art

Photo by nicolas.boullosa

Earlier this week, I decided to write today’s Design Friday blog about nature inspired design. I patted myself on the back for being proactive and coming up with a topic early. Good job me. Then comes Friday and I start looking for interesting nature inspired design stories and photos to feature. Ummm, do you know how many different kinds of nature design there are?! Should I write about architecture, furniture, painting, ceramics, clothes…..the list just kept on going. AND THEN, there’s design inspired by oceans, rivers, animals, planets, trees, insects, the sky, rocks……and again, the list just keeps going. After taking a moment to mock myself (silly me) for prematurely patting myself on the back, I found the World’s Biggest Treehouse, and I was amazed. Then I started looking into the many, many different kinds of treehouses being built around the world. Take a look at just a few examples in this Popular Mechanics article 10 Awe Inspiring Treehouse Designs. If, like me, you grew up fantasizing about having your own treehouse hideaway, this one’s for you.

Photo courtesy of Whitewall Buick

Join artist Witt Siasoco on Sunday, April 28^th for Drawing on Central Avenue. This event is part of Creative Citymaking, a partnership between artists and city planners to "develop fresh and innovative approaches for addressing the long-term transportation, land use, economic, environmental, and social issues facing Minneapolis[i]”. As part of this program, Siasoco has invited people of all ages to join him in documenting Central Avenue with his Mobile Tracing Unit. Drawings from the event will be incorporated into art works displayed in a community art exhibition at Sen Yai Sen Lek on Thursday, May 16^th.

· 1:00-2:00: Central Ave. between 27^th and 24^th Avenues NE

· 2:00-3:00: Central Ave. between 24^th and 21^st Avenues NE

· 3:00-4:00: Central Ave. between 21^st and 18^th Avenues NE

Hope to see you there!

[i] http://www.intermediaarts.org/Creative-CityMaking

Photo by Andrea_44

I feel kind of bad for our readers, because this is the 3^rd or 4^th week in a row that I’ve focused my energies on garden design. But, in my defense, it’s STILL snowing. And not just snowing, the tree outside of my window has inches of snow plastered to it. My car got stuck in its street side parking spot. It’s unacceptable. I want to grab a glass of ice-cold lemonade and sit in a wicker rocking chair, feeling a warm breeze on my face. I want to close my eyes and smell fresh blooming lilacs and the sun warmed earth. Look at this picture, close you eyes, and imagine it. What is your summer dream? What would you design as the perfect summer spot to relax?

Photo by wiccahwang

Research has shown that having plants in one’s home, office, or school increases productivity and decreases stress. Succulent plants in particular have many added benefits. Many succulents are edible and provide herbal remedies for ailments like minor cuts and burns and sour stomach. Besides the health benefits, plants make any room feel fresh and cozy. Check out this University of California site on how to build your own vertical succulent garden for your home or yard.

Courtesy of the ArtCrank Website

Do you like art, or bikes, or beer, or a fun time? Check on this weekend’s ArtCrank MSP. Saturday, starting at 5:00, you can view and buyhand-made, bike-inspired posters created by over 45 Twin Cities area artists. Benefit Springboard for the Arts and buy a $5 pint glass that can be filled with Widmer Brothers Beer. Enjoy excellent food provided byChowgirls Killer Catering as well as six different food trucks.AND, keep your eyes open for special deals from Metamorphosis. Should be an excellent time. Admission is free, so we’ll see you there!

Photo by Michael R. Perry

When I moved to Minnesota, I used the morning dog walks to explore my new neighborhood. After about a week, I stumbled across an odd bird house looking structure in someone’s front yard. I could see it from several houses away and approached with some confusion about who would build a birdhouse next to the sidewalk. Lo and behold, it was my first Little Library sighting! I thought to myself, “What a brilliant idea, good job Minnesota!” I later learned that Little Libraries are actually a nationwide movement started in Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009. I also learned that there are over 5,000 little libraries across the county, with almost as many different looks and designs. On the website, they offer libraries for purchase with inlaid wood sunrises, ones that look like Amish barns, two story houses, and red phone booths, just to name a few. In Minneapolis, I have seen little libraries painted to look like the homes they are installed in front of, painted to match the owner’s garden, or to reflect a favorite hobby or animal. Check out the website for different designs, to find the closes Little Library to you, or to look at plans on how to build one yourself.

Photo by Joe Biewala

Spring break!!! My favorite spring break memory is from my senior year of college. Before making assumptions, this spring break did not include me on a beach somewhere with hundreds of other college kids. I actually spent my break exploring the Twin Cities with a few friends. Despite the freezing temperatures and unexpected blizzard, we had a great time enjoying amazing restaurants, wandering through world class museums, and exploring new parts of the city. Although I no longer have the free time for a full on spring break vacation, I have decided this year to have a mini Twin Cities staycation.

Want to plan your own spring break staycation? Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

-Eat at a green restaurants or take a green adventure http://www.minneapolis.org/visitor/green-minneapolis

-Take a walking, biking, or even running tour of the city http://thefittourist.com/

-Make a staycation meal at home with locally sourced foods http://www.twincitiesfarmersmarkets.com/

-Take advantage of the cold weather and ski or snowshoe around the Landscape Arboretum http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/skiandsnowshoetrails.aspx

-Try a watercolor or ceramics class at Silverwood Park’s LEED certified center http://www.threeriversparks.org/events.aspx

What ideas do you have? What are your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities?

When you look out your window, it’s hard to believe that today is the third day of Spring. Spring is my favorite time of the year. I start feeling the itch to dig into the ground and plant the vegetable and flower gardens of my dreams. I watch and wait for the time when the snow melts and the ground is soft enough to dig. I find my favorite flowers, ones with bright and happy colors, and when the time comes, I plant them. The problem with my “perfect” garden is that it fails before it begins. My plan falls apart because I don’t design my garden before I plant it. Year after year, I have managed to plant flower gardens with plants of all the same height, that bloom during the same two weeks every year, and require full sun, when I only have partial sun to offer. The result is a garden that looks like very tall weeds for the majority of the time. This year will be different. I will design a garden with plants of different heights, different blooming schedules, different colors, and a mix of annuals and perennials.

If you are itching for spring and want to plan your perfect vegetable, flower, or herb garden, check out the Farmers Almanac website for ideas and planting schedules. Happy gardening and happy spring!

Photo by Andy Tucker

The Twin Cities keep popping up on awesome lists! Recently, the two cities appeared on ArtPlace America’s 2013 list of the country’s top art destinations. Artplace America is an assemblage of national arts groups that locates the top art places in 33 of the county’s largest metro areas. The group categorizes ArtPlaces as areas that are the backbone of creative culture. The criteria to be an ArtPlace includes the types of businesses in the neighborhood, the location’s walk ability and the number of people in the area who work in a creative industry.

Art by Adam Turman for Woodsport

We love it when two awesome, creative folks team up to make something beautiful. That’s exactly what local artist, Adam Turman and local furniture design company, Woodsport did. Turman recently completed a print featuring Woodsport’s furniture which will be available on the company’s website. To view a time lapse video of Turman creating the print, click here. Make sure to visit Woodsport’s website and drool over all the beautiful, handmade furniture.