Meghan Howland

How beautiful are these paintings by Meghan Howland? I haven't been able to stop thinking about that top one since I spotted it on Pinterest last week. The rhythm, the painterly brush strokes, the color, the magical yet slightly terrifying thought of a dozen birds flying around someone's face. It's all so captivating.

via Two Two Oh Four

Pumpkin Cookies

Today's cookie post comes from Michelle, artist and blogger at The Art of Michelle. If you've been reading Gathered Heart for long, you probably that know I love Michelle's artwork (see her GH artist interview here!) Michelle uses a combination of techniques, from watercolor to paper collage to details scrawled in pencil, resulting in beautiful pieces with a touch of whimsy. Be sure to check out her website and Etsy shop to see her work -- I adore her custom house portraits and butterfly prints.

When I asked Michelle to participate in 12 Days of Christmas Cookies, she asked if she could illustrate her cookie recipe. I thought it was a wonderful idea, and I'm so happy to feature Michelle's artwork yet again... this time in recipe form.

When my husband Seth moved out of his parent's house and into his own home, his mother sent a handwritten cookbook with him. At the time, Seth and I were just dating, and the notion of his mother going to all that trouble over a cookbook when the man obviously didn't know how to cook was, frankly, an overture toward me. I probably rolled my eyes a little at this obvious "you'll need this cookbook if you want to be a part of our family" gesture. Country women loooove their cookin.

Now almost two years into our marriage, I've learned to treasure that cookbook! I've never considered myself as "domesticated" (say that with a hillbilly twang) as most wives seem to be, but that cookbook has taught me a lot about what a little butter and sugar can do for a family. I'm nowhere near caught up with all the other country women around these parts, but I'm learning that the recipes these ladies share are like little precious family gems passed down from generation to generation. (The thought of them somehow landing in my lap must undoubtedly strike fear in those Foster hearts!)

One of those little gems is this Pumpkin Cookies recipe. There's a little note in my husband's cookbook next to this particular recipe which reads: Great Grandma Margaret Foster. So you can thank her and generations of Foster women for perfecting this recipe so we can enjoy it today! And perfect they are. Soft and spicy and sweet. Mix up a batch of powdered sugar icing to drizzle on top if you're like me and crave that little extra sweetness.

As a special gift to Gathered Heart readers, Michelle is offering this recipe illustration at a special price of $15 in her Etsy shop. You can purchase this print for your own kitchen! Thanks again, Michelle, for sharing this family cookie recipe with us!
See more 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. 

Tugboat Printshop

Today I'm feeling particularly inspired by the incredible works of Tugboat Printshop. If you haven't heard of them, Tugboat is a collaborative husband and wife printmaking duo based out of Pittsburgh. They make seriously beautiful woodcut prints:

"Forest" -- I would love to have this on my wall

"RV"

"America the Beautiful" -- the detail in this piece is incredible

Last summer at Renegade Chicago, I was able to meet Valerie at the Tugboat booth. It was really awesome and equally awkward. I had slight "WHAAA you're one of my favorite artists!!!" fever.

     ME: Wow, hi. Hi. I love you your work. I love your work.
     TB: Oh, thank you...
     ME: I was in the college, and I took a class. Where I made the prints.
     TB: ....Printmaking?
     ME: Yes! That's what it's called, printmaking. One and two.
     TB: That's nice...
     ME: I was inspire by you. Your work... amaze me. So good. So good.

I'm not even kidding, I sounded like an idiot. And I knew it, but I just couldn't stop the grammatically incorrect fragments from tumbling out of my mouth. I quickly had Sharon snap a photo of me next to "America the Beautiful" and ran away in shame.

It is what it is.

I'm pretty sure I'm blushing here...

 An in-progress detail shot of "Garden"
 

"Garden"

Out of all the creative processes, I probably have the most respect for printmaking, especially wood block printing. It's tedious and time consuming work, but the results are amazing. All of Tugboat's prints are filled with wonderful detail and each print tells a story. I could stare at them for hours.

