Weekend

Happy weekend! Hope there's a little bit of magic in it for you. The beautiful Polaroid photograph is by Marta V on Flickr, via carrotsandpeas.

Domino Archive: Groovy, Baby!

Fun examples of mod style from Domino's Deco Files. Enjoy, baby!

Snapshot: Summer Edition

The drive-in always reminds me of summers growing up in the San Fernando Valley. My mum would pack a picnic dinner and we'd get in the station wagon and head out to the drive-in, to escape the heat of the house.

— Victoria of sfgirlbybay

(Photograph of the San Luis Obispo 'Sunset' Drive-in by Victoria)

Buffet

Welcome to this week's Buffet — the first of the summer. Enjoy.

The Selby
Stunningly lovely blog that showcases photographs by Todd Selby of "...interesting people and their creative spaces." A must see.

Hunting the Elusive First "Ms"
The idea of using Ms to refer to a woman without specifying her marital status is older than you'd think — there's evidence that it was considered as a viable alternative in 1901 (and possibly even earlier).

Mobile Phone Art
Intriguing and delicately beautiful moving mobile phone art, created by Kojima Kaori (aka KOJIKO), a Japanese graphic designer based in Sapporo Japan. Via Shift.

Top Ten Out of Town Tales
Edward Hogan picks ten novels that are set in small towns or villages rather than the big city, choosing writers such as Annie Proulx, William Trevor and Alice Munro. As he says, "These stories show that you don't need to write about big cities to say big stuff."

Logo Nicknames
Some of the most staid corporations have surprisingly cheeky nicknames for their logos, such as GE (The Meatball), AT&T (The Death Star), and Warner Communications (Two and a Half Hotdogs). Follow the link for more. Via Kottke.

The Big Picture
Amazing photographs taken of our planet over the last few months by astronauts on board the International Space Station — including the eruption of Sarychev Peak Volcano. Wow.

Jean-Luc Godard Interviews Woody Allen
From 1986. Via grain edit.

Gazpacho
A nice version of the classic summer soup by Josie of Pink Parsley. Via Tastespotting.

(photograph via Domino's Deco Files)

Moments of Beauty

A special edition of Moments of Beauty this week, dedicated to that lovely symbol of Canada — the maple leaf. Happy Canada Day, all! The delicately lovely photograph is by blacktryst on Flickr.

The Group of Seven

Founded in 1920, the Group of Seven was committed to portraying Canada’s wilderness in a modern painting style — a break from the European tradition, and one that would reflect the Group's uniquely Canadian identity. The original members were Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and F.H. Varley. Tom Thomson was included in this circle of friends, but his death in 1917 meant that he never became a member of the Group. He was crucial to the development of the other artists, however, for as an avid outdoorsman it was he who awakened their interest in painting the northern Ontario landscape. More about the Group of Seven — and more examples of their beautiful paintings — can be seen here and here.

From top to bottom: Snow Clouds by Franklin Carmichael, 1938, oil on canvas (courtesy Franklin Carmichael/National Gallery of Canada); Maple Woods, Algoma by A.Y. Jackson, 1920, oil on canvas (courtesy National Gallery of Canada); Fine Weather, Georgian Bay by J.E.H. MacDonald, 1913, oil on canvas (courtesy private collection); Billboard by Lawren Harris, 1921, oil on canvas (collection of the artist).

The National Film Board of Canada

Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produces and distributes documentaries, auteur animation, alternative drama and innovative digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian perspective. Over the years it has won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies — and now you can watch a great selection of NFB documentaries and animated films online here, too. If you'd like to know what it's like to be a Canadian, it's the perfect place to start.

Sponsor Love

I'm really happy to introduce you to new automatism sponsor and fab blogger Jennifer of Bits of Beauty! Jennifer writes about fashion, design, beauty, travel — much more than I can list here actually, but it's beautiful, fun, inspiring and always a great read. Dash over here to enjoy. Shown above is a photo by Rodney Smith that accompanied a recent post by Jennifer on great reads, which I think illustrates perfectly the tone of her blog — smart and beautiful.

Simple Pleasures

Walking in the warm summer rain, splashing through puddles. Photograph by lmkemper on Flickr, via carrotsandpeas.

From Stable to Loft

Love this amazing loft space in Brussels. Formerly a stable house, it's been converted into a multipurpose space that houses a photography studio, office space and a living area. Rather than drastically renovating, though, the original structural elements have carefully been preserved, and simply unified by white paint. Stalls are now rooms, while the central open space serves as a meeting/dining area. Modernity with character. More photos here, too. Via LoftLife.

