Jewels Foster - Blog

How Design Makes Us Happy

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:13:53 -0800

byinShar
by Stuart Wood of Fitch from http://www.computerarts.co.uk/
In times of economic or cultural turmoil, look to design for a shot of optimism – Stuart Wood swears by it As I write, the nation is dragging itself through ‘Blue Monday’. Based on a pseudo-scientific formula that, amongst other factors, includes the weather, level of debt and general motivation, the third Monday of January is awarded the auspicious title of the gloomiest day of the year. The press love it and predictably start the annual debate about the Happy Planet Index: a league table of the happiest (and most unhappy) nations. Currently the UK sits at a rather depressing 74th – just one place behind Slovakia and a whopping 25 places behind Haiti – go figure. What does this, you may be thinking, have to do with design?

In my opinion, a lot. If bad design can makes us unhappy (think most modern cars, excessive packaging on kids’ toys, government forms, pound shops – I could go on but I might depress myself), then surely good design can do the reverse? Objects that are a pleasure to use, hold and interact with not only encourage us to use them more, but also enable us to delight in the experience.

Books that are beautifully designed make us realise that although the publishing industry is in meltdown (not dissimilar to the music industry… Sorry, snap out of it!) the compulsion to engage with a physical object will always be a part of what makes us human. At the Man Booker Prize this year, winner Julian Barnes said of Suzanne Dean’s cover art: “Those of you who’ve seen my book – whatever you may think of its contents – will probably agree that it is a beautiful object. And if the physical book, as we’ve come to call it, is to resist the challenge of the ebook, it has to look like something worth buying and worth keeping.”

In a world of disposability, I revel in the optimism of that statement and the challenge that we as designers must meet. Design has always been optimistic by nature: a desire to make things look and function better, to encourage positive action or to engender a collective sense of responsibility. In these generally depressing times, design can cheer us up. On occasion, design’s sole intent can be to simply delight us. As frivolous as this might at first appear, I think design – and the industry that feeds it – sometimes makes the mistake in thinking that all ‘good design’ is based on style and substance. In an increasingly visually literate world, sometimes style is substance. The two are not mutually exclusive and something that puts a smile on your face has performed its function.

That said, it seems a rather appropriate time for the Design Museum to hold a retrospective celebrating Terence Conran’s 80th birthday. His strict ethos of ‘modern optimistic design’ seems as relevant now as it did in the austere postwar Britain when he created household furnishings store Habitat.

His optimism and desire for everyone to live a better, richer and more fulfilling life was articulated beautifully by the products he created, the environments they were sold in, and the uncluttered and singular visual identity. As Conran puts it: “I have always believed that if products or buildings or interiors are intelligently designed they will help improve the quality of life of the users.”

As in many times of economic or cultural turmoil, great design has often been at the forefront of a new wave of optimism. And as strange as it may seem, I think that this hypothesis holds water: the broad definition of depression is the inability to focus on the solution and merely focus on the problem. Design, on the other hand, interrogates the problem in order to find solutions.

So when I start to think about Blue Monday and what it means, my mind drifts back to one of the most iconic (and ironic) record sleeves of all time. Released in 1983 – the same year that Margaret Thatcher was re-elected by a landslide – and designed by Peter Saville for New Order, it stands out as a milestone in our cultural landscape and became a flag-carrier for a new approach to design. It was also a folly. Because of the complex nature of the printing and die-cutting, every copy sold lost the band money. Brilliant! Hilarious! But it’s an object that once created will never be found in a charity shop window. Call me old fashioned, but I’m beginning to feel quite optimistic about the future.

The Lumineers

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:24:08 -0800

from thelumineers.com

“Wesley Schultz, 9, who wants to be an artist, said, ‘I spend a lot of time on my drawings and it turns out good ’cause I’ve been practicing a lot.’”

-The New York Times, 3/15/92

Twenty years ago, Wesley Schultz saw the future.

Back then, growing up in the New York City suburb of Ramsey, New Jersey, Wesley spent his days drawing side by side with his best friend, Josh Fraites. Today, as bandleader of The Lumineers, Wesley’s replaced his pencil with a guitar, his drawings with songs, and plays side by side with Joshua’s younger brother Jeremiah. He still practices a lot, and it still turns out good.

But The Lumineers’ story didn’t come so easily.

