I’ve been a fan of artist/illustrator Jane Mount’s Ideal Bookshelf series for quite some time now. (Her sold out “Ideal Bookshelf 102: Cooking” print occupies a spot in my kitchen.) In case you’re not familiar with Mount’s work: Her paintings depict a selection of favorite books, books that have been significant in some way. Earlier this month, she released a book based on the ideal bookshelves of dozens of notable folks—including Thomas Keller, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Miranda July, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers. Mount painted their picks, and writer Thessaly La Force interviewed them about their choices.
As soon as I heard about the book, I knew it was going on my holiday wish list this year. You can buy a signed copy on her site, which she’ll even inscribe with the recipient’s name and a special note. Perhaps even cooler? Commissioning a custom painting by Mount. She’ll create a piece based on your own personal favorites. Yes, please.
James Franco’s Ideal Bookshelf is featured in the book, and is available as a print on 20×200.
It probably comes as no surprise that I am a magazine junkie. I have years’ worth of dozens of publications—mostly design, food, and travel titles—all over my house. There are baskets and bins filled to the brim with magazines in the living room, stacks in the guest and master bedrooms, and back issues stored neatly in holders in the office. Yes, I know, I have a slight problem here and I often feel a little bad about my magazine consumption. But one publication that I will never, ever feel guilty about buying? Wrap Magazine.
In case you’re unfamiliar with it: Wrap is a brilliant UK-based publication that offers reading and wrapping material. Yes, it’s multifunctional! Every issue—they recently released No. 6—features five double-sided pull-out sheets of wrapping paper. (I like the idea of framing and hanging the pages.) Wrap is carried at shops worldwide, so hopefully you won’t have any trouble finding a copy. They also offer a line of wrapping papers in their own online shop.
{ Images from of Wrap Magazine }
It’s been a crazy week for us! We’ve been busy trying to get Issue No. 9 out the door, and our two-year anniversary celebration was held last night at Zinc Details. Now that it’s finally Friday, I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit and going through the many books that have been piling up by my fireplace. One of the tomes I’m most excited about is John Robshaw Prints: Textiles, Block Printing, Global Inspiration, and Interiors.
I am a big fan of Robshaw’s work; my bedroom, which features several of his patterns, is evidence of this. The book includes not only photos of his designs in various home settings, but also the block-printing process that is involved in creating his line. Writes Robshaw: “I aim for a fusion of the techniques that have been used for centuries with a modern sensibility and my own taste in patterns, forms, and rhythms that I think will impact the final design.” The large format of the book allows readers to see the details in the blocks that are hand-carved, the printing of the patterns, and much more. (Warning: The images from Robshaw’s travels may give you a serious case of wanderlust!)
I have a feeling that John Robshaw Prints will be taking up residency on my coffee table for a while.
A couple of things became quite clear on our Anthology team retreat. One, we like critiquing and admiring beautiful things: artwork, interiors, prose, photography, etc. And two, we love food: buying it, cooking it, talking about it—and eating it, of course. In every issue of the magazine, you will see our loves in various forms, oftentimes combined: the “Anatomy of Ice Cream” in Issue No. 7 is one of my favorite examples of our art-and-food pairings. We often try to mix recipes and illustrations or artwork in interesting ways, and after seeing this beautiful cookbook from Matt Wilkinson, I feel like I have a new ideal to aspire to. I’ve never seen such an unusual or artistic cookbook, and I am officially blow away.
The illustrations are by Stanislava Pinchuk, aka Miso, a remarkably talented 24-year-old artist who lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. I was first introduced to Miso’s work through her exhibition Tokyo From Memory, which features intricate papercut depictions of beautiful flora and fauna, but at the time I was unaware that her talents extended to drawing and painting as well. In addition to Miso’s stunning illustrations, the cookbook features wonderful photography and graphics, and the recipes look delicious. In an era where you can instantly access innumerable recipes online, it’s books like these, and hopefully the inventive food features like those in Anthology, that will continue to bring the culinary and creatively curious back to print. You can purchase a copy of the cookbook here, and you can visit Miso’s site to see more of her artwork and other projects.
by Nancy on April 2, 2012
We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I have to admit: I’m often guilty of doing this at the bookstore. And who could blame me when there are such beautifully designed covers out there, such as those illustrated by Charlotte Trounce. A recent graduate in illustration at University College Falmouth, Charlotte currently freelances out of the UK. She works primarily with gouache and acrylic, and loves to create colorful and playful images that are inspired by narratives and vintage design.
I’m especially drawn to her fun and cheerful depictions of London. And be sure to check out her alphabet painting and calendar inspired by the 2012 Olympics.
{All artwork and images by Charlotte Trounce}
