how to build an owl

1. Decide you must.

2. Develop deep respect
for feather, bone, claw.

3. Place your trembling thumb
where the heart will be:
for one hundred hours watch
so you will know
where to put the first feather.

4. Stay awake forever.
When the bird takes shape
gently pry open its beak
and whisper into it: mouse.

5. Let it go.

{poem by kathleen lynch}

let him down easy…

every now and then i come across a moment of witty brilliance…this here is one of them.  i salute you, chris l. jensen, well done, sir!

{via stumble upon}

two tales are better than one

this brilliant poster series campaign “come with a story and leave with another” was designed by bogota-based graphic design studio lowe-ssp3.  can you identify the couple of intertwined stories in each image…

handmade

this typographical experiment by tien min liao brings new meaning to “handmade.  click on the images if they dont animate on their own…

{via colossal}

word of the week

i know i have neglected these posts for ages, so please forgive me and accept the return of “word of the week“…

coyote brigadiers, forest bandits, a dowager governess & helmeted hares!

i was lucky enough to get a copy of wildwood for christmas (secreted across from the US).  i am pages from finishing it: what a wonderfully engrossing adventure, brimming with enchanting characters and rich, glorious language – as one would expect from the lead singer of the decemberists and the book’s author, colin meloy.  well-known illustrator, carson ellis, and wife to meloy, is responsible for the book’s intricate imagery…oh to be the one half of such a creative duo!

{you can follow the wildwood chronicles on facebook too}

tiny grass is dreaming…

using the often-amusing misinterpretation between manderin & english, this little etsy store made me chuckle!

happy weekend, wild things!

i smiled the instant i found this work on pinterest.  have a terrific weekend, each & every one of you!

alphabet fun

“the alphabet 2,  a horn book video experiment, is a developmental spelling-video where each character visually represents the meaning of the word itself.”  i love everything about this video – look, music, concept, execution – bravissimo, n9ve!

it’s just so type-ical!

here’s a small collection of typographically-pleasing things i have found on my interweb travels…

{click on the image for its source}

word of the week

{image via ptit chef}

word of the week

akos major

word of the week

word of the week

word of the week

word of the week

{image via pinterest}

sorry i could find a better image for “navel-gazing” but that will have to do.

a stare of raccoons…

united by a love of graphic design, words and images , a small group of artists founded woop to bring a unique and exciting angle to the fascinating world of collective nouns.  here are the results from this collective of creatives…

word of the week

{image via pinterest}

word of the week

{stone wall artwork by andy goldsworthy}

dust jacket design

book city jackets has produced these wonderful “artists editions” to adorn your bookshelves and replace sad, tired-looking dust jackets.  i love the battling robots design below!

word of the week

{image via pinterest}

word of the week

{image via flickr}

word of the week

{walter de maria’s lightning field}

word of the week

continuing with my weekly post of logophilia, here is the latest, vocabulary nugget.  i know not everyone loves language as much as i do (believe me it is an obsession), but i hope you are enjoying these lettered gems nonetheless!

{image via flilckr}

word of the week

{image via flickr}