It begins in 2002, the year Jeremiah’s brother, Josh, died from a drug overdose at 19. Amidst the loss and grief, Wes and Jer found solace in music, writing songs and playing gigs around New York. After battling the city’s cutthroat music scene and impossibly high cost of living, the two decided to expand their horizons. They packed everything they owned—nothing more than a couple suitcases of clothes and a trailer full of musical instruments—and headed for Denver, Colorado. It was less a pilgrimage than act of stubborn hopefulness.

The first thing they did in Denver was place a Craigslist ad for a cellist, and the first person to respond was Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained Denver native. As a trio, they began playing at the Meadowlark, a gritty basement club where the city’s most talented songwriters gathered every Tuesday for an open mic and dollar PBRs. Neyla softened Wes and Jer’s rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano. And so The Lumineers sound took shape; an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk.

In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to a self-booked tour, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans, first across the Western US, then back in their old East Coast stamping grounds. Young, old and in-between, they’re drawn by songs like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love,” Americana-inflected barnburners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. They’re drawn by songs like “Slow it Down” and “Dead Sea,” slow, sultry ballads that suggest the raw revelations of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams. They’re drawn by the live Lumineers experience—a coming-together in musical solidarity against isolation, adversity, and despair.

The roots revival of the last few years has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music—the kind that nods to tradition while setting off into uncharted territory. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics. It will all be on display soon, on the band’s first full-length album, due April 3rd via Dualtone Records.

Born out of sorrow, powered by passion, ripened by hard work, The Lumineers have found their sound when the world needs it most.

Sticky Sweet Tofu Cashew Broccoli Bowl

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:20:56 -0800

One of my favorite hobbies when I'm not painting is vegan cooking. I'm not a true vegan yet, I'm slowly adjusting. There are so many delicious recipes out there! My biggest complaint when it comes to vegetarian/vegan dishes at many resturants is that they leave out the protein. Yes, the veggies are very important part of the diet as well but you really protein for two reasons: I) growth and 2) tissue repair and replacement! You can get protein from the morning star/boca burgers, but its more basic and cheaper just to get it from beans. I make a whole pot for the week, just have them soak while you are at work, when you come home, just turn on the pot and relax. It only takes 20 mintues. Simple changes in your life will go a long way.

Also, I've been experimenting with tempeh. It's more absorbent and trickier than tofu to cook but I find it much more enjoyable to eat.

This recipe came from http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/. I love, love, LOVE her recipes, so easy and so tasty.

Sticky Sweet Tofu Cashew Broccoli Bowl (I used tempeh. I had to make extra sauce due to tempeh being highly absorbent.)
serves 4, vegan

Tofu:
1 lb firm or silken tofu, sliced into thick triangles
1 1/2 Tbsp safflower oil
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup
2 Tbsp mandarin orange juice + pinch of zest
1 tsp liquid smoke
fine black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Broccoli:
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tsp safflower oil
1/4 cup veggie broth
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional for cheezy flavor)

Couscous:
2 cups dried whole wheat couscous
1 cup water
1 cup veggie broth
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)

1 cup raw cashews

garnish: mandarin or clementine orange slices

To Make:

1. First prepare the couscous. Add the liquid, oil and salt to a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Add in the couscous. Cover with lids. Let boil for about a minute – them turn off the heat. Let stand (with lid still on) for at least five minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork and set aside. Fold in optional golden raisins as well.

2. For the tofu, drain and press dry with a thick handful of paper towels. Slice into triangles. Soak in a bath or all the ingredients – except the oil. To a skillet, add the oil. Turn to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinating tofu cubes. They should sizzle loudly upon adding to pan. Add in the remaining liquid from the soaking bowl. Allow to cook on each side for about a minute – you want blackened edges. Grab some tofu cooking tips here.

3. Just as the tofu is finishing cooking, add in the cashews and another tsp of maple or agave syrup. Allow them to get sticky and coated in the pan liquid. This should only take about a minute. Remove the tofu and cashews from the skillet and set on side plate.

4. With the pan still hot, add in the broccoli. Char the edges a bit. then add in the remaining liquid and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for about 2 minutes. Remove lid and turn off heat. Transfer the broccoli to a separate bowl.

5. Make your bowls! Add some couscous. Then tofu and cashews over top. A few broccoli florets around the edges and some mandarin slices as garnish and for color. Serve warm.