For more on Tugboat Printshop, check out their website, blog, or visit their Etsy shop.
All images via Tugboat Printshop

Summery New York Prints

 

Totally design-crushing on these New York themed prints from husband and wife design team Eight Hour Day. Lately I've been really inspired by mid-century modern design, and the limited color palette is so summery and fun.

Bugs on Book Covers

How beautiful is this series of painted book covers by artist Rose Sanderson? I think the center one is my favorite because of the detail on the spine. I know bugs can tend to make people squeamish, but something about the color and detail in these paintings really captures my attention.

Plus, they remind me of summertime, and I really love summertime.

via Unruly Things.

Michael Sullivan Photography

How about a few lovely film photographs from Michael Sullivan to start your week with something beautiful? His work is seriously inspiring...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous, right? Even his wintery images look warm and inviting. I love his use of natural light, and the photos with multiple-exposures are so magical. You could easily spend an hour absorbed in all the beauty on his Flickr (I know I did.)

Hope you have a very lovely Monday, friends.

Sandra Dieckmann

I stumbled upon the work of British illustrator Sandra Dieckmann the other day and had to share a few of my favorites... which were pretty difficult to decide on. Her work is is full of woodland creatures, intricate details, beautifully subtle colors, a hint of whimsy and the occasional feather. All of my favorite things.

Deer Lady

Robin Trees - I love the pattern detail on the tree trunks!

Squirrel Spoon - how sweet is this pair?

Kes

Detail from Magic Breeze

Aren't her illustrations lovely? Dieckmann's work is available for purchase on Etsy and Society6, or visit her website for more information on her wonderful illustrations.

Animals of Low Moral Standing

 

I love these witty watercolor prints from R.S. Posnak, especially the Animals of Low Moral Standing. It's true, you know. Snakes, sharks, and skunks are always up to no good.

via Rachel.

Happy Thanksgiving

Although I am thankful for so much this holiday season, this fun illustration by Laura George pretty much sums it up. Christopher and I are headed out pretty early to squeeze in two separate family feasts today... complete with lots of good food, time with family, laughter, a holiday movie and a nap with Ulia. It's the perfect way to celebrate.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Rifle Paper Co. 2012 Calendar

Right around this time every year, heaps of calendars start popping up all over online. This gorgeous 2012 Botanical Calendar from the amazing folks at Rifle Paper Co. is definitely a top contender for my wall space. The color palette and floral illustrations are wonderful.

Little Darlings

I am totally loving this new series of prints, Little Darlings, from Sharon Montrose and I thought I'd share. Because it's Monday. And who doesn't love baby animals?

Alyssa Nassner's Daily Outfits

I was perusing the online portfolio of artist Alyssa Nassner this morning when I ran across a fun illustration project of hers: Daily Outfits, a visual journal of clothing. Love it.

 

 

Nasser captures all the details in each outfit - the buttons, the sweater ribbing, the gray Toms (we're Toms twinsies!) The illustrations remind me of paper dolls, especially since the position of her figure never changes. Do little girls still play with paper dolls? I sure hope so. I'd like to think that my daughter will.

I really enjoy seeing an artist's process of ongoing, self-initiated projects - especially when the artist finds creative ways to work within the limitations of repetition. I've been working on the first illustration for my own daily/weekly project that I'm excited to share soon, hopefully by Friday if I get around to it.

By the way, I totally own that last outfit... minus the scarf and with darker booth.
Alyssa obviously has great taste.

For more of Alyssa's work, visit her website, Etsy shop, or blog.

Gorgeous Geodes

Have you seen these beauties floating around the web lately? THEY'RE OIL PAINTINGS. Seriously... can you believe it? Since 2009, artist Carly Waito has been photographing the microscopic details of minerals and turning them into beautiful, intricate oil paintings. 

Seriously, the detail and realism of her work is incredible. When I first saw them, I honestly thought they were photographs. I still can't get over it! I want to hang these on my wall, framed in black, in a series of three: tourmaline, smoky quartz, and barite.
Come on, guys. You know I love me some geodes.

All artwork by Carly Waito via Anthology Magazine.