(photographed by Ocvirk Kus Danica)

Monday

Hope that today brings a glimpse of good things just on the horizon. Beautiful photograph from The Drifter and the Gypsy, via Javiera.

Andrzej Kramarz

Polish photographer Andrzej Kramarz spent two-and-a-half years photographing the fascinating (and at times bizarre) collections of objects he discovered at flea markets in Kraków. The results of his thoughtful studies can be seen in his book Zeczy (Things), published by Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum. You can see more wonderful images from his book (with commentary by Dariusz Czaja) here. I think I could spend whole days wandering through these flea markets — just amazing. Via Lens Culture.

Snapshot

Every Thursday over the course of the summer, the Snapshot posts on automatism will be guest hosted by fantastic bloggers from all over — Australia, Canada, Italy and the USA — who'll share with us a photograph of what is for them the essence of summer. Beautiful photos, with beautiful memories and thoughts that I know you'll love. See you on Thursday ...

(photograph via vb)

Weekend

Happy weekend! Hope it's sunny and fun. Pretty photograph from Javiera, via Just Be Splendid.

Domino Archive: Green

Fresh, verdant shades of green from Domino's Deco Files, for summery inspiration.

Buffet

Welcome to this week's links — enjoy.

Judy Holliday: An Appreciation
A wonderful appreciation by Stefany Anne Golberg of one of my all time favourite actors — Judy Holliday. Beautiful and brainy, Judy also had the most utterly perfect comic timing — if you haven't seen her in the classic Born Yesterday, you're in for a treat. Via The Smart Set.

Helen Dardik Bookplates
Yay! Awesome illustrator Helen Dardik is generously offering free downloadable bookplates on her blog, Orange You Lucky — choose from three cute designs, all ready to be printed out. Via How About Orange.

Peter Greenaway Brings Veronese to Life
This sounds like a spectacular show. For the Venice Biennale, artist and filmmaker Peter Greenaway has taken Veronese's High Renaissance painting The Wedding at Cana and turned it into a "... 50-minute digital extravaganza of light, sound, theatrical illusion and formal dissection ... projected onto and around a full-scale replica of (the painting).” Via Andrew (thanks!)

Did Cooking Make Us Human?
Harvard biological anthropologist and primatologist Richard Wrangham explores why humans evolved a need for cooked food in his new book, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human. He's come up with some surprising conclusions. Via Seed Magazine.

Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
And while we're talking about food — a delicious-looking pasta recipe by Ina Garten of the Barefood Contessa, perfect for a hot weather supper.

Top Ten Books About Brothers
James Runcie picks ten novels dealing with the complex relationships between brothers, ranging from The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky to The Tale of Three Brothers by JK Rowling.

Elegant Thrift
Grace at Design*Sponge has a great post this week about the home of Morgan Satterfield, who has the most amazing looking space — and makes it a rule to never spend more than $100 on any item for her home. An excellent lesson on how a great looking interior is all about having a good eye, rather than a good (sized) budget.

Letter From the Future
From the Boston Globe article by James O'Brien: "[O]n June 4, a laborer working on construction of the new American Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts knocked a hole in a wall and saw an envelope sticking out of the rubble." It was "a typewritten note from 1926, a letter to the future from a long-ago laborer who helped build the wall." I love this kind of thing — a window into everyday life long ago. Via ArtsJournal.


Photograph via Domino's Deco Files

Pretty

Just looking at this pretty photograph instantly makes me feel more cheerful — hope it makes you happy, too. Via Restart My Heart.

Stone + Mann Design

I had a lovely email earlier this week from Jackie of Stone + Mann, introducing me to the beautiful line of scarves and pillows she and her husband Kent design for their company. Their work is influenced by photography, architecture, nature and pure, simple color, and is carried in boutiques from New York to San Franciso. Shown here is just a sampling of their wonderful creations — do go and have a look at the rest of their (gorgeously designed) site, too. I have a feeling I may succumb and order a scarf soon ...

Moments of Beauty

An ethereally beautiful bride, straight out of a fairy tale. Detail of a wedding gown and veil by Nina Ricci, Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1997. Via reminiscing.

Colourful Inspiration

Rooms that make great use of colour — brightly, subtly, or somewhere in between. From the colour series in VT Wonen.