Design Observer: Holiday Reading 2006

If you're wondering what to read over the holidays, check out the Design Observer's annual Holiday Reading List. I've already received some wonderful books for Christmas (I was particularly happy to get Dada: Zurich, Berlin, Hanover, Cologne, New York, Paris by Leah Dickerman), but I've jotted down a few of their recommendations for more good reading in the new year. My picks:

On Location: Cities of the World in Film
by Claudia Hellman and Claudine Weber-Hof

Nature's Engraver: The Life of Thomas Bewick
by Jenny Uglow

London: City of Disappearances
by Iain Sinclair

DIY Christmas Tree

Want a Christmas tree but hate cleaning up the needles? Hewlett-Packard is offering a downloadable Christmas tree on their website. Print out the PDF files, stick 'em on the wall, and voila! Instant holiday decor. Via Swiss Miss.

Happy Holidays!

Giving Back

It's the holidays, and with all the flurry of shopping, parties, and visits with family and friends, it's easy to lose sight of those who aren't as fortunate as we are. Please be sure to take time out this season to either donate or volunteer at a local charity. I like to donate money to The Mission, an organization that helps the homeless in our community with emergency shelter, food, and clothing, as well as counselling and other services. My donation is earmarked for their annual Christmas dinner––it will enable ten people to enjoy a complete holiday meal with all the trimmings.

G.I. Joe to the Rescue of Art

New York Times story by Randy Kennedy about a now little-known piece of history: the rescue of thousands of works of European art looted by the Nazis. Be sure to check out the slide show, too.

Favourite Book Covers of 2006

Joseph, proprietor of the Book Design Review blog, picks his favourite book covers of 2006. I like his taste. Via the Kottke blog.

Night Owls

A new Italian study suggests that night owls tend to be more creative. Lead author Marina Giampietro and colleague G.M. Cavallera write, "Being in a situation which diverges from conventional habit — nocturnal types often experience this situation — may encourage the development of a non-conventional spirit and of the ability to find alternative and original solutions."

Cupcake Bakeshop

The Cupcake Bakeshop blog is dedicated to the art of the cupcake. Creator Cheryl Porro, who describes herself as "...a software quality engineer by day, erstwhile baker for hire by night," shares her adventures in baking, carefully documenting her recipes with how-to shots as well as beautifully styled photos of the final result. A browse through this site will definitely inspire you to do something a little fancier for the holiday dessert buffet. On the left is Cheryl's Chocolate Bread Pudding Cupcake with Toasted Walnuts, Homemade Toffee, and Cream.

The Delights of Stationary

"As the ubiquity of e-mail forces business and private correspondence into a stylistic straitjacket, and the sending of letters becomes less of a norm, stationery is nonetheless enjoying a resurgence among those who wish to inject a little more taste, luxury and individuality into their personal exchanges." Read the rest of Tara Mulholland's International Herald Tribune article here.

National Film Board of Canada

The venerable NFB has a beautifully designed, Flash-based website which is well worth checking out. They also have a call for digital animation entries on at the moment (though as the deadline is January 16 you'll need to hurry finishing that masterpiece). Really inspiring to look at––you can see why the NFB has been such a good thing for Canadian animation (and why it continues to garner so many awards in this area). To the left is Herb Taylor's photo of the first team of animators at the NFB, in 1950.

Classics of Everyday Design 1

Jonathan Glancey has an interesting series of articles on the Guardian's art blog called Classics of Everyday Design. Number 1 is the catseye, invented by Percy Shaw (1890-1976). Glancey writes: "A simple concoction of glass, rubber and cast iron, this reflecting road-stud has saved countless lives. Seemingly inert and largely invisible by day, the Catseye comes brilliantly to life in the gloaming and after dark, as it lights up in feline fashion when picked out by the headlamps of cars and other vehicles."

An Illustrated History of Folding Chairs

Birgit Lohmann of DesignBoom has compiled an interesting history of the folding chair. Pictured to the left is a folding stool from Thebes, c. 1450-1400 B.C.

50 Works of Art to See Before You Die

Compiled by Guardian readers, a list of artwork considered essential viewing. Check out the link to selected images, too.

Retro Printers: Grounding the Laserjet

New York Times article by Laura M. Holson on the resurgence of letterpress printing. From the article: "I'm not alone in my newfound interest. Letterpress, which became obsolete in the 1980s with the rise of desktop publishing, is experiencing a resurgence as artists and consumers rediscover the allure of hand-set type."

You're Never Too Old

Lovely BBC story about how the distinguished illustrator Quentin Blake (best known for his illustrations of Roald Dahl's children's books) is creating murals to brighten the environment of the elderly.

476ad Launch Party

My brother Greg's band, Dude Ranch, will be playing at the launch party for 476ad this Saturday, Dec. 9 at Irene's Pub (at 885 Bank St.). Admission is $5. Promises to be a very hip evening...

Update: Photos from the show.

Christmas Card

Once again it's time for the annual Christmas card sale! This year's card was a collaborative effort, with Andrew taking care of the writing while I took care of the design. I'm also doing something a little different this time around by making the card available on a subscription basis only -- that is, I'll only be printing as many as are actually ordered, so if you're interested you'll need to let me know ASAP. My apologies for the short notice, but it's been a busy season around here already!

Prices
Each: $2.00
Pack of 10: $18.00

Anxiety Illustrated

Review by Michiko Kakutani in the New York Times of Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, Health-Inspected Cartoons 1978-2006, a new compilation of the brilliant (and frequent New Yorker contributor) cartoonist Roz Chast. More info can be found here.

Cosmic Graphics

Article by Phil Patton in Voice: The Journal of Design on how we view colour in space.

Stain Teacups

These interesting cups are the work of British designer Laura Bethan Wood. Made of bone china, they're designed (as Leonora Oppenheim reports on the Cool Hunting blog) to "... improve through use, (as) the inside of the cup is treated so that it is more susceptible to the staining that results from tea drinking. The more the cup is used, the more the pattern is revealed and, over time, the intensity of the pattern will increase—the speed depends on the owner’s personal tea drinking habit." The cups are all hand finished and cost £35 each (including saucer). Contact Laura through her site to purchase.

Crafty Synergy

"Crafty Synergy is a blog about creative women and their businesses. It is a place about understanding what these artists do and why they do it." Read the interviews by Patricia, graphic designer and creator of the Crafty Synergy blog, here. On the left are handmade sandals by a recently featured designer, Annie Mohaupt. Via favorite choses.

Annibale Carracci

International Herald Tribune article by Roderick Conway Morris about a long overdue retrospective of the Italian artist "Annibale Carracci," at the Museo Civico Archeologico, which "...does justice to the sheer originality and variety - from realist scenes of butchers' shops, luscious nudes and landscapes, to captivating drawings of a host of subjects, caricatures, portraits and monumental dramas, Christian and pagan - of this profoundly humane artist."

Not Your Grandma's Holiday Craft Sale

Ladyfest Ottawa and punkottawa.com are hosting the annual Not Your Grandma's Holiday Craft Sale at the Jack Purcell Community Center on 320 Elgin St (at Lewis) on Saturday, December 2, 2006, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a suggested donation of $2. Punkottawa.com describes it as "...a one stop holiday shopping bonanza with everything from off-beat arts and crafts to vegan treats." Love that poster design, too! Via my brother Greg's blog.