Art Archives | Alexandra Adams

February 15, 2016 — No Comments

Design Trends: Handcrafted Artists

Handcrafted goods are having a major moment right now. Ceramicists, weavers, and embroiderers are gaining traction and popularity, and the handmade element is incredibly appealing to consumers who are used to mass marketed, generic products.

It feels like everyone has been taking pottery classes and been learning to make their own ring dishes and vases, and professionals are seeing even more popularity. With the rise of succulents and other small plants, the need for their containers has grown as well.

Some of my favorite ceramicists:

suiteonestudio

tortus_copenhagen

tom_kemp_

Embroidery has also cycled back around to the forefront of the artistry scene. Rather than the more traditional designs, however, 2016 embroiderers are embracing more assertive mantras, brighter colors, and even full scenes.

sarahkbenning

happycactusdesigns

threadhoney

I love the variety in aesthetics that can be achieved through the individual makers and traditional mediums. What other handcrafted trends have you been keeping up with recently? Who are some of your favorite artists to follow?

(featured image artist: elizabethpawle)

Published by Alexandra Adams in Art, Design Talk, Design Trends

November 30, 2015 — No Comments

Downloadable Holiday Phone Wallpapers

Today is the last day of November, which means the winter holiday season is fully upon us. To help you (and me!) get in the spirit, I've made 5 downloadable wallpapers to use on your phones this winter! Click the links below each photo to save the appropriate size for your phone.

iPhone 5
iPhone 6
iPhone 6+

iPhone 5
iPhone 6
iPhone 6+

iPhone 5
iPhone 6
iPhone 6+

Let me know if you're using any of these this holiday season!

Published by Alexandra Adams in Art, Christmas, Design, Download, Holiday

September 24, 2015 — No Comments

Pink Pins

I have completely jumped on the pin bandwagon recently. So just like everyone else, I've been having a hard time choosing which pins to go for (instead of just going for all of them...my wallet can't handle that).

I've curated a small list of pink, totally girl-powered pins to begin my collection and thought I'd share it with all of you! Check out all of the links below.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

Bonus: The photo below is a set of pins coming soon from Big Bud Press!

Published by Alexandra Adams in Art, Fashion, Products, Round Up

July 31, 2015 — No Comments

Spending Summer at The Beach

Yesterday I got to visit The Beach, an installation in the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Designed by Snarkitecture, a studio known for its monochromatic experiments with the blending of art and architecture, The Beach is an interactive and playful installation filled with nearly a million translucent plastic balls.

When we arrived at the exhibit on this Thursday afternoon, the line stretched to the sign claiming we had 30 minutes to wait, although the attendant at the ticket booth told us it would only be about 20. In actuality, we were probably only in line for about 10-15 minutes before we got to go inside.

The Beach is set up like–you guessed it–a beach, complete with beach chairs and umbrellas, and a snack bar stocked by Union Kitchen. Instead of water, obviously, the ocean is made up of the plastic balls, which gets deeper the further out you go. At the furthest point the balls are around 3-3.5 feet deep!

The installation is completely monochromatic (like much of Snarkitecture's work), with a mirrored wall at the very back, reflecting the sea and creating the illusion of even more expansiveness. You can walk along the pier, which runs through the center of the exhibit, and jump (or dive!) off a circular platform in the deepest end.

I was surprised by how fun it was to play in and how supported I felt while sitting up, as well as by how difficult it was to move around! It was definitely more of a workout than I thought it would be. It's also great for people-watching, as anyone and everyone of all ages was having a blast and taking pictures.

If you're near DC and you get the chance, definitely stop by to check it out! The exhibition runs through September 7.

Published by Alexandra Adams in Art, Exhibitions