Emily Dumas: Jam Session

Jam Session, by Emily Dumas.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Little Kids Rock.

Emily Dumas is a graphic designer and illustrator living and working in the Boston-area. With a huge love of great design, patterns, typography, illustration and hand-made details, she launched Flowers in May in 2007. Often in her new studio or home in her office, she creates handmade goodies from prints to notecards to glass magnets.

When she’s not designing, she can probably be found at a museum, in her studio with a stack of magazines, or reading a good novel.



About the print:
Many of my illustrations are geared towards a female audience, so I wanted to do one that could appeal to both genders. I come from a family that loves music. My brother is a musician and my parents live for going to concerts, so it seemed fitting to do a music-themed print.

This print was signed and numbered by the artist. It is an archival inkjet print.

PURCHASE $40!

What has inspired you recently?
The "DIY nation", as I like to call it. I love creating things by hand - for me, it’s all about the details. So many artists, designers, and illustrators are using their fine-art roots in their work - you can see it in all aspects of art from print to digital.

Why did you choose to pair Little Kids Rock with your print?
Music education is so important, especially for young children. To me, it is a form of art that is used to express oneself. Words and sounds are just as powerful as images. Also, I’m always listening to music when I create. It brings the best out of my work.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
So many digital aspects have taken over the art and design world. I obviously have a strong affinity towards traditional fine art, but it is exciting to know the possibilities of artists’ work being transformed into animation and other new mediums, without having to sacrifice your style

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
Shepard Fairey. I find it amazing that he has been doing what he has for so long. He’s established himself as a brand without selling a thing. His pattern work is simply gorgeous, and his mix of fine art and design, along with a simple color palette, is the perfect combination.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
Jessica Hische, Cody Hudson, Dan Funderburgh, Julia Rothman and James Joyce.

Jennifer Hill: Manhattan

Manhattan, by Jennifer Hill.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Médecins Sans Frontières.

JHill Design is a small design studio located in the flowering Fort Point district of Boston, MA. Jennifer Hill creates vibrant, multi-layered patterns for her print series, Places I Have Never Been, which revolve around her imaginary vacations.

Jennifer Hill trained in graphic design and art history at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, graduated in 1997 and the went on to work for the luxury beauty company, Fresh, where she designed patterns for their gorgeous packaging. In 2005, Jennifer parted from Fresh to start JHill Design. The Places I Have Never Been line was born while listening to the band Modest Mouse on a long, nighttime drive to New Hampshire. Originally a Christmas gift for clients, the original desk calendar became popular and sales soon started. Trips to Brimfield, the Boston Public Library and museum after museum keep the inspiration and ideas coming and new products being added to JHill's line up.

The studio currently has 3 main print series filled with JHill's patterns:
• City Prints: Inspired by vintage travel posters, each print includes details like what one would eat or drink while visiting a place.
• A Toast to: Inspired by old-school flashcards, these little 5x7 prints celebrate a place through a little riddle written by JHill.
• Animal Alphabet: Aardvark – Zebu. These 9x9 prints are inspired by modern quilts and illuminated manuscripts.



About the print:
I typically illustrate places that I haven’t been to – this is the first piece in a series of drawings about places I HAVE visited. I find it difficult to do a pattern about the essence of a place once I’ve been there, and since I have a hard time imagining patterns, I decided to go factual for this print. This map of Manhattan is broken down into neighborhoods, with a pattern for each area that is inspired by things like the neighborhood’s architecture. Manhattan’s architecture has always been something that truly inspires me – I love the way that the old and new are always working together. If you look at the print closely, you can see teeny tiny yellow cabs in the streets of the neighborhood borders.

This print was signed and numbered by the artist. It is an archival giclee print on Fabriano watercolor paper.

PURCHASE $40!

What has inspired you recently?
Recently I've been really into vintage paper pieces like tickets, old matchbook covers, playbills, posters and such. I've also been really into maps (as you can see here) lately. I’ve been buying lots of paper ephemera on Etsy, and Ebay. Recently at the Brimfield flea market, I scored a series of old hand-written receipts from a funeral home. The writing was so beautiful; it was the perfect inspiration for our new wedding collection.

