Cosmos Contributes: FirstWorks Festival 2012

Hello and Happy Tuesday Friends! Today I'm happy to share some photos with you, from an event I participated in over the weekend. This past Saturday, downtown Providence was a hub of art, music, dance and performance thanks to the FirstWorks Festival. If you've never attended, or heard about this event, be sure to visit their website to learn all about it.

At this year's festival, my good friend Yarrow Thorne, of the Avenue Concept, was contracted by the city to build a 150-foot wall in the middle of Kennedy Plaza’s trolley lane. Where a group of artists, including myself, painted the wall while passer bye's looked on. Each artist was allotted a 4' x 8' panel and six cans of spray paint and the results were amazing. The art was varied and the spectators were intrigued…overall, it was a really fun and exciting way to spend a Saturday. I'm thrilled that Yarrow asked me to be apart of it.

In the pictures I've posted here, you can see the wall with all of the participating artists and their respective panels. My panel is the one on the very end with the black and white pattern. For those of you who are familiar with my patterns, you might recognize this one. I've made notebooks, tote bags and pillow cases all adorned with it in the past, but this is the first time that I've ever executed it in spray paint.

In order to successfully loop the pattern across such a large surface, I used a stencil. Although it may not look like much, this stencil took quite a bit of planning to make. Luckily, I had access to a laser cutter and didn't have to hand-cut the thing…which would have probably taken me an entire day, or more to cut. 

Working in a new medium is always a stressful process, especially when you only have one crack at it to make a finished piece…never mind, when people are watching over your shoulder. But overall, I'm very pleased with how the pattern turned out and totally enjoyed the full experience. Maybe next time, I'll experiment more with color and texture…until then, stay tuned and stay inspired!

Cosmos Contributes: Cirque Du Noir 2011

Hello friends, hope this post finds you in the spirit of Halloween! This year, Cosmos Creative will be celebrating at Cirque Du Noir in Worcester, MA. My friend and co-worker, Michelle May, has hosted this fabulous fundraiser for the past four years to help support the Worcester County Food Bank, and this year is no exception!

The event will be held at Ritual, and will showcase an abundance of creative spirit including a silent art auction, an art fusion and live music from Ryan Flaherty. Guests are expected to wear “creative black attire” as they munch on delicious Mediterranean hors d'oevres, peruse art, and mingle.

In addition, Cosmos Creative will be donating an iPhone 4/4S capsule case to the silent auction! The case is made by Uncommon, designed by Cosmos Creative and features the hand-illustrated pattern titled, “Birch.” Overall, I’m pretty stoked to offer such an amazing item, I only hope people will want it! If you’re interested in attending Cirque Du Noir, you can visit the Facebook page here, or go to the event page here. Happy Halloween, I hope to see you there! 

Cosmos Contributes: Rhode Island PBS Art & Artisan Auction

Hello and Happy Friday friends! I’ve got some fun news for you today! I’m excited to share that Cosmos Creative has donated a set of 3 multi-color Matchbook Notepads­ to the Rhode Island PBS Holiday Art & Artisan Auction! The online auction will run until November 30, 2011, so be sure to stop by and check out all of the works available! It’s a great opportunity to support a good cause and get that perfectly unique holiday gift for your dearest friends and family. If you’re interested in bidding on the set of three Matchbooks, go here. Happy Bidding!

New on Etsy: Flourish Notebooks & Notepads!

Hello folks, I've got some great news for you today! Two new items have been added to the Cosmos Creative Etsy Shop! Be sure to check out the Pocket Notebooks, and the Matchbook Notepads! Both items showcase the original pattern, Flourish, from The Cosmos Creative Collection. Printed here in green ink on "Jellybean Green" Pop-Tone French Paper, Flourish is easily one of my favorite patterns from the collection! It's sophisticated yet, funky and in the green on green combo, it's especially fun!

