What's Popped Up: Pratt Class Work

My students have made it to the middle of the semester!  I'm so proud of their progress, and the complexity of their pop-ups!  World, you had better watch out, there's more engineers coming you way!  Enjoy their latest projects-- a greeting card or a holiday card.

And if you can't make it to Pratt Institute to take the class, you can still learn how to make pop-ups with some of my tutorial videos!

~Jess

I Spy: Mosaic

Sometimes you need a train to be late to stop and look around.  I found this beautiful mosaic piece in the subway last night and just wanted to share it with you all!  There are more of these great mosaics by Tim Snell.  They're part of a series called Broadway Diary installed around 2005 on the station platform walls both directions.

-Jess

Artist Watch: Matthew Davis

The paintings of Matthew Davis are like vivid dreams.  You can see what the image is, but it's a little unclear since there isn't a definitive line and the colors pop right out at you.  The British artist slowly drips pools of oil paint on different surfaces (sometimes aluminum, others canvas) and lets them dry before going back and adding more pools of color.  I absolutely love color and I'm blown away by the way he handles it.  You can find out more about Matthew Davis' work here on his website.

~Jess

Artist Watch: Ultra Creative

This is an amazing package design from Ultra Creative that I just can't get over!  I first found it on the Dieline where I immediately needed to know more about this project.  Ultra Creative each year creates a promotional piece that has "original artwork that is both cultural snapshot and talent showcase".  The project usually has to be relevant, interactive and above all hold one pound of chocolate!  Excellent choice, if I do say so myself.

Here are some images from this past year's promotional project, The Fox with the Golden Fur.  Enjoy!

~Jess

What's Popped Up: Carol Barton's New Book

Carol Barton's third how to book, The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume 3:  V-Folds, is available for pre-order!  Carol has also created the The Pocket Paper Engineer Workbook, Volume 1
Basic Pop-Up Forms and The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume 2 Platforms and Props.  Volume 3 teaches how to create V-fold pop ups and it's many different incarnations.  Definitely a must have for any paper engineer.





You can pre-order The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume 3:  V-Folds here, and you may also want to order Volume 1 and Volume 2 to have a complete understanding of paper engineering.  To learn more about Carol Barton and her wonderful pop ups, please visit her site!

~Jess

Artist Watch: Tyree Callahan

I first encountered the Chromatic Typewriter through Colossal (which is a site that posts great artwork).  Tyree Callahan created the Chromatic Typewriter, and I personally wish that I could send emails this way!  Instead of letters on the typewriter, he replaced them with colors so you can now paint your letters out.  It creates a very ethereal picture, a very hazy, dreamy landscape.  To find out more about Callahan's work check out his website!

~Jess

I Spy- Grains of Sand

Do you ever wonder what grains of sand really look like?  Well Professor Gary Greenberg from University College London did.  And the result is spectacular!  Very much how snowflakes are intricate lace like pieces of ice, sand looks like shells and pieces of crystal!  Below are his photos that were taken at a magnification over 250 times!  Amazing!  You can find more of his photos (not just of sand) at his website.

~Jess

Artist Watch: Zim and Zou

We came across the work of two young artists, Lucie Thomas and Thimbault Zimmerman, and had to see more. They are the duo behind Zim & Zou, a studio based in Nancy, France. Their colorful, whimsical images are photographs of objects and paper sculpture. We hope you enjoy their work as much as we do!

- Becca