Helvetica Goodies

check out these cookie-cutters by Beverly Hsu!

for the typographically inclined baker...

STUDIO SALE

new type

Here are just a couple of the pages I did for Rotman School of Management's new campaign, which includes brochures, posters, banners, folders for new students and more. As mentioned before, projects like this don't come along often, but when they do, I just count my lucky stars to be able to do what I do. The amazing gang at Underline Studio made it all happen, and the pleasure of working with such folks was that wonderful icing on the perfect-project cake.

Your New Favourite Blog

THERSIC, a collaboration between two of my favourite individuals, Kiersten Essenpreis and Wes Cox, fuses art, industrial design, fashion and funny into my new favourite blog. Kiersten and Wes have an endless amount of talent to share and, collectively, four of the best eyes in the biz. Read about their inspiration and the meaning behind THERSIC here.

After you visit, it'll be your new favourite blog too.

Knowledge is Power is Beauty

photo by JulianaNeufeld.com

My ceramic mug that I created for the One Less Paper Cup show raised $320 for Grounds For Health! Thanks to Adam Pesce for putting on a fantastic show and to the always wonderful people at UNIT for a great night.

Holiday Stocks

A holiday postcard I did for Darcy Morris which illustrates the top stock picks for the holiday gifting season.
**update: see Darcy's fantastic new website here**

One Less Paper Cup

A show I'm taking part in next week, with a great cause.
Read more about the event and it's goals, from show curator Adam Pesce:

"In the coffee community's effort to make our product as sustainable as it can be, we have come to realize that empowering and assisting women in every way possible is a top priority. The One Less Paper Cup event is just one of the many small ways we are attempting to do so.

On Tuesday December 8th, we hope you'll join us to raise money in support of Grounds for Health (http://www.groundsforhealth.org) - an organization that works in the coffee-growing regions of developing nations to provide women with cervical cancer education, screenings and treatment. Coffee is grown almost exclusively in Third World countries and cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in those regions.

To raise money for GFH, we have commissioned 15 artists from across the country to create unique designs on re-usable ceramic mugs. The mugs will be the featured items in a silent auction that will begin at 6:00. The event will be open-house style and run from 5:00pm til close, with the auction ending at 9:00. It will feature celebrity barista Sam James (http://samjamescoffeebar.com/) crafting complimentary lattes and capps, as well as a cash bar.

By supporting Grounds for Health, we are providing the women of coffee communities with a much needed service -cervical cancer is both preventable and, when caught early, one of the most treatable forms of the disease."

Check out the show if you can, or check back here where I'll be posting my own finished mug.

Bird Book

This catalogue of birds, courtesy of Andrew Zuckerman, is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen (the photographs especially).
Prepare to be amazed here.

Another Year, Another AI Party

American Illustration took New York by storm again this fall, celebrating some of the best images in the industry. I am honoured to have been included among such talent again this year - Kiersten Essenpries, Jordin Isip, Leif Parsons, Christian Northeast...you get the idea. The book looks fantastic.
And the party ain't so bad either!
See a great picture of the celebration in action on Kiersten's blog, you fail.

Can't wait 'til next year!

Fuzzy Peach

My new niece, Georgie, born October 9th, 2009 rounds out the clan and beats out Campbell as the littlest Wotherspoon. Deliciously sweet, tasty and perfect.

ART

The sketch for GRAND Creative's blackboard wall, that I had the honour of messing right up.
Charles Bukowski's poem, Art

Going Wild

Spike Jonze adaptation or not, I love this compendium of Wild Things tattoos...

Commend

The sheer talent of this artist is so totally mind-blowing...

See more of the work she did for the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog here.

And here, I thought I couldn't be any more excited for Christmas!

thanks to Yulia Brodskaya for the inspiring work

Step 3: Shower Them with Gifts

I'm feeling inspired by the beautiful colours and textures of the season.
Here's part of a piece I did last October, in honour of fall. See the final published piece here.
Enjoy the bounty-a pile of pumpkins!

Step Two: Show Them You Care

It's getting brisk out there, kids. Don't forget a sweater!
I wouldn't want you to catch a chill...

(you're welcome)

Step One: Admitting you have a Problem

I've been an admittedly bad blogger as of late, and feel as though I ought to enlist in some sort of 12-step recovery program. Bound to the studio with work, I tend to lose most communication with the outside world, save for the required "it's on it's way", "of course that's not a problem, I agree that shade of purple is soooo late-2008" and of course, "make it a double".
I can't promise that I'll get better, but I can promise that I will try. Really hard. Starting now.
Below is a handful of the editorial pieces that I've recently finished.
Please enjoy and please forgive.

