Ahoy! We have a special treat this month in the Nation space. Mommy Still Likes Me: The art of Pete & Jo features wood. Art on wood, that is! If you’re in the Calgary area this month, make sure to stop by anytime. Even better yet, if you’re in the Calgary area tonight then we’re having a little shin-dig from 6pm to 9pm. Did I mention these are the two responsible for many fantastic projects such as custom artwork for Beatroute, illustration and branding for the Market Collective and album artwork for local band Günther’s Nuclear Stallions … to name a few.

Here’s a drop from the artists:

Peter and Joyelle Komierowski are illustrators living in Calgary, Canada. They are NOT brother and sister as some would believe. They draw things that are funny, weird, cute, scary, but mostly moronic. Their work is wrapped up in nostalgic memories of childhood and it is a sort of grown-up fairy-tale.

Also, make sure to check out more of Pete & Jo’s work on lovefrompeteandjo.com

Happy Odd Day.

I’m apparently in fates good graces and have come across some beautiful retro books in the past few weeks (remember those things? books?). The first one was delivered to our apartment via my amigo Paul. The Book of Popular Science I (circa 1961) is a gorgeous collection of what many deemed “amazing” almost 50 years ago. I shot a few photos for you to gawk at. The photography, illustrations and print layout in the book is just delectable.

Follow the ‘more’ for further gorgeous eye-candy.

artyulia.com

And thus continues my fascination and quest to find beautiful hand crafted typography.

*Note: Comparing Yulia’s mastery of scissors to a +6 sword JUST because I used “quest” in my opening line … was NOT an option James.  But oddly worth mentioning,  I digress…

Yulia, native to Russia moved to the UK in 2004 from there she graduated with a MA in Graphic Communication from University of Hertfordshire.  Yulia’s client list reads like that of an elite ad agency… with the likes of Starbucks, Nike and Wired to drop a few names.

I can only hope that this gives us a positive glimpse into the future of art and advertising in that an artist painstakingly crafting paper is still as viable as Photoshop user with mad chops…

s’more…

Only This and Nothing MoreBy Nik Ainley

Has this ever happened to you? You’re working towards your physics degree and meanwhile in your spare time become a master of Photoshop and Illustrator? Okay maybe that’s not an everyone thing, but it certainly was for UK based illustrator Nik Ainley. Ainley’s unique combination of fantastical photographic imagery, illustration and typography has garnered him a client list that includes Adobe, Starbucks, Virgin, MTV, Esquire and on. I can’t really say too much more about the man as we aren’t close personal friends… yet. I can however recommend you feast your peepers on the few choice illustrations below. If you hunger for more checkout his ShinyBinary site and perhaps purchase yourself a print or two!