Paul Smith's Children Villiage

Recently, I had one of the most incredible experiences. A friend of mine took me to the Paul Smith Children's Village and it was amazing. It is this place in Cheyenne, Wyoming built for kids. It is an educational center where one forgets they are being educated. There are areas to learn about water conservation, solar capabilities, and gardening.



There are places to run and play. There are also areas to sit in and even areas in which to hide.



Overall, it is a great place to be. It is also one of the best designed play/learn areas I have seen in my travels. It mixes history with technology and science and makes the learning experience a truly dynamic one. It is a great place to study if you are looking into designing an educational center that wows both kids and adults.

Tesla, Oh my God I Need One

So, it has been done. Tesla Motors has created incredible autos for the modern age. Think sustainability, think electric sports car. I am so in. They made their car beautiful, fast, and ecologically sound. Unfortunately, the cars a incredibly expensive. This will change in time and as more companies get into the game.

Here is the skinny on them. Their website: www.teslamotors.com, peruse and be prepared to be amazed. I will give a summary. Seeking to create a better car, a number of engineers in Silicon Valley pooled their exceptional acumen and started to design, their goal, to produce an electric car that was better than a gasoline one. The year was 2003. In twelve years these folks were able to design, manufacture, and sell these cars. They used old school technology to create their new school cars. They reached all the way back to Mr. Electricity himself, Nicola Tesla. "The resulting Tesla Roadster was launched in 2008. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and achieving a range of 245 miles per charge of its lithium ion battery, the Roadster set a new standard for electric mobility. Tesla [has sold] more than 2,400 Roadsters, now on the road in more than 30 countries. " According to their stats, Tesla Motors has 50,000 vehicles on the road worldwide. This is amazing because it is incredibly expensive to get into the auto industry game.

Imagine never having to go to a gas station again. Imagine plugging your car in at night. This is what Tesla has brought to the auto consuming public. In addition the cars a manufactured in the USA, providing jobs for lots of needy people. I have been watching this company grow since its inception. I have been impressed with their focus, mission and products. Their cars are a great example of designers who created an outstanding product by re-designing a product which is pretty much obsolete. It is true that people still by cars by the thousands or millions but cars with combustion engines are on their way out. Once the price for electric cars decrease more people will move to them to fulfill their transportation needs. If you would like to see a great film about eraly electric cars made by GM watch Who Killed The Electric Car.

Zine Fest Update

 

 

500 × 510 - chicagoquarterly.com

The Fest was Unreal.

 

 

 

 

 

I was so inspired that I went home and created two Zines on my own. I had an incredible time. They had a room where workshops occurred. I went to three "shops" one was on creating cartoons. They showed the basic differences between American, European, and Japan. Then we made a cartoon using a scenario they offered. I also went to one where we "erased" words we did not want in writing that was produced by another author. For instance, Marx's Communist Manifesto. You blacked out the words and created a poem from the ones that were left. It was profound. Then a very controversial "shop" went down. The girls running it kicked all the white people out. WTF? They must have been thinking. Turns out the shop was for POC's or People of Color as they called themselves and others. They wanted a space where folks could speak freely about their frustrations of the groups they are in or work spaces. It was quite interesting. Seems people really needed this and the girls who led it were punk and unapologetic. Lastly, I went to marketplace the conference had. Amazing how much work people had created. I bought some Zines and felt great about it. I will return next year.

The World of Jewelry Design Cartier v. Tiffany &Company

In my opinion, there is no competition here. Cartier wins hands down. Their work reminds me of something from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods. Their lines are simple, yet complex.

15 models     

 

I think their work is fabulous. Take this ring for instance. The lines banded with stones, the pearl presents itself as if it is royalty. the setting looks like a tension set but it is not. The pearl lightly sits upon the gold bands.

 

                        

 

This bracelet is jaw dropping. Stunning simplicity.

                        

 

This pendant is elegant in its simplicity. Perfectly balanced, it catches the eye. I always love a square shaped diamond. But look at the clarity as well. The cut is outstanding because it too is circular and precise.

 

Solitaire 1895

Yellow gold, diamond

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Let's look at this ring from the point of a designer. Note the sides which comes to a soft curve right before your eye reaches the diamond itself. Again, the cut of the diamond is absolutely flawless and clear. Platinum is a great choice because it allows the diamond to shine.

Learning from El Anatsui

I love creating and designing with discarded items. To me there is nothing greater than taking an item that is old and worn out and making something great. This movement, this specific maker movement is on the rise. You can seen it in the works of artists such as El Anatsui. El Anatsui (born 1944) is a Ghanaian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria. I first saw his designs and work in an San Francisco, like the person in this image, I stood before the artist's monumental piece made from bottle caps and almost fell over with awe. I could not believe how perfect his work was. How he had taken rusty, old beer bottle caps and made something unbelievably great. So inspired, I applied for a grant to build a structure using Anatsui's techniques. I thought it would be amazing to create a structure that could be build by a community and could be a temporal art space that could be set up in many different areas.

It is my hope to build a beautiful structure made of caps. I have begun my collection of tops and look forward to beginning my own adventure in design the Anatsui way.

Zine Scene

Want to see examples of great design and storytelling? Then you have to attend Chicago's Zine Scene this weekend. On Friday and Saturday those who write, draw and ink Comic Books and Zines are going to be on hand. I think it is going to be fabulous and am going along for the ride. I can't wait to see some of the graphics and hear the stories that people have created. On Friday, May 8th, there are going to be exhibitions and readings and on Saturday, May 9th, workshops are being offered. It should be a great event. For more information check out chicagozinefest.org.



I went saw and was impressed.

      On the Right is Osa an awesome Zine Publisher. I read the works in her Anthology and really enjoyed them. She reports on social happenings and philosophers in New Orleans.

 

600 × 450 - archive.printeresting.org

 

Examples of Zines

The Obama Library Comes to Chicago

This is both an architectural and social bit of wonderfulness that will happen for Chicago's South Side. The library will bring knowledge and opportunity to our area. More than likely it will be in one of our spacious South Side parks, either Jackson or Washington Park. If done well and I am sure it will be, this new building will be a beacon of beauty. I have been thinking about how I would design the library and things that quickly come to mind are: 1. Should it lean more towards a traditional or modern bent? I vote for modern. 2. What shape should it take? I think it should be make up of the strongest shape, that of a triangle. I see many triangles  put together in order to create one building.

For me it has to be sculptural. I think that will alleviate the concerns many people have about using park land for the build. I think it looks incredibly beautiful people will be in awe of it and come to really love it. I also think there should be water or some other reflective surface at its base so that when the sun hits it reflects itself upon the land. Obama has been a president who has had to be incredibly strong in the face of much adversity, thus the triangular shape. In my opinion, he also reflects the best in all of us. He has showed compassion, foresight, intelligence, and patience. He strives to be a good American and a good man.