art/photography > sandra’s world.


Have you ever felt like there are just too many things you want to do with your life? I know I do. These days, the good news is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one field or specialty. Talented creatives like Sandra Juto are showing us the endless possibilities of living a multi-dimensional life in the 21st century.

Sandra Juto is a fascinating Swedish woman who seems to do it all. She’s an illustrator, graphic designer, artist, photographer, blogger, crocheter, and, on top of it all, she runs her own little handmade shop from her home in Berlin, Germany. Everything she makes seems to have her own signature touch that is equal parts dreamy yet simple and charming. Her blog is full of pictures from her everyday life, documenting all of her wonderful side projects into one place from her very own perspective.

See more work below…

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design > colorblocked kingdom.


I think it’s so amazing to see, after decades of graphic design history, how artists and designers are coming up with more and more ways to use basic geometric shapes and primary colors to create exceptional and yet still very contemporary pieces of work. It just goes to show how even the simplest of elements can make incredible artwork when they’re used well.

Patrick Hruby is an illustrative graphic designer in Los Angeles who graduated at the top of his class at the Art Center College of Design in 2010 and now works as a freelancer for clients such as Blik, Urban Outfitters, and Ammo Books. His work is very geometric and often uses only primary and sometimes secondary colors and their shades. He was also chosen as one of HOW Magazine’s “16 Inspiring Young Creatives” in their January/February 2012 issue.

See more work below…

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art > optimistic impact.


When illustrators are optimistic and excited about their work it really, really shows. Today I’m excited to share the day-brightening work of someone who, as a child, would trade Barbies for a drawing pad and art supplies any day, eventually leading her on a straight shot to creating art as a full-time gig.

Marisa Seguin is a Vancouver native who relocated to Milwaukee, WI where she went on to graduate from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and it’s very clear that she has great passion for what she does. In an interview with Artists Who Blog, Marisa said, “I believe that when people love what they are doing it shows in their work and people will be excited about a product that the maker was equally excited (if not more) to create.” Her work is full of colors that bleed into one another in a really beautiful way. She paints adorably stylized maps, cakes, architecture, animals, and anything else she can dream up. If real life looked like a Marisa Seguin painting, I would not mind at all. Would you?

See more work below…

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interview > karen klassen.


Karen Klassen
is a Canadian freelance illustrator who has specialized in fashion and portrait illustration since 2004. Her artwork is beautifully surreal and often contains several different types of mark-making media because she loves to explore. Karen was just published in two prestigious illustration review publications, Gestalten’s Illustrators Unlimited & Taschen’s Illustration Now 4, and I’m very happy to say that she is here today for an interview to speak with us about her work and background as a professional artist!

See more work and read the exclusive interview below…

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art > the patterned life.


Hillary Bird is a wonderful illustrator in San Francisco who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her artwork is very playful and shows an appreciation for fun patterns, great color schemes, and 3D texture. According to Hillary, she is “constantly inspired by vintage fabric, wallpaper, mid century style, animals, knitting, pattern in any shape or form, flea markets, swedish design, yoshitomo nara, natural wonders (and disasters), and the absurd.” All images seen here are also available for purchase as prints in multiple sizes in her Etsy shop. See more of Hillary’s work below…

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this week’s creative resources.

Creative Resources is a weekly feature that showcases links to inspiring articles & other resources found on the internet for emerging to established artists (or art lovers!).

Here’s this week’s round-up:

1. Let it Be Beautiful (via fieldguided) – Over the course of nine volumes, Elizabeth Barker and Laura Jane Faulds will rewrite every Beatles song as a story or an essay in zine format. So far they have six complete and they look really awesome! Just 294 to go…

2. New American Paintings – America’s largest artist competition has just announced that they are now accepting submissions from painters in the Midwest (that’s anyone residing in IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, or WI) for a chance to be featured in their next publication. Who knows, maybe it could be you!

3. Process: Julianna Brion – From initial sketches to digital coloring, illustrator Julianna Brion shares the process of creating the free desktop image she made for The Fox is Black from start to finish.

4. Advice for Bloggers, Crafters and Lovers - What does Allison of The Allison Show believe to be the most important weapon to arm yourself with in order to achieve success? Hint: It’s something only you can do.

5. No Fail Ways to Finally Get Yourself Organized – An orderly life can elevate your mood, not to mention your productivity! If you’re like me and struggle greatly with organization, you’ll want to read Apartment Therapy‘s article on creating new organizational habits that stick.

Happy Sunday surfing! Do you have any helpful or interesting articles you’d like to share with us? Comment below!

art/design > graphic passions.


Victor Melendez is a talented illustrator who was born in Mexico City. He studied electrical engineering for two years before realizing that his true passion lies in creating art and so he went on to move to Seattle and receive a BFA in Graphic Design. Good thing he did, because his awesome graphic illustrations have landed him some pretty cool commissions for Starbucks. I was able to find his work because he is a frequent collaborator on the awesome illustration blog, Ten Paces and Draw. See more of Victor’s work below…

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