Blanca Gómez: Village

Village, by Blanca Gómez.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Blanca Gómez lives and works in Madrid, Spain. She is an illustrator and graphic designer. Her website is called "cosas mínimas", which means "tiny things" in Spanish. Simple things inspire Blanca and her work, which has been described as both colourful and whimsical. She works on projects ranging from editorial commissions, interior design, stationery, books and advertising.



About the print:
Since The Working Proof seeks to promote art and social responsibility, I wanted to create an image that goes well with this purpose. I drew a very simple and calm image of what would be an ideal landscape for me.

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.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
I just moved into a studio, after two years of working from home. So my new daily routine, walking from home to the new studio everyday, working with my studio mate, going out to the world...that is what is inspiring me lately.

Why did you choose to pair Médecins Sans Frontières with your print?
I chose to pair my print with Médecins Sans Frontières because I have always felt a deep respect for their work.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I don't know how, but art definitely transforms the world everyday. In fact, It has transformed my life.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
When I look at portraits of some mid-century designers, such as Olle Eksellor Alexander Girard, I think I would love to have them as mentors. They look fabulous and happy in their work spaces, and looking at their pictures (and obviously at their work), you can see that they would be great people to learn from, and funny to work with.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
This is what I found, looking at my favorites: Louis Reith, Martin Graf, Jim Houser, and Debbie Powell.

Karina Eibatova: Flower Families

Flower Families, by Karina Eibatova.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Restore NYC.

Karina Eibatova, aka Eika, is an illustrator and fine artist. Born in Leningrad, Russia, Eika was fond of drawing from a young age. At sixteen, she began earning a living through her own creative activities. Eika studied classical art disciplines in St. Petersburg, fine art education in Sweden, and contemporary art in Moscow. Eika runs a creative collective called Dopludo. She is fond of nature, and she's deeply in love with her husband, who is also her colleague. Eika also strongly believes in magic. The main themes that influence her creativity are life, nature, infinite space, and hair. Her main tool is a simple pencil.



About the print:
Each family is unique, and here flowers represent the families.

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.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
Nature and traveling inspire me a lot. It always works for me.

Why did you choose to pair Restore NYC with your print?
It happened naturally. Like everything in life.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
Art helps people to believe in irrationality and magic.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
Erwin Wurm.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
Matt Furie and Tim Enthoven.

bee things: Animal Medley

Animal Medley, by bee things.
15% of the sale of this print goes to The Jane Goodall Institute.

Shay Ometz and Jeff Barfoot are the cofounders of bee things, where they make art prints and posters, apparel, and products for kiddos and the home.

Jim Henson once said, "My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here." Shay and Jeff love to create things that make them happy, and they hope to make the people out in the world that see them a bit happier, too. Their design and illustration work has appeared in Communication Arts, Print Magazine, Graphis, the One Show, and the Dallas Society of Visual Communications show. Their home and work has been featured in ReadyMade magazine, The Dallas Morning News, D Home Magazine and on the popular blog design*sponge. Jeff and Shay live and work in Dallas, TX, with their two moppy-haired sons and their two mini weenie dogs, all four of which eat their food.

Process sketches.

About the print:
We've always had a fondness for animals of all kinds. Jeff’s dad is a bird lover, and that trait was apparently passed on genetically. Jeff carried that love of animals to college, where he majored in marine biology before turning to design and illustration. He even had a semi-decent syndicated comic strip, Greenhouse Effect, which humorously (on a good day) compared human and animal behavior. We have wanted to do an animal medley print for some time, and sketched this one a long time ago. When The Working Proof approached us about doing a print to benefit the Jane Goodall Institute, we knew instantly that this print was finally going to get its chance.

This is a four-color screenprint on 65lb, green apple, Pop-Tone cover paper from French Paper. Each print was signed and numbered by the artist.

PURCHASE $50!

What has inspired you recently?
We have two young boys, and we've been constantly enjoying children's books with them. We love the colors, simplicity, whimsy, and diversity of illustration styles out there.

