Peek-a-Boo: Dana Tanamachi - It's all in the Chalk

When you think of Chalk, where does your mind wander to?

Is it back to school, or maybe out on the sidewalk with your kids?

So when you combine the love of drawing, chalk and some serious graphic design skills, what do you get?








Her name is Dana. Dana Tanamachi.

Perhaps you noticed last months' O Magazine had a slightly different look to it?

Well that was Dana.
She created Oprah's O Magazine's first hand-lettered cover, and the February (traditionally a Valentine's day themed cover) as well.

The brief was a simple one according to Dana: Express Yourself!

The use of chalk in design, whether a chalk board painted wall feature or furniture and accessories with added labels that let you use chalk to help keep them organized are always a great way to personalize your pieces. Who doesn't love having everything organized?  

via Fauxology.com & pinterest

via emmalinebride.com

Although Dana does not usually participate in weddings, this fantastic Photo Backdrop and theme for fellow graphic designer Andrio Abero and Caroline Roger's wedding last October, will most definitely make for some very memorable (and I am kind of feeling jealous right now) wedding photos..

image and more on this wedding via Style Me Pretty.com
Photography Jenny Jimenz; Event Coordinateion Stellina

Want to see Dana in action?
Here is a fun video that just shows how talented she really is.

The By & By from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Of course, so many brands have jumped at the chance of working with her, combining art and the hot "nostalgia" trend in Fashion and Interior Design, such as Rugby Ralph Lauren and West Elm. These are two strong examples of how collaborating with an artist can create a really unique experience for their client..and I think the same is true for collaborations with bloggers and all creative professionals that can add value to the consumer experience.

West Elm, a brand that really has been leading the way in forward thinking with a strong social media presence and marketing campaign (you should check out their pinterest boards). Not only did they collaborate with Dana for their Holiday catalogue, but also had events with private installations in their shops as well as some great looking paper weights which she designed.

From one brand initiative to another...
West Elm, Rugby Ralph Lauren, Google, The Ace Hotel, Adidas, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, Lululemon Athletica, and Garden & Gun Magazine, are only a few of the larger brands that have jumped at the oppurtunity to bring this unique art form to their clients.

The Nagging Doubt wine labels ..

For all you wine lovers out there, these custom and absolutely unique wine labels were created by Dana for the "Nagging Doubt" brand...watch one of them being created in this clip of Dana at work.

Nagging Doubt "The Pull" from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Honestly, I think we are going to be seeing alot more of Dana Tanamachi..there are no limits to how this art form is going to be introduced into so many different levels of our day to day experiences.



(*sadly because of timing and Dana's huge success I wasn't able to interview her, but do visit her blog here for more information.) * all images courtesy of Dana Tanamachi... and although this post was already written she was interviewed by WSJ this past weekend as well.

Weekend Inspiration: It's a Nate Kind of Day

Hello from Los Angeles!

I have arrived to LA a few days ahead of the Deisgn Bloggers Conference next week and am already enjoying some much needed time with friends and family in the sun.

As a lead into tomorrows post, I wanted to share with you some of the design work from Nate Berkus and his team.

A few weeks ago I was so happy to be part of a group that was part of a Nate Berkus segment which focused on the use of Olioboard - the online moodboard site.

I will share more about that tomorrow (a little suspense is a good thing!)
but first I thought it would be nice to have a look at some of Nate Berkus' work and why not start with how many Americans fell in love with him as we began to know him even more through his relationship with Oprah.

As a designer Nate was able to bring to Americans a deeper understanding of all things design which was really great for our profession.

Here are a few examples of his design from his firm now, with a wide variety of projects and locations.

Great attention to every detail, from the walls to the flooring, no detail was left out. Really understandable why Oprah (& most Americans) have taken to loving Nate Berkus.

So make sure to watch the Nate Berkus show today..

and for those of you who can't, come back tomorrow for a recap post all about our Olioboards,

 the other designers and more.

*All images via Nate Berkus