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Keep Calm and Carry On - The Origin
December 7, 2010
Chances are good that you have seen these words emblazoned on everything from T-shirts, coasters, jewelry, tote bags and most notably, posters. Sometimes the message even changes a bit to say, “Keep Calm and Drink Tea”, or “Keep Calm and Crochet On” or even outright parodies such as “Freak out and Throw Stuff”. It leaves us wondering…where did this all come from?
Keep Calm and Carry On- The Origin
Although the message has become mainstream, many do not know the origins of the design and phrase. The original Keep Calm and Carry On poster was produced by the British Government in 1939 during the inception of World War II. It was meant to raise the morale of the British people who were facing an impending invasion, although it was actually never distributed on a wide scale.
About 10 years ago, in 2000, the design was rediscovered when a copy of the original poster surfaced in a second-hand bookshop in the UK. To date, there are only 2 known surviving examples of the original 1939 poster. The owners of the bookshop printed their own version of the image at the request of their customers, and it soon became discovered by manufacturers and designers all over the world. The original designer of the poster is not known, and the work is now in the public domain.
Get on the Juvenile Art Bandwagon!
September 9, 2010
Pic Collage 1
Children are always growing, blooming, learning to read, and testing their limits...why not illustrate that part of their lives? Entire catalogs are devoted to this large niche now - Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod are two of the bigger players who have built businesses on this theme. Children have a place in the home all their own, no different from the adults in the house, and these places need artwork like any other would. We can provide just the right looks for these nooks! Our collection of juvenile artwork ranges from toys and games to inspirational, and even purely decorative. Using colors and subjects children can identify with, it makes for a great look that allows today's child to express their own sense of style.
Pic Collage 2Trend Letter 1, 2010
August 6, 2010
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The ebb and flow of home decor trends has always kept us searching for the latest and freshest palettes. Now,
as we come into a new season, we look towards new colors, varied tones, and updated looks to keep us on the
cutting edge of the art industry.
Pantone Palette
Orange Items
As we slowly, and cautiously, look ahead at a more promising economic future, our optimism grows. The safer,more comforting colors of the last several years will fade into the background a bit and make way for a new generation of color. This is one of the more dramatic shifts of the last several years. We’ll see overall color palettes brighten and darker, muted tones become accents rather than main colors. Citrus colors play an important roll in this newer, brighter way of life. One of the newest introductions is coral – a tone that hovers between both red and orange. Yellow has shown its form subtly in recent months, but will continue to grow in popularity when paired with other emerging citrus hues.
Left Paint Blobs
Of course, on the cooler side of the color palette we find blue and purple still making
headway. The blues are fresh and watery while the purple flirts with reddish hues to look
like plum. Green stakes its claim in both the warm and cool sides of the palette. It plays on
the blue side in aqua and turquoise and becomes acidic when mixed with shades of yellow.
Amongst all these bright, fresh hues, we still have a need for the basics that ground us.
Chocolate brown, sandy taupe, and cool gray still work as a strong backdrop to showcase a
newer palette. Pantone’s seasonal color forecast features strong neutrals like Oyster Gray
and Chocolate Truffle mixed with punchy tones like Purple Orchid, Lagoon, and Lipstick Red.
While establishing the color palette is certainly the most dominant aspect of a trend, using it
properly is still hugely important to its success. Although we’re beginning to see a rise in optimism,consumers are still being incredibly cautious in their purchases. Consumers will
want to incorporate the newer trends with their existing ones and be able to blend the two
together. This is more of a dabble in new trends rather than plunging in headfirst. So to
satisfy the consumer’s desire for a new look, it’s smart to incorporate it in with some of the
old stand-bys.
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Right collage of paint and items
Using these trend right colors with popular subject matter is the ace-in-the-hole. Natural elements continue to be a highly popular category. Elements like leaves, trees, and flowers have been strong sellers for several trend cycles and are still in the spotlight. Slightly newer on the scene are the birds, butterflies, and dragonflies that have been hot recently across many product categories. The embellishments and enhancements that the last trend cycles featured have given way to more simplistic sophistication with subtle accents.
Left Collage of items
We think of trends in terms of how we live our lives. Throughout history, in times of struggle the colors were deeper, darker, and more muted. In more hopeful times, the colors we surround ourselves with become brighter, more cheerful, and more saturated. We’re now living in a time more focused on nature, fresher eating, and healthier living. This is where these citrus and farm fresh colors of veggies, fruits, and open pastures help illustrate our way of life.
Farm Stand
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