Pattern Pulp

Twitter Influencer: Julia Rothman




Julia Rothman is a design dynamo whose illustrations, patterns and prints have been seen just about everywhere. Having a distinct hand, adaptable style and amazing work ethic has afforded her the opportunity to work with everyone from the New York Times to Victoria’s Secret to the MTA. The down to earth and friendly tweets from this Brooklyn wunderkind proffer interesting tidbits of information, from personal inspiration, to new books and events, to previews of her latest work. If you’re looking for a creative pick me, consider hopping on board the Rothman twitterfeed.

April 8, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Follow-up: Global Lightscapes




Back in October, lightscape patterns were popping up left and right. These unruly markings were appearing in everything from media and textiles to graffiti and print. Today, Alexander McQueen’s sample sale on Gilt Groupe features fashion photography with light, shadow, and graffitied negative space. Refreshingly the technique has been slightly adapted and is quite playful. Adding chaos to the horizontal layout forces the model and her leather bustier to pop and as a result, the viewer settles on the warm tones, pondering if they should click to see more. For an ecommerce site looking to lure consumers, we give this image a high score, as it’s got all the ingredients for the all important impulse click.

April 7, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Razzle Dazzle Camoflauge




While designers throughout the globe are continuing to plaster stripes on everything from skateboards to apparel, the designers of yesteryear were required to use their creative expertise to protect their country and divert enemy powers. These World War I pics, which I found on AIAIAI’s blog, represent a simple and inexpensive solution that was deployed throughout the war to thwart German U-boat torpedos. Norman Wilkinson, a British artist and navel officer conceived the brilliant solution of covering navel ships with bright contrasting diagonal shapes, otherwise known as Dazzle Camouflage. This made gauging ship size and direction incredibly difficult. So brilliant, so practical, almost makes you wonder what today’s impossibly simple strategies are.

April 6, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Follow-up: Bunny Portraiture




At first glance, last week’s New Yorker cover by Kathy Osborn seems like a cute parody on rabbits, Easter and Grant Wood’s infamous 1930 farmer portrait. The idea of a family tree composed entirely of bunnies, captured in stylistic unison is humorous, charming and rather surreal. A year ago, Bergdorf Goodman’s window display revealed a wall of hand painted bunnies framed against a green backdrop. Fast forward and we now have framed imagery from Hunt Slonem’s Manhattan oasis showcasing his own homage to the bunny world. Joe Zee, Elle’s Creative Director, always says, two times a coincidence, 3 times a trend, so we ask, are other adorable cuddlies going to continue adorning walls around the world or will these visual stories alternate as whims change and moods shift?

April 6, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links




  1. 1. Atomic Art by David Mankey via You Might Like This
  2. 2. Beautiful engraved art by Nando Costa via Poppytalk
  3. 3. Love this tiny people print from Judy Kaufman via My Love for You
  4. 4. A lovely wall maze for your plants to climb via Design-Milk
  5. 5. The Perfect Machine by Lance Letscher via Mocoloco
  6. 6. Peter Callesen’s beautiful paper cutting via The Jealous Curator
  7. 7. Serena Mitnik-Miller’s soothingly beautiful watercolor paintings via A Time to Get
  8. 8. The smart car gets free-spirited via DesignBoom
  9. 9. Stratis Vogiatzis’s amazing photographs of the colorful Mastic Villages of Chios, Greece via Yatzer
  10. 10. JHill’s wanderlust depicted in lovely patterned art prints via Modish
  11. 11. A selection of great infographics and data visualization via Le Blog de Bango
  12. 12. How could we not love Friends of Type via Friends of Type

Coverage by: Emily Gup

April 2, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Twitter Influencer: Deanne Cheuk




I’m excited to introduce a new feature to the site called Twitter Influencers. Every week, I’ll be showcasing a new artist, designer or thinker that’s uping the online ante and driving conversation on the world wide web. Just as digital portfolios and blogrolls satiate our inspirational desires, so does twitter and it’s important to understand how this platform compliments other media outlets.

Today I’m kicking off with Deanne Cheuk, a true  star in the art and design world. Her mix of bold color and delicate line has played an integral role throughout her career, from Art Directing her first magazine at age 19 to countless freelance illustration and design projects. Her experience has given her killer insight into all things art, fashion, and culture and you’ll feel creatively fed after reading her daily tweets.

April 1, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.