Posts Tagged ‘Artforms in nature’
Artforms in Nature – Series 6 – Faberge eggs
This is the last of my Artforms in Nature posts. I have really paid a tribute to artist and naturalist Ernst Haeckel. I leave you with a beautiful series of full colour plates showcasing larger lifeforms. Some might not seem so beautiful at first (the frogs!!!), but I insist, there is inspiration there for someone.
The orchids are just incredible. I made a series of dresses once for the Cirque du Soleil based on orchids. Below are two dresses by Michelle Ferranti that served as my inspiration for that project.
Here are the frogs!! Ha ha! They are so hideous and yet i have nothing against frogs. Actually, I think frogs are pretty important and I own a pair of little gold frog stud earrings that are quite delightful. We all loved Kermit the frog. Below I have added the image of a dress by John Galliano that seems kind of froggy to me.
This plate is classic Faberge egg inspiration. It is just so perferct. Look at he symmetry and ornament and texture.
You don’t need to be a genius to be an artist. You just need to take the time to do it. A lot of the work that I do is detail oriented and time consuming. Other designers look at my work and think I’m crazy to be cutting out shapes, making stencils and drawing with thread. But to me, it’s just what I do. Come see the new Spring 2011 collection at the boutique. I have been adding new styles every week.
Kat
It seems I am not the only designer totally inspired by Haeckel’s art. Below you will see the most incredible dress by artists/designer Toolgrrl (that is her etsy name).
It’s inspired by an Ernst Haeckel illustration of a stinkhorn fungus from the 19th century. The relationship this piece has with the environment isn’t just limited to mushrooms, though, as every inch of the dress is made with recycled materials.
And now for some mushroom art that fits into our everyday. This is the new toadstool skirt that we are currently selling at the boutique. It is playful and clearly a reminder of the fact that Spring is on its way. YAY!
How many of you have sea shells in your bathroom? I know I do. I even have starfish spray painted silver and driftwood that I lugged home from vacation. This post explores the connection between Nature, as illustrated by the drawings of Ernst Haeckel, and our desire to surround ourselves with objects from the ocean.
Below are some amazing contemporary furniture designs by a company called ARKTURA. I am totally smitten with the lines and shadows that these pieces cast. I am also a fan of the colour options they provide…what not just black and chrome?, but also plum, red and aqua…how do I choose?
a little bit of the real thing in pink and purple and red ( may favourite colours)…
…and a little bit of happy homemaker throwing an ocean themed dinner party!
photo by Jeffrey N Jeffords
Below are the sqid pages. mmm, yum!
We have this pin in the store. It is by an American artist called MamasLittleBabies.
Now this tops it all for me. Michelle McCoskey has crochet this squid scarf. I can’t say that I would wear it, but i was thrilled when I found theses images online and I hope you enjoy the ridiculousness and effort that went into making this masterpiece of crafty kitsch!
Are you tired of Ernst Haeckel yet? I’m not. I think his are some of the best illustrations from Nature I have ever seen. I love the attention to layout on the page…how he created shading and shapes that stand on their own as a work of art.
The first image is of moths. They are soft and fluffy and every hair is delicately rendered. Imagine the time it took to illustrate all of these.
And now for some Mothy jewelry. We just got these in the store. We have moth necklaces and octopus pins…oh and there is a Jellyfish necklace that is oh-so Ernst Haeckel.
The second image of the shells made me think of the experimental fashion by Swedish fashion designer Julia Krantz. These shell garments are made of translucent fabrics draped over metal frames. This was done as aschool project at HDK School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg, Sweden.
We’ve all seen trilobite fossils as kids. They must have been numerous back in the day (millions of years ago) for there to be such an abundance of fossils around being found. and sold for a few dollars. Below Haeckel’s trilobite drawings, I have attached the image of a dress that to me looks like it was inspired by arthropods. The layers are like the sections of a hard shelled creature. The beauty of it lies in the perfect cusp between soft and hard. The dress holds it’s form, but doesn’t look too stiff. I think it is really gorgeous.
Trilobite Dress by: Wesley Nault+Daniel Feld
Hope you enjoyed another viewing of art, crafts and nature. Where does one begin and the other end? Is it all the same? Sometimes I believe that what we (humans) craft is not separate from, but a part, of the big organism we call Earth. We often assign value to what we craft: good or bad, expensive or cheap, destructive or ecological. What really matters though, is do you feel joyful? Is there a happy moment in every day that you live? If you need to find a happy moment outside of yourself, you can always come to the store for a little drop in, a hug or a cup of tea.
4647 blvd. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T1R2, 514-678-9616
Katrin Leblond
Here is my take-two on the analyses of how artists are influenced by Nature. Sometimes we really stretch the truth, but sometimes the source of our inspiration is very close indeed. I have included two other artists in this series: Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) and Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1865 – December 9, 1932). McQueen, who died last year, was one of the best headpiece designers of all time. Below, I have included photos that seem to be directly influenced by the shapes and forms in Haeckels prints.
This is from McQueens SS 2008 collection.
I mean, really? Is this not totally crazy awesome to see how closely linked all creativity is! We are all drinking from the same creative well!
Also SS2008 McQueen
These three images really need to all be looked at together. Above we have shapes that look to me like armour, shields and Samurai headpieces. Below we have another McQueen headpiece from his last collection FW 2011. Then below that, I have inserted three photos from early nature photographer Karl Blossfeldt. The references are stunning!
German photographer Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1865 – December 9, 1932) worked in Berlin and is best known for his close-up photographs of plants. It is documented that he was influenced by the the illustrations of Ernst Haeckel as a scientist and artist.
I love this book Kunst-Formen der Natur (Art Forms in Nature)
The artwork is so inspiring. It was illustarted by Ernst Haeckel, 1898.
I think there is something really interesting about the lacy intricacies of these drawings.
Nature is my ultimate source of inspiration for everything from embellishments to business management. All the answers exist in Nature.
This book of illustrations will appear to you over 6 blog posts….the last being images of larger lifeforms.
It is a wonderful book, in the public domain, which features all sorts of illustrations of the natural world. I scanned my personal copy to share with you page by page I have also included all sorts of images from architecture to stained glass that seem to be directly drawing their inspiration from the natural world.
Curvy lines and fancy squiggles ….these creatures could be Rococo carvings in a Parisian church covered in gold leaf.
And here i have added an image of the Tassel House staircase, an art-nouveau building in Brussels. I feel the jelly fish lines and the art Nouveau lines have a lot in common.
All we need is Nature. For every design, every line and every problem, I feel we could find all the answers in Nature. Below is a stockphoto of stained glass that could be directly referencing the illustrations of Ernst Haeckel. And yet, those illustrations were done directly from observation.
photo by Paul Cummings
I feel we all need to show our appreciation for Nature and artists especially so. Thank you Monther Earth.
And, thank you Ernst Haeckel for taking the time a 100 years ago to make these beautiful drawings.
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