NokHoo Hoozits Design Blog

A Good Bad Witch

2012-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

I totally love Patricio Betteo's rendition of the witch in this drawing. Something about it is scary and cuddly at the same time. Patricio has a lot of gorgeous work on his blog and Flickr portfolio. I'll be revisiting his sites soon to see what he's working on next!

They Draw and Travel

2012-01-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

While at a friend's home I spied on her coffee table a book called, "They Draw and Cook". I remembered finding this blog over a year ago (I featured it here) and was so happy to see the real-life version all published and shiny and new. It looks even better than I expected and is chock-full of gorgeous illustrations. Well guess what they're doing next? "They Draw and Travel"!!! The above illustration is by April Brantner whose work can be seen here. Can't wait to see how this book unfolds!

Everyone Loves a Narwhal

2012-01-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a fan of narwhals, I mean, who's not? So when I saw this narwhal iPhone cover, I almost passed out. It looks a bit like my "Narwhals Meet" sketch (blogged here). I must have a narwhal on my phone, now to decide if I should buy it or make it myself? I'll report back with the verdict...

NokHoo Interview: Stylish Mama

2012-01-18T17:44:00.001-08:00

When I started designing NokHoo backpacks I was searching for a great-looking, quality bag that I could use while traveling the world with my laptop. In the few short years since NokHoo transformed from an idea into a reality, my life has transformed as well. The bag I counted on to safely ferry my computer from India to Italy and back again is now carrying diapers, bottles and brightly colored toys up and down the West Coast.

When I hear from my wonderful customers, I'm always surprised at the unique way that each individual uses their bag, so I decided to post a series of interviews asking, "How do you use your NokHoo bag?".

Lovely JuJu at the airport (she's the tall one).

My first interview features JuJu who lives in Bangkok with her husband and young son. She owns the Icarus style and has been using it as a diaper bag. She recently took a trip to Taiwan and I asked her how she organized her bag for that trip:

"In the front zipper, I kept 4-5 diapers in where the two pockets are. And I placed small bottle of Vaseline, baby wipe pack, nose spray bottle in the mesh pocket attached to the front side zipper. The very front small pocket, I kept my gum, and lipstick. (See the photo)".

JuJu sent me this fab photo showing how she organized her bag!

When I asked JuJu to tell me what she likes most about her bag, she had this to say:

"The backpack style is very convenient especially for a trip while I don’t have free hands. My hands are always ready for carrying the baby, so a shoulder or messenger bag would totally get in a way. The bag is also roomy and designed with many pockets. It is easy to organize."

Thanks to JuJu for the interview and great photos! As always, you can check out all NokHoo's lovely styles here.

The stylish mama heads off to Taiwan...

A Cabinet of Curiosities

2012-01-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

Another great concept designer is Mike Yamada. He works with Dreamworks Animation and his portfolio includes drawings from Kung Fu Panda and the like. His blog is a worthy read for a peek into his life and his very fun sketch work. The drawing above is a personal project he's working on with his wife entitled, "A Cabinet of Curiosities" (one of my favorite themes). Can't wait to see the finished collection!

Fresh Inspiration

2012-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

A while back I picked up a book by concept artist Hans Bacher who does a lot of work for animation houses like Disney. (I blogged about him here). Since then I've been very curious about artists doing similar work and I recently came across Kang San's work. I love his fresh, sketchy lines and the balance between abstraction and realism. Check out his site here (mostly in Korean but the pictures are the real eye candy).

Color Outside the Lines

2012-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this fun artwork by Spencer Studio on Etsy. I love the idea of extending a photo beyond its frame. This sets my head a'reeling with other ideas... perhaps I'll work on those in my free time? (That was a joke-not much time for new projects lately in my world. Probably better to buy a pic from Spencer Studios since they seem to have this technique down).

I Believe I can Fly

2012-01-11T11:24:00.003-08:00

"I Believe I Can Fly"

"Farfalle"

What fantastic work by Italian Illustrator Riccardo Guasco! I love the composition and fantasy elements. They have the feel of early 20th century European advertisements and propaganda posters. If you like the look of his work, check out his series of portraits from the Barri Gotic. This is how he describes that project:
"An apartment in Barcelona
7 days of painting from the tapas bars of the Barrì Gotic
Lives of people distracted, told in a tweet."

Fluevoging

2012-01-04T19:29:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine alerted me to the existence of Fluevog shoes. The above two pair of boots (top = Lourdes, bottom = Arresto) are more expensive than any shoe I've ever owned but I want them badly. So much so that I've almost convinced myself that they would be a really nice thing to share with my daughter, you know, we could wear them on alternate days or something. It will be a while before they'll fit her since she is eight months old, but I'm sure she will love them.