Each notebook and notepad is 100% handmade and is perfect for the most random of thoughts, notes, inspirational tidbits, or even sketches. Not to mention, both items would make super cute gifts for friends and family! So, be sure to visit the Cosmos Creative Shop and take a peak at these beauties. Buy one for your friend, or hoard one for yourself...either way, there will be more lovely goods to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

Spin Art Inspired Cotton Basics!

Great News Folks! Cosmos Creative just added The Spin Collection to our Envelop shop! Now you can buy cotton basics adorned with artwork inspired by spin art. So, be sure to check out the full shop and pick yourself up a bold new pillow cover, or even a stylish new tote bag for the warm months ahead! Happy Shopping!

Cosmos Creative on Display at White Electric!

(Artwork by one of my favorite local artists Alec Thibodeau)

Hello and happy Wednesday folks! It’s been way too long since I last posted, but I’m happy to share some good news with you today…I currently have some work on display at White Electric Coffee here in Providence. For those of you who don’t already know, White Electric is a fantastic coffee shop located on Westminster Street. They serve some of the best coffee in Providence. In fact, I live across town from the joint, but I find myself there every morning buying my daily dose of Hazelnut. They are one of the few coffee places left in Providence that actually brews Hazelnut beans, instead of using flavored syrup…“Dear White Electric, please don’t ever change your ways! I heart your Hazelnut coffee – Thx, Emily”

So, if you’re in the area, be sure to stop by, get your caffeine on and check out my artwork! It will be up for the next three to four weeks. Happy viewing and brewing folks!
 If you want to see examples of my work go here | If you would like to make friends with White Electric go here.

Cosmos Creative's "Tattoo" Featured on The City Sage!

Hello! Hope this finds you well. I’ve got some happy news for you today! I just found out that the ever so popular blog, The City Sage, featured Cosmos Creative’s Tattoo pattern on their site! Yey! Our “Tattoo – Lavender” pillow cover was featured among a collection of other wonderful finds from Envelop.eu. So be sure to check out the full post here…Happy Reading!

Cosmos Creative is on Envelop.eu!

Hello and happy Tuesday everyone, I've got some exciting news today; Cosmos Creative has just opened a shop on Envelop.eu! Now you can buy cotton Tote Bags and Pillow Covers adorned with patterns from the Cosmos Creative Collection. Featured here, are just a few of the designs available for purchase, so be sure to check out the full shop and buy yourself a new tote for the beach this summer...Happy Shopping!

Cosmos Contributes: Hearts for the Arts 2010

Hope this finds everyone in springtime spirits. I’ve got some great news to share with you today! Shown above is my heart…my “Heart for the Arts,” that is. It is one of 50 wooden hearts that will be auctioned off in an event to support the Worcester Public Schools on Friday, March 26^th at 5pm.

Although technically, I am not a Worcester area artist, I was invited to participate in this fundraiser thanks to my wonderful coworkers, Michelle and Scott, and their lovely friend Christina, because well…we all work in the Worcester area and we’re all artists. So, to say the least, I am very happy to be apart of this event.

The wooden heart was kindly supplied by the The Worcester Educational Development Foundation. I’ve shown here, a series of photos documenting the process by which I created my heart. Basically, I patched up the knots and holes with some wood filler, painted it white, took a linoleum print/drawing, that I had made previously, and mounted it onto the heart. The print was then cut to the shape of the heart. I know it doesn’t sound that difficult, and it didn’t seem so at first, but in the end, it turned out to be a pretty stressful process. After all, I only had one print and one heart...thankfully no mistakes were made and it came out pretty awesome! Now, I just hope someone wants it ;}

I hope you’ve enjoyed the story behind my heart! If you have the opportunity to attend the event, please do. It supports a great cause and perhaps you’ll even walk away with a heart full of art! So, be sure to check out the details here. Hope to see you there!

Hearts for the Arts
Friday, March 26, 2010
5:00pm - 8:00pm
55 Pearl Street, Worcester, MA

Cosmos Creative Cards: A Brief History

The other day, while I was at the studio, going through some drawers, I came across a stack of old business cards that I saved. I was super excited about this since, the cards were created over the course of about five years and document the slow growth of Cosmos Creative as an entity and my personal development as an artist. So today, I thought I would share a bit about the history of their making...

