Childhood Nightmares – Joshua Hoffine Photography

“My images are not photoshop collages.I use photoshop to finesse details and to adjust color and contrast for printing.I use friends and family members as actors and crew.Everyone works for free. We do it for fun.” says Joshua Hoffine whose eye catching artworks may remind us of our very own childhood fears!

Not for the faint hearted! Definitely captures the vivid terrors within the minds of the innocent.

Bembo Zoo

Bembo Zoo.
A very nice flash site creating an animal from it’s written letterforms using characters and punctuation made entirely from the font Bembo.

Jeongmee Yoon – The Pink & Blue Project

Jenkins Johnson Gallery announces a solo exhibition of photographer Jeongmee Yoon’s Pink and Blue Project, which is a photographic portfoliothat looks at possessions of children, specifically girls’ pink objects and boys’ blue. The exhibition will open at the New York location March 6 andrun through April 26, 2008. An opening reception and book signing will be held Saturday, March 8 from 5 to 7 pm. Jenkins Johnson Gallery wouldlike to thank Arts Council of Korea for their support of this exhibition.

One would be mistaken to assume The Pink and Blue Project is frothy or light. Analysis of the images provokes conversation sensitive to issues
in modern society that resonate on consumerism as well as how we define femininity and masculinity. Yoon scrutinizes the adage “pink for a girl,
blue for a boy” as an examination of gender specific colors and how a modicum can cross-culturally imbed itself in buying patterns and identities. In itself, color has no meaning, but human associations bring significance to shades that wield a heft in defining mood, behavior, politics, personality, often unconsciously. When we “see red” we are angry, if “blue” we are sad or we could be labeled “red” and associated withcommunism or perhaps as a “greenback” looking to save the environment. The list goes on and on…

Yoon realized the weight of the issue when shopping for her son and daughter. The choices in products from clothes to toothpaste to books are
limited by the predetermined standard of society and manufacturers. Companies enforce trends with stylized advertising and pervasive commercials swamp our daily lives. Often children and tweens are the targets because it is they who influence adults’ pocketbooks. Although aware of this power, consumers viewing Yoon’s work realize how even the most conscious buyer striving to avoid falling into the pitfalls of mass marketing suddenly seem less in control than they think. The robust difference between girls’ and boys’ color choices is predictable, but nonetheless astounding in its universality.

A recent study at Newcastle University released findings that biological causes might be a key factor in gender color preferences. It could all lead back to hunting and gathering days when men went out to find the meat and women looked to gather fruits and vegetables, which typically have a
red toned hue when ripe. Moreover, an interesting switch occurred after WWII. Until that juncture, blue was commonly held as a color for girls due
to its tranquil qualities and pinks and reds for boys because red signified power and strength.

The power of Yoon’s work is further heightened by its simplicity and tight, crafted arrangement as well as the subtle, witty perspective. Yoon asks
her subjects to make as neutral a facial expression as possible during their sitting, but with children this is often difficult; inevitably personalities
peek through and she is adept at capturing these small moments. Moreover, her use of a medium format set to the lowest aperture camera brings
clarity and sharpness to the seas of pink and blue that imbues objects with a tactile quality that evokes the sense of want they originally did for the portrayed owner. Overall, Yoon’s sensibility highlights our vulnerability to conformity and makes you wonder what your belongings would say about you if they were laid out for all eyes to see.

Jeongmee Yoon began her series during graduate studies at the School of Visual Arts, New York and continues to expand it in South Korea. She was a smash success at Scope Hamptons 2007 and had the crowd abuzz as well as was featured on the cover of Life Magazine weekend edition and the New York Sun. Moreover, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston featured her in their 2007 fall acquisitions exhibit and has permanently adding her to their repertoire. Yoon receivedthe commendation of South Korea’s prestigious Daum Prize in 2007. Moreover, her work from this project has been widely published in the US as well as South Korea in addition to being included in numerable group exhibitions in both locales.

View more images here

Interactive Drawing Lesson

KidDK is a publishing company who specialise in children’s books for all ages. I spotted this link today over at swissmiss which is a fantastic online tutorial for older kids teaching them the fundamentals of drawing a dinosaur. Parents should check it out and learn the skills to impress their wee ones next time there’s a pencil and paper handy.

Check it here

Art Project

I went out on Friday and picked up a small pre-stretched square canvas and some acrylic paints, as i’ve decided to create some artwork to put on the wall of my son’s bedroom. It’s cheaper than buying mass produced prints and it’s a more personal touch that really anyone can do. I will explain the process in detail as the project progresses, but I thought I’d start by showing the finished drawing I made last night that will now be my challenge to paint onto the canvas. I haven’t painted in the longest time, so this should be both fun and interesting. Stay tuned for progress pictures.

Pop Art Portraits

allPopart.com takes your family snaps and renders them in the styles of Warhol, Lichenstien and general retro poster art. Some of the examples they show look better than others (some Photoshop filter abuse is evident at times), but in general, they would look great in the kid’s playroom with the bright colours leaping from the canvas.

Lynne Naylor

As you may have picked up by now, I love this style of retro future illustration and Lynne Naylor’s portfolio is a colourful wonderland full of minxes and patterns that are very pleasing to the eye. Lynne has picked up numerous animation and illustration awards and has been responsible for top class work on shows such as Ren & Stimpy, The Powerpuff Girls and Batman The Animated Series.

Be sure to stop by her website

Steve Mack’s Spot Illustration

Wow! Check out the awesome illustrations over at Steve Mack’s blog Spot Illustration. So much fun in that retro style that is much harder to reproduce than it looks.

The images above come from his book “Eat Your Way From 1 to 10: A Self Help Book For Toddlers” other books by Steve include “Jurrassic Poop: What The Dinosaurs Left Behind” and “The ABC Book”.

Childrens Illustrators Online

“Cat’s Dinner” by Bill Ledger

This unique online community currently counts 703 illustrators, 17 agents showcasing 16141 illustrations and 1333 published books! Well devised site divided into various easy to search categories such as mediums used, animations, published books etc. Recommended for inspiration and also to explore some books that may not be carried by your local stores.

Childrens Illustrators Online homepage