Can't get no (sartorial) satisfaction.

via Zegna

It just ain't fair that I can't afford the kind of tailored clothing I see on this model. I mean just look at this dude, dang! to have swagger like that, you know Zegna's craft masters at SuMisura got ur' back, literally.

Line work.

I love these stripe shirt Illustrations created by designer Mary Matson for the Chance summer 2011 launch

images via Mary Matson's site

Better than a pint.

I felt very low and uninspired today, probably because it's January and grey, also because I have a million and one boring tasks that needed to get done. I find it very draining to work when I'm that uninspired. So where did I turn for creative fuel... well to Daphne Guinness of course. Thank you Daphne! for being you!!!

      photographed by Bryan Adams for Zoo magazine

and I love this clip as well

Process Based Art.

Dutch designer Sarah Van Gameren and Brit designer Tim Simpson make up the dynamic duo called Studio Glithero. Their process based work emphasizes the moment(s) that are so special when making something that it in itself is the focus of their art (with a capital A). Artists know about these moments in their practice, but in fact I believe that anyone is capable of this kind of relationship in whatever it is they do. I think it's a lot about raising our awareness and making oneself available to being more present. Our daily, monotonous routines when perceived through a different filter can have these moments of grace, beauty and revelation.

Right Place. Right Time.

photo by ©J. Dias

What are the chances that I would find a signed Tara McPherson concert poster for Le Tigre at Value Village??? Well, it happened! The concert was in San Diego in 2003 but ended up in VV in Toronto in 2012, cool eh! When the owner gave it up I bet they probably never guessed it would end up in the hands of a Tara fan, me! and for $1.99, score!!! 

I was first introduced to Tara's work while collecting vinyl toys many years ago. I also got a chance to meet her back in 2009 at her book signing at Magic Pony in Toronto. Here's a pic of some toys and my signed copy of her book.

photo by ©J. Dias

Porcelain at play.

images found on Beth Katleman's website via Bedlam of Beefy

I love contemporary interpretations of classical porcelain sculptures such as these pieces by artist Beth Katleman (seen above) and Shary Boyle (seen below). Shary's work is somewhat more demanding and darker than Katleman's (arguable if you take note of the baby in the pond in Katleman's piece) however both create these wonderfully ambiguous narratives which leave plenty of room for the viewer to interpret their own stories.

images via Shary Boyle's website

Text based ART.

Being a Graphic Designer by profession one would think that I would respond to text based art, but in reality I rarely ever do. Most of it seems either dated, literal, annoyingly ironic and often plain old tacky. David Kramer's art however is one of the exceptions. When I first saw his stuff I kinda dismissed it as bad hipster art, I mean c'mon - crude drawing works on paper, referencing vintage, ironic text.....blah..blah...blah... However, upon further inspection I found that there is something so honest, artful and relevant in his telling of the 'American Dream' that I had to admit I truly enjoyed engaging with it. So my gut tells me this guy's the real deal! I felt lucky that I chanced upon his work in a group show at Katherine Mulherin Gallery Tropic of Capricorn show in Toronto this past weekend. You check it out and decide.

image via David Kramer's Toothless alcoholic blog

image via Art Splash

image via Art Splash

image via Art Splash

image via C Wow

Kinda Sufjan Day.

If you like or make art READ THIS.

Loved this article "Twelve Art World Habits to Ditch in 2012" in the Huffington Post which discusses the merits of thinking for oneself. I don't agree with everything writer Mat Gleason says in this article but I like a lot of it.

Spolia

images courtesy of Bogdan Luca

My friend Luca is exhibiting "Spolia" opening tomorrow evening at Neubacher-Shor in Toronto. As you can see he's a very good painter. I like the ambiguous narratives he creates, they blur the boundaries of materiality, yet still maintain the formal qualities of gesture and collage. I especially like the idea of using the viewer as a visual consumer who ingests, processes, interprets and ultimately contributes to our consensual reality. Through paint Luca continues to explore how we, in seemingly benign and mundane ways, have the facility to create, shape and brand cultural paradigms. Check it!

Love me some Adele.

Nope, it hasn't happened yet, I still haven't grown fed up of listening to Adele's Someone like you. And the video, I am in love. Adele's gotta be trippin' in $$$ by now and she coulda easily made some huge ass cheezy hollywood music video, but nope she does this gem. Why? because she's Adele! and she's classay!
The last scene with the 360 slow pan captures such a beautiful feeling, and makes me miss Paris so dang much!

