Andrew Bannecker {inspiration}

I came across Andrew Bannicker recently when he was featured in 3x3 magazine for his Coke ads. I thought those ads were just gorgeous so I wanted to see what else he could do. I wasn't disappointed! He is amazing. I love his quirky, folk art style and his textures are right up my alley. His color palettes are surprising and fresh. Check out his site for yourself - it will brighten your day, I promise.

Karolin Schnoor {inspiration}

I've been seeing London-based illustrator Karolin Schnoor's work on some of the blogs I read lately and I thought I would show a collection of some of my favorites. As a lover of mugs, I found these on her website - she made them for Christmas gifts. What a great idea! I love the folk art look to her work. I can just imagine her sketchbook and all the doodling she must do. Her shop has a collection of cards with animals that can be cut out and turned into movable art. Brilliant.
Happy Weekend!

Mengsel {inspiration}

        
I came across Mengsel on the Print & Pattern blog recently. Mengsel is work of designer/illustrator/printmaker Luzelle Van der Westhuizen. She is a London based artist, originally from Cape Town, South Africa who mixes Scandinavian and African design to create lovely silkscreen prints and textiles for the home. On a clever note, "mengsel" is an Afrikaans word that means "mixture." I hope her work inspires you too! Happy weekend!

Check out Mengsel etsy shop here. {all images from Mengsel shop}

Sanjay Patel {illo inspiration}

Here are some amazing illustrations by Sanjay Patel from his book "Divine Loophole." I borrowed the beautiful book from a friend and scanned in as many images as I could. I can't tell you how hard it was to narrow it down to just these - there were so many gorgeous pages to choose from. Sanjay is and animator and storyboard artist for Pixar. I hope he inspires you. Enjoy!

Jim Flora {inspiration friday}

I came across Jim Flora's work while looking for inspiration for a December Nights illustration {see Happy Holiday's post.} He was most know for the Jazz album covers he did in the 1940's and 50's along with his children's book and magazine illustration. On his website, though, you discover the fine art side to him. The prints and note cards available for sale made me drool. He has been gone for over a decade, but his art still speaks to me now. It says "hey there, I'm still amazing!" Enjoy!

{images from Jim Flora site and blog}

Lora Lamm {illo inspiration}

I stumbled across Lora Lamm's illustrations accidentally - I was searching for 50's style illustration and clicked on a website called Display. This site "documents mid-20th century, modern graphic design history through a curated collection, feature articles and bookstore." I borrowed these images of Lora's work from the site but there is so much more to see, I barely scratched the surface. Lora was born in Switzerland in 1928. She worked for the Studio Boggeri in Milan during the 1950s and 60s. I can see her influence in many illustrators working today. I hope her images inspire you as much as they will inspire me. Enjoy!

Jonathan Adler Love {inspiration}

Since we saved so much money on our tree this year - see post below - I splurged on an ornament by Jonathan Adler. It's the cutest little porcelain elephant. I found it at Grounded in downtown Encinitas. When I got home, I got lost checking out Jonathan's site. I am in love with almost everything! Here is a sampling of some of his pottery items, but see his site for much, much more. I'm hoping to get one of his two-faced mugs - maybe for my birthday next year. (hint, hint) By the way, Happy Birthday, Kelly!!

Katie Kirk of Eight Hour Day {illo inspiration}

I'm not sure where I got all these images, but I filed them under Katie Kirk of Eight Hour Day. I had seen her stuff on some blogs and when I found this letterpress print of office supplies that Studio On Fire printed for her I was extra impressed. I went looking for Katie's illustration work recently and noticed she has moved all her work to her Eight Hour Day Design and Illustration site she has with her husband Nathan Strandberg. These images are only the tip of the iceberg. Their design collaborations are inspiring. Check out their site and drool away.

Aesthetic Apparatus {illo inspiration}

images from Aesthetic Apparatus