Why did you choose to pair Médecins Sans Frontières with your print?
Last year I worked in Haiti for a few weeks for Aid to Artisans. I made some amazing friends and saw amazing work being made. Everyone there has been tragically affected by January's earthquake in one way or another. Médecins Sans Frontières has been a great help to a country with no healthcare and demolished hospitals. I hope we can raise a bunch of money for them.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I'm very lucky to be in an artisan neighborhood in Boston called Fort Point. There are always new installations or Shepard Fairey murals around. The best was when I was driving to my studio, and was about to go underneath a small bridge. Lisa M. Greenfield did an installation called Coil/Recoil where they hung hundreds of Slinkys from the roof of the bridge. Driving through it daily was no less than magical.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
It would have to be Charlie Harper. I love his whole process of seeing things broken down into shapes. I think his bird series is really inspiring and he I bet he would be a fun one to chat with.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
Kevin Morosini - I love how flat Kevin's work is, and how he uses space and pattern. Zach Johnsen - Zach's work is just amazing, from the creatures he makes out of wood to his illustrations. Kevin Cyr - I traded prints with Kevin waaaay back in college and one of his big rig prints still hangs in my living room.

Brett Manning: Past Life

Past Life, by Brett Manning.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Puppies Behind Bars.

Brett Manning loves to draw and draws what she loves. Her work reflects her personality and the things that are most meaningful and sentimental to her. Man-made vs. nature and the connection of all living things are common themes that Brett enjoys illustrating. Combining that with her passion for texture, balance, pattern, fashion, and femininity, Brett’s work is surreal and dream-like. Charming juxtapositions and fantastical symbolism and allusions dwell within most of her artworks. However, telling a story though her work is not a high priority, rather Brett finds it more interesting when the viewers create their own meaning. It is also not her intention to create an exact likeness when drawing a portrait. Instead, she tries to capture the essence - what she believes to be his or her most pure, enlightened, and even awkward form - nonetheless, beautiful.

Drawing is spiritual and meditative for Brett, and when she is creating, she feels calm and at one with her surroundings, specifically with the artwork. It becomes a part of her - a view into her brain at any specific moment - strangely autobiographical. Speaking the truth is what Brett longs for. Nowhere in any of her pieces will one ever find a shard of falsehood. Relying purely on intuition and self, she creates artworks that scratch at your senses, forcing you to think and ultimately helping you locate a piece of yourself that you never knew existed. It inspires something deep within your brain, completely primitive and visceral, but intentionally universal - love and rhythm.



About the print:
This piece is called Past Life. I titled it that because recently I’ve been experiencing a lot of unwanted déjà vu - almost like flashbacks or glimpses into the future, I can’t determine which. Trying to make them work for me rather than against me, I created this drawing. The girl’s face appears fawn-like - maybe innocent, maybe scared - but also certain of something, although I cannot tell you what that is. She has taken solace in the fact the she has no control over something - perhaps that something is life - yet she remains loving and beautiful. Her ‘body’ is based on culture and tradition. I’ve illustrated it as basket weaves, patterns, and textures - things that are comforting, soft, reliable, and a little tribal...

This print was signed and numbered by the artist. It was printed on acid free Mohawk 100lb cover paper.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
I think I just went through a quarter life crisis. It was extreme. I'm still regaining myself, getting a grip on reality...So, what is currently inspiring me? Anything that is REAL, anything created out of love or passion. Anything I can believe in and see a future with. Timeless things like love, angst, sorrow, joy, pain...

Why did you choose to pair Puppies Behind Bars with your print?
I think that if a charity supports something good, then why not support it? It is an act of selflessness, and to be a part of that is fulfilling, not only for me, but also for all of those benefited by the charity.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I've seen people become inspired and enlightened by paint on a canvas or by lines on a paper. I don't know if it is the image itself that does this to people, or just the knowledge that another human being put their soul into something so lovely. I've seen art bring people together in once dark and dreary places. A friend of mine has been painting murals all over a large warehouse space. People love coming in a looking at everything. Art brings happiness and wonder, not to sound cheesy.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I'd love to hang out with and draw with Egon Schiele. I think we'd get along swell.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
Tara Dougans, Caitlin Shearer, J. Lynn Larson, Frank Rouch, Hope Gangloff, Kris Knight...and so many more!

Jacqueline Pytyck: Wild Flowers

Wild Flowers, by Jacqueline Pytyck.
15% of the sale of this print goes to The Shama Foundation.