Art Is A Deception That Creates Real Emotions-from ted.com

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:00:09 -0800

“Art is a deception that creates real emotions — a lie that creates a truth. And when you give yourself over to that deception, it becomes magic.”-Marco Tempest

Marco Tempest’s imaginative combination of computer-generated imagery, quick-cut video and enthusiastic stage presence has earned him a place in the pantheon of great illusionists. At 22, the Swiss magician won the New York World Cup of Magic, launching him into international prominence. Tempest's award-winning television series “The Virtual Magician” airs in dozens of countries worldwide, while his lively phonecam postings on YouTube, done without post-production and video-editing tricks to astonished people on the street, get millions of views (search on "virtualmagician"). His Vimeo channel showcases his artistic side -- like his recent hypnotic series "levitation," using a high-speed camera.

Through his art, Tempest creates a highly entertaining way to be entranced by the reality-bending tech magic that surrounds us all every day.

He says: "I blend the line between what is incredibly real and what is incredibly not."

Chubbs

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:12:20 -0800

It's never fun when your little guy is really sick. Seeing this little sweet animal struck with a questionable sickness that enables him to walk, eat, or breathe properly is very heartbreaking. The medicine seems to help but it's too soon to say what's going on. Have to stay positive and hope he can recover quickly.

Tonight's music pick comes from a solo artist name Wisp. I don't have much info on him but I find this song just amazing.
WISP from last.fm
Wisp (Reid Dunn) comes from Niagara Falls, New York. He makes electronic music that spans many genres, from jungle and experimental drum n bass to ambient and downtempo electronica. Nostalgic computer games bear an influence on his music. He began releasing music for free in 2003, in the form of mp3s on netlabels, but has since been signed to Sublight Records, and more recently (2008) he signed with Rephlex. His free mp3 releases are, however, still available on The Wisp Archive.

Long Break Away

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:34:38 -0800

Hello everyone!
I know it's been quite some time since my last post. Where did I go? Well, life has been handing me some fortune projects in the design realm. The market for me, as for many of you, has been quite the monkey fight. I'm proud to say I have 2 steady gigs going and a few more new projects on the way! Aside from that, I've been intensely training my technique with oil painting. There's so much to learn that it's a bit overwhelming. Like my teacher says, "Just breathe. It takes a few years to know how to draw but a life time to know how to paint."

To get a little personal, due to such harsh times with the economy, it seems like it also effects personal relationships. I relocated to a new city a few years back. I came here with a partner, a handful of friends and a few family members. It's been quiet the adjustment, I couldn't believe moving cross-country you can feel like you're completely in a new world. Staring your life over at 27 is not an easy task. I only knew of one life back in Chicago. I didn't travel much but I took advantage of that city. Chicago has many worlds and cultures. I loved all my experiences there but I was tried of all my struggles and never getting ahead. I know the group that came here along with me were in the same boat. For my brother and I, this move made a major spiritual change and we have thrived. For others, it didn't. I lost my boyfriend, my best friends, and my dog. Everyone who came out here is moving back to a new path. I wish nothing but the best for all of them, safe travels, and best of fortunes for the near future.

I felt very lonely in this city, however, the idea of a true home dawned on me. It isn't particularly a place nor with people, or a partner. All of that will help, however, my home is my heart. No matter who I'm with, where I'm at, as long as I keep my heart clean and open, protected and well-kept... It will be easily to be welcomed to share without convictions. With that, I will be completely content. I know this statement will sound like a cheesy self-help statement, but there is a reason why there are millions of books that preach about this. The only way to be truly happy first and foremost you have to work on the relationship with yourself. By only then you will be able to be truly happy with your life. If your heart, like your house, is strong, it will be able to weather all storms. You can't control what happens to you in your life, you can only rebuild and keep moving. You are the only person you can depend on. Accept that you are human, you will make mistakes and be content with that. Tell your life story with an open heart, don't try to be something your not, just accept who you are.

Its been a long hard journey, but, at last, I am coming home.

Cloud Control: This Is What I Said

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:51:04 -0800

Biography
from last.fm
With affirmation of their brilliance in from their homeland, being awarded the critically acclaimed Australian Music Award Cloud Control are set to unleash their stellar collection of quirky layered harmonic psyche-pop on the rest of the world.

