A few months ago, I posted about the brilliant art installation “before I die” by Candy Chang that transformed an abandoned house in New Orleans into a thought-provoking, colourful and interactive public space. Candy continues to expand on the idea in wonderfully creative ways including these limited edition “before I die” paintings. The large 48″ x 12″ handmade pieces not only make a beautiful addition to a wall but can constantly change to reflect your evolving goals. Perhaps one day the statement is serious and the next it is downright silly. There are only 100 paintings available so hopefully you are lucky enough to grab one! Oh and put a box of really colourful chalk on your shopping list as well…

(photographs via candy chang; all proceeds go to funding future “before I die” projects.)

Is there a blog somewhere devoted to Anthropologie windows and displays? If not, there should be! The creativity, attention to detail and sheer awesomeness of Anthropologie store displays never ceases to amaze me. It is refreshing and inspiring to see a company make design and craftsmanship by hand a priority. Yep, “Antropologie window designer” is definitely one of my dream jobs. I particularly love the focus on using recycled items. Case in point? The fantastic origami-inspired Summer 2011 windows created with old envelopes or the bold geometry of colourfully painted recycled planks. Anthropologie’s Spring 2011 windows were created with the over five million corks collected at stores. The gorgeous displays brought attention to the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, recycling and Earth Day. Bottle caps, wire hangers, clothes pins – one person’s trash is another person’s stunning window by Anthropologie! The last photo shown is one I snapped at the Rockefeller Centre location in New York. Even sale jewellery has a background of gorgeous roses made with recycled paper. This post could honestly include hundreds of photos showcasing the brilliance of Anthropologie window display designers but I had to cut myself off! They are true creative and colour heroes. Perhaps there needs to be a ‘part two’ devoted to this topic?

(most photographs via anthropologie+you as well as lauren love, square one studio, katy elliott, chloé douglas, the design process, playstudio1801, platinum blonde life, mimi and caca, dustysusan, mday212, mjc, the design process & chloé douglas)

Designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have collaborated with Danish textile company Kvadrat to create ‘Textile Field’ – an installation of vibrant blue and green foam rectangles. Part of the London Design Festival, the fascinating structure will stretch 30 meters long and 8 meters wide in Victoria and Albert Museum’s Raphael Gallery. The field of textiles is truly interactive and is meant to be walked on, sat on or laid on. The Raphael Gallery houses some of the oldest and most important pieces of Renaissance art in the world so this modern installation will create a striking juxtaposition. Oh and the colour! What a feast for the eyes. The piece will debut on September 15, 2011 as the festival opens. Hoping to post some photos of the real thing when it appears. Anyone fancy a trip to London to see a room of spectacular colour?

(via designboom; photographs via kvadrat)

I love seeing how companies advertise their paint hues. In addition to traditional (and still awesome) paint chip cards, there are so many creative directions to go in. Simple yet inspiring, these photographs from Serena and Lily showcase the available paint colours with plenty of glossy dimension and clean little captions. Hoping one of these days, I can get my hands on a paint company colour project!

(photographs via serena and lily summer 2011 catalog which was spotted on the goods design)

Are these beautiful abstract paintings by a colour-loving modern artist? Nope. They are photographs of alcohol! Florida State University research scientist Michael Davidson had the intriguing idea of shining polarized light through crystallizing drinks on lab slides and using his old-fashion 35mm camera to take a photograph of the alcohol under a microscope. This process magnified the drink over a 1000 times and the results are spectacular. The brainchild has now become a merchandise mecca called BevShots that uses the photographs to make high-quality art, scarves and so forth. The colourful patterns translate beautifully to fabric, don’t you think? Incredible to think that our favourite cocktails are made up of such insane colour.

(thanks for the inspiration Taylor!)

(alcohol shown from top: rosé, tequila, irish pale lager, gin, margarita, white russian, scotch, black russian, cola)
(photographs via time magazine and bevshots)

A couple of months ago, I posted about brilliant studio Maricor Maricar being one my ‘colour heros’. Their stunning embroidery typography is what made me fall in love with the art of embroidery and its modern interpretations. As a true creative and colour inspiration, the note I got from Maricor Maricar this morning was a thrill. The studio just finished a new commissioned embroidery project based on a Rolling Stone lyric and, as always, the large piece (40 cm x 40 cm) is an absolutely gorgeous feat of colour and typography. Maricor (one half of the twin-sized studio) emailed me to say that my post on Cinque Terre, Italy inspired the colour palette of the artwork. Say what? First off, it is a thrilling to know that I have actual colour heros visiting plenty of colour but the thought that my little colourful nook on the web helped inspire work this beautiful is just about the best news ever. Take a look at the Maricor Maricar blog for more background on the project and Maricor’s own memories of her travels to Riomaggiore, one of the beautiful towns of Cinque Terre. The studio’s process, from sketch to thread box, is fascinating. Thank you for the email Maricor. I can safely say it made my month. Your studio is a huge inspiration and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

(cinque terre photograph by robert crum)

I’ve always found predetermined tabbed sections in books or files kind of stifling. Who’s to say where one topic ends and another begins? Sometimes you just need a removable tab to mark your own spot! Enter these great Sticky Tab Dividers from Semikolon. Notebooks, cookbooks, file folders – you can throw a little colourful organization into any part of your life.