Why did you choose to pair The Jane Goodall Institute with your print?
To be honest, we didn’t know much about Jane Goodall apart from her work with great apes. After reading more about her and the Institution, we were delighted to hear about her philosophies and mission of inspiring and educating young people around the world to be stewards of our small planet and advocates for our fellow organisms.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
In recent years, there has been an explosive handmade movement. Every day we see the most clever and beautiful things coming from individuals making things in their apartments and studios. Never before have talented individuals been able to make and sell their own creations (thanks, Internet!). Being a part of the vast Etsy community and local Etsy community has been great. It is especially neat for us, because Dallas (don’t get us wrong, we love our city!) is very spread out, and just hasn’t developed a strong city center. Cities like Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis and New York all have areas full of independent galleries, furniture stores, coffee and book shops. We’ve met a lot of people in Dallas through Etsy that we wouldn’t have met otherwise. Etsy is definitely as much a community as it is a place to sell things.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
We love Jim Henson. Both his work and personality were colorful, optimistic and meant to spread joy. The legacy he left behind is inspiring, and his ability to connect with people of all ages is remarkable. But, since he has passed on to the big swamp in the sky, we’ll say Pixar. Their craft and attention to detail is unparalleled. Their process is inspiring, as well. They sketch, brainstorm, joke, and sketch some more. It’s amazing and inspiring that no matter how much they refine and refine and refine, the finished product doesn’t lose a single molecule of the spontaneity and charm that the very first idea held. That is a very, very hard thing to do.



Who are some artists you think people should know about?
1. George Herriman, the cartoonist who created the cartoon strip calledKrazy Kat in the 1920s. It was beautifully drawn and written, and totally weird at times. He inspired everyone from Charles Schultz and Bill Watterson to the early Warner Brothers animation guys (Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, and Tex Avery).

2. If you don’t know his work, the illustrator Charley Harper. We love illustrating and printing birds, and we’ve had a long-time love of them. We’ve been inspired both by Charley's work and to make prints of our illustrations. We try so hard not to do work that resembles his, but when you’re screen printing birds, well, it’s tough not to get compared to him.

3. Ray and Charles Eames for two completely different reasons. First, their design aesthetic is marvelous, and everything they touched - be it furniture design, architecture, graphic design or textile design - turned to gold. Secondly, the married couple created an amazing body of work together for all those years; they are our inspiration for creating a harmonious studio life and a home life together.

4. The women of Gee’s Bend: Check out a book called The Quilts of Gee’s Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place. This is a group of women from a region of central Alabama where it has been a tradition to quilt for years. Learning only through heritage, and using old, new and even found fabrics, the colors, patterns and textures of these quilts are astounding. The quilts are perfectly imperfect – the unexpected imperfections give each quilt a unique personality.

5. We love us some Donna Wilson. From her quirky creatures to her beautiful textiles and humorous apparel, her whimsical approach and gorgeous craftsmanship is wonderful. It’s also inspiring to see how someone who started doing one-at-a-time handmade things can grow into a large product studio without her products losing a trace of charm or quality.

Mark Warren Jacques: The Things I Think Dangle From Me Like This

The Things I Think Dangle From Me Like This, by Mark Warren Jacques.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Farm Sanctuary.

"Mark Warren Jacques lives within a web of art makers, musicians, skateboarders, and backyard revolutionaries. This close-knit community thrives on representing a sort of whimsy that harnesses the energy of idealism and is rooted in earthy spirituality. Lest you conclude that he lives in a world of naivete, Jacques will surprise you with his gusto to love, question, and commit himself to the realities of hard work, ambition, and responsibility to his community."

-Leslie Miller, Fontanelle Gallery



About the print:
The Things I Think Dangle From Me Like This is a piece about self awareness and self exploration. The diamond shape with descending steps of blue into outer space represents the mind and its structured infinite nature. The dangling charms are our beliefs, our knowledge, and our truths, if you will. We wear these truths for all to see - they are our history, and in many ways, our self-worth.

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.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
The infinite varieties of love and suffering on our huge yet cosmically tiny planet.

Why did you choose to pair Farm Sanctuary with your print?
I chose to pair my print with Farm Sanctuary because I love animals.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I believe that art is proof that we should keep it up and continue living and learning. Whether or not you believe that we will have another shot at life, we can all agree that we are here now, and that by seeing and creating, we are learning. In my opinion, if you can make your creations positive, or at least honest, then you are doing the world better.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I've been lucky enough to have had my mentor. His name was John Piper, and he was a beautiful and kind man that taught me what it is to love life and create from that love.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
The American Analog Set, Tauba Auerbach, Jimi Hendrix, David Wien, William Kentridge, Chris Duncan, many more.