Melinda Josie: February 2010

February 24th 2010

I have a dream of one day running a small cafe with artwork by friends and I all over the walls.

I would call it "fika" because it's such a beautiful looking word, but also means "coffee" or an afternoon coffee break with baked treats and friends in Swedish.

I would find the best coffee and tea to serve, and bake fresh scones and cookies every day, and spend the rest of my time making artwork.

Okay, so it may not logistically work that smoothly, but it's alright to dream, right?

I was contacted by Bess Callard from the English Muffin blog last week about her posting this week, (during her "Canadiana Tuesday"), about my work. I checked this morning, and her post is up! Here is a link to it.

Thank you Bess!

February 22nd 2010

Springtime Tea Party

I silkscreened another print over the weekend. This one features our house cat. I'll be making more cards, but thought it would be fun to make a small print as well.

I've been wanting to use this colour palette for a while now, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. (I love sunny yellow and payne's grey together!) Since it's such a grey day outside today, I figured it would be the perfect day to brighten things up with some spring colours. I also used my gold ink for the first time, and it's really pretty!

I've just posted it on my website.

February 18th 2010

I printed a new card design yesterday. I made an edition of 20 signed cards and they're blank inside for your own message. I've been creating a series of spring card designs and plan to put out a new one once every week or so for the next while. I've been needing some serious spring inspiration lately. It's been feeling far too wintery around here lately. You could say that part of the inspiration for this design came from the sweet felted fox I got in the mail last week!

February 16th 2010

This weekend I met up with the girls for the best brunch at the Hoof Cafe. It was so much fun! The time flies every time we get together.

February 12th 2010

A couple of days ago I got a package in the mail. Getting mail is most definitely one of the best things in the world in my opinion.

This particular package was sent to me by Sara. I'd been checking her blog and saw that she'd made this sweet little felted fox, (I'm a sucker for felted animals!), and she was giving it away to the first person to comment. I frantically wrote a comment and get it! (Phew!) Little did I know, when she was sending the sweet little fox, she was also sending me a "Beau Bear" by The Pin Pals, a local crafting collective of two lovely ladies, who often sell their wears at the workroom Trunk Shows and other Toronto crafting events. Possibly best of all, however, was the tiny painting Sara made and included in the envelope. It measures about 2½ inches across and 3 high. It's completely adorable. She's been to my studio and knows that I have a collection of tiny things above my desk for inspiration. This fits in perfectly.

I first met Sara a year ago when she asked if she could come visit me at my studio, (which is actually, currently a room that Chris and I share at home to work in). She works for NOW Magazine here in Toronto, doing studio visits with local artists. Here is the interview she did with me, and if you search through their archives, you'll find some wonderful interviews with other friends.

Thank you, Sara! It's the sweetest mail I've gotten in ages!

February 9th 2010

I found a website online yesterday called The Future Project, which showcases work of international designers and is curated by founder Dave Alhadeff. While browsing the site, I saw the work of many artists and designers that I wasn't familiar with, including Donna Wilson. From what I understand, Wilson is predominantly known for her children's soft sculptures, but the work that really caught my eye was the line she created with UK furniture company SCP. Her textiles are simply beautiful, combining Scandinavian and South American styles.

I want one of each! (Including the porcelain Staffordshire Terriers above!)

February 8th 2010

I got my copy of Uppercase in the mail today, and opened it up to find a section on Gemma Correll's Flickr group, What I Wore Today. I started doing drawings for the group back in the fall, and was very excited when Janine, the publisher of Uppercase, contacted me to ask if she could use some of my drawings for an article they were writing.

I'm going to make a section on my website for drawings. I've been meaning to make one for a while, and could use a bit of a push to get back to drawing again. I'll post a link when I've put it online.

February 6th 2010

I've been interested in a movement involving the use of handicraft to create new art forms for a while now. It seems to be everywhere nowadays. I was having a talk with Kristin one day about the use of traditional craft methods, like lace, to create new forms and she mentioned this TED video that she'd seen. She sent it to me this afternoon and I just had to post it. It's one of the most incredible and inspiring projects I've ever seen.