The Art Behind Up

If you have not seen Pixar's "Up" yet, all I can say is that you are in for an artistic treat.

Lou Romano, one of the films production designers from 2005 to 2008, has dedicated a fascinating and lengthy post about Up's artistic direction on his blog. It is incredible to see the amount of work that goes into this type of animated feature.

Without giving too much away, the illustrations above were done after a research trip the Pixar team took to South America. The point of the drawings was to convey the feeling and style of the proposed film. To me, it has a mid-century, Miroslav Sasek vibe. It's almost a shame that these are just for experimental, pre-production purposes since they are so beautiful. However, the second illustration did secure a spot in the finished movie as the mural Ellie paints above the mantel.

Hope you enjoy the film as much as I did. (Take a Kleenex).

Madeline and the Cats of Rome

Orange Beautiful used the original Madeline Book as part of her adorable, lavender nursery.

While I know most of the cats running around Rome are generally of the mean and mangy variety, the concept for this new book warms my heart nonetheless.

Madeline, the first of a series of books about an adventurous little French girl, was originally written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1939. Almost seventy years later, Bemelmans' grandson, John Bemelmans Marciano continues the family tradition with Madeline and the Cats of Rome, published this month. Even though Marciano never met his famous grandfather, he based his illustrations on the pencil sketches Bemelmans left behind.

Since 1947, Madeline fans have been flocking to The Carlyle Hotel, where Bemelmans Bar features a mural by Ludwig Bemelmans and a weekly Madeline Tea. The deco-style room was recently restored in 2002.

Befriending a gattino randagio, Italy 2005.

As a lover of cats, Italy and mid-century children's book illustrators, I know this book is going on my wishlist.

The New Downtown

From the real jungle, to the concrete one...


I love this recent ad campaign for Tiffany & Co.'s new Wall Street store for a couple of reasons; One is the swinging, 1960's-style illustrations that harken back to the golden stride of Tiffany, years before we were subjected to the spoiled brats on MTV's  "My Super Sweet Sixteen", waving their clunky tag bracelets in our faces. Thanks to some good old fashioned marketing/nostalgia/damage control, we are reminded that Tiffany was once posh, exclusive, and all things New York. Just imagine how many Wall Street wives (and mistresses) will be getting a little blue box this year--and perhaps an orange one from around the corner, as well.

The other reason I love this ad is that I used to live on Wall Street. Back then it was a residential Siberia, and I lived on the 21st floor of the tall, tiered building featured in the illustration above. I shared a  three-bedroom apartment with five girls. We barely made it a year before fleeing to real neighborhoods. Still, it's fun to flip through a magazine and see the headline: "Downtown Is The Next Big Thing" for the umpteenth time and finally believe it.

Lizzie Allen Wallpapers

October's British House and Garden takes us through the process of labor-intensive, hand printed wallpaper with designer Lizzie Allen. Only 26 years old, Allen used a grant given by the British Arts and Crafts Council to set up her own business, shortly after apprenticeships with Osborne & Little and Paul Smith.

Pictured above is one of her complex and charming designs, City Gents, depicting classic scenes in London and reminiscent of illustrators like Miroslav Sasek. A single 300 x 56 cm sheet takes three hours to produce and includes hand-ripped paper for texture. Since prints are fit specifically to the space, there is no leftover paper waste.


Because her initial offerings have been such a success, Allen is expanding her catalog to include other picturesque cities. Above is her latest design, "Jazz in Central Park". For more information and designs, Lizzie Allen's website. (Photos from British House and Garden by John Carey)

The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited opens this weekend, introducing us to another fantastic world created by Wes Anderson, and promising to be a movie with style.

The story is of three brothers (played by Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman) traveling through India by train.
The film's arguable fourth character is the custom designed, Louis Vuitton luggage once belonging to their father.

Known for an obsessive attention to detail, Anderson commissioned Marc Jacobs to design the velvet lined, monogrammed suitcases. The jungle motif is based on drawings by Anderson's brother Eric, who illustrates many details in these films--including the wallpaper design for Richie's room in The Royal Tenenbaums.

From a recent article in New York Magazine, David Amsden says, "You need only watch a few frames of one of his movies to spot it as an Anderson production. Though he is originally from Texas, there is something distinctively European in his obsession with aesthetics: a belief that the way something looks is what dictates how it will make you feel."

The travel ensemble, which is currently on display at the Louis Vuitton store in New York, will be auctioned with proceeds benefitting UNICEF and the Rawal Mallinathji Foundation, a medical charity in India.

(Photos from Elle).

Miroslav Sasek's Map of the World

If Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak had children, they would probably read them these super cool European books, written and illustrated by Miroslav Sasek.

Produced between 1959 and 1974, the books read like a travel guide for children, highlighting the world's most famous places. There were originally eighteen books in the "This Is" series, ten of which have been reissued over the past few years. For a complete list of works and more of these fabulous illustrations visit M. Slavek's official website.

Update: Set for release in January 2008 and available for pre-order is: This is Britain