Archive for the ‘design’ Category
Thanks to all for your Insta-Inspiration – especially Katie Mclean!
We asked our friends through instagram (@elementeden), in partnership with No Subject LA (nosubjectLA) and Foam Mag (@FoamMag)… what gets your creative juices bubbling #CreateCultivate?!
Everyone posted some rad painting, photo, street art, and still life shots… But we had to pick just one of you little creatornators as the proud winner of a $500 shopping spree with Element Eden.
Proud to announce Katie Mclean, 21 year old graduate of Otis college of Art and Design, as our Create and Cultivate contest winner. She posted multiple masterpieces, featuring her eclectic,sensual, and naturally captivating vision through painting. We’re truly blown away and inspired by your beautiful style.
The extent of her work wanders much farther than paintings – scope her stuff on http://gypsyeye.com/ and @gypseye805
Can’t wait to see where your wanderings take you Katie and on behalf of the Element Eden family thanks for getting us inspire-wired!
Iron and Silk
Miya Ando morphs her steel paintings with her first ever product design, “Tetsu to kinu,” an “iron and silk” scarf made of 100% silk chiffon and dye! The magical effect that her steel sculptures have on viewers carries on into her ethereal silk scarf, into a beautiful design of wearable art!
Even more beautiful is the fact 10% of proceeds will be donated to benefit Japan’s earthquake and tsunami recovery, still underway! The scarf is only available for a limited time though on Spoon & Tamago, sale closes on July 15th, so get yours quickly!
Size: 22″ x 22″ and 36″ x 36″
Photos by: Karen Kristian
READ MORE ABOUT MIYA ANDO HERE
Rewrite beautiful…
“Street artists believe just because their art doesn’t sit in a gallery, doesn’t mean it isn’t art. Equally, just because society claims beautiful is found in your appearance, doesn’t mean it is.” -Irvina Kanarek, street artist from Newport Beach, CA and founder of, Rewrite Beautiful
Merging street art with eating disorder prevention seems an unlikely feat, but when Irvina when she found herself with 3 very different jobs: a nanny, art teacher, and counselor in an eating disorder rehab clinic, it all came beautifully together. All the girls she came into contact with had one thing in common; they were all jeopardizing their lives to make themselves “beautiful”. The art students were experimenting with eating disorders while the rehab patients were dying from them. Irvina worried that the little girl she nanny’d, would one day grow up and be welcomed into this cycle…. and thus was born Rewrite Beautiful!
Today, Rewrite Beautiful holds street art workshops for the public inspiring action, creativity, kindness and strength. They educate on eating disorders and invite people to make street art stating that beauty is an action, where it is displayed to the public for all to enjoy.
Our little Q&A with the lovely Irvina:
Us: What projects do you have going on for summer? Is there one you’re most excited about and why?
IK: This summer I’m going to be working on the third draft of my first book, How To: Rewrite Beautiful. It’s gonna be an epic book! Part memoir of my days being a hot mess and what I have learned about being creative, kind and a strong girl in the world. It’s so easy to say we want to be a certain kind of person, but it’s so hard to actually do it! I’m talking about different ways of expressing creativity, why it’s so important to be kind to yourself and tools for being strong and going after your dreams.
Us: Did you always know you were going to start a non-profit?
IK: Heck to the N-O! Starting a non-profit was the last thing I thought I would ever do! I grew up with my mom running a non-profit and decided early on it wasn’t for me. However, when I got the idea to start Rewrite Beautiful I could see that a non-profit was the right business model for us. It was a humbling and inspiring moment when I realized that something I had written off years ago was actually going to serve myself and others in a great way. I was also excited to bring my own creativity and life experience to this non-profit and make it apart of my story and help many others through it.
Us: What’s it like talking to people about a taboo subject like eating disorders?
IK: It can be pretty gnarly, sometimes I get so nervous and think, “What am I doing? I’m so not cut out for this.” I relate it a lot to being an artist. You create this body of work and when you show it you’re thinking, “I hope people like it. Do they understand it? Is it inspiring them?” Being an artist is such a risk, but it’s so exciting when someone comes up to you and says, “Oh my gosh! This is amazing! I want this in my house!” It’s the same thing for me. I speak at schools and talk about something that’s never discussed (eating disorders.) While I’m speaking I’m wondering, “Do they get it? Are they inspired?” But, it’s totally worth it when someone comes up to me after and says, “Wow. What you’re doing is amazing. I need help. What should I do? Where should I go?”
Us: When you start planning a street art workshop where do you get your inspiration from?
IK: I get so much inspiration when I go running! I can’t stand the gym so I end up running at the beach, back bay or even the good ole’ concrete streets of suburbia! I’m definitely a thinker, my mind is constantly pacing, running allows my mind to just chill out. Then all the sudden I’ll see the way someone hugs someone, then I’ll see the texture of a piece of trash, then the sunset and boom! I’ll put them all together and have a great idea. So many times I’ll have to run really fast to get home so I can write it down before I lose the idea!
