March 4, 2013

back when i didn't have a blog - part I: lucky me!

in the event that you have been following this blog, you might still remember the very recent past when it didn't exist. but i was making things, even if i didn't write about them. so one of the good things that happened back in november 2012 was that my "circles from japan" collection won the first MOYO magazine design brief. i was reminded of that a couple of days ago, when the third issue of MOYO came out and my designs were presented once again (lucky me!).

images courtesy of MOYO magazine, november 2012 and february 2013 issues

MOYO is an online magazine about surface pattern design, packed with inspiring information and visuals. it is edited by rachael taylor and beth nicholls, and is published every three months. you can find out about it here and read the current issue here. my patterns for the circles design brief were inspired by the photos below, which are taken by beth nicholls in japan. circles, half-circles and ellipses are my favorite shapes to work with (i will have to leave the reasons for that to a future blog post as i seriously need to get some sleep), so i had a lot of fun working on this brief  (lucky me!).

 image courtesy of MOYO magazine, august 2012

circles from japan motif development doodles

if you love patterns, or if you simply love beautiful things, MOYO is a treat. if you're a designer, it's also a great way to get exposure, since each issue announces a new competition you can enter. the theme for the last design brief  was architecture, and i was very happy to find out that fellow designer esther cox was the winner. she loves kiosks, which she captures so uniquely, and she calls her design studio her kiosk. she is a designer who really knows how to use pink in bold, fun, unexpected ways.  below is her winning kiosk collection:

kiosk collection by esther cox | image courtesy of esther cox

i also knew one of the runners up (lucky me!). designer majo bv was selected with her striking cartagena soul collection. i especially loved the vibrant primary palette and sense of space in this design:

cartagena walls by majo bv | image courtesy of majo bv

speaking of architecture, i just came across this pattern in the marimekko kids spring 2013 collection. i love the rhythm created by the black shapes, and how it sometimes reads as a flat design, while at other times, you get a clear sense of depth. i am not sure what "kortteli" means, but to me it means dancing rooftops, and makes me think of spring.

kortteli by aino-maija mertsola for marimekko

and speaking of spring, the theme for the next MOYO magazine design brief is "floral twist". this is a happy coincidence, since i have been working on florals for weeks now (lucky me!).

3 comments:

  1. your circles' collection is beautiful Alik. I lo ve its boldness and simplicity (+ colors fo course). Thank you so much for mentioning me and showing one of my designs :)

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  2. Lovely designs Alik. Thanks for sharing. I feel in great company with you and Majo.

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