visit - sheridan illustration show

This past Thursday April 18th, I attended the 2013 Sheridan Illustration Grad Show. The event was held at 99 Sudbury Street in Toronto and showcased lovely work by the freshly graduated of Sheridan College. While studying Interior Design at Sheridan I often wondered through the illustration and animation building halls and would look at the artwork displayed behind locked acrylic cases.  I love drawing and continue to be drawn to this form of art. 

At the show each student had a wall to display their work.  The gallery space was filled with hot air from the multitude of people that had gathered for the show and the walls were filled with beautiful and colourful illustrations.

All the work displayed had something to offer and each student had developed a style; some work I could see used in children's books, while other work focused on genre suitable for comic books for grown-ups. I took as many photos as I could, and even though the space was white and bright, some pictures did not turn out. The work featured below is of work that resonated with me and work that photographed well with my iphone camera. Please enjoy  :)

Portraits by: Tian Yu (above)

Illustrations by: Michelle Berardi (above)

Illustrations by: Chantel Declerck
(above)

Illustrations by: Lena Le (above)

Illustrations by: Christopher Hebert (above)




Illustrations by: Leanna TenEycke (above)




Illustrations by:Cindy Esteves (above)

make - colourful easter eggs

This weekend my family and I celebrated Easter.  Eastern European, and in my case the Polish folk tradition is especially festive.  This years egg painting, was inspired by ultra-glamorous interior designer Kelly Wearstler. My own egg designs mirror some of the colourful patterns found in her interiors and in her collection of fabric and wallcovering. The finished painted eggs were placed into a highly decorated tacky Easter basket, the finished product was incredibly colourful and cheerful. See below  :)

After choosing a theme and inspiration I had to prepare the eggs for painting. I first hard-boiled white and brown eggs. After the eggs had boiled I washed and dried the eggs. After the eggs had dried I proceeded to draw freehand outlines on the eggs with black permanent marker.  Lastly, I painted the eggs using about 5 selected acrylic paint colours.  Acrylic paint is great for this craft because the paint is non-toxic, dries quickly and does not penetrate into the inside the egg, the colours stay on top of the eggshell. 

An egg close-up.



The Polish Easter Basket.

The candy and toy Easter basket

make - doodles

I have not posted in a while and a post is long due.  I have been busy pursuing my many interests among them illustration and drawing. I am posting little doodles I made over these last few weeks.  Some of them I will use for a project, others are just random and were inspired by people I know, and

illustrators such as Peter de Seve. 

find - colour in the gloom

February in a city like Toronto is pretty depressing and drab, this is why whenever I see colour during the gloomy months, it makes me happy.  This weekend was special as I was able to capture some really fun displays of colour despite the somber mood of February.

Pink chameleon in the window display of Aritzia at the Queen Street location.

Honest Eds at the intersection of Bloor and Bathurst (the Annex). The sun had just set and the light was still lingering behind the clouds.  

I purchased new colouring pencils, laid them out and behold a rainbow!

Let the doodles begin! I haven't drawn in ages and I really miss it.

find - one big dining light

I honestly can't say that I prefer minimalism over maximalism, or vice versa.  If a space is well designed and looks right, whether it's simple or ornate, it's just good design.  One thing I can say though, is that the pieces one chooses for any space design are important. 

I like the idea of a strong focal point and what better way to do this than with something fun and grand, like using one large light pendant above a small dining table.  Please see images below :)

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

visit - bobbette and belle

Still feeling a bit nostalgic for my romanticized ideas about France, as this years Valentines Day brought back memories of last years Paris trip, today, I suddenly longed to eat a cupcake.  I was in the Toronto Leslieville (Queen Street East area) and decided to pop into Bobbette and Belle, an artisinal pastry shop that is very well known for its exquisitely decorated cakes.  The cake designs made by Bobbette and Belle are intricate, feminine and delicate. Likewise, the shop aesthetic mirrors the pretty cakes found there. The shop is white and airy and mixes somewhat industrial distressed looking furniture with French country and baroque design elements.  It sharply reminds me of Sofia Coppola's film: Marie Antoinette.  Below are some photos of this very pretty space!

all done!

the cupcake of course  :)

find - a parisian valentine

Last spring, my sister and I visited the most romantic city in the world; Paris (sigh*) Although the people were not all that sweet, the architecture, gardens, palaces, metro, boulevards, unique districts, artisan shops, cafe/bistro life, culture, language and baguettes were amazing! I became adamant on discovering the city by foot, and my beloved sister and I walked around the city for days, both of us had never walked around a city that much. My sense of direction decided to leave me on that trip, but luckily she was the most perfect guide (having visited Paris before). I was amazed at the uniformity of the architecture, and how large the city actually is. Although, in the day, Paris is quite busy, towards the evening, Paris chills out, as groups of youth, friends and couples picnic by the the Seine (always with a bottle of wine). Paris with it's black roofs, impressive white-stone medieval, baroque and neo-classical architecture, desserts displayed in windows, and pretty ladies wearing heels on cobblestone streets you are full of an elegant attitude! This valentines, my mind and heart drift to the romantic streets of Paris, and the light and dusty images below paint a perfect picture of my nostalgia for the city of love.

 1 | 2| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | video