Originally posted on July 21st, 2011
Today has been a sensory delight so far.
Today has been a sensory delight so far.
My top 10:
In no particular order:
the feel of spent eraser nubbins underneath my fingers
air conditioning, air conditioning, air conditioning.
the smell of warm tomato plants
rhythm and texture, as explored by floral arrangements
milk glass: soft lines, soft color
the weight of my camera in my hands
chicken noodle soup from a Thai lunch counter (with ground peanuts and cilantro in it!)
condensation on a glass combined with the translucency of ice behind it
the sound of watermelon being sliced (hate the taste, love the sound)
bee-yutiful new orchids
#1: Mucha illustrations.
I've been working on the illustrations for my sister's wedding invitation. I started yesterday afternoon, and the creative process has been easy, flowing like warm honey. (everything is warm today. The entire midwest is warm today. Butter melts if it's been out of the fridge for 2 minutes.)
It's been an interesting process working with my sister on what she invisions her wedding looking like, because her taste is a study in opposites. She loves cascading bouquets, but adores the clean, modern lines of calla lillies and phaleanopsis orchids, and the structure of ranunculus.
She hates the fussiness of lace, but adores indian paisley prints.
She loves drawings of bare branches, but also likes ornately scrolled frames.
There's only one place that I can think of that provides both such minimalism and such excess: the illustrations of Alphonse Mucha.
Have you ever analyzed a Mucha print? His linework is flawless. He uses thick and thin line qualities to effortlessly push one type of pattern to the foreground and pull another back. He will intermittently leave the expanse of a gown un-detailed, while spangling the background with a myriad of stars.
The most important thing about a Mucha illustration: no matter how ridiculously detailed and complicated, the thing always makes sense, and has no awkwardness or sense of clutter whatsoever. He can also make a graceful repeat of anything from a seed pod, to crows wings, to frolicking lambs.
So, I'll stop raving about Mucha, and post a couple pics so you can drool for yourself.
Also included are some orchids my mother bought for me because they were on a ridiculously good sale, and the drawings for the invite, as they stand now.
Enjoy.
PS. If you want to drool over some more Mucha illustrations, follow this link. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
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