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TUESDAY 08 MARCH 2011 // FAST EDDIES BARBER SHOP

Boy, i tell you what... they bread them well in massachusetts i say. Hailing from the same area as one 'Johnny Cupcakes' comes Fast Eddie's, a no nonsense barber shop found in Allston, MA, one of Boston's many historical neighborhoods. This place is the epitome of traditional Americana, which designer Richard Arthur Stewart wanted the brand mark and typography to represent; Franklin Gothic and ATF Bodoni scanned from a letterpress book with a mashup illustration combining an iconic eagle and barber's comb. NICE! He also goes on to state "I wanted to stay away from the "red, white & blue" barber pole theme and stick with something high contrast and modern. Stark, rich blacks screen printed on whitewash 100 lb. card stock give the collateral a strong masculine feel while referencing the brand's age and history." A very well thought out idea with excellent execution makes this a cut shave above the rest. A pure delight! Now... where did i put my pomade?

TUESDAY 08 MARCH 2011 // PATRICK LEGER ILLUSTRATIONS

I absolutely love LOVE LOOOVE the illustrations of Patrick Leger. Hailing from North Carolina in the United States, Patrick's work casts a sense of nostalgia and comfort in me that reminds me of looking through early 1960's action comics and Sci-Fi fantasy book covers. I love when an artists work can remind you of your childhood and bring a smile to your face even by a clever use of familiar colours or subject matter. Well, Patricks work has it all and he has a client list to prove it working with all of the top mags including Wired UK, Washington Post and The New York times to name a few. Check out more of Patricks exciting work at www.patrick-leger.com

MONDAY 07 MARCH 2011 // MORNING BREATH vs VANS OFF THE WALL

Do you like the work of Morning Breath Inc? Do you like VANS? If you answered YES to both these questions then you're going to love the the illustration and design work Chris and Doug from Morning Breath (NYC) have done for the new Vans – Off The Wall .TV site. Here are just some of the elements! Check out the site for yourself HERE and be on the lowdown for some VANS / Morning Breath stuff coming real soon! Keep an eye on their website for announcements or take a stroll across all the fine work they have on display at www.morningbreathinc.com

SUNDAY 06 MARCH 2011 // 50 and 50: THE STATE MOTTOS PROJECT

Man, i love seeing a good project come together and the Fifty and Fifty: The State Mottos project is amongst the best i've seen!!! It's almost one of those ideas you think... SHIT FUCK! Why didn't i think of that? But i didn't and thanks to it's creator Dan Cassaro a designer and animator living and working in Brooklyn, New York who's done a mighty fine job at rounding up some of the worlds most talented creatives we all have this brill idea to gawk at! What i love the most is the consistency between each piece mainly due to the awesome color system that Dan has chose for each artist to work with. I'm not sure what the plan is once the project is finished... A book maybe? if so... put me down for 2!

Fifty and Fifty is a curated project which attempts to construct a handsome new way of looking at America. Fifty designers, one per state, will illustrate their state motto, creating something steeped in history but completely modern and unique: a kind of designer's atlas. You can see all the creations at the official website and follow the new designs every week. www.statemottosproject.com

SUNDAY 06 MARCH 2011 // THE WORK OF CHRIS DELORENZO

Yesterday I was talking about the 'Soon to open' Johnny Cupcakes store here in London and well today I want to introduce you to Johnny's right hand man / creative sidekick / the go-to man for fine kitsch TShirt Graphics and all round creative delights Chris DeLorenzo. Chris hails from Massachusetts, has worked for a stint as an Associate Art Director for Saatchi & Saatchi in NYC but left there to become the head designer at Johnny Cupcakes Inc in 2010. His work is full of tiny nods – to pop art, to 1940’s cinema, to graffiti and folk art – but executed with a clarity of vision which renders his pieces singular. And is why we here at Wooden Toy give Chris (and his work) 4 thumbs up! Check out more of Chris's work at www.chrisdelorenzo.com

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