Us: We notice you use a lot of recycled materials in the street art is there a reason for that?
IK: Yes, I’m cheap! Ha! No, I really just love the idea of giving a new life to something that may be seen as trash. For instance the CD’s we used for the last street art workshop to spell out “Beautiful” we’re a lot of old cd’s I used to burn photos when I was into photography. I don’t shoot photos anymore, but the creative time I spent studying photography got me to where I am today. I thought of the purpose they once served. All the sudden I saw all the CD’s in my head spelling out “Beautiful” and the next thing you know I was laying them all out on my bedroom floor trying to see how many I needed to spell it.
Us: Have you always been interested in street art?
IK: I visited Los Angeles a lot as a kid and saw a lot of graffiti. When I mentioned it, my parents would point out the amount of skill and talent it took to make that kind of art and though the people who were tagging walls weren’t doing it legally, they had something they wanted to express. I think this got me to thinking that everyone really is an artist, it’s just a matter of when and where they’re gonna express it. Then in college I was invited to Banksy’s 2005 show in Los Angeles, Barely Legal and I was hooked.
Us: What is an upcoming project you have?
IK: I’m working on getting the Rewrite Beautiful School Programs into more local schools so more kids can hear the message and make art with us. Publishing the book, How To: Rewrite Beautiful and of course our annual art show in the beginning of December! Life is super busy and Rewrite Beautiful takes a lot of work, but I’m really blessed to be working on projects I not only believe in, but that I know are helping others grow into their strong girls they were created to be.
Much love to our girl Irvina for spreading the mission to Live, Learn and Grow!! Read more about Rewrite Beautiful HERE!
Summertime Clothes
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes (Dam-Funk Remix) (you can dance around to this in your summertime clothes)
Still working on the painting for my friend Durek and too shy to share details yet, soon soon promise!
But here’s something you can lay your eyes on now, either here in this post or in real life, on your body all summer long!
Element Eden’s Summer collection is currently available and there’s four pieces I created in this line. I wanted to share the details on how these things travel from my imagination into your hands.
I also think it’s a little serendipitous that the designers traveled to India last year and said a lot of the inspiration for the summer collection came from the textiles, colors and prints they saw on their trip. Almost simultaneously, I was in Indonesia for a few months where I was inspired by the colors and textiles there. I drew all of these drawings during my stay and even painted one on the side of a friend’s cafe. Now they are available for you to wear on super soft oversized organic tees.
First I take my imagination to paper. I use tracing paper so I can redraw parts a million times over and over until it’s super perfect just like us virgo’s like it. I use colored pencils to keep track of updated sketches.
Finally I re draw everything one more time and then finish them in ink so the lines are clean and clear. Then I scan these drawings and either color them digitally or send them over for Esther (the graphics wizard) at Element Eden to color up and place on Tee’s.
Seriously did I say wizard? Esther Kim is my favorite graphic designer that I’ve ever worked with! This is my favorite part when she sends me back this magical stuff! She works closely with me doing revisions on color and layout to help my imagination + mixed with her awesome visions = come ALIVE. Aren’t these collaborations the best? I think so! XOXOXOXOXOXO I LOVE YOU ESTHER KIM YOU ARE SOoooooo SUPER AMAZING!!!!! XOXOXOXOXO Even just doing this post I get so excited at this point in the process, more than the actual tee’s.
And then elves in a workshop mix up some potions and VOILA! Super soft organic Tee’s for you to live and dance in all summer long!
Click here to go get some now!
Intern Diaries: Rural Revolution Jewelry and Bags
Rural Revolutions jewelry has become a favorite here at Element Eden. The company, founded by Eden Advocate Kendra Jones Morris, provides jewelry and bags designed and created by artisans from all around the world!
These awesome pieces are from the Peru collection. Rural Revolution partners talented female artisans across the world with motivated sales ambassadors in the US to help empower these women as well as sustain local economies, and in addition you get to wear these incredible pieces of art.
What an amazing company, and a beautiful and rewarding way to give back!
Read More About Advocate Kendra Here
Check Out the Rural Revolution Website
-Ash
This is not a toy…
Wooden buttons, bobbles and wall ornaments… handmade of course!
Thinking we will try the deer out on a necklace with a long chain… inspired by our grade school teacher’s wooden fruit earrings, but so so so much classier.
Lilly Piri, these are just lovely… SHOP LILLY’S ETSY
Love from Patt
How adorable are these cards!
“Love from Patt” created from the master mind of Australian creative, Laura Strange. Each card set comes with a card that you can customize with stickers, or if you’re really creative by adding your own drawings, collage and writing to make something really special for a loved one.
Did someone say Christmas cards?
Check out her facebook page and website for more.
