Johanna Rogers Knows Your Secrets

My regular Book Arts professor was gone today, so our class had the treat of photographer and book artist Johanna Rogers showing us her work instead.

She brought out the invisible book. In normal light this beautiful handmade book appears to be filled with pristinely blank pages. But hidden on each page–only visible with black light–is a secret collected from anonymous submissions. Each page was silk screened by hand in the dark. Though it predates the ever-popular Post Secret, it oozes with the same charm, tragedy, and humor of the human condition.



Johanna just sold the last of 30 editions (One of which is viewable in SFMOMA's library collection), and has begun accepting submissions for the second part of the series, which will feature apologies. Wanna say sorry?

The Great Slumber

I found these pillows by artist and designer Keetra Dean Dixon some time ago, and I still want one. As she states on her website, the pillows "are inspired by those suspenseful moments when a sleeping loved one is a little too still for a little too long."



I might be a creeper, but I think they're just brilliant. But that girl is full of grand ideas.

DVF ♥s François-Marie Banier

My friend Inez showed me this video a while ago, citing it as inspiration for her work as a fashion designer. Diane Von Furstenberg collaborated with artist, photographer, and writer François-Marie Banier to create the look and feel of her 2008 campaign. As I perused my September issue of Vogue I saw that the print ads had started running, and remembered the video. The hands-on approach and tamed down technology in the creative process was really inspiring to me as a graphic designer.

The music and Natalia Vodianova's babyface make the video just perfect in an Amelie sort of way.

DVFProjects.com is the virtual gallery where you can see all the posters as well as scenes from the studio.

Park(ing) Day in SF

Today as I was heading out of the Fine Arts building for lunch I saw an interesting sight:


These people were participating in Park(ing) Day here in San Francisco. Trust for Public Land, the organizers of the event, describe it like this:

"PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, global event centered in San Francisco where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into 'PARK(ing)' spaces: temporary public parks."

I must say I think it's brilliant. I wished I could skip class to feed the meter all day. Sometimes we need a little patch of personal green in the middle of the concrete jungle.

(check out more "parks" pictures at Curbed SF)

Lilly McElroy Wants to Jump On You

Really. She does. Lilly is working on a series of photos titled "I Throw Myself At Men", which is at once hilarious and wickedly interesting. Heaven knows I love a good double entendre. For the project, she goes into bars and asks men if she can jump on them. If they say yes, she takes running leaps while a friend snaps photographs. And how awesome is that?


(via A Cup of Jo)

Lola-Pop Gets Personal

How cute are these personalized necklaces from UK jewelry-makers Lola Pop?
Even cuter, since the price is low. And they ship internationally!

Geography is so Gangsta Right Now

“I’m a female and a feminist. I dislike the usage of the word ‘ho’. However, as a geography major, I find this song hilarious, and had to map it,” Stefanie Gray, referring to ‘Area Codes’ by the rap artist Ludacris.

The Selby, Duh

If you haven't been to the new toast of the internet, The Selby, then you've been spending too much time updating your facebook status. This lovely website features photos of artists, designers, and other creative folks in their homes and studios, taken by camera-whiz Todd Selby. His eye is amazing, and the interiors of spaces provide inspiration for days.



My new goals are to be worthy of being a subject, and somehow attain a design studio as interesting as those featured. Hm.

Sexy People

If you didn't know, I love old pictures of strangers. A lot. So imagine my joy at finding Sexy People, a blog where people submit their old portraits. Posed awesomeness, bad hair, Cosby Sweaters, and all.




(makes me miss the joy that was Young Me Now Me)

Kate Beaton

Livejournal spotlighted Kate Beaton this last week, a young woman who draws comics about her life, historical figures like Napoleon, and–of course–Murphy Brown. I spent as much time giggling at my computer screen as falling in love with her simple drawing style.


And these paint drawings of hers are pure genius. Genius, I say!

Andy Paiko Glass

I've been really interested in Wunderkammer (cabinets of curiosities), and want to suddenly do all my interior decorating as though a Victorian taxidermist/apothecary threw up in my Nob Hill apartment.

I was shopping online for apothecary jars when I stumbled upon the work of Andy Paiko. His glass art is really amazing, and though I've never felt like glass-blowing was a personal calling, I did take a minute to reconsider.

I love that gold-plated coyote spine so very hard.

Garden Gnomes for Obama

As November draws near, it's common to see lots of special interest buttons and paraphanalia in support of Barack Obama. I've seen "Teachers for Obama", "Nurses for Obama" and even "Filipinos for Obama" buttons. But nothing tops the buttons they have here.
(via Design You Trust)

Rachel Papo Photography

Rachel Papo is an Israeli photographer living in Brooklyn with a gorgeous ability to capture people. The clarity in her photos is breathtaking. I especially love her behind the scenes photos of ballet dancers.

(via lost.net)

Look what I've done.

I've created a blog, wouldn't you know.
I decided that all of the randomly beautiful little things I find needed a home. And I wanted to share them with you, in addition to logging them for myself. A sort of online scrapbook in perpetual show and tell. Without all the bad poetry and rubber cement smell.

It might not be breaking news to anyone. It might be as eclectic a collection as my closet. But if you'd like, you may always have a look.