(photographs via see jane work)

“Where Does Red Begin and Where Does it End” by artist Spencer Finch is an intriguing piece of watercolour art I happened to come across. It is “a study of the margins of the color red documenting its gradual shift between orange and violet.” Such an intriguing concept of wondering where the boundaries of colour are. Many times, one person’s ‘red’ is another person’s ‘orange’. When you stare at this piece, where does the red begin and end for you?

Karen Barbé is a fabulous textile designer from Santiago, Chile. On top of her immense talent for all things fabric as showcased in her shop, Karen has a great blog full of intriguing images and glimpses of work in progress. I’m not sure what project Karen is working on in these photographs but so far, it is gorgeous! Vintage-colours yet completely modern shapes. It’s safe to say my love affair with embroidery is far from over!

‘Your War is Old, Your Game is Over’ is a SoFA Gallery installation by New Zealand artist André Hemer that recently caught my eye. Love how the negative space creates graffiti-like typography and most of all, that the floor is littered with the colourful dots that formed that shape. Perhaps the most artful confetti ever! Amazing what beautiful and imaginative art you can make with simple circles of colour. (click on the image for a closer look)

(photographs via public delivery)

Black music notes sprinkled across a white page have their own beauty deeply rooted in tradition and history. However, I am always intrigued by news ways to visualize music – particularly with colour. Designer Laia Clos, of Barcelona’s Mot Studio, created a visual language called “SisTeMu” that turns every note of music into a system of geometric shapes and bright colours. Laia has explored several pieces of music in creating this language but perhaps most notable is her interpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Using the lead violin position, a system of colours are used as musical notes and the tempo of the music dictates the size and placement of the circles. While I can’t say I completely understand SisTeMu, Laia’s language really gives a sense of “seeing” music in a uniquely mesmerizing and colourful way. I would love to get my hands on Laia’s booklet explaining how the system works! I would also love to see this idea applied to modern music. Can you imagine a gorgeous coffee table book devoted to the hits of The Beatles, U2 or similarly iconic artists? Hmm… perhaps one day a conductor will ask his orchestra to start again from the turquoise section!

(you can buy limited edition posters and stamps from mot’s store)
(images via mot studio & co design)

My love for desk and office supplies seems limitless so I can already think of a million uses for Millimeter Milligram Transparent Stickers. Available in scalloped edges, triangles, circles, rings and more, these stickers add a nice punch of colour and creativity to your calendar without blocking the important information. Another rather ingenious element of these stickers? They can be placed on a whole host of items that you probably would not want to mark up permanently. Textbooks, appliances, special documents… Anything can benefit from a colourful transparent sticker! (p.s. as always, I love how MMMG photographs their products. Great inspiration!)

(photographs via mmmg)

I am always on the lookout for colourful, intriguing patterns and lately it seems that most of my favourites have come from a studio named Suzie Q. Showcasing a fantastic eye for colour, line and shape, designer Julie Shalit is the talent behind the studio and her website is bursting with one gorgeous pattern after another. I have my fingers firmly crossed for Suzie Q textile and home lines in the very near future! (see more of Julie’s work in her portfolio)

(via print & pattern)

Ever wonder what the first colour photographed looked like? Well wonder no more! Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell is responsible for creating this intriguing image of tartan ribbon in 1861. By photographing the ribbon three times through red, blue and yellow filters, Maxwell could combine the images into one full-colour composite. A milestone moment for the art and technological evolution of photography. Oh and a pretty striking image in its own right!

(thank you for the inspiration mélanie)

(photograph via national geographic)

I’ve heard from a couple of people (and the nagging voice in my head) that I still have not started my ‘colour of the week’ feature! Sorry about that. Not sure how it happened! Maybe it is my inability to focus on one colour for too long? In any case, I have been thinking of some ways to approach the topic in a unique way and plan to kickstart it shortly. Coming soon!

(photograph via bettybl)

Oh how I love the small, folded cards in the “For Get Togethers Collection” by designer and illustrator Kathryn Whyte. A fantastic mix of art deco-like details, typography and modern-day wording. Can you think of a nicer card to receive through your letterbox?

(image via kathryn whyte’s etsy store)