The first card I made, was the yellow one; it features the Pinball pattern from the Cosmos Creative Collection. The pattern has since been, licensed to Pinball Publishing for use on note cards. However, this card was created around 2005, which was well before I licensed anything…I was making handmade books at the time, and just started to really get interested in patterns. I was sharing a studio with some very talented friends of mine, whom are best known as, Ghost-Town Design and lucky for me, they let me use their silk-screening materials and taught me quite a bit about the craft.

Second after the yellow card, came the turquoise card that features a drawing I did around 2004 called, Bridgescape Water. I remember distinctly that Darren, from Ghost-Town, helped me print this drawing. Thanks to him, it came out fantastic and the line quality was preserved. I even managed to make a few art prints from this; most of which I gave away to friends and family, so it goes ;}

After the turquoise card, came the orange card, showcasing the Circuit pattern from the Cosmos Creative Collection. This one, I did everything myself, which is probably why very few of these cards were ever made. I messed up a lot of what I printed. On a large portion of the cards, the pattern bled and well, didn’t look that pretty. Out of the batch though, I did manage to salvage a few and distribute them when and where necessary.

Next up, came the black and white card that I block printed on Bristol. I carved the block out of linoleum. It features a drawing I did sometime around 2004 called, Underground. That I later used in a piece titled, Underground Red. It was quite a tedious block to carve and even more so to print. But even still, whenever I feel necessary, I still incorporate this block into my work today.

After the linoleum print, I got lazy and just decided to spray some Sumi ink on paper, slice it up and call it a business card. Fortunately, it worked with the whole company identity that I was developing at the time and actually, I still use this sometimes for my cards when I need them in a hurry.

And last but not least, is the pink card, which features the Two of Hearts pattern from the Cosmos Creative Collection. I just recently made these in a rush, which is why I abandoned all creative processes, and went with laser printing instead. I know, such a shame, but sometimes, it’s a necessary evil. This was also the first time that I incorporated the COSMOS logo, instead of just the suggestive red star. Like I mentioned, these cards were done in a hurry and I didn’t have the time to hand stamp every card, as I had done before. Nonetheless, I actually like the way they came out. Dare I say, they definitely help to achieve a cohesive brand identity, which is easily recognizable, and therefore not necessarily a bad thing!

Anyway, hope you’ve enjoyed this brief history session. I certainly would love some feedback on what card you like most and whether, or not, you like the use of the logo, or just the red star...so leave me a comment and let me know! Hearts!

New Post...New Topic

Kathie Olivas, "Cosmic Pennie"

Jeez, it's been a while since I last posted...sorry about that! Life has intervened and become a bit hectic/frenetic these past few weeks and I haven't had much time to get posts up, ideas out, or photos organized. Good news is, I've got lots of goodies coming down the pipe line...including a new topic here on Cosmos!

The new topic is so different from the others, that I'm afraid you might not guess what it is...wink wink, nudge nudge...behold, it's called, "Cosmic Icons." It will highlight all of the talented artists and designers, whether living or not, that have helped to mold my aesthetic sense and continue to inspire me throughout my thirty, or more years. So, stay tuned for the very first "Cosmic Icon" to hit these pages soon! Until then, I leave you with this teaser of Kathie Olivas' work...Enjoy!

New on Etsy: Two of Hearts Notebooks & Notepads!

Hello folks, I've got some great news for you today! Two new items have been added to the Cosmos Creative Etsy Shop! Be sure to check out the Pocket Notebooks, and the Matchbook Notepads! Both items showcase the original pattern, Two of Hearts, from The Cosmos Creative Collection. Printed here in red ink on "Razzleberry" Pop-Tone paper, Two of Hearts is easily one of my favorite patterns from the collection! It's both romantic and funky and in the pink and red combo, it's especially hot!