Hanji paper

photo by © J.Dias

photo by © J.Dias

Came across this neat little Korean paper store today called Hanji. I'm somewhat familiar with Japanese paper stores in the city but this might be the first Korean handmade paper store in the T.dot

""Hanji", in Korean, means handmade mulberry paper. Even today, it is made using the age old process with all natural dyes and processing techniques. No trees are cut down, only carefully selected mulberry branches are removed, stripped and boiled to preserve the long and incredibly strong fibers unique to the mulberry plant." via their Facebook page


I love this sweet little cup

photo by © J.Dias

Bread and Butter

I don't have a six pack because I love bread too much, and I'm (almost) okay with it!

video from the Toronto Standard

And what goes better with bread than butter. I kinda laugh because when I was a kid and would get hungry my Mom would say "just have some bread and butter" but I'd suck out and complain for 'real food', but now I LOVE me some B&B. The butter, actually dairy in general, in Europe is wayyyy tastier than the stuff we get here. For that good French butter taste Little Brown Pen blog recommends this one which is available at Whole Foods, but I checked at the Toronto location and couldn't find it.

image via Little Brown Pen

Trampin' around town.

photo by ©J. Dias

photo by ©J. Dias

Picked these up while thrifting at the Goodwill this past Saturday. Gold and black mid-century swirl graphic. Not sure if they are vintage (could be Ikea for all I know) but they look authentic and are very good quality. At six for six bucks it don't matter much.

Then while at St. Lawrence Market today I found these two freaks of Rosenthal awesomeness!!!

photo by ©J. Dias

I couldn't resist this face vessel thingie designed by Bjorn Winblad for Rosenthal's Studio linie and even though it has a chip and is missing the stopper it needed a good home, MY PLACE!!!  Jonathan Adler, I know where your getting your ideas from!

The other mini bowl/vase/creamer beauty, also by Rosenthal, is a sweet little addition to my white West German collection. Ahh, but just when I thought I could make a clean break for the exit I saw this...

photo by ©J. Dias

A small tramp art frame with it's original glass. The carved pattern is less pyramidal and more zig/zag which is kinda neat.

But I saved the BEST for last...

photo by ©J. Dias

photo by ©J. Dias

It's the biggest one I have to date, around 20"high by 18"wide. The dealer said it came out of a home in Cambridge, Ontario and was made in Canada. Instead of being made from old cigar boxes, most Canadian made tramp art was made from a very dense wood. It's a bit out of the ordinary for me to come across Tramp art frames in the city, so to see two beauties such as these in one day, from two different dealers nonetheless, make for one happy day! If your interested in Tramp art, the dealer highly recommended this book:

available from Amazon

Okay, yeah I know I went a bit overboard today but c'mon I was good over Christmas so I deserve a little vintage therapy. I have been in love with these frames ever since a good friend introduced me to Tramp art a few years back and I've been hooked ever since, so Betsy if your reading this, it's your fault!!!

The world needs more Tweed.

Molloy & Sons: Heritage Tweed vid on Nowness

and I want this book

via Chapters

High Society.

images by ©J. Dias

Strolled into the Carlu lobby in College Park last night and took in this massive photo mural in the lobby, LOVE!

Style Mojo!

image via tweedlandthegentlemansclub blog

image via theurbangent

I hate to admit out loud but off late I've gotten caught up in the monotony of routine and I make very little effort to dress well. I'd like to blame in on the very (very) tiny closets in my new place but that's not a good enough excuse. So this year one of my goals is to shape up and reconcile my inner fashionisto with the outer me. Simply put - when it comes to dressing well everyday I gotta pull it together!

At the risk of turning into a Dandy I'm fallen for tweed and pocket squares. I've always had an appreciation for classic men's tailoring, so I've decided to refine my personal style by adapting elements of mens suiting into my everyday wardrobe. I'm well aware that I could fall into the trap of looking overly affected, trendy, goofy, or worse 'costumey' but I think with a little research, shopping around, and careful consideration I should be able to pull it off authentically.

Here's a little sample of how I would LOVE to dress every frickin' day!!! 

image via the awesome Guerreisms site

Do you have any men's style icons you look up to, contemporary or otherwise?

Image Capture.

images via Bibliodyssey blog

I love these illustrations found via the truly awesome blog Bibliodyssey which is jam packed beautiful images (many of which are available in high resolution) and important facts.

These Francois Levaillant and Jacques Barraband images make me think of the contemporary work of artist Walton Ford. If you don't know his work, it's definitely worth checking out!

Artist Walton Ford via biblioklept blog

One Word: HERMÈS

image via etsy seller here

Kinda obsessed with this Hermes scarf right now. It's called a D'oiseaux et de Lièvre designed by Henri de Linares in 1966. Can't afford it but in my dreamworld it's already been placed in THE perfect frame and hanging on my wall. Here a re-issue of it in 1992, pretty awesome.

image via etsy seller here

Some rummage in dreams.

photo by ©A. Nedham

My friend Amanda took this pic of me rummaging through antiques in Naples last summer. Do you ever keep going back to a specific place in your mind? Many times I have caught myself daydreaming of this place, back to the narrow streets of Naples to this antique shop in hopes of finding hidden treasure. Then after I'm off to the church down the street, Pio Monte della Misericordia to see Caravaggio's Seven Mercies, fingers crossed that it is open for viewing.

School of Life.

image via Marc and Angel Hack Life

Instead of making a bunch of resolutions I'd rather focus on quieting myself enough to figure out what matters most. I'm kinda a cynic when it comes to "self help" as I tend to think that life is way too beautifully ambiguous to organize into 12 steps. However sometimes it can be valuable to see things more pragmatically. Today I found the site Marc and Angel Hack Life (via Habitually Chic blog) that offers "practical tips for productive living". It's an easy read and well organized, so check it!