Quotes: Yina Ilori

"There is no design rule book. We all create differently; I like to make mistakes and don't seek perfection." 

–– Yinka Ilori (b. 1987), British-Nigerian designer 

Source: Living Etc. UK, August 2020, p. 104. 

via: Sketchbook 33, 2024, p. 115.

Quotes: Renate Hiller

"When we are following someone else's pattern, she says, we are mostly stuck in our heads: thinking, counting, reading. When we are figuring out a design for ourselves, we are feeling, asking questions, observing, and making decisions, connecting to the process and the metamorphosis of the work on a deeper level." 

–– Renate Hiller, fibre artist and teacher

Source: Melanie Falick. Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live. New York: Artisan (a division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.), 2019; p. 47. 

via: Art Alternatives Knapsack Sketchbook I 2019-2020, 2020, p. 29.

Quotes: Sir Alec Issigonis

"A camel is a horse designed by a committee." 

–– Sir Alec Issigonis (1906-1988), British-Greek automotive designer; designer of the Mini, launched in 1959 

via: Sketchbook 28, 2016. p. 79.

Quotes: Freeman Thomas

"Good design begins with honesty, asking tough questions, collaboration and from trusting your intuition." 

–– Freeman Thomas (b. 1957), American automobile and industrial designer 

via: Sketchbook 16, 2011, p. 146

Quotes: Ben Hamilton-Baillie

"What's wrong with how we engineer things is that most of what we accept as the proper order of things is based on assumptions, not observations. If we observed first, designed second, we wouldn't need most of the things we build." 

–– Ben Hamilton-Baillie (1955-2019), British architect, urban designer, and movement specialist 

Source: Matthew E. May. In Pursuit of Elegance. 

via Sketchbook 13, 2010, p. 34.

Quotes: Dieter Rams

"Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful."

–– Dieter Rams (b. 1932), German Industrial Designer 

via Sketchbook 11, 2010, p. 120. 

Women's quotes: Rei Kawakubo

"If you have total freedom to design, you won't get anything interesting. So I give myself restraints in order to push myself through, to create something new. It's the torture I give myself, the pain and the struggle that I go through. So it's self-given, but that's the only way, I think, to make a strong, good new creation.

 –– Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942), Japanese fashion designer

Quotes 294: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

"An interesting plainness is the most difficult and precious thing to achieve." 

–– Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), German American architect

via Sketchbook 5, 2008, p. 96

Quotes 271: Hella Jongerius

"My design philosophy is: form follows feeling." 

–– Hella Jongerius (b. 1963), Dutch industrial designer 

via Sketchbook 4, 2008, p. 103

Quotes: Issey Miyake

"Design is not for philosophy, it's for life."

–– Issey Miyake (1938-2022), Japanese fashion designer

Studio Series: Graphic Screen prints

Graphic screen print © Karen Thiessen, 2016

My printmaking class finished a few weeks ago and now I have a nice pile of prints to collage with. When I sorted the pile, I realized that I also have a substantial number of duds (or works-in-progress) to screen print over. 

Sunny graphic screen print © Karen Thiessen, 2016

Most of my prints are an accretion of patterns. I've learned that some prints go through an ugly process and eventually evolve to something that I am excited to collage with. In the above screen print I can see at least four layers of patterns and I'm pretty sure that they are printed over a colour copy of a collage or quilt. Some days I think that I'd like to make two or three screen registered prints like some of my classmates, but my accretion technique still gives me a lot of energy and satisfaction and unlike conventional approaches, these prints really function as monoprints because no two prints are the same.

Amsterdam: Random Goodness

Café Thijssen; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

While in Amsterdam, I was delighted to see the alternate spelling of my surname. From what I understand, Thiessens started in Flanders in the early 1500s, were kicked out thanks to being radical Anabaptists (Mennonites) and then landed in Friesland and Holland for a few hundred years before making their way to Prussia, South Russia (present-day Ukraine) and finally to Canada and elsewhere. Café Thijssen is named after author and teacher Theo Thijssen. I confess that I had not heard of him until our Amsterdam trip. I love the font.

Milagros; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

The cool thing about the canal district in Amsterdam is that the side streets and alleys are as interesting as the main streets. I found this shop in an alley after a delicious Thai meal. You may think you have seen it all, and then you realize that there's more to discover. These milagros are quite large. 

Doggie in the Window; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2013

Looking at these pictures of summer light and open windows give me hope that spring will arrive for a long stay. I have my fingers crossed for a slow spring, where the temperature remains above freezing and warms gradually. One can only hope, right?

Great design: Centro bag

Centro Garden bag detail; Photo © Karen Thiessen, 2014

My friend Jen manages Centro Garden in Burlington, Ontario. It's a gorgeous space that reminds me more of Brooklyn than Southern Ontario. Recently they had these bags printed, and the design is so pleasing that I'll likely hang it on my studio wall. Whenever I buy or receive something from Centro, I'm always blown away with the small details – an understated bow here, or a few chunks of molten glass nestled in moss at the base of a plant to add subtle sparkle. Small details really do make a difference.

