Group items tagged

Lovely paper toys for all the kids who refuse to grow up! =D - ian

"In 1994, a few years after graduating from Edinburgh Art College with a degree in Drawing and Painting, I left Scotland for a new adventure in Hong Kong. I was struck by the sheer intensity of colours and design-style of all things Chinese, be that packaging, religious symbols, signs, labels or type. For three years, I received commissions from Hong Kong's major magazines and advertisers, but was frustrated by the limitations of the style I had created. My dream was realised when I won a place to study for a Masters at London's Royal College of Art. It was here that I discovered I could combine my drawing skills with the digital medium. This provided me with the tools I needed to realise my graphic visions. Gaining confidence in my new-found style, I returned to my Asian flavoured 'paintings' with gusto, this time bringing on board more elaborate and obscure sources, inspired by toys, communist-era propaganda, the Fifties, the Forties, sweets and packaging. In 2005, I returned to Asia for inspiration. This time moving to the romantic and inspirational former French Concession in Shanghai for a year-long sourcing adventure. I have now returned to my childhood roots of living by the sea, and now live in the beautiful English seaside city of Brighton."

A description of the Froebel Gifts and their relationship to play and early development. These were developed by Friedrich Froebel, who also gave us Kindergarten. Frank Lloyd Wright cited his play with Froebel Gifts in childhood as a major influence on his aesthetic.

Today we return to the work of Frances Herrera, the inimitable New York interior designer behind Interiors by Francesca, LLC. Working with a young, sophisticated family in the Upper West Side, Herrera transformed a blank slate into a comfortable, kid-friendly home that exudes an unquestionably chic, cozy and polished sense of style.