heysusy

SNEEK PEEK! { new susyjack* goodies... }

Afternoon, everyone! I'm feeling a bit better...how are you? Thank you so much for the well-wishes yesterday!

Well, this year's stationery show is quickly approaching, and I wanted to share a very, very teensy sneak peek with you, of just one of the new items which will debut there. This year, we'll be doing a desk version of our calendar...and I'm very excited about it. I'll also be sending out a couple of notices through my newsletter, prior to the show... so, if you want to see what else is coming up, just head over to the site and sign up for the mailing list.

I promise, there is lots more to see, and lots more to look forward to...and I wish I could share it all, here today. But, a girl has to have her secrets...right?...right??

Newsletter sign up > here
Current Collection > here

THE GAMES WE PLAY { vintage playing card art }

Hello Ducklings! First of all, I apologize for not posting on Friday. Time ran away with me. And secondly, I am assuming your weekends were full of perfectly aged wheels of brie (or your cheese of choice) and crumbly crackers served atop white, frilly doilies. Non? Well, I hope you all had fun, regardless!

Anyway, here I am this morning looking at one of my latest infatuation....vintage playing cards. I was inspired to do so because two weeks ago I was over at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market and my interest was piqued by a nudie deck at one of the tables. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of cards missing, and, worse, it was over-priced, as things in HK Flea Market always are. But, it got me to thinking.

Actually, it's possible to buy single cards, without their sets, for the low, low price of between $2 and $10 a pair. I can't think of a better way to create a collage...with bits of ephemera, each one a work of art in and of itself. Generally, I am not a collector. But...well...maybe it's time to become one.

Browse a huge selection of vintage playing cards right > here

HAIR DO { nosideup }

MOVE OVER MUSTACHES.
STEP ASIDE, BEARDS.
YOUR DAY HAS COME AND GONE.

There. Now that's out of my system....ahem.

Well, well...what do we have here?  I have to say I'm absolutely keen, keen, keen on these gorgeous, hairy pieces by Oxford-based designer/illustrator Maria Gil Ulldemolins, otherwise known as Nosideup on Etsy.

Seriously, all she has to do is create a few more 'styles' of this Hairy Letterhead, wrap it in a gorgeous, traditional band and beautiful stationers' box, and take it over to Barney's, and she'll be in the paper biz.

Really, there's just something I love about this pen and ink, observational, Serious Comix-meets-Shel-Silversteinesque work, which she puts her own, fun spin on using cropping, white space, a focus on detail, and texture on the page. Absolutely loving the concept of the backs of people's heads being as....ok, even *more* interesting than their fronts.

Enjoy your weekend all. And once again, thanks for putting up with me this week on HeySusy*. I love ya, I do! xx s

Nosideup shop (ps. she's having a sale!) > here
Nosideup blog > here

FRENCH KISS { illustrator rené gruau }

Good morning, duckies. I am only going to pop in for a second today, because I have much to do...one of which is tend to poor Kurt, who is home sick today, and another of which is to FINALLY update the links on HS* to include the blogs and websites of some of you...you wonderful readers, commenters and artists...you. I'm chronically late with everything, everything. But if it's on the Big To-Do list in the sky...it gets done eventually. Seriously, it does.

That being said, these illustrations by René Gruau really inspire me. I love their élan. One of the things I find most refreshing about them is that they are made with brush and paint, not with pixels and effects. This French fashion illustrator, who took inspiration from the beautifully wild Parisian scenes of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and mixed that with his own brand of observant, playful, minimal focus, created quite a unique way to show high fashion, classic style, and a broad spectrum of feminine personality and joie de vivre all at once.

LInks
Best way to find more images by this artiste, imho is by doing this.

 

SCIENTIFIC {lab partners}

Well, by now some of you may know that I have a huge weakness for single, graphic shapes floating on a sort of putty colored background. Anyway, I really love these prints which were found on one of Lab Partners' Hunt and Gather set on flickr

My true favorite is the pink pipe. And I especially love how the little 'lp' signature and edition number appear on each print...just lovely, whimsical and special. A nice reminder of the artists-- and I think these little elements make the work sparkle.

DO IT YOURSELF

AND FROM ME!

I can't think of a better Christmas message, because I really believe that even with all the stuff to buy and sell, gifts to give, parties to go to, resolutions to make, things to wish for, that this would be the best one.

Print your own (we have this hanging in our apartment all year round- it is one of my favorite, most moving art pieces, period) right > here.

Enjoy your holidays, dear readers, friends, family and colleagues, and I will see you on Monday.

