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

Artist Watch: Dana Tanamachi

Without knowing it, I've seen a lot of Dana Tanamachi's work out and about.  She is originally from Texas, but now lives in Brooklyn and is a full time custom chalk letterer!  You've probably seen her work in magazines and catalogs (West Elm, Oprah, etc).  I just had to share her wonderful pieces of art with you all!  Check out the few images below and a video of her drawing the letters!  Also to see more of Dana's work click the link here.

The By & By from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

~Jess

What's Popped Up: Howcast Tutorials

Hello Pop-Up world!  Back in December I shot a series of how to make pop-ups tutorials for Howcast, and I'm pleased to tell you all that they are now up and ready to share!  I had a ton of fun creating the tutorials and working with the Howcast team.

For more of the tutorials here's the link:
http://www.howcast.com/users/JessTice

Here's one of the first tutorials out of the series!  Enjoy!

Pop-Up Cards and Crafts: Basic Techniques / V Folds on Howcast

~Jess

What's Popped Up: Pratt Class!

This spring is my second semester teaching at Pratt and I have to say my students have already made me very proud!  Their first assignments were out of this world, so I'd like to share them with you!  The assignment was to create an all white pop up with some of the basic principles of paper engineering.  Enjoy!

~Jess

Artist Watch: Fashion Week Invitation

I can't find any information on who engineered this simple and elegant pop-up card for 3.1 Phillip Lim's fashion show, but it's really great to see pop-ups in the fashion and design world.  Does any one know who did this card?

~Jess

Artist Watch: Yayoi Kusama

I wish I could have gone to Australia to see this exhibition (and maybe even partake in it!).  Yayoi Kusama (born 1929) created in installation at the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia that was a couple of "domestic-syle rooms" like a living room and kitchen.  But everything was painted white.  And once the exhibition opened, the children who visited the museum were given colored dot stickers to decorate the rooms!  How amazing is that?  Here are a few photos from the 'Obliteration Room' installation:

~Jess

Artist Watch: Vanishing Cultures Project

The Vanishing Cultures Project is a documentary project that is helping to create awareness of native tribes and preserve their way of life.  Taylor Weidman and Nina Wegner team up for half the year and go out to document indigenous tribes.  They have already finished their first project about Tibet in the Upper Mustang region.  You can purchase prints and a book about Tibet.  Right now they are working on documenting the pastoral herders in Mongolia.  Check out more about their project here: http://www.vcproject.org

What I really love about the project is not only the preservation aspect, but the photographs.  They are truly stunning.

~Jess

Artist Watch: Julie VonDerVellen

The internet is a brilliant thing, connecting all of visually.  I came across Julie VonDerVellen's work last year.  It really is amazing what one can do with paper.  VonDerVellen creates garments out of handmade paper (which is made out of recycled cotton clothing).  She says that "garments evoke memories; memories evoke garments" and she's right.  Her pieces are intricately woven and painstakingly put together to re-create garments.  The paper also has the story of the specific memory printed on it thus binding the memory and the garment together.  Check out more of her work here.

~ Jess

Matthew Featured in PBS's Off Book

Matthew is featured in the latest episode of "Off Book," a wonderful new PBS web series about non-traditional art forms. We enjoyed having the film crew visit the studio!

play video

Artist Watch: Shawn Sheehy

We always enjoy seeing what Chicago-based artist Shawn Sheehy is up to. He creates every part of these elegant artist books: the paper, illustrations, text, pop-ups and binding.

Shawn also offers excellent pop-up workshops all over the country. Check here to see if he'll be in your neck of the woods.

What's Popped Up: Sneak Peak at 2012

We're busy cooking up lots of new pop-up surprises here at the studio. Here's a sneak peak of what's coming in 2012.

Next summer look for these two new titles perfect for young pop-up fans:

Rumble! Roar! Dinosaurs!: A Prehistoric Pop-Up

by Matthew Reinhart

Robin Corey Books

A Princess Like Me: A Royal Pop-Up

by Matthew Reinhart

Robin Corey Books

And -- hold onto your helmet! -- look for our new Star Wars pop-up featuring all your favorite heroes and villains from the prequels. Here's a little teaser:

We hope you'll enjoy these books as much as we've enjoyed making them!

DIY: Pop-Up Wreath

Happy holidays from The Pop-Up Studio!

We have a pop-up you can share with someone special -- made by you! Just click here to get started on a pop-up wreath.

Need some inspiration? Try decorating with paper, glue, and crayons.

Shiny paper or glitter glue adds an extra holiday touch.

Enjoy!