Jacqueline Pytyck is a Canadian-based illustrator who graduated from OCAD with a bachelor’s degree in design two years ago.

Jacqueline creates decorative images that belie their conceptual roots. Her objective is to transform lesser-known concepts into more enticing ones. Her main mediums consist of watercolours and computer, though she keeps an open mind to other mediums. Jacqueline is fortunate to have worked with a diverse clientele composed of various publications, apparel, and print companies such as: Maclean's Magazine, Monsterthreads, Thumbtack Press, and Wilkintie.



About the print:
Wild Flowers is an interpretation of Daucus carota, also known amidst its aliases as the Wild Carrot Flower. Although considered a weed among agriculturists, botanists deem it a fascinating specimen, because it is a rapidly occurring beauty. By pairing this particular plant with rabbits, I wanted to playfully compare the reproductive nature of both species.

This is a digital print on acid free, Neenah uncoated matte 100lb cover paper that is 80% recycled. It was digitally signed by the artist and was numbered by The Working Proof. The original artwork is a combination of watercolor with digital elements.

PURCHASE $30!

What is your process?
I begin with a watercolour base to establish the overall mood and texture of an illustration. I then use the computer as a means of piecing the work together. The process can be described as an eclectic fusion of traditional and digital tools. Typically, half of the image relies on creative intuition while the other half is dependent upon the conceptual research and technical design of the piece.

What has inspired you recently?
Recently, I relocated from the big city of Toronto to a smaller one that is cradled within nature. The experience has literally allowed me to 'stop and smell the flowers'.




Why did you choose to pair the Shama Foundation with your print?
It was very difficult to choose one charity amongst so many good causes. In the end, I chose The Shama Foundation of Madagascar. The charity invests its efforts toward strengthening the futures and wisdom of impoverished youth in Madagascar. In effect, these individuals will have the opportunity and skills required to create a knowledgeable and sustainable community.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
Art has transformed the world in so many ways. Likewise, the world has transformed art. I wouldn't know where to begin; it is constantly evolving.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I think it would be impossible for me to just pick just one or even ten for that matter. Everyone who is an artist has taught me in some way or another.

Amaranta Martinez: Birdies

Birdies, by Amaranta Martinez.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Kids In Need.

Amaranta Martinez is a Venezuelan illustrator known as Piktorama. After studying animation and film, she decided to enter into the motion graphics world. Since then, she’s been freelancing for several broadcast networks, but in her free time, she develops personal projects like Piktorama. She has collaborated with amazing artists in countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Australia, Lithuania, Russia, and the USA.

Amaranta is a colorful person who loves music and chocolate. She is an artist, illustrator, a good friend, and big sister, and all of these things make her happy. They are what inspire her to make her magical, detailed, and playful worlds come to life in her illustrations.



About the print:
Birdies is a three color letterpress print featuring birds full of patterns. I'm in love with birds, patterns, and textures so for the first time I wanted to combine all three - I thought it would be the perfect combination.

Amaranta's alias, Piktorama, is letterpressed into each print, and each one was numbered by The Working Proof. Birdies was printed onto 450 gsm archival artist edition paper.

PURCHASE $45!

What is your process?
I always start a drawing in my sketchbook, and then I scan the sketch and redraw it in Illustrator. After I have the finished drawing, I will usually play with the textures and patterns.

What has inspired you recently?
Love, birds, life, and cupcakes!

Why did you choose to pair the Kids In Need Foundation with your print?
I chose to pair my print with the Kids In Need Foundation, because now that I'm about to be a mom, I've been reading a lot about the subject and the way that our life is going to change. The first thing you think is that you want the best for your baby. I want the same opportunities for each and every boy and girl out there, and that means that education plays a big part in their future.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I've been living in the Miami Design District for the past six years and I have seen how art has had a big impact in my community. Monthly events such as Gallery Walks and the internationally acclaimed Art Basel have transformed the way people perceive art in Miami. Now people are more in tune with the art and design scene.



If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
For me it is impossible to pick one artist - there are so many wonderful artists around the world that I have a new favorite one each month! M.C. Escher and Charley Harper have recently inspired me in the design of a cupcake for a candy store. I guess I can say that my mentor is life and the things I see around it.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
I think everyone should know about my wonderful and talented friends: Juan Somarriba, Kelvin Osorio, Sol Linero, and Juliana Pedemonte.