I have a new obsession. There seems to be a pattern in my favorite illustrations, and now a new movie with the same vibe. It’s this slightly haunted, almost Tim Burton like feel that has now become a movie. The movie, Coraline, is a stop motion movie, which is a paint staking, hand made process that took 3 years to make! I am shamed to admit I have not seen it yet, however I do have plans to see the 3-d version this weekend!
Wieden + Kennedy, the folks behind the marketing campaign for the movie, truly created magic. The marketing campaign included custom made boxes with clues, a key and website links. It’s so fairy tale magic like I can barely stand it! They created a blog for one of the movie’s characters, vintage looking posters, and the website itself is brilliant. You can create custom flower portraits to download or email, customize button eye portraits of yourself, it’s very interactive! A must visit! The imagery from Coraline reminds me so much of three of my favorite artists, Lang Leav of Akina, The Black Apple, and Kelly Tunstall.
Lang Leav, the daughter of a seamstress from Australia, is truly a unique and multi-talented artist. She not only has her own award winning fashion line Akina, but she hand makes these limited edition haunted fairy tale books that I absolutely MUST HAVE! They are gorgeous complete with true wax seals, hand bound and numbered. They usually sell out quickly as she only makes 50 to 100 of each edition. She is definitely an inspiration.
I discovered Emily Martin of the Black Apple, via etsy. Her work is so incredibly inspiring and magical I just want to scoop up a bunch of her prints. They are quite affordable so now the only problem is deciding which ones! I adore the different settings she places her characters in, from enchanted forests, to vintage wallpapered rooms, to a terrarium!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
I have been a long time fan of Kelly Tunstall. She has this way of creating the most unique, dreamlike paintings. From princesses and ballerinas, to mermaids and circus inspired pieces. She is absolutely amazing! She is constantly having gallery shows in San Francisco, so if you are in the area, it’s really worth a visit.
