My beloved Oakland has a crime problem. As I warily parked my car in a neighborhood where the sidewalks sparkled with the evidence of previous car break-ins, I had a bad feeling. My instincts proved right, and I returned to my car to find my front seat littered with broken glass and the contents of my glove box. By the next day, the window was repaired, the car was freshly vacuumed, and I was moving on.
Going through this process, I kept visualizing all that broken glass and its artistic potential. Today's post features the work of Ellen Blakeley, who specializes in beauty made from shards. My favorites are the ones with images imbedded behind the glass. Enjoy.
Note to locals: Ms. Blakeley occasionally teaches at the Institute for Mosaic Art, if you are inspired.
Images from Ellen Blakeley (top = New Yorker tile; all others = Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy mural and details).
Creative Review has a great post on the new visual identity for Goodwill SF. I like the idea of treating Goodwill as a brand vs. a dumping ground for out-of-date shoes and gently loved toys. This take is fresh enough to work for any modern retail brand, and yet completely in line with their mission.
The sides of the truck emphasize the thrill of the score, finding the perfect whatever in the shop. The back of the truck highlights the donation side. Nice work.
For you locals, the high holy holiday of Halloween is coming, and there is no better place to come up with creative costumes than that downtown SF Goodwill. Shop early, before the best wigs and spandex are gone...
Images from Creative Review. Via NOTCOT.
If you're not already familiar with Betabrand, the design juggernaut behind Cordarounds and the Darpa Hoodie, you should be. Just get on their mailing list. Their promotional emails are part delusion, part viral marketing, all awesome.
Their latest Think Tank product is the Miss Print skirt, which is made up of cotton/spandex test prints from their screen printer's shop. Super cute. I hope they put them into production.
Images from Betabrand.
Designer DeWayne Lumpkin takes vintage British transit rolls and repurposes them into furniture, housewares, and a very stylish line of clothing, charmingly named SheSpoke. How fantastic are these?
If you want to see these locally, check with Collage Gallery & Clothing in Potrero Hill. The trunk show closed mid-February, but there may be some pieces still in the shop. Or you can stop by my house. I just found a lovely pair of his Steelcase chairs on Craigslist.
Images from Collage Gallery & Clothing (images 1-3) and Katie (image 4). Via SF Gate.