Love, Susan

FRIENDS & LOVERS {leanne shapton}

Hello Duckies! I hope you all had wonderful weekends, full of cranberry sauce and stuffing. I spent a chilly but very fun few days down in Bryant Park at the Mixed Co. booth, where I had the pleasure of meeting several very wonderful people from here in NYC and also elsewhere. What a treat to be able to chat with customers. Thank you to all who came by and made my weekend a bit warmer!

If you are in need of a whimsical holiday respite, click on over to this site. I am just smitten with the work of Leanne Shapton; a woman of diverse talents and a unique, clever and observant perspective on city life. There is just something about her illustrations which I find so.... well.... New York.  Which makes sense, since she is a resident of this fine city.

I was immediately drawn to her wooden books-- seen at top...literary favorites on slabs of wood...so, I guess they are 'faux livres'. They were featured in the New York Times Style section this weekend (apt since Leanne is the Art Director of the Op Ed section at NYT). There are a variety of titles on view at her site, and for purchase at John Derian. My personal favorites-- her illustrations and paintings. I adore this Chanel study-- and would love a giant, poster version for my apartment, and I love the thought of Leanne doing one of these after a walk through Central Park or a crowded downtown street. Not to mention the spreads from Was She Pretty?, a book about sex, jealousy, and past relationships by the artist. So true.

Enjoy!

HEY! MAKE HASTE {artist irana douer}

I am going over to set up the Mixed Co show booth today...and will be there intermittently for the next few days, helping out (and being very busy.) But, I wanted to post about this wonderful artwork by the multi-talented Irana Douer

While I really don't like the doodle-style illustration that's so popular (and in my opinion played-out) lately, I really like these. To me, they're just so much more convincing--even though they employ some of the same qualities.

Irana is from Argentina, and I think that Latin flair is a big part of why these are so, so strong. Going beyond stylized highschool doodle, and way into something else, These feel like portraits, goddesses, cartoons, celebrations and dreams all rolled up into one.  They have something really special. I think it's probably Irana's personality coming through. I love the way some of them seem to just shout off the page. I especially like the floating heads like these up here. I love how these whole worlds and expressions are combined in the head-form.

Check out more of her work here on Flickr
Visit her absolutely gorgeous magazine...not to be missed: RUBYMAG
Visit her blog with more projects, links to her shop, and bio info Keep In Mind

THREAD AND CAMERA {favorite artist images}

Hello All! Finally Friday...and a very very busy day here, as usual. I am getting a few orders out...and getting the calendars ready (they came in from the printer yesterday)... and getting a few other ideas out onto paper.

Anyway, next week plans to be an emotional week for me, and probably for many other Americans. While I've mentioned before that I will not get too political on HS*, I expect that the day after the election, I'll probably have a little something to say, so I'll be planning what that is...and it will probably be the same no matter who wins.

Finding some solace in the work of artists who share their magical processes on Flickr...

Danske (of Ban.do), Little Paper Bird, Knitalatte (love these new directions), Across And Two Stitches (sewn poetry and little bitty buttons! a simply divine combination.)

Another sidenote: Jen from IndieFixx kindly interviewed me about the paper business, thoughts on life, organization, and of course, food. So, if you're interested in any of those topics, head on over. (There's also a discount code for interview readers which will be active for a couple of weeks!)

IT'S ALL RIGHT {illustrator sandra suy}

I really don't have much to add about this post today other than "Oh....Yeah."

Wait! That's not true! I do...of course I do! Anyway--  I stumbled upon this incredible body of work by Barcelona illustratress ((warning, this link goes to a MySpace Page>>)  Sandra Suy, and just had to put it here.

I've actually been looking for an illustrator to feature for about a week or so, and something funny keeps happening...I see illustrations in thumbnail form that look good, and then when I click to go close up, I realize that the person drawing has a great sense of composition, and can do a certain style, but has NO FREAKING IDEA how to draw a good face. It's frustrating to see.

Well, that's obviously not the problem with our Sandra. She hits every detail on the mark. I really want to draw attention to how well she manages to use her media to describe what is going on with the surfaces of the clothing. She's got a really light touch-- but somehow, the definition is really there.

Also, I just adore her sketchlike quality-- and the blocky idea in the second one down (blue dress) looks like it's a little inspired by Ammi Phillips, an American Folk artist whose visionary, eerie, and magical work will be on show at the Americal Folk Art Museum this October (I'm going to look for lots of people getting influenced by that-- because he did do breathtaking work with shape and the figure!)

Oh, and she can do men, too. That is rare indeed!