Pattern Pulp

Trend: Dueling Styles & Collage Techniques




For our readers who relish combining dueling styles, today’s feature is for you. Whether you’re a fine artist, a print and publications designer or simply a reader or creative consumer, it’s hard to ignore the collage-effect that’s been surfacing for a while now.

We’ve all gotten used to seeing Perez Hilton‘s infamous scrawl on celebrity photos. Though it’s easy to discern his mass appeal from the fine art fabrication of Butch Anthony’s curiously eerie  skeleton and skull drawings (a few of which are hanging at Stag Men’s store in Austin), it’s important to note the illustrative effect.

or truly literal old meets new product shots, Horacio Salinas and Stellene Volandes recent collaboration for Departures Magazine takes the style to the next level, proving 2D meets 3D can be brilliant when modernized and deconstructed.

March 29, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Creative City Tour: Austin, Texas




So you’re Austin-bound for this year’s SXSW and you’re ready to be inspired. Guess what, you’re in luck! Last year’s trip to interactive was an extremely fun week full of interesting folks and creative must-sees. Be it shopping on South Congress, tunes on East 6th or five-star trailer grub, it’s hard to be disappointed when visiting this city. Whether you’re a seasoned regular or new to the Austin scene, follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

  1. 1. Austin Texas Music Mural, East 6th at the Driskill Hotel
  2. 2. Iron Works BBQ: Best corn on the cobb for the veggies- Great ribs for the carnivores. (100 Red River Street)
  3. 3. Stag: Freeman’s-esque men’s store with a burly meets hip lifestyle twist. Fantastic product and displays. (1423 S. Congress Ave.)
  4. 4. Uncommon Objects: Hands down, the most inspirational store on S. Congress. The owners are retail display geniuses. (1512 South Congress)
  5. 5. The Fifth Gallery: Great underground prints. (305 E. 5TH- below Action Graphics)
  6. 6. Tesoros: Skull-inspired folk art galore. (1500 S. Congress)
  7. 7. Big Top Candy Shop: Vintage speakers to accompany a vast array of sugary sweets. (1706 S. Congress)
  8. 8. Emos: Multi-room dive bar bedecked with really rad posters. Name appropriate. (605 Red River)
  9. 9. Jo’s Coffee: Perfect coffee and sandwich joint. Also ideal for business meet-ups. (242 W. 2nd St.)
  10. 10. Gallery D: A hip array of clothing, art and shoes, curated by former Barney’s buyer, Emily Keast. (436 W. 2nd St.)
  11. 11. Amy’s Ice Cream: The best midday pick me up. Utterly delish. (1301 S. Congress)
  12. 12. By George: Another boutique with Anthropologie-like wall displays. (1400 S. Congress)
March 10, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Tribal Textures




What can we say about tribal that hasn’t been said before? Not much, and to be honest, that’s the beauty of today’s post. Tribal patterns transcend time and reemerge every season on new cuts, fabrics and applications. This category has become a reliable staple in home, fashion, web and graphic design. Keeping within a monotone palette, these plates from the recent gift show don’t overwhelm the eye with their textures and are easily translatable onto pillows or bedding.

Showing similar styles, Ken Carbone, a branding and identity expert recently shared his personal pistachio project with Canon. “For a couple of years I’ve been recycling the shells to create hundreds of tiny primitive looking paintings. The combination of the raw, wood-like shell and burnt umber paint results in an oddly tribal effect. I enjoy the ‘variations on a theme’ drill. It’s good for the mental muscles and is similar to the process I might use when designing a logo.”

For those of you headed to Austin next month, consider stopping by Uncommon Objects on S. Congress Ave. A personal favorite, the entire story is like a living breathing mood board. Inspiration lies in every corner and it’ll be a welcome retreat from the daily grind.

February 8, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Creative Tour: Austin, Texas




So you’re Austin-bound for this year’s SXSW and you’re ready to be inspired. Guess what, you’re in luck! I just returned from a phenomenal week of interactive mayhem, and now have a treasured list of creative must-sees. Be it shopping on South Congress, tunes on East 6th or five star trailer grub, it’s hard to be disappointed when visiting this city. Whether you’re a seasoned regular or new to the Austin scene, follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

  1. 1. Austin Texas Music Mural, East 6th at the Driskill Hotel
  2. 2. Iron Works BBQ: Best corn on the cobb for the veggies- Great ribs for the carnivores. (100 Red River Street)
  3. 3. Stag: Freeman’s-esque men’s store with a burly meets hip lifestyle twist. Fantastic product and displays. (1423 S. Congress Ave.)
  4. 4. Uncommon Objects: Hands down, the most inspirational store on S. Congress. The owners are retail display geniuses. (1512 South Congress)
  5. 5. The Fifth Gallery: Great underground prints. (305 E. 5TH- below Action Graphics)
  6. 6. Tesoros: Skull-inspired folk art galore. (1500 S. Congress)
  7. 7. Big Top Candy Shop: Vintage speakers to accompany a vast array of sugary sweets. (1706 S. Congress)
  8. 8. Emos: Multi-room dive bar bedecked with really rad posters. Name appropriate. (605 Red River)
  9. 9. Jo’s Coffee: Perfect coffee and sandwich joint. Also ideal for business meet-ups. (242 W. 2nd St.)
  10. 10. Gallery D: A hip array of clothing, art and shoes, curated by former Barney’s buyer, Emily Keast. (436 W. 2nd St.)
  11. 11. Amy’s Ice Cream: The best midday pick me up. Utterly delish. (1301 S. Congress)
  12. 12. By George: Another boutique with Anthropologie-like wall displays. (1400 S. Congress)
March 17, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Austin: SXSW 2010




I’m pretty psyched that everyone around me- boyfriend, friends and colleagues included finally convinced me to make the trip to Austin this year for SXSW Interactive. The next few days have extraordinary media line ups and I’m looking forward to listening to speakers and meeting with some of the best content creators  in the industry. Idea sharing will be at an all time high and I’m sure the energy will be felt via thousands of twitter feeds. If you’re in Austin, send a virtual hello, as I’d love to meet up.

March 11, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.