Cloud Control signed to bespoke independent label Infectious Music in 2010, and very quickly the tightly packed four-piece from the picturesque and rugged terrains of Australia’s Blue Mountains started to turn heads with the NME claiming “We’ve got a new bunch of favourite fuzzlings, and their name is Cloud Control” and noted BBC Radio 1 D.J Nick Grimshaw hailing Bliss Release the bands debut long-player “perfect for summer time”.

The first part 2011 has seen Cloud Control complete a string of live shows on both sides of the Atlantic, including a grueling nine show campaign at SXSW in Austin Texas and support slots in the UK with Noah & the Whale, Mona and the Naked and Famous. During this first visit to Europe, respected Dutch music title Oor Magazine noted “Cloud Control is setting a foundation for an undoubtedly successful music year for them in Europe. Let The Vaccines, Mona and the rest fight over being newcomer of the year. Here in Paradiso stood one of the festival hits of 2011.”

Returning to Australia in March to play two sold-out headline shows the band were specially requested by Foo Fighters to support them in a one off charity concert for Queensland Flood Relief.

With their amps still steaming Cloud Control jetted back to the UK for their debut headline tour in April, which ended triumphantly in front of a sold-out crowd at venue XOYO in London’s East End. And it seems as the weeks continue to unfold towards the UK & EU release of ‘Bliss Release’ on May 23rd, more and more people are professing their love for the group, including Huw Stephens from BBC Radio 1 who tweeted “Watching Cloud Control filling the breathtaking Koko venue with their stomping harmonious beauty” and Drowned In Sound who declared “Cloud Control have made a tremendously enjoyable album.”

Keep a close eye on Cloud Control this summer who play a slew of festival dates that already include Great Escape, Hop Farm and Field Day Festivals in the UK and the likes of Lowlands, London Calling, Hurricane & Southside and Les Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats in Europe.

Cloud Control are Alister Wright (guitar/lead vocals), Jeremy Kelshaw (bass) and siblings Heidi Lenffer (keyboards/vocals) and Ulrich Lenffer (drums).

Jenny Brown: In Search of Sun Cups At Night

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:40:56 -0800

Biography
written by Jenny Brown on jennybrownart.com
in search of sun cups at night
We spent a lot of time debating whether or not the blackened landscape was beautiful or horrific. My opinion kept changing daily. I had gotten the idea to put my bright blue wool socks on one morning… I thought they might cheer me and everyone else up, but I was wrong. Even in times like these, quick fixes are still quick fixes, and I never wore them again. I think everybody knew there was nothing to be done but to take stock of our new surroundings and accept them. Nobody really wanted to be there, what choice did we have?

Exhausted, we spent long days dusting snow off the frozen ground and trying to dig holes in it. I was put in charge of maintaining an abandoned free-standing chimney that must have been attached to a house at one time. One day when I was wading through the bramble that had grown around it, I decided to stick my hands in the opening of the chimney to see what I could find… I pulled out a curious collection of items: a frozen and dried lime, a dirty sponge, some nails, a hairbrush. I wasn’t sure what to do with them or why they were there… I had hoped for something simple… a bundle of photographs, maybe a book? I spent long hours lining the objects up on the ground in different orders and looking at them to try and figure out how they fit together.

Night time was spent making escape plans, though we all admitted our new world was almost beautiful in the dark… the sky was always starless and velvety, and the remnants of the forest became a charming menagerie of tunnels and hiding places. Fact was nothing but fiction in these moments and we sometimes were hesitant to sleep because we didn’t want to miss looking at our surroundings in the night light. It was the only time I felt calm and hopeful. As the sun rose each day, we found ourselves silently wishing that all that imagined beauty from the night would really be before us.

Check out more of Jenny's work on www.jennybrownart.com

Are you messing up your life with poisonous thoughts? I know I do!