Nick Drake, Uppercase magazine

Perspectives on Career Management and Family, Stanford Business magazine

Kawabata, The Walrus magazine

Fall Type

lyrics courtesy of Nick Drake

Commend

Beautiful short by Alexi Parizeau.
The Parishil Boys explain:

"Over the course of two days in July Alexi Parizeau captured the process of Adam Hilborn's first solo show "HOMEWARD BOUND" at the Barbershop Gallery. The camera was capturing images every 3 seconds with a Canon 5D Mk2 and 24mm 1.4F lens, tethered to a laptop.

The first night was a special invitation "Dinner with the Artist". The Dinner was prepared by Justine and Sara Wood of Les Louises. Friends and family were asked to attend the private viewing.

The following evening "HOMEWARD BOUND" was open to the public.

This is how it went..."

Homeward Bound from Alexi Parizeau on Vimeo.

Covet

I love all of Kiel Mead's jewelry, but how sweet are these Forget-Me-Knots?

I want.

Dime Bag Online

Giant Robot has posted the entire Dime Bag Show online.
View the show and buy some art here.
Some seriously fun work to be had.

Also see pictures of the packed New York opening here.
Enjoy!

Commend

To this day, one of my all-time favourite websites, Jonathan Harris' The Whale Hunt.
Begin the hunt here.

just beautiful.

Crave

For my first post, I can't choose just one, as I crave, covet and commend this.

"Collectors...with an appetite for late 19th-century relics like apothecary cabinets and dressmakers' dummies, are turning their homes into pastiches of the past."

From The New York Times Home & Garden

It seems these collectors and I are cut from the same cloth as I shudder with delight at every taxidermied head, every curious antique, every perfectly thoughtful vignette.

Crave, Covet, Commend

I like things.
I want things.
I like to look at nice things and wish that I had them.
I like to come across interesting ideas and wish that I had come up with them.
Whether it be a fresh new illustrator, an innovative way to roast marshmallows, or a current favourite font, there is so much out there that deserves cred.
Thus Crave, Covet, Commend, a new feature I'm adding to the blog that will include a daily item that I crave, covet, ....well, er, you get it.

My Place

See My Place in this week's issue of EYE Magazine.

typetastic

Here's a super sneak-peek of the work that has happily kept me studio-bound as of late.
I may have logged about 1200 different letterforms, all done by hand, and developed a mild case of carpal tunnel due to the tight turnaround, but all in all, it's pretty much been a dream job. Letterforms and portraits and doodles, all done in nothing but pencil...heaven.
It's a huge body of work that will eventually get up on the site, once the campaign is launched and my hand has healed... In the meantime, enjoy.

MORE

Home Truth, MORE magazine

A piece I recently finished for the September issue of MORE Magazine on the struggles we face and the decisions we are forced to make in caring for our aging parents.

Dime Bag 3

Whole Lotta Love, graphite on paper and Sculpey heart.

Here's the piece I created for Dime Bag 3, another great group show curated by Jordin Isip and Rodger Stevens. Currently showing at Giant Robot in New York, it is among 294 (!) pieces of artwork contained and displayed in plastic dime bags. For Whole Lotta Love, the original 5"x7" drawing was folded down to fit into the 3"x3" baggie, allowing only a sneak peek of it's subject. Heart included.

Read a short review and see some snaps here. Check back to Giant Robot's site soon, as they will be posting the entire show online (quite the uploading endeavor!)

Dime Bag 3 at Giant Robot, NY

Each artist (yes, all 240 of them) must create artwork to be displayed in a 3"x3" dime bag...
Thrilled to take part, I'll post my baggie here soon.
[Visit Giant Robot for the full list of artists]

Tie One On.

love this.
http://www.typographyserved.com/Gallery/Tie-pography/227637
courtesy of Ed Nacional

Hot Press for your Hot Bod

There's no escaping it, Ladies, it's officially bikini season...
And destineau is there!

Sneak Studio Peek

I had my apartment + studio shot by the amazingly talented Talia Shipman a while back...here's a quick glimpse into my world-even before she's put her magic finishing touch on them!

trendy

Had enough prisms yet?

Don't Be Greedy.

Illustrators Stand Up to the Google-giant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/business/media/15illo.html

This kid grew up to be an Orthopod.

Scott

Destination: Summer!

{Capri maillot}

Destineau is abuzz these days as we gear up for a much-anticipated summer...
See the suits on SweetSpot and in NOW Magazine's Hot Summer Guide (and on the cover!)
Or stop by the Destineau website to browse the suits and to custom order!

WonderWall

an homage to many things past, see if you can find yourself on the Wall of Wonders!

slow work

new work for Maissoneuve,
about the Slow Movement infiltrating the technological world

Unconditional Love

One of the handmade cards I've done in honour of Mother's Day, or any day.

Email me (courtney@spoonstudio.com) to buy one and/or to see more of the limited edition!

The Gang

In case you missed them...

Denny

Benjamin

Barbara Van Allen

Oskar

Tripp

Thanks to Elizabeth, Adam, and the guys at the Barbershop for a great show!

CMYK stumble!

an uploading accident turned pure joy...