Ed Emberley Fabrics

2012-01-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

I think I will hyperventilate. Cloud 9 Fabrics has created an organic fabric collection based on Ed Emberley's drawing books. It ships in February. I think that's enough time to come up with a project or two...

IKAT CHAIRS!!

2011-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

From the Absolutely Beautiful Things blog.

From Copy Cat Chic blog.

From Anthropologie.

From Finders Keepers blog.

In case you haven't noticed, ikat is THE textile of the moment and I am particularly fond of ikat chairs. The bold pattern on a small-ish space is exciting and nicely balances the traditional, folky feel of the print. Hope this look is here to stay for a while!

The Textile Files: Black & Gray

2011-12-29T16:10:00.003-08:00

"End Papers" by Prints, Etc

By Luli Sanchez

"Graphite Mor" by Madeline Weinrib

I, like many people I know right now, am transfixed by Pinterest. Today I discovered Krista Nye Schwartz's black and gray textile folder and I'm crazy about it. Above are four of my faves.

Mapping Nature

2011-12-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

I've fallen in love with the paintings of Luisa Sartori. I was, at first, caught by the intriguing mix of geometric shapes resembling pencil sketches, mixed with atmospheric-feeling colors. And after reading her artist's statement I'm even more fascinated. Luisa observes that abstract, modern shapes "find their origin in the organic world" and she seeks to juxtapose these seemingly opposite abstract shapes against their organic muse.

Happy Willow

2011-12-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

I'm loving Liz Tran's colorful, fun paintings. This one is called "Willow". Turns out Liz is also from Oregon, how could she not be amazing?

Rampant Red

2011-12-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

Reds, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Inspired by the indigo theme I posted last time, I went haunting the web for info on dyes and ran across a blog called BiniChic. As well as having some interesting posts on the history of color, BiniChic is full of fun design-y info accented with lots of beautiful photos. These pics are from their entry on the color red.

Blue Alchemy

2011-12-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

I just saw an ad for this lovely film, "Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo" by Mary Lance. It explores past and present stories surrounding the intense blue dye. I haven't seen it yet but definitely plan to just based on some of these still shots. Gorgeous.

Tangerine Tango

2011-12-11T12:40:00.001-08:00

Tangerine Tango, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Introducing Pantone's color choice for 2012: Tangerine Tango. Director Leatrice Eiseman's describes Tangerine Tango this way, “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.” Sounds like a science experiment to me.

Take a look at Pantone's spring 2012 Color Report to see what they're predicting for color direction. Nanette Lepore (whose styles I love) says this about the palette, “We love the mix of hot neon colors with soft pastels, reminiscent of nature at its extremes: a powerful sunset, the ocean sparkling at dusk with flashes of lightning in the distance”.

A Chinese Landscape

2011-11-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

This doesn't even look real. Photo of Yangshuo, China by Karl Wilson. Found in the travel section on the Telegraph's website.

Carnival Rides

2011-11-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful photo by Konstantinos (a.k.a. tiflosourtis). I want to go floating around on one of those swings...

Color and Tarts

2011-11-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Found this photo on the Polish blog, Bochenko Artdeco. What a striking color combination! And the tarts on the dresser just make it feel that much more warm and home-y.

Poppies

2011-11-21T10:51:00.003-08:00

Just gorgeous. Photo from Martha Stewart Living via Everything Fabulous.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

2011-11-18T18:30:00.005-08:00

Today I wandered into Bridge City Comics and was compelled to buy a copy of lusciously illustrated, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Marvel Comics). The main illustrator (penciller to use the correct comic-y term) is Skottie Young who does a great job using shape and composition to express the personality of his characters.

The first two pics above are from his Oz series and the last one is from Annihilators.

Sheepie

2011-11-15T23:55:00.001-08:00

The sweetest thing ever. Found on Pinterest (via Fibergirl) but has made its rounds on the net... not sure where the original came from but I just had to share.

The Naturalist

2011-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

I know it's not a new trend, but I've been checking out boutiques that specialize in the ye-olde-naturalist look. The above items are all from Jayson Home. Clockwise from top left: Petrified Wood Trays, Ceramic Urchin Box, Spouting Whale Tray, Round Horn Plates.

Mmmm... mercury

2011-11-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ooh, etched mercury glass! This is from Jayson Home. Like it.