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:32:01 -0800

10 simple ways to save yourself from messing up your life

Stop taking so much notice of how you feel. How you feel is how you feel. It’ll pass soon. What you’re thinking is what you’re thinking. It’ll go too. Tell yourself that whatever you feel, you feel; whatever you think, you think. Since you can’t stop yourself thinking, or prevent emotions from arising in your mind, it makes no sense to be proud or ashamed of either. You didn’t cause them. Only your actions are directly under your control. They’re the only proper cause of pleasure or shame.
Let go of worrying. It often makes things worse. The more you think about something bad, the more likely it is to happen. When you’re hair-trigger primed to notice the first sign of trouble, you’ll surely find something close enough to convince yourself it’s come.
Ease up on the internal life commentary. If you want to be happy, stop telling yourself you’re miserable. People are always telling themselves how they feel, what they’re thinking, what others feel about them, what this or that event really means. Most of it’s imagination. The rest is equal parts lies and misunderstandings. You have only the most limited understanding of what others feel about you. Usually they’re no better informed on the subject; and they care about it far less than you do. You have no way of knowing what this or that event really means. Whatever you tell yourself will be make-believe.
Take no notice of your inner critic. Judging yourself is pointless. Judging others is half-witted. Whatever you achieve, someone else will always do better. However bad you are, others are worse. Since you can tell neither what’s best nor what’s worst, how can you place yourself correctly between them? Judging others is foolish since you cannot know all the facts, cannot create a reliable or objective scale, have no means of knowing whether your criteria match anyone else’s, and cannot have more than a limited and extremely partial view of the other person. Who cares about your opinion anyway?
Give up on feeling guilty. Guilt changes nothing. It may make you feel you’re accepting responsibility, but it can’t produce anything new in your life. If you feel guilty about something you’ve done, either do something to put it right or accept you screwed up and try not to do so again. Then let it go. If you’re feeling guilty about what someone else did, see a psychiatrist. That’s insane.
Stop being concerned what the rest of the world says about you. Nasty people can’t make you mad. Nice people can’t make you happy. Events or people are simply events or people. They can’t make you anything. You have to do that for yourself. Whatever emotions arise in you as a result of external events, they’re powerless until you pick them up and decide to act on them. Besides, most people are far too busy thinking about themselves (and worry what you are are thinking and saying about them) to be concerned about you.
Stop keeping score. Numbers are just numbers. They don’t have mystical powers. Because something is expressed as a number, a ratio or any other numerical pattern doesn’t mean it’s true. Plenty of lovingly calculated business indicators are irrelevant, gibberish, nonsensical, or just plain wrong. If you don’t understand it, or it’s telling you something bizarre, ignore it. There’s nothing scientific about relying on false data. Nor anything useful about charting your life by numbers that were silly in the first place.
Don’t be concerned that your life and career aren’t working out the way you planned. The closer you stick to any plan, the quicker you’ll go wrong. The world changes constantly. However carefully you analyzed the situation when you made the plan, if it’s more than a few days old, things will already be different. After a month, they’ll be very different. After a year, virtually nothing will be the same as it was when you started. Planning is only useful as a discipline to force people to think carefully about what they know and what they don’t. Once you start, throw the plan away and keep your eyes on reality.
Don’t let others use you to avoid being responsible for their own decisions. To hold yourself responsible for someone else’s success and happiness demeans them and proves you’ve lost the plot. It’s their life. They have to live it. You can’t do it for them; nor can you stop them from messing it up if they’re determined to do so. The job of a supervisor is to help and supervise. Only control-freaks and some others with a less serious mental disability fail to understand this.
Don’t worry about about your personality. You don’t really have one. Personality, like ego, is a concept invented by your mind. It doesn’t exist in the real world. Personality is a word for the general impression that you give through your words and actions. If your personality isn’t likeable today, don’t worry. You can always change it, so long as you allow yourself to do so. What fixes someone’s personality in one place is a determined effort on their part—usually through continually telling themselves they’re this or that kind of person and acting on what they say. If you don’t like the way you are, make yourself different. You’re the only person who’s standing in your way.

Melissa Kretschmer-Beeswax, graphite, paper, plywood series

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:48:23 -0800

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

I stumbled upon Melissa Kretschmer's work on booooooom.com. For those of you looking for some new inspiration, booooooom.com is fantastic for modern artists. They are always updating on their website daily. Now Melissa here, in her Plane Series, gave me a tremendous sense of calm. Having a very stressful day, coming across her work was an amazing treat. I love her movement here, the black boxes are obvious the first focal point of moment but it's not overbearing, we notice that are eyes are taking us somewhere however, the yellow boxes and stalling us from moving outside of the pieces.

This piece here the black bars keep you here keeps you centered, while the white lines leads you out. I love how energetic this one is to me.

This one, the black bars keeps you trapped, but in a peaceful way. I don't know much about abstract art, I only took one class o it so far but from what I learn it's more about how you feel in each painting, it doesn't matter what it is about because everyone can feel something different.