The New Inspirational Poster

So we've all seen the traditional gag-worthy inspirational posters with the word in all caps below the oh-so-inspiring photo plus tagline (and all of the parody versions that make fun of them). But, the sentiment is nice.  I think the new trend of quote-themed art prints is a brilliant replacement. Anyone who has seen my quote blog, Seed of Wonder, knows that I'm a quote addict. Quick bits of wisdom from some of the greatest writers and thinkers? Yes, please.

Here are some of my favorites currently on Etsy. I covet all of them, but the books print is already hanging on my wall! Not only are the quotes inspiring reminders of how to live life for the better, the details are beautiful to look at! Any room would be lucky to have them.

     

"Wild Air" print by The Wheatfield      Abe Lincoln print by Mary Kate McDevitt

 

Morrissey print by The Black Apple       Jefferson Airplane Rock Blox by SuzannaAnna 

          

Artist Spotlight: Alphonse Mucha

Alright, so he's old history. But, as I didn't have much art history in college, I have developed a love affair with Art Nouveau, specifically the works of Mucha. The Czech artist was known primarily for his depictions of women in the flowing, delicate, nature-infused nouveau style. His advertisements, both for products and the theatre, are certainly my favorites.

Mucha started painting theatrical scenery and doing mural work, and transitioned into producing magazine and advertising illustrations, after moving to Paris in 1887. His first mega-success was a poster for the play Gismonda starring the well-loved Sarah Bernhardt.  This poster did much to spark the nouveau movement. After a successful career as an ad-man, he spent many years working on his Magnum Opus, The Slav Epic, twenty huge paintings that are fascinating and depict the history of the Czech and Slavic people.  I'd be happy to have any of Mucha's work framed on my wall-- the detail is endless.

UPDATE: 

Here it is, July 23, and Google has dedicated their main page to Mucha's 150th birthday! 

Natural Curiousities

I cannot express how much I love Natural Curiousities, an online store whose mission is to provide unique art to the design community worldwide. From images of the natural world and cartography to silkscreens and penmanship, the collection is enough to drool over, and is always being expanded.  Some of my favorite inspirations:

... isn't it the truth?

Their quotes collection is lots of fun and sparks a special interest in me, as anyone who has seen my Quote Blog knows, and makes for some stimulating conversation. And any quote that can help me feel less guilty about my splurge of a shopping trip is fine by me...

Fernando Boher's illustration collection, inspired by the concept of "Collections of a Travelled Mind."

And finally, Einsten riding a bicycle.  Reminds me that age is a matter of perception. Also reminds me of a favorite Einstein quote: 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

-ALBERT EINSTEIN

Back to School and Work This Week...

... And both of these infotoons remind me of things NOT to look forward to. So much for being positive ;) But thanks to lunchbreath, whose flickr photostream is awesome and guffah-worthy. It serves as a reminder that we're all in the same boat.

Artist Spotlight: Marc Johns

Marc Johns is fantastic. His little drawings are so simple but so quirky, witty, and hilarious. They are little slices of the truths we all deny (or the silliness we don't usually let out). Check out his work at his site, marcjohns.com.

I also LOVE the idea of the Post It Show he participated in @ Giant Robot's GR2 Gallery in LA. Maybe I'll decorate one of my walls this way... What a wonderful collage of tiny treasures.

Artistic Desktop Wallpaper (Free!)

I stumbled upon the online gallery/"sketchbook" of Yoshihiro Moritake, and not only do I love the prints, but they are also available to download for free as desktop wallpaper! Just go to the "Gallery" section, click on the prints you like, and download the correct size. 

Another great website is Pixelgirl Presents, featuring free wallpaper-sized versions of various artists' work. A couple of my favories are below. I especially love the ghostly watercolor cat.

And finally, Katogi Mari's gorgeous portfolio offers some free downloads, all in a brightly-colored, graphic representation of a fairy tale style. Check them out.

 

Vintage Book Covers

I bookmarked this post from Bluelines, the former Martha Stewart blog, some time ago because the colors and graphics struck my fancy. As both a book and graphics lover, I find there is a special appeal in vintage/retro designs and their muted colors. As the original blog post suggests, BookScans is a site that makes available scans of old book covers, and The Book Cover Archive does the same for more modern covers. What a neat opportunity for an art project, or at the very least for design inspiration!

If Form Follows Function...

I find this debate coming up all the time in my graduate studies in theatre management. To make art? To make money (hopefully never the ONLY goal)? To somehow find the harmony between the two? Via Product Etcetera.