Each notebook and notepad is 100% handmade and is perfect for the most random of thoughts, notes, inspirational tidbits, or even sketches. Not to mention, both items would make super cute gifts for Valentine's Day! So, be sure to visit the Cosmos Creative Shop and take a peak at these beauties. Buy one for your sweetheart, or hoard one for yourself...either way, there will be more lovely goods to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

New Pattern: Birch

Happy Monday folks, I've got a new pattern design to share with you today! I know it's been a while...but I think it was worth the wait. The pattern is called "Birch" and it's based on a sketch I did a while back...in case you can't recall the sketch, you can see it here. If at first, it doesn't look similar, it's because I cropped this and that, made a few changes here and there and flipped the original sketch to make a vertical pattern.

Overall, I think the pattern came out great. In the beginning, I tried several colorways that were more complex; consisting of more than four colors in total. But in the end, I opted for a simple combination of three colors. Above, I've shown three different colorways in addition to the original black and white, all of which are rather muted and soothing. I could totally see these applied to bed linens, as they appear rather serene and peaceful. Hope you like! More posts, pattens and product to come soon, so stay tuned!

Visual Diary: Printsource 2009

I’m happy to report that a little over a week ago I was fortunate enough to attend Printsource. Thanks to my day job, I was whisked away to NYC for two full days of color and trend information overload. My coworker Karen, God bless her soul, organized everything. All I had to do was show up! Lucky me.

Images via Printsource

Overall, the brief, but enlightening trip was a whirlwind of fun and forecasting. We perused the show, sat-in on more than ten seminars, and somehow found the time to stuff our faces with fine food and drink. The seminars provided an overview of spring and summer trends for 2010 and 2011 including creative design direction for color, prints and patterns as they apply to apparel, retail and home décor. Some of my favorite presenters included Mark Woodman from Global Color Research, Lauren Deatherage from Cotton Inc. and Paul Pelssers from Paul Pelssers Ltd.

Images via Public

By the end of our first day walking the show we were ready for some tasty eats and treats. Thankfully, Karen knows good food and knows it well! To my delight, she called in a reservation at PUBLIC; a charming public library turned restaurant with card catalogs and all! We dined on such pleasures as cured wild boar, roasted beet carpaccio, roast lamb sirloin and pan seared sea trout, all of which was topped off with a 20-Year Churchill Tawny Port! A-maz-ing!

Images via The New Yorker Hotel

After dinner, it was time for bed! For the one night that we stayed in NYC, we shacked up at the New Yorker Hotel. Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the New Yorker Hotel showcases one of the largest Art Deco buildings in New York City. When the property first opened, it was the largest hotel in Manhattan with 2,500 rooms and was considered the epitome of luxury and first-class service. Today, the essence of that classic period is still present in the hotel’s architectural accents and embellishments. For me, staying at the New Yorker Hotel was a true pleasure; a visual playground of sorts, that I didn’t really want to leave.

Nonetheless, homeward bound we were by Tuesday evening. Made it back to Providence safe and by Wednesday morning, I was back at work reporting on all the goodness I encountered. If you would like to learn more about Printsource be sure to check out the Trend Blog. It's a great resource for all things print-related. Enjoy!

Cosmos Creative Joins Twitter!

Amazingly bizarre but beautiful piece by American artist Julia Randall

Good news folks! Cosmos Creative is now using Twitter! Be sure to follow, as I tweet often about new posts, patterns and products. I’m still figuring out the whole twitter thing, so bear with me if my tweets seem a bit infrequent or scattered. Anyone have any suggestions for a good Twitter app that I can use on my iPhone? If you could help a gal out, it would be much appreciated! Mucho thanks! More posts to come soon…

Holiday Haziness

Which? Magazine covers from December 1971 & 1972 via Delicious Industries

 So yes, it’s been a while since my last post and yes, this seems to be a recurring theme that has spanned the past few weeks, but I blame it on the holidays. Between running around shopping, attending events and gatherings, going to work, eating and sleeping, it’s been hard trying to find the time to post. None the less, I plan to get back into the swing of things and promise to make it up to you over the many weeks ahead. I’ve got lots of interesting tid-bits to share and as a reader recently informed me, a “Tintastic” post is in order. So stay tuned and stay inspired…more goodness to come shortly! Until then, I wish you all a Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year!