Visual Research

Crosses studio wall © Karen Thiessen 2013

Book Design: 100 years ago

Inscription on endpaper of book; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

During the Thanksgiving weekend I attended a family gathering at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Leamington. As I was leaving a box of discarded books free for the offering caught my eye. I took all but one. They were old and beautiful. Isn't this inscription beautiful? One hundred years ago penmanship was gorgeous.

Endpaper of book; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Back then, endpapers were marbled or patterned, as in the case of this book, which appears to be a book of German poetry, published in 1911. The cover of this slim volume is a non-descript green linen.

Old German book cover; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Isn't this book cover a thing of beauty? It belonged to my husband's late grandmother.

I took a break from my Adobe Illustrator practice this week. Natural dyeing is occupying my studio time and I'm taking advantage of the mild weather while we have it. Soon it'll be too cold to tend dye pots in our unheated garage. 

Logo

Crown crock logo; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen, 2013

According to some online trolling, this logo is from a Robinson Ransbottom Blue Crown 3 Gallon Stoneware crock, made in Roseville, Ohio. I snapped this pic on a recent visit to my parents' place. Mom used the crock as a planter for a large aloe vera plant that, according to family legend, my klutzy brother sat on. The plant, although broken, survived, as did my brother. Isn't the logo a beauty?

Copenhagen & Amsterdam Souvenirs

Copenhagen & Amsterdam souvenirs; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen 2013

With a commitment to not checking any luggage, we were creative with our selection of souvenirs. The hexagons pad is from Cinnober and the twine and tags are from Tutein & Koch. Not in this picture are five rolls of washi tape, also purchased from Tutein & Koch. All of the aforementioned goods, plus the Danish kroner are from Copenhagen. I purchased the insects tea towel by Studio Job in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam souvenirs; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen 2013

I'm a sucker for pressed pennies. These came from Amsterdam, along with the tray, which is by Mariska Meijers who kindly opened her shop for us when she saw us peeking through the window.

Copenhagen & Amsterdam souvenirs; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen 2013

Anne Black's ceramics knocked me off my feet. The sake cup and dish are quite small.

Copenhagen & Amsterdam souvenirs; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen 2013

At Droog in Amsterdam, I found this tea towel designed by Annelys de Vet. It was one of twelve tea towels, one for each month, released in 2012. From the Droog website: "For everything there is a season – a set of 12 tea towels by graphic designer Annelys de Vet. For everything there is a season is a series of traditional Dutch chequered tea towels, one for each month, like a calendar. The months of the year are marked with words illustrating cultural, historical or botanical characteristics of the twelve months in the Netherlands. Dutch narratives are woven between past and future..." My tea towel is from February and its focus is water management devices. If you visit Amsterdam, be sure to check out the Droog store, café, exhibition space, and hotel, all under one roof.

Copenhagen oilcloth; Photo credit © Karen Thiessen 2013

Finally, this is the oilcloth (plastic laminated cotton) in a traditional Danish design that I bought at Grønlykke.

Copenhagen: Random goodness

I love the font and the food at 42º Raw. We ate lunch here almost every day and then had supper at Simple Raw every other day.

The trains have a quiet area. How civilized.

Copenhagen: flower shops & gardens

blomsterskuret on Værnedamsvej, CPH; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

My friend Jen manages Centro Garden in Burlington, Ontario. She has a fine-tuned eye for detail and her home and garden inspire me. While in Europe, I snapped a few garden-related pics with Jen in mind. 

blomsterskuret on Værnedamsvej, CPH; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

I would love a shop like this, with its gorgeous sidewalk display and green roof in my shopping district. Værnedamsvej was one of my favourite streets in Copenhagen. It felt like a warm, welcoming community.

Mant on Læderstrædet 30, CPH; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

It looks like zinc boxes are the new garden accessory.

Mant on Læderstrædet 30, CPH; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Corten steel garden edging; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Corten steel garden edging offers a clean, contemporary finish to a public garden.

Corten steel garden edging; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Corten steel garden planters on Vesterbrogade; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

I could see a few of these corten steel planters in my garden.

Pallet planters; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

During dinner one evening, we spied these pallet planter beauties from our second floor perch in an inexpensive Thai restaurant.

Zinc planter on Olufsvej; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Tivoli topiary; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Normally, I do not like amusement parks of any sort. I was the odd kid who disliked Disney World. My hubby wanted to visit Tivoli, and since we had free tickets, I agreed to take a peek. The grounds were amazing and the rides were all very retro. The topiary trees were impressive.

Tivoli topiary; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Tivoli topiary; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Copenhagen: Tutein & Koch

Tutein & Koch is another shop that I visited several times. It's an art supply store located at Farvergade 8, basically the same street as Grønlykke (Læderstræde turns into Farvergade as you walk toward city hall). 

Their selection of colourful tags and butcher's twine caught my eye. Both are products of Denmark. I bought a few tags and a small reel of black & white twine.

Copenhagen was awash in washi tape. I bought two rolls at Hay House and then bought three more at Tutein & Koch. Washi tape, tags, and twine took little room in my small suitcase.