House No. 105: Dutch Colonial

House No. 105: Dutch Colonial

ink and watercolor pencil on repurposed card stock
2.5 in. x 1.75 in.
105/365; 04/15/11

I didn’t mean for my Dutch colonial revival house to look like it was on acid. It just happened. It's all dayglo and listing to one side, and I took a lot of liberties with the architecture because, hey, I can make it way more fun and also slightly cage-y looking.

I think that if I lived in a Dutch colonial revival house, I would feel trapped, though that barred appearance was really more of an accident than a statement. I have never been a fan of the style, and I am not entirely sure why I decided to draw it.

I think that I had Dutch things in my head because I was reading A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, and she gives a recipe for Dutch Baby Pancakes, and I have sort of been obsessed with the thought. Although, I think that Dutch Babies are really German. I have had pannekoek when I was in the Netherlands, and those are also amazing. I think that I really need pancakes. Stat.

House No. 84: Tomte Hüs

House No. 84: Tomte Hüs*

card stock and glue

10 in. x 10 in.

084/365; 03/25/11

I continue to be inspired by Scandinavian design this week. Behold, a little box! Another container for holding goodies!  The door opens for filling and emptying. Or for entry for a wee gnome (in Swedish, tomte).

I think that this house would be a sweet party favor. A village of these would make an adorable count-down calendar for your favorite holiday. Please send me photos if you try out the template!

I plan on revisiting this house in fabric as well. How cute would this be with a button closure on the door? When I do, I'll post a pattern for you.

*Yes, the umlaut is superfluous. I can't help myself. Maybe it's exposure to eighties hair bands. I also have the urge to give this house a first name.

House No. 43: Russian Izba

 

House No. 43: Russian Izba

ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout
8.5 in. x 11 in.
043/365; 02/12/11

Izbas are Russian log cabins built by peasants in the countryside. Many are ornately decorated with painted woodwork. The houses were built without saws or nails because the steel was so expensive. Instead, the logs were notched with a hand axe and fit together. Ornamentation was whittled by knife.

Some izbas, called chicken leg izbas, are built on stilts. These are the inspiration for the magical house lived in by Baba Yaga, the witch of lore from Eastern Europe. I love these stories and the imagery that they conjure up. The tales may find their way into some illustrations quite soon ...

House No. 41: Kerala Houseboat

 

House No. 41: Kerala Houseboat

ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout
8.5 in. x 11 in.
041/365; 02/10/11

In Kerala, India, waterways are a major source of transportation, and the backwaters of Kerala may be cruised by houseboat.

The boats are made with coir and bamboo and held together by knots. Some of the boats are up to one hundred year old.

Many of the boats are very decorative and the coir is elaborately woven and appears delicate, looking almost like lace. What a romantic way to travel.

House No. 24: House Music

House No. 24: House Music

digital painting

8 in. x 5 in.

024/365; 01/24/11

Say what?! House music all night long.

House No. 22: McMansion

House No. 22: McMansion

Upcycled McDonald's containers

5 in. x 4 in. x 3.5 in.

022/365; 01/22/11

As if poorly built, oversized suburban architecture weren't bad enough, there is now the post-housing-crash threat that the artificial communities created to house these behemoths may fall prey to blight similar to the plague of abandon in inner-city neighborhoods during the fifties and sixties.

And yet, I keep seeing new construction everywhere. Meanwhile, for-sale and foreclosed houses keep dropping in prices and well built, historic homes decay. The insatiable need for the new and excessive drives the construction of homes and storefronts that remain empty. It seems like the perfect, unfortunate metaphor for the state of the economy.

I think that I will start collecting real-life metaphors. What are others that you have observed? I would love to see people illustrate them in their work.

House No. 19: Fashion House

House No. 19: Fashion House

Logo design and photo manipulation

10 in. x 8 in.

019/365; 01/19/11

 

The Happy Homemaker has its own line of couture and prêt-à-porter and a brand new fragrance that smells like home. All from the House of Happy.

House No. 13: Communal Home

House No. 13: Communal Home
super delicious Ethiopian food on injera bread
approx. 12 in. x 12 in.
013/365; 01/13/11

Tonight's tasty house was made with help from my sister and the fantastic people at The Nile Ethiopian Restaurant of Richmond. The Nile is one of my favorite restaurants, so much so that it was the destination location for both my friend Angie and me for our birthdays this past year. Tonight's platter included Yemisir Wat, Shiro Wat, Ater Kik Alicha, Gomen, Atkilt, Fasolia, Dinich Wat, Bedelgan, Inguday, and Timatim Selata. The roof is a piece of injera bread.

Ethiopian food is eaten communally from a platter lined with injera bread, which sops up all the deliciousness if you can make it that far. (This food is super filling.) One eats by tearing pieces of injera and scooping from the platter. It makes for a lovely connection with your food and your dining companions. Here is a photo of dinner before we dug in.

Beautiful, isn't it? I didn't take an "after" photo, but I assure you, there was not much left. * urp *

House No. 7: Textile House

House No. 7: Textile House

vector fabric pattern

5 in. x 5 in.

007/365; 01/07/11

Textile arts, like weaving, spinning, sewing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, tatting, and quilting, are a foundation of homemaking. Home crafts, typically done by women, have traditionally been the lower rungs of the arts. Isn't it interesting how things done at home are often the least valued?

It's a big thing to consider, and it includes factors like the Industrial Revolution, gender roles, working inside and outside the home. Really, I just wanted to make a fabric pattern. But with any visual representation, the image and the medium come with a lot of baggage.

I think that is what I love most about art and design. We pick up images and tools and media and try to reshape references that are intrinsically woven within the fabric of our culture.

Well, that, and I really like to make stuff.