Cosmos Creative @ The Grant Holiday Bazaar!

{Postcard designed by J. Hogue of Highchair Designhause}

Hello and happy Monday folks, sorry it’s been a week since I last posted! Fortunately, I have a good excuse; I’ve been busy in the studio preparing for this year’s Holiday Bazaar at The Grant!

Located on Main Street, in the heart of downtown Pawtucket, The Grant is a converted WT Grant Department Store that currently houses 7 offices, 3 retail stores, an art gallery, a cafe, a recording studio and a large silkscreen studio. It’s a place for designers and creative people to work together, share ideas and resources, and for the general public to do a little shopping and maybe grab a coffee.

This Saturday and Sunday (Dec.12th-13th), The Grant will be hosting their annual Holiday Bazaar featuring a plethora of artisan goods and foods including artwork, jewelry, music and more! Cosmos Creative will be one of more than 14 vendors selling at this year’s bazaar. You can expect to see some lovely handmade notebooks and unique gifts adorned with the latest patterns from the Cosmos Creative Collection. So, be sure to stop by The Grant this weekend, anytime between 11am and 6pm, for some eclectic Holiday shopping! It’s a great opportunity to find that perfect gift for that special someone. See you there!

The Grant Holiday Bazaar
Sat. & Sun. December 12th-13th
11am-6pm
250 Main Street, Pawtucket RI
http://www.thegrantat250.com/

Pattern Play: Knockout

Happy manic Monday to you all, hope this finds you well! I’ve got some exciting new patterns to share with you today! Aren’t these crazy? Collectively, they’re called Knockout! I created them using three very old drawings that I drew while I was attending the SMFA in Boston. I came across the drawings a year ago, when I was moving studios, and just now decided to turn them into patterns. 

I totally love the way the patterns came out! I tried changing the drawings a bit, by adding black here or there, but in the end, it was the original drawing that made the best pattern. I even decided not to add any color, since I thought the black and white suited the repeat really well. 

I especially like how the black stripes contrast so boldly with the white background, and how the montage of geometric shapes in the foreground, create a lovely grey tone that floats across the surface. Eventually I would like to develop these patterns into color ways, but for now, I think they’re perfect just the way they are! If you have any color suggestions, feel free to leave a comment. I would love the input!

{Be sure to check out more patterns from the Cosmos Collection here}

Website Redesign by Barry Menard @ Solid Uncoated!

Hello all, hope this finds you well! I want to give a rather overdue shout out and a BIG thanks to my great friend and awesome web designer, Barry Menard. He is the web mastermind behind the Cosmos Creative website and it’s most recent redesign/update. Be sure to check it out, if you haven’t already! Barry has also helped me pimp out the Cosmos Creative blog; perhaps you’ve noticed the new and improved layout, featuring larger-than-before images, and the adorning background pattern? Lovely, aren’t they?

Barry is the founder of Solid Uncoated, a small web design firm located here in Providence, RI. He is totally committed to quality service and professional grade design and development. His specialty is designing, developing and maintaining high quality, standards-compliant websites and other graphic design projects.

One of the things I love most about Barry is his easy-going temperament; second to that, are his amazing typography skills. In fact, the COSMOS in the Cosmos Creative logo was custom rendered by Barry. If you know anything about typography, you understand that hand-rendered type is an amazing skill, one that I unfortunately was not blessed with. That being said, be sure to check out Solid Uncoated to learn more about Barry’s mad skills and services. Surely, you won’t be disappointed!

Cosmos Featured on the biggest little!

Just a quick shout-out and a BIG thanks to the biggest little for featuring Cosmos Creative on their site this week! Started as an outpost for the Move to Providence Campaign, the biggest little, features wonderful tidbits on artists and going-ons that are particular to Providence. It’s a great resource for anyone living in, or visiting the city. So, be sure to learn more about the campaign and the talented peeps behind it by visiting thebiggestlittle.org; it’s sure to entertain and inspire!