100 Years of Fashion

I can't get over this video: 100 Years of Fashion, presented in 100 seconds through dance. 

It's actually a commercial for a new branch of the British shopping center, Westfield Stratford, but I think it's a work of art. The musical transitions, the clever choreography and of course, the costumes... advertising can be so great.

I'd also like to pretend that the dancers are married. Because they're super cute together.

A few of my favorites... oh how I love the gypsy lifestyle of the 70s and those 90s power suits...

Art direction by Jake Lunt for The Viral Factory.
via Uppercase.

Kiera Rathbone Typewriter Art

Thanks to Sharon's Manual Typewriter Rescue Society, I am the proud owner of two lovely typewriters: a solid blue beauty and a dainty, cream-colored cursive one. Trendy as they may be, I think typewriters are beautiful pieces of history. So when I stumbled upon the artwork of UK artist Kiera Rathbone, I was floored.

 Portrait of author Bonnie Greer

Rathbone uses vintage typewriters to create layers of dashes, letters and numbers to slowly build up her image. Each piece takes approximately 90 hours. Rathbone's passion for typewriter art began when she found an old orange 1960s typewriter in a thrift shop. She now has 30 different typewriters, each one with their own unique characteristics.

Rathbone at work

 

Detail of Wimborne Minister, and the piece in progress

I love the detail shown above -- the typewriter's alphanumeric shapes form such intricate textures... it almost looks like pen & ink stroke marks and hatches. This video shows Rathbone at work -- I'm amazed how quickly she types out each mark! To see more of Rathbone's work, visit www.kierarathbone.com or her Facebook page.

All images via Kiera Rathborne's Facebook page.

Uncommon

Let me tell you a little story about my phone. Currently, she lives in a thick, black Speck case that does nothing for her sleek silver figure. It's very utilitarian (read: ugly.) I can't complain because it was a freebie, but I've been wanting a cute and sturdy case from day two. Enter Uncommon, a company that allows you to pick your case body, upload an image, and they'll print the design directly on the case for you in scratch resistant ink. Genius.

I love the fact you can create your own case, but I typically have a hard time designing for myself. Fortunately, Uncommon also has a great artist series. My personal favorites are the Hare design and all of the Jill Bliss covers.

Then I found these beauties on Katie Daisy's Flickr........ 

Case illustrations by Katie Daisy 

I want them all. I can't get enough of Katie Daisy's work -- the colors, the details, the emotion. From what I can tell these are just prototypes, but I hope she decides to illustrate a few cases for Uncommon. I'd definitely buy one... probably one of the bottom two designs, perhaps the blue one. Please and thank you.

Missy Austin Design

I was perusing the fantastic free fonts at Lost Type Co-op this morning when I ran across the work of Missy Austin. Missy designed "Nelma" a wonderful, flourished typeface. It's a pretty elaborate font that I may never actually use... but I still love it. It would be perfect for a rustic wedding suite or possibly a poster.

 Nelma. EPS file available for free here

After viewing the font, I was curious to see her other work so I followed the link to her website. So glad I did. Austin, who "appreciates simplicity as long as it's compelling," has a very inspiring portfolio. I really enjoy her playful use of color and texture, as well as the modern-meets-mid century vibe that a lot of her pieces have. 

Web design for the National Park Service -- this entire branding suite is great

 A selection of Austin's logo designs

Austin graduated in 2010 from the University of Minnesota and lives and works in Minneapolis. For being so young, she already has developed a great design philosophy and is definitely one to watch. I really like this little blurb from her biography:

I don't think branding (or anything for that matter) should ever compromise character and I believe quirkiness, a sense of humor & experimentation will always beat out the safe choice.

Amen to that. Like Austin, I try to use interesting typography treatments and meaningful shapes in my work as much as possible. But I've noticed lately that I tend to use the same colors: mustard, teal, and salmon.... I really should try using more orange and green, and take a cue from Austin and incorporate more texture in my work.

I hope you're inspired by Austin's work as much as I am. Added bonus: she has a great set of found typography on her Flickr!