' work will be exhibited, eee! -Maggie Lee
From Los Angeles
Itsumi Max
Itsumi Max has been one of my favorite artists for a while. She's constantly updating her brilliant blog with unbelievable illustrations, and I'm so happy she finally started a site for just her art. You will become an instant fan. Go Itsumi! X - Jen
From Melbourne
Chasing Rainbows
The Chasing Rainbows exhibition was a juried show of posters in preparation for the Track World Championship race which will be taking place in Melbourne this year. The winning poster above, announced this past Friday, was illustrated by Gregory Baldwin and will be displayed all over the city leading up to the event. -Bob
From Elsewhere
Harriet Gray
We love Harriet Gray's illustrations so much that we are ready to put them on our body. Okay, maybe only temporarily, but that still counts for something, right?
From Elsewhere
Tim Boelaars
Check out the icons themed series from Netherlands designer Tim Boelaars. Above are "Camping & Hiking" followed by "Devices". See the rest of his icon sets here and grab yourself a limited edition print at his shop.-Bob
From Chicago
Jeremy Pettis
Illustrator, typographer, and graphic designer Jeremy Pettis can do no wrong. His intricate, candy-colored doodles and his retro typography showcased on his flickr are so awesome. You can check out his latest typography project, Twenty-Six Types Of Animals, on his personal website. He also has a new, cute looking zine out called Tres Leches. - Hazel
From San Francisco
Creative Growth for Everybody
These three awesome tees were created in collaboration with, and all proceeds benefit, Creative Growth Art Center, an organization that helps foster art and creativity for adults with physical, mental and developmental disabilities.
Aurie Ramirez
Located in Oakland, Creative Growth is the world's oldest and largest visual arts center for disabled adults, and the T-shirt collaboration features the work of Creative Growth artist Aurie Ramirez. Ramirez creates ink and watercolor works inspired by glam rock, punk, and candy, and she paints at the center every Monday and Friday. You can meet more Creative Growth artists
here, in their videos.
From Los Angeles
Gentle Thrills
Gentle Thrills, the tumblr of UCLA art student Isa Beniston, is one of best blogs on the internet. It's a collection of vibrant images that include everything from Beniston's illustrations to pictures of vintage textiles and interesting interiors. She's also a vintage junkie, posting the coolest Etsy finds and her own flea market and estate sale scores. - Hazel
From Philadelphia
Bartz Pack
Store 1026 is now selling these reimagined Bart Simpson buttons illustrated by Andrew Jeffery Wright, along with six new tees. Get 'em while they're hot!
From Elsewhere
Hanging Rock Comics
17-year-old Taylor-Ruth expresses her awesomely angsty teenage feelings through illustrations. Hanging Rock Comics is like looking back at our high-school years and reliving them one more time. We've been there, girl!
From New York
Julia Pott
Through drawings of magical flying whales, pale detailed backgrounds, and animals that are dressed better than we are, Julia Pott narrates those awkward and confusing moments of adolescence that we've all experience at one time or another.
From Sydney
Caitlin Shearer
It's been a while since we've checked in with the lovely Caitlin Shearer, but we're really glad we did. Caitlin's paintings are beautiful, feminine, and at times even a little sexy. Depicting curvy retro-esque girls with really fab hairdos and penchants for bad boys (think Beyonce in "Why Don't You Love Me?"), her watercolor art works would be the perfect addition to any girl's bedroom.
From Elsewhere
Depeapa
Depeapa's pocket mirrors are a must in any girl's bag. They're cute, practical, and cheap enough that you could change which hairstyle you want to carry every day.
From New York
Leah Goren
Leah Goren transfers her original prints onto scarves, bags, headbands and dresses, creating fantastically whimsical items that would make Zooey Deschanel's head spin.
